For children, - Muslim Motherhood: Mother's Curse, Muslim Mother Stories, Muslim Mothers Prayer

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In the tribe of Bani Israel, there lived a pious person by the name of Jareeh, who used to engage himself in Allah's (SWT) worship, in his monastery. One day, his mother approached him while he was busy in prayer and, as a result, he did not respond to her. She approached him for a second time, but again, Jareeh did not answer to his mother.
When this happened for the third time, she became angry and cursed him saying, "I pray to Allah (SWT) that He does not help you!"
The next day a prostitute came up to his monastery and giving birth to a child there, declared: "This is Jareeh's child whom I have given birth to."
This created uproar among the people, who thought: "The very person, who used to rebuke us for fornication, has committed it himself." The king ordered him to be sent to the gallows.
When Jareeh's mother came to know of this, she began beating her face in distress whereupon he said to her, "Keep quiet, for it is due to your curse that I find myself in this predicament."
The people asked him, "O' Jareeh! How can we know that you speak the truth?"
Jareeh told them to bring the child to him. When the child was brought, he prayed and then questioned the child, "Who is your father?" The child, with divine power and permission, said, "My father is such and such a shepherd belonging to such and such a tribe."
This incident saved Jareeh's life after which he vowed never to separate from his mother and to serve her throughout her life.

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Hajj & Umrah, - *The Greatest Objective of Hajj - III

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… Continued
The Prophetwanted to implant and establish this principle. At that time the polytheists and those new to Islam were keen to closely watch and follow the acts of the Prophet. When the Prophetproceeded to Mount‘Arafah, they wanted him to stay where the tribe ofQurayshwould do as he descended from the noblest family ofQuraysh. However, he moved on and stayed in another place where a tent was pitched for him atNamirah. People ofQurayshused to proceed from‘Arafahbefore sunset; but the Prophetrefused to proceed until the sun had set. The Prophetwould state and stipulate his own guidance andSunnahin every ritual ofHajj. Hesaid:“Learn your Hajj rituals from me.”His guidance clearly opposed the way ofJaahiliyyah. For example, he speeded up his pace atWaadi Muhassirand ordered others to do so as well because it was a place where disobedience to Allaah was once committed and where collective punishment struck the disobeyers. The Prophetemphasized this in many places and situations, and even when he offered twoRak‘ahs)units of prayer( atAl-Maqaam)the Station ofIbraaheem(, he recited ChapterAl-Kaafiroonand ChapterAl-Ikhlaasin the first and the secondRak‘ahafter ChapterAl-Faatihahrespectively. He chose those two chapters in particular because the first clearly affirmsTawheedand the second affirms disassociation from the disbelievers.
Hence, our faith andTawheedmust be purely for Allaah in compliance with the guidance andSunnahof the Prophet; we must not accept or approve of anything that contradicts this. A violation ofTawheedis not necessarily committed by worshipping entities, but rather, by any inclination of the heart to other than Allaah.Tawheedis not necessarily achieved by prostrating and submitting, but, rather, with every action that we perform to draw closer to Allaah. Many are the attachments of the heart and the perceptions of the mind that are not based onTawheedand not connected with the remembrance of Allaah. The remembrance of Allaah is the motto ofHajjin every motion and every rite, not only for the individual but for all those large crowds; not spoken in secret, but rather in an explicit declaration. It is a motto that links theUmmahof Islam to Allaah. Thus, it fears none but Allaah, hopes in none but Allaah, relies on none but Allaah, returns to none but Allaah and seeks none but Allaah The Almighty. It worships Him alone, following the steps of the Messenger of Allaah.
In this light, we recognize the significance of the command to mention Allaah’s name inHajj. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allaah on known days.{]Quran 22:28[ Allaah The Almighty orders us to mention His name on known days. Indeed, the purpose of all the rituals and rites of Hajj is to mention the name of Allaah and glorify Him.
The Prophetvery evidently stressed this great meaning in theKhutbah)sermon( of theFarewell Hajjas well as all his otherKhutbahs. He said:
Everything pertaining to Jaahiliyyah is under my feet, completely abolished. Abolished also are the blood-revenges of Jaahiliyyah. The first claim of ours on blood-revenge which I abolish is that of the son of Rabee‘ah Ibn Al-Haarith. The Ribaa )usury/interest( of Jaahiliyyah is )also( abolished, and the first of our Ribaa I abolish is that of Al-‘Abbaas Ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib, for it is all abolished. Fear Allaah concerning women! Indeed, you have taken them under Allaah’s trust, and intercourse with them has been made lawful to you by the words of Allaah.”
