Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera – 1 5 Pray as You Have Seen Me Pray
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hamdulillahi rabbil Alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala Sayidina
Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi or Baraka was seldom at the
Sleeman Cathedral on July 18, a moderate
Firstly, this inshallah this gathering is a blessing gathering
because we're speaking about one of the most integral aspects of
Islam. Salat is a pillar of Islam as Salah to remember the deen as
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that prayer is the
pillar, an integral pillar. So it starts from the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said Booney al Islam, Allah, Allah humps,
Islam is based are built upon five fundamental pillars, and one of
them is solid. In fact, it's one of the main pillars of Islam.
There are some Hadith which seem to indicate that
salah is
the difference between a person and gopher or disbelief is the
performance of prayer or the omission of prayer, either
performing or not performing prayer.
Don't take that literally. Some scholars have some aroma have
taken that literally and said that anybody who misses the prayer is
like a cough. Although the majority have said that it depends
on why they're missing the prayer. If they're missing the prayer
because they don't believe it's necessary, then only then does it
become tougher. But if it's because of laziness, then it is
definitely transgression. It's definitely a sin. disobedience,
but it's not good for you. Because you believe in it. But it's
laziness by definitely is definitely critical. So you start
off with the promise of the Lord isn't saying that it's Bruyneel
Islam or other comes to it's an integral pillar, then you've got a
hadith like this. And then Allah subhanaw taala speaks about people
who are hanging out at the back. Because the munaf team, the
hypocrites during the time of Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, they couldn't miss the prayer.
I mean, that's the most important interesting thing, they couldn't
miss the prayer, because anybody that was seen as not attending the
jemar of Korea was definitely going to be considered a
monophonic. Because nobody missed the prayer. In those days, very
few people would be able to miss the prayer, if any. So the
monarchy again, would have to come as well just to prove their point.
But then they would lounge around at the back. So that was their
sign.
Then you've got one of the final points is that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam if you study the last few days of his
life, and very significantly, when you listen to what he said, and
some of his final words, it tells us that one of the final words he
said, and normally when a person passes away, or is about to pass
away, who knows they're going to pass away, they're going to say
the most important thing for them. He said, a solid, a solid Malakut.
Amen. Okay. These are the two things he spoke about just before
he passed away. These were two of the final advices that he gave a
solid, a solid, your prayer, your prayer.
And that which your right hand possesses, which is referring to
slavery, the slaves that people had, that you must look after
them, you must be nice to them, you must be good to them.
And you must treat them well. But solid, a solid.
There are Hadith which speak about anybody who misses their answer
prayer, for example, then it is as if they're their family, and their
wealth has all been destroyed.
And if you just ponder over that for a while, and just imagine and
may Allah forbid, but just imagine that one day you come back and you
find that everything has been destroyed. You hear that you hear
about these stories in other countries, but just imagine that
if that was to happen to us, what would the feeling be? Not just the
feeling, but just the sense of loss. So if the Prophet sallallahu
Sallam is saying that if you if your answer, prayer is missed,
and then it would be as though your wealth and your family have
all been destroyed, with the Ramallah, who Hello.
That is a significant loss, though, when we miss our surprise,
it doesn't seem like such a big deal. As if our entire family and
wealth had been destroyed. It's because we don't understand the
significance of what this prayer is and what it does in terms of
our life in the hereafter. Obviously, if we lose our family
and our wealth in this world, we can we will immediately feel the
effects of it, because that's who we are. Those are the two most
important things for us in our life, our family, for emotional
comfort, and our wealth for our monetary and financial stability.
Without those two were literally deserted. But without prayer, then
are we going to be deserted in the hereafter and not just deserted?
Where you can actually go and try to do something and work it out
because here you could go and try to work it out. There
If it's the hellfire, then it becomes highly problematic. I
don't want to start off on a very negative tone. But it's just that
what I want to say is that if you're here today, it obviously
means that we're here to learn more about our prayer. And there
aren't enough courses about prayer. That's that's the issue,
despite the fact that if you pick up any book on fic, or
jurisprudence, or Hadith collection pick up Buhari for
example, right, or any other Hadith collection that deals with
all of the different chapters of learning, you will find that Kitab
was solid, the book of solid is the largest of them all, which is
so surprising, because Salah Titsworth photocards, three
records, two records, right? You do this you do that it's such a
common knowledge everybody knows about it, you know about it more
than you know about many other subjects, you know, how to take a
vow, how to take an oath all of these subjects are definitely more
ambiguous. Salah is so much more clear people know about it. But
the chapters are so great. And the reason is that it is actually
quite complicated because even though we do it five times a day
solid, the Messiah ill there are so many variants that could play a
part. You do this does it break your Salah if I think this does it
break my salad if I read this wrong, does it break my salad? If
I omit this or miss this? Does it break my salad? If I do this in
addition, does it make my salad timewise place wise, purity wise,
direction wise, there's just so many things that are related. You
know, just one day pick up a book on hadith of fic and just go
through the chapter headings or the sub chapter headings of the
Salatin, you'll see all of the Noah filled prayer, the Juma
prayer, the winter prayer, the Juma operator Eid, prayer salad,
Hydra Salatin, the carrabba, Salat, wherever you are, these are
the difference between a lot of men and women, there are just so
many differences are so many points to note, most of them
generally that relate to our everyday so that we know about.
But it's important that we educate ourselves that those few things
that are not like that that are a bit more obscure, and a bit more
ambiguous.
A lot of today is going to be dealt is going to be dealing with
the fifth of solid primarily based on sources. So again, that's
something else that doesn't happen too frequently, whenever there is
a solid cause it's mostly about how to perform the salaat.
