Prerequisites of the Prayer

Some prerequisites exist regarding the offering of Prayers. These
prerequisites must be fulfilled before the commencement of the Prayer,
otherwise the Prayer will not be considered valid. The following are
the prerequisites:
1. Knowledge that the time for the Prayer has begun:
Each prayer has its own particulartime at which it must be performed.
Allaah Says (what means): "… Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the
believers a decree of specified times. " [Quran 4: 103] The Prophet
has clarified when the time of each prayer starts and when it ends. So
anybody who prays a given prayer before its fixed time,his prayer is
invalid.
2. Purity from Major and Minor impurities:
A minor impurity is one that may be removed by the performance of
ablution (Wudhou'). A state of minor impurity results after defecation
or urination. A major impurity requires the performance of Ghusl or
ritual bathing. A state of major impurity results after sexual
intercourse or sexual discharge for both men and women. Menstruation
and postpartum bleeding are considered forms of major impurities. In
those cases, after such conditions come to an end, women are required
to make Ghusl before praying.
Allaah Almighty Says (what means): " O you who have believed, when you
rise to [perform] prayer, wash your facesand your forearms to the
elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles.
Andif you are in a state of Janaabah (major impurity), then purify
yourselves… " [Quran 5: 6]
The Prophet said: " Allaah does not accept any prayer that was not
performed while in a state of purity, nor does He accept charity from
what has been stolen from booty." [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]
3. Purity of the body, clothes and place:
Such objects should be clean of physical impurities as much as
possible. If one can not remove them, he may pray with the impurities
present and does not have to repeat the prayer later. Concerning
bodily purity, it was related that the Prophet said: "Stay clean of
urine, as the majority of punishment in the grave is due to it."
[Ad-Daaraqutni]
'Ali reported: "I used to have a great deal of prostatic fluid
flowing, so I asked a man to ask the Prophet about it. He asked him
and the Prophet said: ' Make ablution and wash your genital organ.' "
[Al-Bukhaari]
Concerning purity of clothing, Allaah Says (what means): "And your
clothing purify." [Quran 74: 4]
Jaabir Ibn Sumrah reported that he heard a man asking the Prophet :
"May I pray in the same clothes that I had on during intercourse with
my wife?" He said: "Yes, but if yousee some stains on it, you must
wash it." [Ahmad and Ibn Maajah]
Concerning the purity of the placewhere one is praying, Abu Hurayrah
said: " A Bedouin stood and urinated in the mosque. The people got up
to grab him. The Prophet said: 'Leave him and pour a container full of
water over his urine. You have been raised to be easy on the people,
not to be hard on them.' " [Al-Bukhaari]
4. Covering the 'Awrah ) parts of the body that should be covered)
Allaah, Almighty, Says (what means): " O children of Aadam, take your
adornment at every Masjid (Mosque)… " [Quran 7: 31]
The meaning of "adornment" here is the covering of the 'Awrah. The
meaning of"Mosque" is "prayer." Therefore, it means "Cover your 'Awrah
for every prayer." Salamah Ibn Al-Aku' said to the Prophet : "O
Messenger of Allaah, may I pray in a long shirt?" He said: "Yes, but
button it, even with just a thorn." [Al-Bukhaari]
6. Facing the Qiblah:
All scholars agree that one must face the Qiblah during every prayer.
Allaah Says (what means): "…Turn your face toward Al-Masjid Al-Haraam.
And wherever you [believers] are, turnyour faces toward it [in
prayer]..." [Quran 2: 144]
If one can not determine the direction of the Qiblah, h e shouldask
one who knows. If he finds no one to ask, he should try his best to
determine it. In such a case, his prayer will be valid, and he needs
not repeat it even though he discovers later on thathe had faced in
the wrong direction. If it is made clear to him while he is praying
that he is facing the wrong direction, he needs only turn in the
proper direction without stopping his prayer.
The first one is performing voluntary prayers while riding (ananimal,
car and so on). The rider may bend his head slightly for the bowings,
but he should bend a little bit lower for the prostrations. He may
face in whatever direction his ride is going.
He did not, however, do this for the obligatory prayers. Ahmad and
Muslim recorded that he would pray on his mount while traveling from
Makkah to Madeenah, facing away from Makkah. Upon this, Allaah
revealed (what means): "…Wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face
of Allaah..." [Quran 2: 115] Ibraaheem An-Nakhaa'i said: "They would
pray on their mounts and animals in the direction in which they were
facing." Ibn Hazm commented: "This has been related from the
companions andthose of the following generation, during travel and
residence."
The second case is praying while having to deal with forced
conditions, illness and fear. Undersuch circumstances, it is allowed
to pray without facing the Qiblah.The Prophet said: " If I order you
to do something, do what you are capable of doing." Allaah Says (what
means): " And if you fear [an enemy, then pray] on foot or riding…"
[Quran 2: 239]. Ibn 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, added:
"Facing the Qiblah or not facing it." [Al-Bukhari]
There are two cases in which onedoesn't have to face the Ka'bah. 'Amr
Ibn Rabee'ah reported:" I saw the Messenger of Allaah praying while
riding and he faced the direction in which he was going." [Al-Bukhaari
& Muslim]