He ascertained in public before an audience made up of his great companions and all the pilgrims who came to performHajjwith them from every distance that every act ofJaahiliyyahthat contradicts Islamic teachings was under his feet. He settled this rule starting with his own family to confirm that faith does not recognize courtesies, and to emphasize that the way of Islam is clear and totally opposite to the deviant practices ofJaahiliyyah. Islam does not adopt rulings from here or there, and when it approves the guidance ofIbraaheemit is simply becauseIbraaheemis the father of Islam and Muslims and the leader of the upright religion. This is confirmed in the crystal clear words of the Prophet:“Allaah has removed from you haughtiness and boasting )over one another( because of ancestry that prevailed during the pre-Islamic days: )the people are divided into( pious believers and wretched disbelievers. All people belong to ‘Aadamand ‘Aadam was created from dust.”]Abu Daawood&At-Tirmithi:Hasan)Sound([
The Prophetdid not only abolish all the acts and deeds relevant to polytheism and customs, but he also abolished racism and boasting over one another because all people are equal slaves before Allaah. This great meaning was expressed by the best and noblest human when he said:“I am among you the one who worships Allaah the most and the most fearing of Him among you.”The great honor of the Prophetlies in his servitude to Allaah. By servitude to Allaah, the Prophetreached the most sublime and highest rank in the night ofAl-Israa’andAl-Mi‘raaj)The Prophet's night journey toAl-Aqsamosque and ascent to the upper heavens(. This rank was not reached by any other sent prophet or close angel.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam ]in Makkah[ to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.{]Quran 17:1[ Allaah The Almighty referred to the Prophetin this verse as His servant and not His prophet or His Messenger because the greatest honor of the Prophetis that he was the most worshipping servant of Allaah there was. We can see him in the Hadeeth of Jaabirwhile he was beseeching and supplicating to Allaah, humbly prostrating to him, casting the pebbles while declaring the glorification of Allaah, makingTawaafaround theKa‘bah, glorifying Allaah and walking fast between MountsAs-SafaandAl-Marwah. He is the slave and Messenger of Allaah who represented the ultimateTawheedthat annuls anything else. When he was asked about the supplication of Day of‘Arafah, he answered:“The best words that I and the prophets before me said are: ‘Laa ilaaha illa Allaahu wadahu la shareeka lahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu, yuhyee wa yumeet wa huwa ‘ala qulli shay’in qadeer.’ )None is truly worthy of worship but Allaah alone, who has no partner. To Him belongs the dominion, to Him belongs all praise, He gives life and causes death and He has power over everything.(”SuchTawheedthat abolishes every aspect ofJaahilliyahis a great matter and the main goal ofHajj. It is the foremost and greatest goal of the Islamic Sharee‘ah that is manifested in this ritual. It should be noted that this is a radical comprehensive change, not a superficial partial one. It starts with the first throb of the heart towards the intention of performingHajj. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And ]due[ to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way.{]Quran 3:97[ In this verse the dedication of this worship solely to Allaah is clear by starting the sentence with"And ]due[ to Allaah."Hence, the intention must be for Allaah alone from the first move or thought about performingHajj. Hearts full of hoping for Allaah, worshipping Him alone and devotion to Him; tongues repeatTalbiyahandTakbeerand feet walk in the places where Allaah commands His slaves to go.
To be continued …

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Hajj & Umrah, - *Perform Hajj - I

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O people, fear Allaah The Almighty and perform the obligations that Allaah The Almighty has enjoined upon you, one of the most important among which is performingHajjto His House whenever you can afford to do so. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And ]due[ to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allaah is free from need of the Worlds.{]Quran 3:97[
The Prophet,, said:"Islam is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; to observe prayer, pay Zakaah, observe fasting of Ramadan and perform Hajj of the House, provided you have the resources to make the journey to it."The Prophet,, told us that Islam is built on these five deeds, which means that the Islam of a person will not be complete or stand firm until he performsHajj.
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattabsaid,"I was about to send men to these regions to see who should pay Jizyah )meaning the rich people( who have not performed Hajj and to take Jizyah from them. They are not Muslims, they are not Muslims."The obligation ofHajjis established by the Quran, theSunnah)Prophetic tradition( of the Messenger of Allaah,, and the absolute consensus of Muslims. So, whoever denies the obligation ofHajjhas disbelieved, and whoever acknowledges it but abandons it out of negligence is at great risk.
Allaah The Almighty, after mentioning its obligation on people, Says )what means(:}But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allaah is free from need of the Worlds.{]Quran 3:97[ This is the reason why some scholars say that a person who can performHajjand does not do it is a disbeliever and an apostate from Islam although the majority of scholars hold otherwise, and this is the preponderant opinion. If a Muslim abandonsHajjwhile he is able to perform it, he is at great risk.