However, today, what we're going to be dealing with is, where do we
get this from. And
a lot of the time,
many of us who
are praying, we don't necessarily know the source of why we pray a
particular way. And look, it's not necessary to know that as long as
you trust the source from which you learned how to pray, it'd be
very difficult for everybody to be going into the source material,
which means the Quran and the Sunnah, to go and look and
analyze, and study and investigate all of the different sources from
which we can learn how to pray, that's not an easy task for most
of us to do. So orlimar have done it for us, we take it on their
authority, which we call tech lead. Tech, lead essentially means
following somebody of authority, you can't make tech lead of just
anybody, right? And blind Tech Lead where you're only following
the person for what they are for themselves, in a sense that if
they give up then you give up as well. Right? No, it's about doing
tech lead of a reliable authority that has stood the test of time.
So today, a lot of what we're going to discuss, we're going to
try to go through much of the prayer, we can go through
everything. And it will get rather boring if we're just to be
mentioning references for everything, right. But we will be
going through much of the main aspects of the prayer, you can
take notes and remember these things. Now, the reason why we're
doing this is not so that we can go out and argue with people,
that's not the point. The point of it is to better our own solid to
it. Believe me, if you do something based on evidence where
you know where it's coming from, you feel a lot more confidence.
Right, you will feel a lot more confident, you feel
that you're on a sound path. When you don't, then sometimes people
can come and create doubts, but when you know your evidences, then
somebody can come and show you an alternative evidence. And we
acknowledge that there are many different types of evidences which
give rise to different opinions. Right? And there's a reason for
that, and I'll explain that. But if somebody then does come to us
and try to tries to cause confusion by saying For example,
look, this is a copy of Sahil Bihari or Sahih Muslim or any
other Hadith book Loki Abdullah Muhammad Ali Alana saying, This is
how he saw Rasulullah sallallahu I'm praying or this is what he
relates and it might work out that that is different to what you're
doing. Now if you don't
don't have evidence. If you don't know where you're getting what you
believe in from, then you will get confused. And you think, Well,
yeah, this must there must be something in this. But if you know
where it's from, right? If you know where it's from, then you
will realize that it's okay. I understand. That's another
opinion. And this is another opinion, and hamdulillah there's a
valid difference of opinion. And that's why we need to be more
educated in that regard. Now, the reason for differences is quite
clear, especially with salatu salam evolved during the lifetime
of Rasulullah Salallahu. Salam Salam evolved,
right, solid evolved. What that means is, there are clear Hadith
indicating that you could speak in solid right in the beginning.
That's why on one occasion, this individual came to salad late. And
if you came to salad late, there was a tradition that you would
ask, you could ask the person who's praying the last person in
the line? Which record are you on brother? Right? And he will tell
you, are we on the second record? Okay, you know, then you know, how
to plan your salad, right? How to plan the rest of it. On one
occasion, this man came, he asked the person what record are we in?
Where are we in salad and the person did not respond to and this
person got offended. He said,
Why are they speaking to me? So then he started his prayer, but
after salah the prophets, Allah announced that we cannot talk in
prayer anymore. So he clarified, also it was permissible to walk in
solid to move in salats. Right. And that's why on one occasion,
the Sahaba, he came in from the back of the masjid, the Imam was
in roku. So the Salah, the people were the congregation was in Roku,
he started his solid at the back. Now what we normally do is people
run to try to catch catch the Imam before he stands up from Roku, so
that it means they've caught that record. What this person did was
that he from the back, he made such a made Roku, he started his
prayer, went into Roku, and then move forward like that the process
was totally off those look, we let it go this time, but you can't do
this anymore. Right? It's not permissible. So not evolved. Also,
you learn another thing from many generations, that some are related
by in his Charlemagne and Arthur. And there's other sources that
mentioned this as well, that there were more than two or three times
in solid, you know, nowadays Hanafis will only raise their
hands right at the beginning, they won't raise their hands before and
after ruku. But the shaft is for example, they will raise their
hands before as well before going down. So they'll raise in the
beginning then raise it again. In Chicago, they'll raise it one or
two times as well.
There are Hadees that show us that this that the hands were raised
about seven times, even between the soldiers, you know between the
prostrations and so on as well but slowly, slowly, it many it became
less and less until Abdullah Masuda the Allahu Anhu relates
that it was left to just the beginning, Allahu Akbar, just to
show that you are entering the solid, it's a gesture of Allah who
wishes throwing everything behind you. And then tying your hands
together, as though you're making a pact with Allah subhanaw taala
that I am dedicating myself to you. My food is haram right now I
can't speak to anybody I can't do I have to dedicate myself to doing
certain vicar, certain remembrance, in this prayer. So
many things evolved. Now, when you have a hadith that say that the
prophets Allah says that the hands were raised seven times, for
example, three times five times before Roku after a cube in
between such dies after such has been sitting down. Right, the
other man look into this and they decide which Hadith they're going
to take. Right? And there is no categorical way of doing this.
Like there's no one way of doing this. There are other models,
especially the Imams, they develop different ways of
preponderance eating certain Hadith over others, or preferring
certain Hadith over others. So the Hanafis may have preferred this
hadith of Abdullah Abdul Masood Rhodiola one which said that you
only raise the hands in the beginning, and then not after that
as being the last action of the Muslims during the time Rasulullah
sallallahu sallam, which means we agree that they were raised more
times than that before but eventually it led to this. I'll
give you another example.
When you're in when you just done your first set of search does your
prostrations and then you stand up. We don't sit in between the
100 of us do not sit in between, so they don't sit down and then
stand up. They just stand up straight away. Whereas the chef is
they sit and then they stand up. Now where that comes from is that
there is a Hadith in which the rose Rossum did sit. Right he did
sit and there are many a hadith in which it mentions that they would
just stand up straight, but the Shafi is a preferred that hadith
saying that that is what Rasul Allah Lawson's final action may
have been, but what the handle
phase of said is that he may be in his final election. But as the
Hadith states very clearly, that this was when he was ill during
his last days that that's when he did this because he needed that
rest in between. So that was done for a reason, not as a last final
action as a development or an advancement in the prayer. But
they will say this, and we will say this. So now you can see that
this is just a valid difference of opinion, based both on a hadith,
both based on Hadith. So why would we go to them and say, You guys
are wrong, and you you like this, and you must come this way, and so
on. We're happy with what we have because it's based on narrations.
