Aymen’s Page

Before Starting I would like to tell everyone here that I maybe wrong but from what little I have learnt from the Sahih Hadeeth the people I find here,maybe wrong.Rest-Allah Knows best.

1. Diffentciating between the Shafa’eeh and Hanafi way of praying.

2. Prostration Of Hand.

3. Leaving gaps between the saf(line)

4. Starting the new line from left/right.

5. Wearing the trousers below the ankles.

6. Not
   Reading the surah fateha

7. Not saying Amin after the Imam finishes Surah Fateha.

Before I start I would like to tell that my intensions are nothing to offend someone or something like that.Neither do i claim that i may be 100% right,if you feel that i am wrong somewhere please please correct me.

1. The Differentiation.

This was something that I’ve heard from many people.Some call us Ahle Hadeehth.Specially seeing me and my brothers pray.Actually these shouldnt be any difference in the way someone prays,we follow the Prophet’s Mashab,though we need imams it doesont mean we change the way we pray.As the prophet(PBUH) said
 

“Pray as you have seen me praying”

I donot know the authencity of the next one but my brother even said that Imam Hanafi said that “If my teachings differ from what the prophet preached,then destroy my teachings by hitting it against the wall”.

2.Raising Of Hands,and where to hold them.Chapter2.Book Of Chaecteristics Of As-Salat.425.(Sahih Hadeeth).

Naratted ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar:Allah’s Messenger(PBUH) used to raise both his hands upto the level of his shoulders when opening the As-Salat;and on saying the Takbir for bowing,and on raising his head from bowing he used to do the same and then say Sami Allahu liman hamidah rabban walakal hamd.And he did not do thay in prostrations.

Chapter2.To place the right hand on the left while praying.426.

Narrated Shal bin Sa’d:The people were ordered to place the right hand on the left in As Salat.

3.Leaving Gaps.

This thing irritates me the most,i usually join in the second row theres an elderly uncle who’s on my left and and another of my friends on my right.We start without gaps and after the second Rakat  theres a small gap,I try filling in by moving my feet a few inches on both sides Mr.Elderly sticks both his feet together as if i m an untouchable,and the other guy who’s on my right first chuckles to himself and then moves more than just inches leaving a space that’s enough for another person to join in.I found this in IslamQA and wanted to share what exactly the Alim had t say about leavin gaps.

Click Here To Read

 4.Starting The Row from.

Source:IslamQA.

The Sunnah is for the imam to stand in line with the middle of the row, so the row should start from immediately behind the imam, then be completed to the right and left. It does not matter if there are slightly more people on the right than on the left.  Abu Dawood (681) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:  

“Put the imam in the middle and fill the gaps.”  

Al-Manaawi said in Fayd al-Qadeer:  i.e., put him in the middle of the row so that everyone on his right and left can have a share of hearing him and being close to him. End quote.  But this hadeeth is da’eef (weak) and was classed as such by al-Albaani in Da’eef Abi Dawood.  

There are other, saheeh, ahaadeeth which clearly indicate the same as this da’eef hadeeth, namely that the imam should stand in line with the middle of the row.   Al-Bukhaari (424) and Muslim (33) narrated from ‘Itbaan ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to him in his house and said:

“Where would you like me to pray for you in your house?” He said: I pointed to a place and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said takbeer, and we formed a row behind him and he prayed two rak’ahs.  Al-Bukhaari (380) and Muslim (658) narrated from Anas ibn Maalik that his grandmother Mulaykah invited the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to come and eat some food that she had prepared for him. He ate some, then he said: “Get up and I will lead you in prayer.” Anas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood up, and the orphan and I stood in a row behind him, and the old woman stood behind us, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led us in praying two rak’ahs, then he left.

  Muslim (3014) narrated that Jaabir said: I prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and stood on his left. He took me by the hand and made me stand on his right. Then Jabbaar ibn Sakhr came and did wudoo’, then he came and stood on the left of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) took hold of our hands and made us stand behind him. 

 The words “we formed a row behind him”, “the orphan and I stood behind him” and ‘he made us stand behind him” indicate that they were directly behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), i.e., the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was in line with the middle of the row.   Al-Shawkaani said in al-Sayl al-Jaraar (1/261):  Two or more people should stand behind him in line with him.  In order for them to be in line with him, they should be behind him. If they stand to one side, not in line with him, they would not be behind him.

Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (2/27):   It is mustahabb for the imam to stand in line with the middle of the row, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Put the imam in the middle and fill the gaps.” Narrated by Abu Dawood. End quote.  Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (4/192)  Our companions and others are agreed that the first row is recommended and encouraged. There are many ahaadeeth concerning that in al-Saheeh. They are also agreed that it is mustahabb to stand to the right of the imam and to fill the gaps in the rows, and complete the first row, then the next, then the next and so on. No row should be started until the one in front is complete. It is also mustahabb to make the row straight, and no one should let his chest etc stick out from the row to the front or to the rear. It is mustahabb for the imam to stand in the middle and for them to spread to either side. 

  It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (27/37):   It is proper etiquette to complete the row and fill any gaps, and not to start a row until the one in front is complete, and to make room for one who wants to join the row if there is space. The imam should stand in the middle with the worshippers behind him.

  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (3/10):  Straightening the rows also means preferring the right side to the left, but that is not to be taken in absolute terms, as is the case with regard to the first row, because if it were in absolute terms as is the case with regard to the first row, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have said, “Complete the rows from the right hand side” but he said: “Complete the first row, then the next.” Since it is not prescribed to start the rows from the right until they are completed, then we should look at the basic principles of sharee’ah to see how this should be done with regard to the left.

 We find that with regard to the left, if the right and the left are more or less equal, then the right side is given preference, such as if there are five on the left and five on the right, and an eleventh man comes, we would tell him to go to the right, because the right is better than the left when both are equal or almost equal, and there is no obvious difference between the right and the left of the row.

 But if one side is further away, then there is no doubt that joining the left if it is closer is better than joining the right if it is far away. This is indicated by the fact that if there is a group of three, it is prescribed for the imam to stand between the other two.

 This indicates that the right is not better in absolute terms, because if it were better in absolute terms, it would be better for both people to be to the right of the imam. But it is prescribed for one to be on the right of the imam and one on his left so that the imam will be in the middle and there will be no imbalance between the two sides. End quote.   Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked: Should the two begin from the right or from behind the imam?

Is it prescribed to achieve balance between the right and left so that it may be said “Make the row equal on both sides” as many imams do?  He replied: The row should start from the middle, from behind the imam. And the right side of each row is better than the left.

A new row should not be started until the one in front is completed. There is nothing wrong with there being more people on the right side of a row, and there is no need to make the row equal on both sides, rather the command to do that is contrary to the Sunnah. But people should not form a second row until the first is complete, or form a third row until the second is complete, and so on, because it is proven that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined that. 

5.Wearing Trousers Above Ankles

Source:Inbox

The pants of a male should be above the ankles atall times. There are severe warnings mentioned in theAhaadith regarding those men who allow their trousersto fall below their ankles.It is mentioned in one Hadith that Allah Ta’ala will not even cast a glance of mercy of the day of Qiyaamat towards that person who allows his trousers to fall below his ankles. (Muslim Hadith290). In another Hadith, it is mentioned that whatever clothing falls below the ankles, that portion will be in the fire of hell. (Bukhari Hadith5787) It is mentioned in another Hadith that Allah does not accept the Salaat of that person whose trousers is below his ankles. From the above mentioned narrations,we learn the severity of the sin of letting one’s garments reach below the ankles, one should ensure at all times that his pants is above his ankles. If the trousers is so long that it reaches below one’s ankles, it should be folded, especially at the time time of Salaat, for Allah Ta’ala does not accept the Salaat of that person whose trousers is below his ankles.

6.Not Reciting The Surah Al Fateha

I never knew that there were people who didn’t recite the Surah in the congregational prayers,It was one of my cousins who told me about this.He said there was no need to recite it if the Imam recites it aloud.I somehow found it in the Sahih Al Bukhari.The following hadeeth is crystal clear that reciting the Surah is compusory.

 Narrated ‘Ubada bin As-Samit:Allah’s Messenger(PBUH) said,”Whoever does not recite Surat Al Fatiha in his Salat,his Salat is invalid”. 

-Hadeeth435.Sahih Al Bukhari(Summarized).Book of Characteristics Of Salat.  7.Not

7.Saying Amin Aloud When the Imam finishes reciting the Surah Fateha aloud in the congregational prayers,the Sahih Al Bukhari mentions that the prophet had asked us to say Amin aloud it is quiet a superior thing to do it so. 

Narrated Abu Huraira:The Propher said”If anyone of you says,Amin and the angels in the heavens say Amin and the former coincides with the latter,all his past sins will be forgiven”.

Chap.19.449.Same as above.

Acknowledgements:

1)My Mother,My Father,My Bro Muddasir and My Cousin faraz for introducing me to reading the Sahih Al Bukhari more oftenly,and surch for solutions through this book

2)Danish Hassan-His blog has inspired me to write and read more about Islam.

3)Muhammad Muhsin khan who’s copy of “Summarized Sahih Al Bukhari Arabic-English” helped me write this article.

4)IslamQA-www.islamqa.com