Dear Muslims, how can a believer leaveHajjwhile he is financially and physically able to perform it, knowing that it is one of the duties and chief acts of worship of Islam? How can he withhold money in order not to perform this duty while he spends a lot of money in what his soul desires? How can he spare himself the hardship involved inHajjwhereas he exhausts himself in pursuing his worldly affairs? How does he find the obligation ofHajjheavy although it is not obligatory except once in man's life? Why does he delay performing it, when he knows not whether he will have access to it again? So, fear Allaah, O slaves of Allaah, and performHajjthat Allaah has enjoined upon you as an act of worship to Him and an act of accepting His rule and obeying His order if you are believers. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should ]thereafter[ have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.{]Quran 33:36[
O Muslims, when the believer performsHajjand‘Umrahonce after reaching the age of puberty, he has discharged himself of the obligation and completed one of the main obligations of Islam. After that, he is not required to performHajjor‘Umrahunless he vows to do so. Whoever vows to performHajjor‘Umrahmust fulfill his vow, because the Prophet,, said:"Whoever vows to obey Allaah, let him obey Him."
O Muslims, it is the very mercy of Allaah The Almighty and His profound wisdom that He has set limitations and conditions for the religious obligations so that they would be regulated and that responsibility can be defined. He made such limitations and conditions in a very appropriate manner including the time, the place and the person who should do the act.Hajjis one of these obligations. It has its limits and conditions that should be met before it becomes obligatory on the Muslim. These conditions include attaining the age of puberty.Hajjis not obligatory for Muslims who have not reached the age of maturity. The age of puberty in males occurs with one of three signs: the discharge of semen, the attainment of fifteen years or the growth of pubic hair. In females, puberty occurs with these three signs, in addition to a fourth one, which is menstruation.
Hajjis not obligatory on a Muslim who has not reached puberty, even if he is rich; but if he performsHajj, it would be valid voluntaryHajjfor which he is rewarded. When he reaches puberty, he must perform the obligatoryHajjbecause hisHajjbefore puberty does not discharge him of the obligation.Hajjdoes not become obligatory before the age of puberty; it is as if he gives away some money with the intention of payingZakaahbefore he owns the minimum amount on whichZakaahbecomes obligatory. Therefore, if a Muslim performsHajjwith his young sons and daughters, he would be rewarded and the children would have the reward ofHajj. If they did not performHajj, there would be no blame on them.
The opinion of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeenis that today, due to conditions like overcrowding and other hardship, a person should not take his young children to performHajjwith him. He should not allow them to enter the state ofIhraamforHajjor‘Umrahbecause of the hardship that he and they will undergo. Allaah The Almighty loves and wants to make matters easy for His slaves; He does not want to place hardship on them. If the matter is easy, the schedule is flexible, and people are few in Makkah, it would be fitting to take children along to performHajj. However, in times of congestion and seasons ofHajjand the days ofRamadan, young children should not be taken forHajjbecause of the hardship on them and on their parents as well.
In theSunnah, a woman asked the Prophet,, when she raised a young boy saying, "Is there Hajj for that boy?"He said:"Yes, and you will receive reward."There is no record in theSunnahthat the Prophet,, ever ordered his Companions to let their young children enter the state ofIhraam, but he approved of it.
Another condition ofHajjis that the Muslim is financially and physically able because Allaah The Almighty laid this condition for the obligation ofHajjSaying )what means(:}for whoever is able to find thereto a way.{]Quran 3:97[Hajjis not obligatory on the Muslim who is not able. Being financially able means that the Muslim owns enough money forHajjwhich is over and above the needs of his home and what he needs of provisions and clothing for him and his dependants, rental accommodation and settling immediate debts. If a person has money that he needs for what has been mentioned, he is not obliged to performHajj. Whoever owes an immediate debt, is not required to performHajjuntil he has paid it off.
Debt in this context includes loans, the price of a commodity, rent and others. The person who owes one dirham that must be settled now is considered an indebted person on whomHajjis not obligatory until he is discharged of it by paying it off or by forfeiting it. Settlement of debts is very serious in the sense that if a man is killed in the cause of Allaah The Almighty as a martyr, martyrdom remits everything except the debt. Also, if the indebted man dies, his soul is suspended by that debt until it is settled, as it was narrated from the Prophet,. Even when a man was brought to the Prophet,, to offer his funeral prayer, he would ask if the deceased was in debt. If they said that he has a debt that will not be settled, the Prophet,, would go back and not pray for him, saying,"You offer the funeral prayer of your companion."
It is amazing that some people today take the issue of debt lightly and borrow a lot of money without necessity or need at a time when the heirs no longer care for the debt of the deceased and do not pay it off immediately. Sometimes the deceased is heavily indebted and has real estate, but the heirs wait until this real estate commands higher prices. The heirs are indifferent to the deceased, who is more entitled to his money than them. Thus, it is not permissible for an heir to take one dirham until the debt of the deceased is paid off. As for deferred debts, if it is documented by mortgage enough to cover it, the obligation ofHajjis not waived. So, if the Muslim owes a debt for which he gave a mortgage that covers the debt and he has money and is able to performHajjprovided that the debt is deferred,Hajjbecomes obligatory because he is able to afford it. However, if the deferred debt is not documented by a mortgage that covers it,Hajjis not obligatory upon him until he pays off the debt.