They're happy with what they have based on durations. And that's
what the adults should be. That's what the etiquette should be
between anybody that takes directly from the sources in a
qualified manner. Because really what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, is that Elijah had al Hakim, when the jurist makes us
endeavor to understand through the various different Hadith and Quran
ik verses, the solution to an issue, and he gets what is right,
according to Allah, he hits the mark, and he gets the right
opinion. Because look, in any one in any issue, only one thing can
really be the most correct opinion according to Allah subhanaw taala.
For example, let's just say somebody said certain words to
their wife, is that a divorce or not? Some earner might look at the
word and say they think it is a revocable divorce, some may think
it's an irrevocable divorce, some may even say it's not a divorce,
there's going to be a difference of opinion, but only one of them
can actually be right in reality, right? Because how can they all be
right? How can the marriage be broken? And be correct at the same
time? Do you see what I'm saying? So according to Allah, only one
thing can really be right. However, we don't know that
because Allah subhanaw taala hasn't revealed that in the Quran
that this is the opinion on this issue. In some issues. It's
related, that clearly this is how it is. But in many issues, it's
not related. We have various different types of narration some
saying this some saying that a Judas will look at all of these
and say, I think the marriage is broken. And other ones say No, I
think it's fine. Only one is actually correct, according to
Allah, but no one knows that. And each one actually thinks there one
day one is more correct. That's why they're taking that opinion.
Do you see what I'm saying? That's why they take in that opinion, if
you are trying your best, and you reach a certain decision, you're
gonna think that's correct. The other Imam, he's done the same
thing. He's done his best. He's a qualified person. He knows the
knowledge. He knows the sciences. And he's done his best to reach
that opinion. So that's what he's taken as well. Right? They both
got different conclusions. In this world, we're not going to be told
who was actually right, you're not gonna get a certification. But
what the promises awesome did say in a very famous Hadith, he said
that when such a jurist does his endeavor, and he gets it right,
according to Allah, he hits the mark for a Saba, then he gets to
rewards.
And if he gets it wrong, he still gets one reward, because he's
done, what's his responsibility is responsibilities, you do your best
to work it out.
So now, if we follow this jurist or that jurists, we're never going
to know which one is actually more correct. But we're gonna have to
think that the one we're following is more correct. Otherwise, why
are we following that one? Right out of the two, why are we
following this one or that one? Because we think it's more
correct. Right, and anybody who holds a particular opinion,
they're going to think they're more correct. Now, although I have
also discussed then, on the Day of Judgment, based on this hadith,
people are going to obviously find out if they got to rewards for
something or one reward for some the jurists, they're going to
discover whether they got to rewards for something are
wondering what and whether they were correct or incorrect, but
they were correct in the sense that they did what their
responsibility was, so they're not going to be sinful.
But they're gonna get double rewarded if they hit the mark as
well. Right? That's the Tofik from Allah subhanaw taala anyway,
right. So, having taken that into consideration, the reason why
there are differences is because Salah developed the prophets of
Allah Azza may have said different things to different individuals,
the Sahaba then related that, so now you have these different
durations and for example, Imam Shafi he prefers to take up the
live normals opinion in many cases, whereas the Hanafi is they
they prefer to take Abdullah Masuda the alarms opinion in many
cases, because Abdullah Masuda the Allah one he moved to Kufa
right and much of the knowledge that was developed in Kufa or
spreading gufa was through through Abdullah Masuda the Allah one and
I need are the Allah one. So the fic of the coffins, right, which
is in Iraq was primarily based on these two scholar Sahaba among
others, and Abdullah Omar Abdullah Hypno Abbas, they they spread
their fit as well. So now you have
what you have sometimes is that the Hanafis will normally prefer
Abdullah Masuda D alone because he was older than Abdullah Omar
Abdullah Abdullah
Normally there was a child in the earlier days. And he was quite
young, I believe it was older Abdullah muscle of the Allah was
also somebody the promise that Allah some made many statements
about in terms of praising him for his ability in things. He also
said closer to Rasulullah sallallahu. In prayer, he was
right behind the salsa lesson. So we're saying that he's older, he's
wiser, because he was older, he was closer. So whatever he
relates, is going to be more appropriate. We're not saying I'm
not like normal, or the alone is wrong. But we're saying that we're
going to take this opinion. So that is where you get these
differences of opinion from. But again, we're only studying this so
that we know so that we feel more confident that when we start our
salad, we're not going to have lingering doubts, because we know
it's based on qualified study, analysis and judgment. And that's
what we're responsible for. Allah subhanaw taala says, Follow the
people of knowledge when you don't know. And if you don't have the
ability to go into the Quran and Sunnah. And to look at all of the
various different durations, as you will see, it is not an easy
task at all. Right? Because if you look at Buhari itself, within
certain chapters, there are Hadith that will apparently contradict
each other in the same chapter, how are you going to understand
which one to take, you're going to need commentary. That's why there
are these huge commentaries written in 2030 volumes by
Immanuel Hotjar, irony, caster, learning and all of these other
scholars to try to explain all of these things, right. It's a, it's
a, it's a job on its own to do it. And unfortunately, nowadays,
people just lack the time, the zeal, the effort to really go and
do a serious study, what they do is they take what other people
saying they're gonna argue about it. And that's, that's really a
problem. Now, the thing is,
some of the differences, the famous differences, a lot of them
are actually just about what is superior? Not what is farther away
algebra haram, for example, you've seen some people they will say, I
mean, allowed. And some people do not say I mean allowed. It's a
valid difference of opinion. It's just a difference of opinion as to
which is better. If somebody who is following Hanafi school, for
example.
wants to say that I mean, allowed, technically, they could do it.
