A SUMMARIZED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRAYER, FASTING, NIGHT PRAYER & ITI'KAAF OF THE PROPHET (ﷺ) Episode 2

A SUMMARIZED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRAYER, FASTING, NIGHT PRAYER & ITI'KAAF OF THE PROPHET (ﷺ)

﷽

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EPISODE 2 - Description of the Prayer of the Prophet (ﷺ)

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- Beginning The Prayer

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He begins by saying “Allaahu Akbar” (Tabaraani with a saheeh isnaad) whilst raising the hands up to the shoulders or the ear lobes (Abu Dawood 1/62/2 ; Ibn Khuzaimah 64/1) and extending the fingers. It has not been authentically proven from the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ to face the (palms of the) hands towards the Qiblah whilst doing this.

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- The Qiyam (Standing)

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The Qiyam is a pillar in the obligatory prayers and a Sunnah in the optional prayers. The sick and the weak who cannot pray while standing can pray while sitting and if they can’t do even that, then they can pray lying on their side 

[Al-Baqarah 2:239; Bukhari 1117; Bukhari 1119; Bukhari 1118; Bukhari 1116]

And it's discouraged to use a stick or lean on a wall to aid them in prayer (Bukhari 1150). 

There is no authentic evidence indicating where the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) would look in his prayer. The Qiyam should be done in an upright posture, without joining the feet, as doing so is contradictory to the Sunnah. If the prayer is prolonged a person may alternate between leaning on either (foot).

[Bukhari 751; Ahmad 17800]

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*- The Opening Supplication And The Recitation Of The Prayer*

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Beginning the prayer with an opening Dua is a Sunnah.  It is a Sunnah to vary the opening supplications that have been confirmed from the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) from time to time.

[Bukhari, 711; Muslim, 598]

Thereafter, a person should ask Allaah for refuge from the cursed shaytaan by reciting:

*_أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ_*

*_“I seek refuge with Allaah from Shaitân (Satan), the outcast (the cursed one).”_*

[Abu Dawood 775]

Then he says:

*_بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ_*

*_“In the Name of Allaah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.”_*

[Bukhari 710; Muslim 399]

This dua should be recited silently (Ahmad 12868).

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to place his right hand over the back of his left hand, wrist, and forearm, and place them on his chest. 

[an-Nasaa’i  88; Abu Dawood 726; and an-Nasaa’i 889; Ibn Khuzaimah 1/54/2 declared saheeh by Ibn Hibbaan 485]

*_Thereafter, he is to recite Surah Fatiha (the opening surah of the Qur’an) slowly, verse by verse._*

[Bukhari, 714]

A person should recite audibly in the obligatory units of the Fajr prayer and the first two obligatory units of Maghrib and Isha prayers. At the end of Surah Fatiha, both the Imam and congregation should say “Aameen” loudly.

[Bukhari 738; Muslim 618]

The most correct scholarly opinion regarding Fatiha recitation is that it is obligatory to recite it when praying alone and it is obligatory upon the Imam and those whom he is leading both in prayers where Qur'an is to be recited out loud and when it is to be recited silently.

[Bukhari 714; See also Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, vol. 11, p. 221]

After the recitation of Surah Fatiha, any portion of the Qur'an which is found to be easy may be recited. In the Fajr prayer, a person should recite from the Mufassal surahs, which are the Surahs between Surah Qaf and Surah Naas. 

[Abu Dawood 1396; Ibn Maajah 1345; Ibn Khuzaimah 1/69/1; Irwaa' 345; Ibn Khuzaimah 1/76/1; Ibn Abi Shaibah 12/176/1]

But he may sometimes recite more than that as the Prophet (ﷺ) did. He (ﷺ) used to recite surah ar-Room (30:60) and sometimes surah Yaa Sin (36:83) or as-Sajdah (32:30) on Friday. 

[Nasaa'I; Bazzaar with a good isnaad; Ahmad with a saheeh isnaad]

For the Maghrib prayers he would recite from the small length Surahs or the medium length Surahs and in the rest (of the Prayers) he recites from the medium length Surahs. It is disliked to lengthen the Isha prayer and it is prescribed to shorten the recitation whilst travelling.

[Bukhari 738; Muslim 396; Al Mujtaba 983; an-Nasaa’i 972]

_To be continued… إن شاء الله_

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