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Hajj & Umrah, - *Perform Hajj - II

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Being physically able means that the Muslim is able to travel to the Sacred House without difficulty. If he cannot travel to the House or can only reach it with severe difficulty like a sick person or an elderly person; in such a case, if there is no hope of recovery from his sickness he should authorize a relative or someone to performHajjor‘Umrahon his behalf. However, if he dies before authorizing someone to performHajjon his behalf, his heirs should performHajjon his behalf. If a woman does not have aMahram,Hajjis not obligatory on her because she does not find the way to performHajj. A woman is forbidden by theSharee‘ah)Islamic legislation( to travel without aMahram )non-marriageable male(.
Ibn ‘Abbaassaid that he heard the Prophet,, say in aKhutbah:"No man should be alone with a woman without a Mahram, nor should a woman travel except with a Mahram."A man stood up and said, "O Messenger of Allaah, my wife set out to perform Hajj and I have been recruited in such-and-such a battle." The Prophetsaid:"Go and perform Hajj with your wife."The Prophet,, ordered him not to go to the battle but to performHajjwith his wife. He did not investigate whether the woman was young, or in a company of women or otherwise. This indicates that it is forbidden for a woman to travel without aMahramin all cases, whether by plane or car. The woman'sMahrammight be her husband or any man whom she is permanently forbidden to marry such as her father, grandfather up to all levels, and her son, her grandson down to all levels, her brother, the son of her brother down to all levels, the son of her sister down to all levels, her paternal and maternal uncle, or the paternal uncle of her father or mother or the maternal uncle of her father or her mother. The maternal uncle of a person is his maternal uncle as well as all his descendants until the Day of Resurrection. So, is the paternal uncle, whether through biological factors or breastfeeding.
Mahramsalso include theMahramsthrough a marriage relation, such as the father of the husband up to all levels, the son of the husband down to all levels, the husband of the daughter down to all levels and the husband of the mother up to all levels provided the husband has consummated the marriage. TheMahrammust be sane and have already reached puberty. The male who has not reached puberty cannot be aMahrambecause the purpose of theMahramis to guard the woman and protect her, and this is not achieved by a young boy.
If a person finds that he has satisfied the conditions of the obligation ofHajj, let him perform it as early as possible. The commands of Allaah The Almighty and His Messenger are to be carried out immediately without delay. Ibn Al-Qayyim, the renowned student of Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, said,"Whoever abandons Hajj deliberately while he is able to do it until he dies, or withholds Zakaah and does not pay it until he died, the proofs and principles of Sharee‘ah indicate that he is not discharged of them even if they are done after his death, nor will they be accepted from him. The truth is most deserving to be followed."
Man does not know what will happen in the future, and so, you should be grateful for the blessings of Allaah The Almighty by thanking Him and performing what Allaah made obligatory upon you before death comes to you and you regret when regret is of no avail. Listen to what Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And return ]in repentance[ to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped. And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you do not perceive, Lest a soul should say, "Oh ]how great is[ my regret over what I neglected in regard to Allaah and that I was among the mockers." Or ]lest[ it say, "If only Allaah had guided me, I would have been among the righteous." Or ]lest[ it say when it sees the punishment, "If only I had another turn so I could be among the doers of good."{]Quran 39:54-58[
A Muslim who performsHajjaccording to the guidance of theSharee‘ahand follows the Messenger of Allaah,, hisHajjshall be complete whether or not‘Aqeeqahwas slaughtered on his behalf. Some of the common people think that there is noHajjfor the Muslim for whom‘Aqeeqahwas not slaughtered on his behalf. This is not correct, and there is no connection betweenHajjand‘Aqeeqah.Hajjis also valid even if a person did not make up for the days of fasting missed inRamadanbecause there is no relationship betweenHajjand fasting.
O slaves of Allaah, fear Allaah The Almighty Who Says )what means(:}And fear a Day when no father will avail his son, nor will a son avail his father at all. Indeed, the Promise of Allaah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allaah by the Deceiver.{]Quran 31:33[
O Muslims, performHajjthat Allaah The Almighty prescribed for you. Do not neglect or be slow.Hajjis one of the great pillars of Islam on which it is built and without which Islam will not be perfect. Perform it with sincerity to Allaah and following the Messenger of Allaah,. The Muslim who is in charge of workers, who have not performedHajj, should facilitate the matter for them and help them do it. Let him not prevent a worker from performingHajjbecause the Muslim is rewarded for making these matters easy for others. The Prophet,, said:"Whoever prepares a fighter in the cause of Allaah will be considered fighting in His cause."
When we see a person who has not performed the obligatoryHajjand he needs assistance, we should help him as much as we can, especially if he is under our responsibility and at our disposal. We should help and assist him in order to receive the reward and achieve goodness. We will not incur a great loss. A Muslim can go on the sixth day or the seventh or even the eighth day ofThul-Hijjahand return on the thirteenth day. So,Hajjtakes only five days or so. When the Muslim quits work on these days for the sake of Allaah The Almighty, Allaah will compensate him with goodness and blessings. Help your brothers, for Allaah helps the person as long as he helps his brother, and whoever fulfills the need of his brother, Allaah The Almighty fulfils his needs.