It's not haram, it's not even sinful, it's just less superior.
Because you've got clear, a hadith would say that the mean was said
aloud. And you've got clear a Hadees, where it was mentioned
that it was not said aloud.
Do you see what I'm saying? So you can take either, but the judgment
from the Hanafi scholars is that the Hadith, which show that the
Amin was said silently, is the later action and the more
preferred action. So why would you leave that for the other action?
Right, you know, just have a bit of fun. I want to say I mean, a
lot today, you know, so why would you want to do that? Having said
that, if you feel like saying I mean allow one day you can, right?
It's not haram to do that. Likewise, the raising of the hands
before and after ruku. The Shafi is and humbly is do it the HANA
the Hanafi somatic is do not do it. But again, it's a permissible
difference. The chef is would not condemn anybody for not doing it
or should not. And the Hanafi is should not condemn anybody for
doing it.
And even as a Hanafy, who felt like raising your hands, I mean, I
wouldn't encourage it because it's less superior suboptimal, right.
Because that's how it's been judged to be according to the
Hanafi school, but it's a permissible difference of opinion.
Why should anybody make a big deal about equal pay him who's a
student of Tamia, Rahim Allah, they say the same thing that this
is just a valid difference of opinion, nothing to argue about.
But you've got people today who will insist that everybody must
pray a particular way. And that's where the problem is a valid
difference of opinion. Why should I go to somebody who's making a
salad? Maybe he's got bigger problems in the way he's praying,
is looking around, maybe maybe scratching and doing major action
in the prayer, maybe it's concentration, who is not there?
Why shouldn't should they work on that? Instead of telling them
brother, you must raise your hands, or you must not raise your
hands? Can you see how people have just made things polemical, as
opposed to focusing, I will have respect for somebody who's going
to try to go and encourage people to develop their concentration in
the prayer, because that is really very important. And it's a great
objective. But if you're gonna go around telling people, brother,
why'd you raise your hands? Why don't you raise your hands? Yeah,
I can see if somebody's standing around praying around in all sorts
of ways they relax, you know, because there's people who move
around, they do all these funny actions in prayer. You know, the
way they start their prayer, instead of going like this, they
go like this or like this, they do these weird actions. Right? So I
can understand that. Because the prophets of Allah Islam in a
hadith of Muslim
there were people that were raising their hands in the last
records, the prophets Allah some said Mali, or Akuma Rafi ad calm.
Why do I keep seeing you raising your hands or school office
solids? Relaxing prayer. Take it easy. be tranquil in prayer. No
excessive movements.
Only when you have to move to the different postures, because the
ruku is significant. Standing up between the two, the frustration
is another act of submission to Allah subhanaw taala. You see the
prostration it is such an important acts, people who don't
have faith, they find it so difficult about the head on the
floor, bobbing your head on the floor in front of the Lord of the
Worlds The King of all kings. Right? That is
absolutely a great expression of our servitude. And people cannot
do that they find that so difficult to do.
Right as Allah subhanaw taala says in the Quran that those who
couldn't prostrate in front of the Lord in this world, Allah subhanho
wa Taala in the hereafter will straighten their backs, stiffen
their backs and they will not be able to prostrate and then they
will be found out.
So, bending down in front of Allah subhanho wa Taala is a great act
of submission. So yes, we need to move into the different postures.
But while we're in the posture, had the prophets Allah some said,
then stand up Hatha de la Amon, then stand up until you become
totally an absolutely straightened in a tranquil repose. Right, so no
movements. So, we want less movements. Going back to the
point, there are some issues which are of a more critical nature. For
example, in the Hanafi school, that difference of opinion about
whether you should read behind the imam or not.
According to the
chef, it is you do pray behind the Imam
right? Because Fatiha they consider it so necessary that
you have to pray behind the Imam, the Hanafi saint or the Fatiha of
the Imam is sufficient for the follower. You know, when you're
praying in a jemar because the prophets of Allah some said for
inocula Imamura to level, the Kira of the Imam is sufficient for the
macdaddy because it's like we're going as a delegation to Allah
subhanaw taala when you go as a delegation anywhere else, you
don't start speaking to you. Right, one person is made the
spokesman so the Imam is a spokesman in front of Allah.
That's why it said that when the Imam says what are Tallinn you say
mean Kulu Amin because I mean means Oh Allah accepts. That's
what I mean means right? So when the Imam has made his plea of the
Fatiha because Fatima is a DUA, right? You know, Serato musta came
and said Dada, we say mean the people behind say I mean our like,
except so they kind of supporting right? But the chef is take a
different point, which we'll look into later. So that is more of a
critical difference also the prophets Allah subhanaw taala says
in the Quran, were either quarry Al Quran, first of Marula who were
uncIe to look into Herman. When the Quran is being recited, then
remain silent, and listen carefully. So it's a it's a hokum
in the Quran to do that. So when the Imam is reciting, you should
not be reciting at all. That's why the Hanafi scholars will call it
Makuta halimi, right, which is absolutely sinful to read behind
the Imam, whereas the Shafi say, we must read Fatiha. So now
they've got different ways of doing that. Some Shafi scholars
say that when the Imam pauses, then quickly read, try to read
fattier because you know, you want to not contravene the verse in the
Quran which says, listen carefully and remain silent. So when the
Imam pauses, then you should quick read 100 Rahman Rahim, they've got
different ways of trying to deal with it, especially if they're
reading behind the Hanafi imam or a medic Iman was not going to
read, you know, who's going to not going to give them space, because
what happens in a Shafi is the Imams they will read Fatiha. Then
because they know that the doctor does have to also read Fatiha,
they will remain silent for the time it takes to read the fast
fast Fatiha, then they'll do the surah. If you've ever seen that
anywhere, right, that's what the Shafi is do if there's a Shafi
Imam to allow the motorist to read it, but if the macdaddy is reading
behind the diehard Hanafy Imam, right, who doesn't even like them
saying, I mean, a lot of I've seen that as well, right, some Hanafi
Imams, they act very aggressively towards, you know, Chef ease, or
anybody else for that matter. And so when the those who are saying I
mean, a lot mean, the Imam will say, well, Dolly and other people
are still saying, and he started surah. Right. I think that's a bit
rude. You shouldn't do that. Right. Just let him say that. I
mean, if you think they're taking too long, and I mean, one, explain
to them and tell them don't. Because really, it should just be
I mean, it doesn't have to be this long.
We mean, you know, like in a in an opera or something like that. It
doesn't have to be like that. People tend to make it like that
as a cultural thing. Right. And people tend to make it like that,
if you don't like it to explain to them but don't cut them off
because that's rude. Right? In fact, what I would suggest is that
if you do have if as an Hanafi scholar, you do have a nun Hanafi
spring behind you who think fattier is necessary, then,
although it's not permissible for Hanafis to stop and not read
anything. In fact, in the Hanafi school if you are silent, not read
doing anything for three Subhan Allah Subhanallah Subhanallah
Subhanallah, that's about three and a half, four seconds. If you
stay silent for that amount, you have to do set the disabled,
because he was like you were inactive. So, as an Imam, what I
do is I will finish what the lien we say I mean silently anyway. So
I'll stretch my arm in.
And then I'll say
so I'm not silent. I'm reading Altavilla and Bismillah silently
stretching it, it gives time for the show for us to do their
fattier quickly. Right. So because we can't remain silent, so we do
it. So we have to the main point is that we have to respect others
opinions. Right? We have to respect others opinions.
On one occasion, I was at a Muslim camp and there was a brother I
know from I knew from before. He is Indian in origin. And while
we're praying, I saw that he was raising his hands before and after
a coup. So I said, what happened? You're not I thought you were
Hanafi? He says, No, I became Maliki. Right. I said, Fine. I
said, But Malik is don't raise their hands.
Right. Malik is don't raise their hands. Hanafi is a Malik is are
the same in terms of raising their hands, right. Sharpies and
humbleness do raise their hands. But the honeybees Americans don't.
So it's like, there was a local scholar was American. So he
started studying under him. And he then altered his prayer. Right, he
must have seen some people raising their hand. So he thought that's
the money he viewed a nun, meaning if it's if it's anything different
from the way the Hanafy is doing, it must be Maliki. Right. But that
was a misunderstanding, because the mannequins don't raise their
hands. So you have to be educated in what you do.
Number three, that,
when we go through the discussions, today, we're going to
try to cover some of the main points of solid and provide the
evidences for that. Now,
listing evidences can get quite boring. So I'm going to try not to
make it a listing of such a not going to cover everything.
Otherwise, for every single posture that we do. And every
single thing we do in solid, there is evidence, nothing is based on
just conjecture. We just made it up. Everything has evidence. And I
can suggest certain books that you can, sources, you can get to
actually read it if you really need to relax and read it. Because
that's something that you need to really relax and do. But we will
cover evidences of many of the important points, then there are
so many of the important points is one level, then what we've got is
we've got certain controversial issues like the Amin allowed,
right, how to stand in the row, whether you should join your feet
together with the person next to you. Because again, that's another
big issue. You've got some people coming in, they'll insist on
joining feet with you, you're maybe a bit ticklish, and you're
like moving your feet away, and they're even pushing closer, and
you're like moving away even further. And it gets a bit really
complicated. Right? One guy goes, I'm so ticklish that the person
was doing this and I had to eventually just had to stomp on
his feet in prayer. Right, then he calmed down, right?
But so there's that issue, right? There's other issues about whether
you should raise your hands or not. So we'll look at them in a
bit more detail. We'll look at the Hadith that indicate otherwise.
And we'll say why we didn't take them. Right. So that's what's
important here, the format for today will be that
we will cover Inshallah, some aspects related to how to develop,
who should and how to interpret before we get into the legal
aspects, and the technical aspects and evidences which can be quite
dry. Right, we're going to first talk about how to develop who
should and who do in prayer, which means how to develop humility,
concentration, and how to really devote ourselves and make our
prayer, the best prayer that we can make, because that is really
more important than many other things. Right? So we're going to
deal with that in sha Allah,
then we'll start going through the solid. Okay.
If you've come here to learn how to pray right from the beginning,
like you don't know how to pray, and you've come here to pray,
there's going to be many gaps, because we're assuming that people
here know how to pray already. We're just filling in the gaps.
Were enhancing their understanding, and we're giving
them evidences, but not to say that those who don't know how to
pray, because there may be somebody like that, you know,
they've just started praying, they've had a time of ignorance
before you can still benefit and Inshallah, if that is your issue,
then let us know. And we'll find somebody that you can sit with,
and correct your prayer with, because that is really important
as well.
And finally, what we'll deal with is then we'll deal with certain
issues related to for example, the differences between how the male
prays and the female prays, is there a difference? If there's a
difference, why is the difference
Because the proof of that difference in that's a very
important point as well. Right? That's a very important point to
deal with. And then the last session will be about the common
mistakes made in prayer. Beyond evidences, it's just literally
straightforward, common mistakes that people make where they do all
these weird and funny things. So we'll try to determine out of
those, which are the critical issues that will actually break
your prayer. Because believe it or not, there are people who've been
praying for 10 years, but none of those prayers are being accepted.