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Description of the Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Saying between the two prostrations: Rabb ighfir li wa li waalidayya (Lord forgive me and my parents)

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What is the ruling on saying “Rabb ighfir li wa li waalidaya (Lord forgive me and my parents)” when sitting between the two prostrations? Is that permissible?.
Praise be to Allaah.
You should adhere to what was narrated of the du‘aa’ of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) between the two prostrations, which is to say, “Rabb ighfir li(Lord forgive me)”, as it was narrated by an-Nasaa’i (1145) and Ibn Maajah (897) from Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say between the two prostrations: “Rabb ighfir li, Rabb ighfir li (Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me).”
It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also used to say between the two prostrations: “Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni wajburni warfa‘ni wahdini wa ‘aafini warzuqni(O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me, console me, raise me in status, guide me, grant me well being and grant me provision).”
At-Tirmidhi (284) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say between the two prostrations: “Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni wajburni wahdini warzuqni(O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me, console me, guide me, and grant me provision).”
Abu Dawood (850) narrated it as follows: “Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni wa ‘aafini wahdini warzuqni(O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me well being, guide me and grant me provision).”
Ibn Maajah (898) narrated it as follows: “Rabb ighfir li warhamni wajburni warzuqni warfa‘ni(O Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, console me, grant me provision and raise me in status).
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Majmoo‘(3/414): With regard to the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas, it was narrated by Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhi and others with a jayyid isnaad. It was narrated by al-Haakim inal-Mustadrakand he said: Its isnaad is saheeh. He quoted the different versions then he said: To be on the safe side, the best option is to combine all the reports and say all the phrases mentioned, of which there are seven: “Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni wa ‘aafini wajburni warfa‘ni wahdini warzuqni(O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me well being, console me, raise me in status, guide me and grant me provision).” End quote.
With regard to adding to this du‘aa’, what appears to be the case is that it is permissible, but it is preferable to keep to what has been narrated and to offer du‘aa’ for one’s parents in prostration or before saying the salaam at the end of the prayer. Muslim (479) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “…as for prostrating, strive in du’aa’, for it is deserving of a response (from your Lord).”
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Then he should rise from prostration, saying “Allahu akbar (Allah is most great),” and sit muftarishan, which means sitting on the left foot and holding the right foot upright, placing his right hand on his right thigh or on his knee, extending his fingers over his knee, and placing his left hand on his left thigh or his left knee, extending his fingers over it. This is the Sunnah. And he should say: “Rabb ighfir li, Rabb ighfir li, Rabb ighfir li(Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me), as the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do. And it is mustahabb to say in addition to that:Allahumma ighfir li warhamni wahdini wajburni warzuqni wa ‘aafini(O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, console me, grant me provision and grant me well being), because that is proven from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And if he says more than that, there is nothing wrong with it, such as if he says, “Allahumma ighfir li wa li waalidayya(O Allah, forgive me and my parents)” or “Allaahumma adkhilni al-Jannah wa anjini min an-naar(O Allah, admit me to Paradise and save me from Hell)” or “Allaahumma aslih qalbi wa ‘amali(O Allah, make my heart and my actions righteous) and so on. But he should ask a great deal for forgiveness between the two prostrations, as was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
End quote fromFataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 11/36
And Allah knows best.

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Description of the Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * What is meant by dhikr and du‘aa’ at the end of the prayer?

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What is meant by “at the end of every prayer”? Does it mean before the salaam at the conclusion of the prayer or after it? Is it Sunnah to raise the hands in du‘aa’ after the prayer?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
“At the end of the prayer” may mean after it, following it, or in the last part of it.
There are several hadeeths which encourage dhikr and du‘aa’ at the end of the prayers, such as the following:
1.
The report narrated by al-Bukhaari (6330) and Muslim (594) from al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say at the end of every prayer after saying the salaam:Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer. Allaahumma laa maani‘ lima a‘tayta wa laa mu‘ti lima mana‘ta wa la yanfa‘ dhaa’l-jadd minka al-jadd (There is no god but Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate, His is the sovereignty and to Him be praise, and He is Able to do all things. O Allaah, none can withhold what You give and none can give what You withhold, and no wealth or majesty can benefit anyone for from You is all wealth and majesty).
2.
The report narrated by al-Bukhaari (6329) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): They said: O Messenger of Allah, the wealthy have attained exclusively the high ranks and eternal blessing (in Paradise). He said: How is that? They said: They pray as we pray, and they strive in jihad as we strive, and they spend from the surplus of their wealth, but we have no wealth. He said: “Shall I not tell you of something by means of which you will catch up with those who have gone before you and will go ahead of those who come after you, and no one could achieve what you achieve except one who does what you do. At the end of every prayer, glorify Allah (by sayingSubhaan Allah) ten times, and praise Him (by sayingal-hamdu Lillah) ten times, and magnify Him (by sayingAllahu akbar) ten times.