Now, how sad would that be? The reason is that they're praying
like this, Allahu Akbar. And then their mouth is silent, their
tongue is in without motion, it's like this.
And then they go in recall.
The reason is that in solid, to recite the Quran is a fault. It's
an obligation. And recitation is different from reading a
newspaper. You know, nowadays, when you read a book or a
newspaper, you read it in your mind. So you're literally
thinking, you're processing all of the details in your head, you're
not uttering anything articulating anything from your tongue. But
clearer. Recitation is different. The earlier mentioned that the
minimum recitation,
what could be called recitation, according to one scholar, is that
you can at least hear yourself even likely. So according to that
RNM, that scholar, if you cannot hear yourself reading, like,
you know, like an internal voice, if you can't hear it, you haven't
read. Now, that's very difficult, because most of us don't
necessarily hear ourselves. Right? Except the people who are kind of
obsessed with doubt when they start reading like the Imam.
And you're praying behind them, like next to them. And you're
like, brother, you know, take it easy, right? So
there is another opinion, though, which is a bit more lenient, it
says that at least as long as your tongue moves, you're considered
reading.
And if you don't move your tongue, your lips, it means you're not
reading. So at least the lips according to this, at least the
lips must move, otherwise you haven't read.
And believe me, there are people who've come after hearing about
this. And they've said that for the last 10 years, that's how
we've been praying, because they just
calmly you know, and that's not right. It's not right, you have to
move your lips at least. So there are a number of common mistakes
like that in the prayer, which we're going to cover Inshallah,
that will be the final, that will be the final session. So we'll try
to make this as comprehensive as possible in the time that we have
without becoming too boring, because evidences can become very
boring, especially if you're not interested in them. If you're not
a person who's been
you can say
into any polemics outside where you haven't been taken to task
wise on Brother why you read like this, why read like this, then
you're gonna think, well, you know, most people don't want to
know evidences, I know how to pray. That's enough for me. i My
dad told me my mom taught me my Melissa told me, and that's taught
me and that's enough for me. I don't need to know any evidences,
right. Which is fine. If you trust that shaken is fine, and it seems
to be fine. It's fine. It's sufficient. That's how we learn
most of our deen anyway. But I think we need to get to that
higher level just so that we can feel more confident. You're being
here means that that's what you're here for anyway. Right? Unless you
thought the course is about something else. Right, let's start
with
how to attain concentration in the prayer.
Firstly,
how many of us have a problem with concentration in the prayer?
Well, let me rather ask who doesn't have a problem with
concentration prayer, put your hand up.
I'd love to give you a gift if you if you're if you succeed in this
Because seriously, it's a problem. And that is why we pray five times
a day, every single day of the year. There's no holidays. I used
to think when I was young that maybe a day was off. Right? But
it's not off. Okay, is no holiday the only person that doesn't have
to read? Does anybody know when Salaat is not necessarily on you?
So there's two there's two or three reasons for that right? One
is
if you become insane,
not for one prayer time, or two, or three or four or five more than
five prayers, so essentially more than 24 hours if you become insane
or unconscious right then that day's prayer is gone that these
prayer is forgiven that's the only time if you become insane only for
for lose your mind for for prayers, you have to make them up
because you've seen the day. Yeah, those prayers are necessary for
you even though you're insane likewise with Ramadan as well,
somebody is insane or unconscious coma for all 30 days. None of that
Ramadan is not widely upon him. But if he was fine for one or two
of those days, then even though he's insane for the rest, he would
have to make those up from an Shaheed I mean
Can we Shahara failure soon, whoever witnesses the month, any
time or day of that month, then he has to fast the whole month as
Allah subhanaw taala mentioned in the Quran, there's another one as
well. Right, which is,
when you totally, you can't move debilitated to such a degree, you
can't move your arms, you can't even move your head. Because as
long as you can move your head, you will pray by gesture. So with
rook for Roku, you will move your head slightly, and for such that
you will move it even more. Right? The only time that salad becomes
now forgiven for you is that if for more than five prayers for 24
hours, you can't even move your head. Now there's a difference of
opinion here, according to the chef is you still have to pray if
you can move your eyelids.
So you'll do Roku and such that with your eyelids. But the Hanafi
say that that's not significant enough. If you can't move your
head, your your, you know, eyelids don't matter them. But as you can
see, there's even a difference of opinion there. Right. And the
reason for it is probably clear that the province also has never
asked about this question directly. Had there been a famous
question asked him about this. And he had mentioned what to do that
there would be no difference of opinion. But the solid has just so
many variables and so many possibilities, that
it'd be quite inconceivable, impossible to,
for the purpose of doesn't cover everything. And it was never in
the wisdom of Allah subhanaw taala never wanted it that way. Right,
as we can see from the way it is right now. Right? So we celebrate
the difference of opinion, there's nothing wrong with that difference
of opinion. Just be nice about it in your heart. Just be open
hearted about it.
Anyway, so now, how to develop concentration in prayer. So
firstly,
these are the things that we should focus on before the prayer.
Identify, what is it that that's distracting us in the prayer?
Right, what is distracting us in the prayer? And try to eliminate
that? Is it that it's our business accounting? Right? Are we just
worried about our customers? Are we worried maybe we're a taxi
driver, and we just worried about who if the if the other guy's
taking the calls properly or not? Right and doing their work
properly or not, when maybe missing a customer? Is it that
we've got just some problem on our mind all the time. And you know,
the Shaytaan, The shaytaan the Hubby, the accursed, you know what
he does, he will remind us of the last sin that we committed in the
prayer, especially if it's a pleasurable sin. Right? Many sins
are pleasurable. That's why we do right, drinking, looking,
whatever, right, whatever the Haram is, and you may have
forgotten all about as soon as you start the prayer, he'll wait,
you're going ruku or such that that's when he reminds you
because Ruko and such that I like them some of the most important
parts of the prayer, right? Because that's when you're in the
closest to Allah subhanaw taala there's a hadith Lucien, which
mentioned that the closest to seven is to Allah is in such that.
So he wants to spoil that. So you remind you have the sin, and you
start remembering her or him or whatever it is, right? Or the
thing, or whatever it is. And that's what is your prayer,
identify the factors that will cause this problem to happen, and
try to eliminate them. Now, some factors will not be eliminated,
you've got an ongoing business or an ongoing issue, you can't
eliminate it. But what you can do is you can sit down and try to
clear the mind and meditate on what's coming. If you just kind of
jump up Allahu Akbar, and you start, you bring everything with
it, it's try to leave everything behind focus on something just for
that moment. In fact, think to Allah subhanaw taala these
problems that I have this issue that I have these distractions
that I have, if I pray properly, and the prophets of Allah Islam
has mentioned that whoever connects himself with Allah
subhanaw taala, Allah will make his other connections with
everybody else easy, and simple and smooth for him. If you think
that way, you'll actually benefit from it. Because then logically,
intellectually, you're convincing yourself that this is the best way
to do it. Right? There's no point me carrying my baggage into the
prayer.
So one is remove the distractions.
If it's a physical like noise outside or whatever, then find a
room that is not like that, if it's things around you, a lot of
the time having your phone around you is really bad today. Right?
Because even while you're sitting here, I guarantee you there's only
a few of you probably not check their email
or their WhatsApp. What's the latest? What's going on? It's just
so so if it's there, and you hear the people you hear that you see
the flesh, say, comas, who's that? Who's that? Right? It's just a big
problem. So try to just keep all of that eliminated. A friend of
mine, I mean, you know
He doesn't have the luxury of this. But a friend of mine, what
he was able to do is he actually had a separate room in the house.
Nothing around the walls, just masala and some speeches and
things like that. And it was it was called a prayer room. So he
made it for serenity. Do you see what I'm saying? So make an it's
actually recommended to have a muscle, Masjid of the house.
You know, especially for women, right, but for men as well,
because the process as I said, Don't make your house like
graveyards and the meaning of that. One of the biggest main main
interpretations of that is do not pray everything in a masjid where
you don't pray anything in the house. Because prayer brings
baraka and obviously doesn't always know awful well prayed in
the house. You never prayed. No, I fell in the masjid. But you tried
to do that. I don't advise it. Because you go from the masjid go
home and something distracts you and your Sooners will go right you
want to your sadness, but do try to make salads in the home as well
for men as well. The women, many of them are praying in the home
anyway, right away. You don't go to the masjid, you pray in the
home. But the men should also bring the home because it's a
Baraka that's created by that.
Number two, the second thing is from before learn the meaning of
what you read in the prayer. So essentially what Allahu Akbar
means semi Allah Who human Hamidah Allah has heard him who has
praised him robbing a local hand. Oh my lord For You is all Praise
Subhana Allah Allah subhanaw taala. Aleem Glorified is my Lord,
Allah, Allah the most the highest Subhanallah theme Glorified is my
lord the majestic. When you're reading that in such that with
that meaning in your mind, it's different from just being so
humble. And tomorrow, we'll also use formulas in three times. So
learn the meanings and ponder over it. And then learn the meanings of
the last 10 sutras that you know you frequently read or whatever
you read, you know, parts of your scene, whatever you read in, learn
the meaning of that and try to focus on that, right. So you have
to, obviously do all of these things from before, relieve
yourself from mental stress, sit down and meditate for a while,
read a few Ascar. Calmly relax yourself, have a have a break for
a few minutes just to make a barrier between your normal
mundane daily life. And what you're about to do have a
transition in like they make you wait in a waiting room for a while
is just to make a barrier to make a buffer zone between what you're
doing. Clear your mind, get ready for the next put on good clothing.
The other day I mentioned that it's actually my crew to pray in
any clothes that you wouldn't want to be seen outside with. Because
you're standing in front of Allah subhanaw taala. Right. So all of
these things actually helped because you're giving more Allah
will open it up even more if you're showing him these things.
And
the clearer your intention is for prayer. When I want to do this
while I'm standing in front of Allah, the better the prayer will
be. Then finally, during the prayer itself, this is all pre
prayer, during the prayer itself.
Make sure that we discipline ourselves in our actions, cut out
all of the mistakes we're making, educate ourselves about the best
way to do it. stand upright with a soft and heart. Right that we're
doing this for the sake of Allah subhanaw taala. And as the Sahaba
some Sahaba used to mention stand as though this is your last
prayer. That if this was to be my last prayer, then how would it be?
I'd make it the best. So make every prayer of ours like that.
And I think slowly, slowly it will become a habit. It will be very
difficult in the beginning. May Allah give us all the Tofig for
this.
And
don't pray haste in haste. Haste is from the shaytaan relax in your
prayer. Take each action slowly, even when you're going down.
Allahu Akbar, not like Allahu Akbar. Right, semi Allah halimun
Hamidah. So take it easy, relax, savor every prayer that we make
every word that we read, every movement that we that we express
in front of Allah subhanaw taala.
Remember that in this case, you are actually in front of Allah
subhanho wa Taala the prophets of Allah Islam was taken up in his
ascension to the seven heavens. And it's mentioned in the Hadith,
that the prayer is the ascension of the believers. That's when we
talk to Allah subhanaw taala
your mind will wander, but keep bringing it back, your mind will
wander, keep bringing it back. That is why we pray five. That is
why we make solid so many times that it needs to be learned. You
can't go in a gym and start lifting a certain amount. You
start slowly, right? Likewise with sparring or anything you learn you
develop solid has to be learned. So if we feel that our slot is
really bad, don't worry about it, as that feeling is good that you
even recognize this bad. So try to make it better in each subsequent
one. And after the prayer, there's also a post prayer aspect to this
right to really make the benefits of it linger and sustain. And the
way to do that is don't just rush away after the prayer.