Al-Bukhaari (843) narrated: “Glorify Allah (by sayingSubhaan Allah), praise Him (by sayingal-hamdu Lillah), and magnify Him (by sayingAllahu akbar) thirty-three times after each prayer.”
Muslim (595) narrated: “Glorify Allah (by sayingSubhaan Allah), praise Him (by sayingal-hamdu Lillah), and magnify Him (by sayingAllahu akbar) thirty-three times at the end of each prayer.”
3.
Muslim (596) narrated from Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Dhikrs at the end of the prayer, the one who says them or does them at the end of each obligatory prayer will not be disappointed: thirty-three tasbeehahs, thirty-three tahmeedahs and thirty-four takbeerahs.”
What is meant by “at the end of the prayer” in these hadeeths is immediately after the prayer, that is, after the salaam, as is stated clearly in some reports. The same is mentioned in the reports which speak of reciting Aayat al-Kursiy and the Mu‘awwidhaat at the end of the prayer. What is meant is after the salaam.
4.
Abu Dawood (1522) narrated from Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took him by the hand and said: “O Mu‘aadh, by Allah verily I love you, by Allah verily I love you.” Then he said: “I urge you, O Mu‘aadh, never to stop saying at the end of every prayer:Allahumma a‘inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ‘ibaadatika(O Allah, help me to remember You, give thank to You and worship You properly).”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh Abi Dawood
An-Nasaa’i (1303) narrated it as follows: “Do not neglect to say in every prayer,Rabbiy a‘inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ‘ibaadatika(My Lord, help me to remember You, give thank to You and worship You properly).
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh an-Nasaa’i.
What is meant by “at the end of the prayer (dibr as-salaah)” here is in the last part of the prayer before the salaam, becausedibr ash-shay’(lit. the end of a thing) is part of it. This is confirmed by the words in the report of an-Nasaa’i: “in every prayer”.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said inZaad al-Ma‘aad(1/294): “At the end of the prayer” may be understood as meaning before the salaam or after it. Our shaykh [i.e., Ibn Taymiyah] regarded it as more likely that it is before the salaam. I asked him about that and he said: Dibr kulli shay’ (the end of everything) is part of it, like the dibr (rear end) of an animal. End quote.
5.
at-Tirmidhi (3499) narrated that Abu Umaamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what du‘aa’ (supplication) is most likely to be heard (and responded to)? He said: “(That which is offered) in the last part of the night and at the end of the prescribed prayers.”
This hadeeth was classed as hasan by at-Tirmidhi and by al-Albaani inSaheeh at-Tirmidhi.
What appears to be the case is that what is meant by “at the end of the prayer” here means before the salaam.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What appears to be the case is that what is meant by “at the end of the prescribed prayers” in the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah – if it is saheeh –is: in the last part of the prayer. End quote.
Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 13/268
The scholars noted concerning this that in the texts which mention the end of the prayer, if it is dhikr (such as sayingSubhaan Allah,al-hamdu Lillah, Allahu akbar, or reciting Aayat al-Kursiy and the Mu‘awwidhaat), then what is meant by the end of the prayer in this case is after the prayer; if it is du‘aa’ (supplication), then what is meant by at the end of the prayer is in the last part of it, i.e., before the salaam.
But if there is a report to indicate that a particular du‘aa’ should be said after the salaam, such as when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Ask for forgiveness (by sayingAstaghfirullah) three times,” this is a du‘aa’, but the Sunnah indicates that it should be said after the salaam.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
What is meant by “at the end of the prayer” in the hadeeths which encourage saying du‘aa’ or dhikr at the end of each prayer? Is it the last part of the prayer or after the salaam?
He replied:
The phrase “the end of the prayer” may be applied to the last part of it before the salaam, or it may be applied to what comes immediately after the salaam. There are saheeh hadeeths that mention that, most of which indicate that what is meant is the last part of the prayer before the salaam if it has to do with du‘aa’, such as the hadeeth of Ibn Mas‘ood, in which the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught him the tashahhud, then he said: “Then let him choose whatever du‘aa’ he likes and say it.” And according to another version he said, “Let him choose after asking whatever he wants.” (saheeh – agreed upon).
Another example is the hadeeth of Mu‘aadh in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Do not neglect to say at the end of every prayer:Allahumma a‘inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ‘ibaadatika(O Allah, help me to remember You, give thank to You and worship You properly).”
Narrated by Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasaa’i with a saheeh isnaad.
Another example is the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) from Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say at the end of every prayer: “Allaahumma inni a‘oodhu bika min al-bukhl, wa a‘oodhu bika min al-jubn, wa a‘oodhu bika min an uradda ila ardhal il-‘umr, wa a‘oodhu bika min fitnat ad-dunya wa min ‘adhaab al-qabr(O Allah, I seek refuge in You from miserliness, and I seek refuge in You from cowardice, and I seek refuge in You from reaching feeble old age, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of this world, and I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave.
With regard to the adhkaar that have been narrated, the saheeh hadeeths indicate that they are to be recited at the end of the prayer after the salaam. An example of that is to say after saying the salaam: “Astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah. Allaahumma anta al-salaam wa minka al-salaam tabaarakta ya dhaa’l-jalaali wa’l-ikraam(I ask Allaah for forgiveness, I ask Allaah for forgiveness, I ask Allaah for forgiveness. O Allaah, You are the One Who is free from all defects and deficiencies and from You is all peace, blessed are You, O Possessor of majesty and honour), whether he was the imam or praying behind the imam or praying on his own. Then after that the imam should turn to face the congregation, and the imam, the one who prayed behind the imam and the one who prayed on his own should say, after that dhikr and prayer for forgiveness:Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer. Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah wa laa na‘budu illaa iyyaah. Lahu’l-ni‘mah wa lahu’l-fadl wa lahu’l-thanaa’ al-hasan. Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah mukhliseena lahu’l-deena wa law kariha’l-kaafiroon. Allaahumma laa maani‘ lima a‘tayta wa laa mu‘ti lima mana‘ta wa la yanfa‘ dhaa’l-jadd minka al-jadd (There is no god but Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate His is the sovereignty and to Him be praise, and He is Able to do all things. There is no power and no strength except with Allaah, and we worship none but Him. From Him (alone) come all blessings and favours, and all good praise is due to Him. There is no god but Allaah and we make our worship purely for Him (alone) however much the disbelievers may hate that. O Allaah, none can withhold what You give and none can give what You withhold, and no wealth or majesty can benefit anyone for from You is all wealth and majesty).
It is mustahabb for the Muslim, male or female, to recite this dhikr after each of the five daily prayers, then to glorify Allah (by sayingSubhaan Allah), praise Him (by sayingal-hamdu Lillah), and magnify Him (by sayingAllahu akbar) thirty-three times, then to complete one hundred by saying: Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god but Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate His is the sovereignty and to Him be praise, and He is Able to do all things).
All of that is proven in hadeeths from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). After that it is mustahabb to recite Aayat al-Kursiy once, quietly, and to reciteQul Huwa Allahu Ahad(Soorat al-Ikhlaas) and al-Mu‘awwidhatayn once, quietly, except in the case of Maghrib and Fajr, when it is mustahabb to repeat the recitation of the three soorahs mentioned, three times. It is also mustahabb for the Muslim, male or female, to say after praying Maghrib and Fajr:Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd yuhyi wa yumeet wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer(there is no God but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, His is the Dominion and to Him be praise, He gives life and gives death, and He has power over all things) ten times in addition to what is mentioned above, before reciting Aayat al-Kursiy and before reciting the three soorahs mentioned above, in accordance with the saheeh hadeeths that have been narrated concerning that. End quote.
Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 11/194
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If one ponders this matter it will become clear that what is connected to the end of the prayer, if it is dhikr it comes after the prayer and if it is du‘aa’ it comes in the last part of the prayer.
With regard to the former, Allah, may He be exalted, has made the time after the prayer a time for dhikr, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):“When you have finished As-Salat (the prayer - congregational), remember Allah standing, sitting down, and lying down on your sides” [an-Nisa’ 4:103]. And the Sunnah explains what is mentioned in general terms in this verse of dhikr, such as when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The one who glorifies Allah (by sayingSubhaan Allah) at the end of every prayer thirty-three times…” Each text that mentions dhikr at the end of the prayer is to be understood as referring to after the prayer, in accordance with this verse.
With regard to the latter, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) regarded the time after the final tashahhud as a time for du‘aa’. So every text that mentions du‘aa’ at the end of the prayer is to be understood as referring to the last part of it, so that the du‘aa’ will be at the point where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us to offer du‘aa’, unless interpreting the text in this manner is impossible or unlikely, according to the context, in which case it is to be understood as indicated by the context. End quote.
Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 13/268
Secondly:
It is not prescribed to raise the hands when saying du‘aa’ after the prayer, because that was not narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It says inFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah(7/103): When saying du‘aa’ after the obligatory prayer it is not Sunnah to raise the hands, whether that is done by the imam on his own or the one who prayed behind the imam on his own, or by both of them. Rather that is an innovation, because it was not narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or from his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). As for saying du‘aa’ without doing that (raising the hands), there is nothing wrong with it, because there are some hadeeths that mention that.
And Allah knows best.

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Description of the Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Mistakes in the prayer

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I used not to pray, but I have repented and started to pray again, praise be to Allah. But the problem now is that I forget and make a lot of mistakes in my prayer.
I will mention some of the mistakes, and please tell me whether my prayer in this case is valid or not?
For example, if I recite Soorat al-Faatihah, then after it I recite a word, or two or three letters, of a soorah after al-Faatihah, but then I stop and start to recite a different soorah, is that permissible?
Also, is it permissible for me to pray reciting the same soorah in every prayer?