It's
sit down and do the vicar that have been related the remembrances
that have been related after the solid Allahumma and the salam O
Allah you are the source of peace or you are peace well I mean cuz
Salam and from euchems All peace, the Bharatiya they'll Jelani will
Iran. Bless it, are you, oh one, have great majesty and benevolence
and then read is still far three times a stop federal law stop
federal law stop federal law why do we read a state for three
times? It's because we may have had some shortcoming in the
prayer, our mind may have wandered, we may have not done
everything optimally. So read stick for three times just Allah
forgive me for that. That's why we read you know, some people might
be one you've just done a good deed Why are you reading stick far
after it is because we might have some shortcoming in that regard.
It may have not been perfect.
And then
ask Allah earnestly to accept this prayer. Because we don't know if
it's accepted or not. We don't get a you know, we don't get it.
Something you can check online. That one was accepted that one was
an accepted, do that one again, you know, that one was nine out of
10, four out of 10. We don't do that. So we have to just ask Allah
and hope for the best but the if we're trying our best and we
asking Allah subhanaw taala to help them to accept then that will
make a difference. Insha Allah.
Allah whom are in Allah Vickery go, we're shoe Creek was nearby
that this is another door that you could make, there's a number of
doors that are mentioned, right? Oh, Allah helped me assist me to
remember you. And to thank you, and to do good worship of you. If
that door is accepted, our salad becomes perfect, because Allah
will help us then to perfect our prayer.
Then there's other of God that we can read SubhanAllah 33 times
Alhamdulillah 33 times Allahu Akbar 33. This is all to put the
cherry on the top. This is all to enhance it, to beautify it. Right.
And you know why we make Knuffle prayers and Sunnah prayers after
the press. If there's any shortcoming in our fourth, which
is an obligation, then by doing the Sunnah prayers, if in the
hereafter were taken to task for our for the Sunnah should be able
to complete it. That okay, we've had some problems here. But look,
he's got all of these additional bonus points. Let's put them on
there. So let's try to make sure we do our sunnah and knuffel
prayers as well.
Right? And to tell the truth, there was a I was sitting with a
great scholar just some time ago. And he said that
if you can't make your Knuffle prayers of the day, then what is
the purpose of this life? And I think the older you get, right,
the more serious you become.
You really start thinking that I'm trying to achieve what I do by
through university, through work through employment, through
business, whatever it is, I'm doing, but if I even as a scholar,
right, even going even as a welfare worker, even as somebody
who's in Dawa, right, you're doing all of this external data. But if
at the end of the day, we can't come back and do our Tahajjud
prayer, or we can't get up in the morning, right mid morning
Schrock, prayer to have prayer and forget those we can't even do as
soon as in Nephal property or even our solid property the what is the
purpose of it.
Just think like that for a moment. Because whatever we get for this
world is going to be limited until our death, but this prayer and
that is going to be what's in the hereafter. There's a person as a
hobby he was sitting there with a sort of Lhasa low Salam. And he
said to Rasul Allah,
I want more Africa takaful agenda. I want your companionship in the
hereafter. Suppose I said, Are you sure?
So you could ask for something else? says no, that is what I want
to ask. I want your companionship in Jana. So what the process
allows him told him is okay, but you need to help me.
Right? You need to help me to do that with a lot of sadness, with a
lot of frustration, meaning, your your solid, that includes your
frustration is going to get you to be close to me.
Right? So we can't dis you know, we have times when we're young,
really busy. We need to start thinking that it's not worth it.
If we don't get this right. And the great thing is that if we're
doing these things, if we're making tahajjud we're doing these
prayers properly. And our business is not going right we die tomorrow
in whatever situation we die. May Allah forbid, may Allah protect us
from sudden and unsavory deaths. But regardless of how we die,
we're going to will feel content, that at least I've been doing this
thing I've got things saved up. You know, like people save up for
a rainy day. So you at least feel comfortable and that feeling of
comfort you
is so important. It will help us on our deathbed. When we say the
last words, if we feel comfortable that yeah, I'm leaving this world,
you won't have a sense of loss because you'll think when I have
been trying, so you'll feel like I'm going with something.
Otherwise, if we always haven't been trying, and we're about to
die, that sense of hassle and loss is really, really detrimental. May
Allah subhanaw taala protect us from evil ceding states, that's
what you called Sue will hajima.
Right, evil ceding state, we want personal hardship, which is called
the good and blessing ceding state, may Allah give that to all
of us.
And especially after fajr and Maghrib right morning and evening,
there's something you can read seven times Allahumma jedynie,
Mera naam Allah Houma journeymen ernaar Allah Houma journeymen and
not Allah who didn't even a knob, Allah homogeny Mina na Allahu
Algerian didn't even and not Allah who didn't even know seven times.
Oh Allah give me refuge from the Hellfire give me refuge from the
Hellfire seven times Fajr and Margaret, and we do it every day.
If one even one of those was accepted in literally, that's it,
we've got delivery from the hellfire, right? And normally a
person who can do these things, slowly, slowly, the other aspects
of their life will become better. There was a person who'd been who
drank who there was a person who committed a sin one was he had
kissed a girl, right? Unlawful, right? So he went and prayed and
he came back in the province of Allah and told him your salad has
has cleared that out. Now, that doesn't mean you can go around
doing that and go mix a lot and it's all done and dusted. That was
with the prophets of Allah some his salad must have been something
and there was a process in there to tell him to otherwise you know,
if somebody tries to misuse this, that yeah, I can go around
flirting around and go mix a lot and it will be fine. It doesn't
work that way. So we stop here.