Sometimes, after coming up from prostration and standing up to perform the second rak‘ah, I find myself raising the hands with the takbeer by mistake, but I stop it and put my hands on my chest straightaway. Is my prayer valid in this case?
Sometimes when rising from bowing, I raise my hands because I forget, and I find myself letting them fall by my sides instead of putting them on my chest, then when I realize I put them back on my chest to correct the mistake. Is this permissible?
Is it permissible either when sitting between the two prostrations or when sitting to recite the first or second tashahhud, to sit with both feet upright and sitting on them (sometimes I put them together and sometimes I separate them a little, and I do same thing when I am prostrating)?
Sometimes when reciting during the prayer, I forget a letter; for example I say “At-Tahiyyaatu Lillahi as-salawaatu al-tayyibaat (All compliments, prayers, pure words are due to Allah)” – if you notice I do not say “wa as-salawaatu wa at-tayyibaat (All compliments [and] prayers and pure words).” Similarly in as-salaat al-Ibraaheemiyyah [durood] sometimes I say: “Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama salayta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers and blessings upon Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).”, and sometimes I forget a phrase from it. Is that acceptable?
If I make a mistake in recitation of a soorah, but then I repeat it in the correct manner, is that acceptable and can I apply that to everything I recite during the prayer? Is that permissible?
Is it permissible to look at something other than the precise spot of prostration?
Also, with regard to what is worn during the prayer, I wear a garment that has buttons and is open at the neck and a little at the chest, and I wear over it a large head covering that covers my chest and neck, but when I bow or prostrate, they both show if looking from behind and below; is that permissible?
If my prayer is wrong, does this mean that my fasting is also invalid?
I'm sorry for such a long message. May Allah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allah.
~1~
It is preferable to complete the soorah that you have started, but if you move to another soorah before completing the first one, there is nothing wrong with that and your prayer is valid.
~2~
Raising the hands during the prayer is one of the Sunnahs of the prayer. So if you raise your hands, it is Sunnah and is not a mistake, as you thought. But if you do not raise them, that does not affect your prayer. The same applies to putting them on the chest after rising from bowing. Please see the answer to question no. 3267for information on the points when the hands should be raised.
~3~
With regard to the manner of sitting, please see the answer to question no. 103886. For a description of the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), please see question no. 13340.
~4~
As-salaah al-Ibraaheemiyyah [durood] is Sunnah, so if you omit a letter or two, you do not have to do anything and your prayer is still valid, in sha Allah.
~5~
If the mistake occurs in al-Faatihah, then it must be corrected, because al-Faatihah is a pillar or essential part of the prayer, without which the prayer is not valid. But if the mistake is other than in the recitation of al-Faatihah, it must also be corrected, but it does not invalidate the prayer, even if you do not correct your recitation whilst you are praying. Similarly, there is no blame on you if you move from one soorah to another, even though it is preferable to complete the soorah which you started. And there is nothing wrong with you repeating the same soorah after al-Faatihah in every rak‘ah, or in every prayer, if that is easier for you or if you have memorized it better than others.
~6~
The Sunnah in prayer is for the worshipper to look at the spot of prostration. Please see the answer to question no. 25848. And it is makrooh (disliked) to look around whilst praying. For a detailed discussion on that, please see the answer to question no. 160647.
~7~
If your prayer is invalidated in some way, that does not necessarily mean that your fasting is invalid, because there is no connection between the two.
~8~
It is obligatory to cover the ‘awrah whilst praying. If a woman prays with her ‘awrah uncovered, her prayer is not valid. The woman’s whole body is ‘awrah during prayer, apart from the face and the hands, so she must cover all of her body. For more information, please see the answers to questions no. 135372and 126265
~9~
If the nature of the garment you wear is such that every time you bow or prostrate any part of your body becomes uncovered (the neck, chest or anything else), then prayers offered when wearing it are invalid, because of what is mentioned above about it being obligatory to cover the ‘awrah
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a person prays in a chemise with a wide opening in front and his ‘awrah can be seen from above when bowing or prostrating or at other points in the prayer, his prayer is not valid and he should fasten that opening, or tie something around his middle, or put something over the opening that fastens on his shoulders, or the like…
End quote fromRawdat at-Taalibeen(1/284)
But if the uncovering is accidental, such as if the garment rides up without him intending it to, and some part of the ‘awrah becomes uncovered, then what the worshipper must do is hasten to cover up whatever of his ‘awrah has become uncovered as soon as he realizes that that has happened. His prayer is not invalidated by that, and he does not have to repeat it.
See also the answer to question no. 135372
With regard to the prayers that you offered before that in which there were some mistakes, there is no blame on you for whatever you did when you were unaware of the rulings, and you do not have to make up any of them. Rather you have to try hard to learn and find out what is correct from the Sunnah from now on, but without getting carried away by insistent thoughts or becoming paranoid, so that the Shaytaan will not spoil your worship.
And Allah knows best.

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