Unable to Recite al-Faatihah Due to Imam’s Speedy Recitation; Should He Pray Behind Him?

There is a mosque 900 meters away from my house but I don't hear the
adhan at all. I sometimes go there and they follow Imam AbuHanifa (ra)
and they recite al-Fatihah too fast.Most of the time I am in the 4th
or 5th verse of al-Fatiha and they go to rukoo'. So is it still
obligatory for me to attend the prayer there since I don't hear the
adhan and I can't finish reciting al-Fatiha, and the tranquility is
also notthere because of the quick recitation of the imam.
Praise be to Allaah.
If the imam does not recite at a moderate pace in his prayer, and he
recites al-Faatihah very quickly, and the person praying behind him is
not able to recite it behind him, then it is not valid for him to pray
behind him and the congregation has to look for another imam who will
recite at a moderate pace in his prayer, or they should go to another
mosque inwhich the people pray ata moderate pace, because reciting and
moving at a moderate pace in prayer is one of its essential parts.
Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If it is known that
the imam does not recite at a moderate pace in his prayer, and that he
does not stand long enough to allow the people praying behind him to
complete al-Faatihah, then you should not pray with him at all,
because it is not permissible to pray with him, as you are caught
between two things: either you will follow him and miss out on the
essential part of the prayer, or you will do the essential part of the
prayer and miss out on following the imam. We warn these imams about
such things. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have stated
that it is haraam for the imam to rush so much that it prevents the
person praying behind him from doing what is obligatory, and reciting
and moving at amoderate pace are obligatory. It is not acceptable for
such imams to be imams of the Muslims, and they should be dismissed
from the post of imam if they are employed as such. Those who are in
charge of imams should go around the mosques and if they find anyone
who is like this, and whois not doing what is required of an imam,
they should dismiss him, because this is a bad custom.
I say: if it is the habit of this imam to recite so quickly that the
person praying behind him cannot recite al-Faatihah, then the people
of the mosque have to ask for him to bedismissed, and if it is known
that a person is like that, he should not start to pray with him at
all and he should go to another mosque. End quote.
Liqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh,146/9
See also the answer to question no. 6551
It is obligatory for you topray in congregation in the mosque so long
as you are able to do so; tryto find a different mosque. For more
information on the evidence that it is obligatory to pray in
congregation, please seethe answer to question no. 40113
For more information onthe distance between the mosque and one's home
that makes it obligatory to pray in the mosque

Showing off (riya) in worship

Is there any chance of getting blessings from an act ruined by riyaa
if one's intentions change to please Allaah after thethought of riyaa
has already come? For example, I finish recitingQu'raan, and the
thought of riyaa enters my mind. If I immediately fight this thought
with thinking about Allaah, can I still get blessings for my
recitation, or is it completely ruined forever because of riyaa,given
that the act is overand the riyaa thought came after it was already
over?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said:
Showing off may affect worship in three ways:
1 – When the basic motive for worship is to be seen by others, such as
one who stands and prays so that people will see him, and so that
theywill praise him for his prayers. This invalidates the act of
worship.
2 – When it is a factor that develops during theact of worship, i.e.,
if theworshipper is initially sincere in his intention towards Allaah,
then the idea of showing off develops whilst he is doing it. In this
case one of the following two scenarios must apply:
(i) There is no connection between the first part of
his act of worship and the last part, so the first part is valid in
all cases, and thelast part is invalid.
For example: a man has one hundred riyals that he wants to give in
charity, so he gives fifty of them in a sincere act of charity. Then
the idea of showing off develops with regard to the remaining fifty.
So the first was a sound and accepted act of charity, but the last
fifty was an invalid act of charity because the sincerity was mixed
with a desire to show off.
(ii) The first part of the act of worship is connected to
the last part, in which case one of the following two scenarios must
apply:
(a) He wards off the idea of showing off and does not give in to
it, rather he turns away from it and hates it. This does not have any
effect on him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Allaah has forgiven my ummah for what crosses their
minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it."
(b) When he gives in tothis idea of showing off and does not ward
it off.In this case the entire actof worship becomes invalid, because
the first part is connected to the last part. For example, hestarts
the prayer with a sincere intention towards Allaah, then the idea of
showing off develops in the second rak'ah, so the entire prayer
becomes invalid because the first part is connected to the last part.
3 – The idea of showing off develop after the act of worship has
ended. This does not affect it or invalidate it, because it has been
completed soundly, so if showing off occurs after that it does not
affect it.
It is not showing off if a person feels happy that the people come to
know about his worship,because this developed after he has finished
the act of worship.
It is not showing off if a person feels happy because he has done an
act of worship, because that is a sign of his faith. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever feels happy
because of his good deeds and sad because of his bad deeds, that is
the believer."
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked
about that and said: "That is the first glad tidings of the believer."
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 2/29, 30.

I want to be a devoted slave of Allaah … ten pointers

My question is short. I want to enter Paradise, Iwant to strive to
control my self (my nafs), I want to kiss my mother's handevery day, I
want to keep away from whims and desires and from theShaytaan, I want
Allaah to call me a devoted slave on the Day of Resurrection, in sha
Allaah, I want to love my brothers, and I want my faith to keep
increasing. What should I do?.
Praise be to Allaah.
We ask Allaah to make you steadfast in adhering to the truth, and to
make your hopes come true, and to make you one of those who turn to
Him and who know the truth, defend it and adhere to Islam.
The things you mention in your question indicate that you have a sound
and pure nature, and a great desire to achieve great things andto give
everyone his rights. These are great hopes that can be achieved
through faith, as it was narrated that Sufyaan al-Thawri said: Faith
is not wishes or pretence, rather it is what settles in the heart and
is proven by actions." So we will discuss the matter of faith and how
importantit is in becoming a devoted slave, pleasing and honouring
one's parents and achieving the victory of Paradise.
Whoever seeks to achieve great things has to stay up at night (worship).
Hence al-Fudayl said: "You hearts can never taste the sweetness of
faith until they shun worldly pleasures." And he also said, "If you
cannot pray qiyaam at night and fast during the day, then know that
you are deprived."
The sincere believer has a heart like a burning coal, hence it was
narrated by al-Haakim inhis Mustadrak and al-Tabaraani in his Mu'jam
with a saheeh isnaad that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said, "Faith wears out in your heart as clothes wear out,
so ask Allaah to renew the faith in your hearts."
The believer's heart may sometimes feel overwhelmed by clouds of sin.
This was portrayed to us by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) when he said:"There is no heart that does not have clouds
like the clouds that coverthe moon. When the cloud covers it, it is
dark,and when the cloud moves away it shines." Narrated by
al-Tabaraaniin al-Awsat, and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. So the
believer's heart is sometimes covered with a cloud and its light is
hidden, and it remains dark and lonely, but if he strives to increase
his store of faith and seeks the help of Allaah, that cloud goes away
and thelight in his heart starts toshine again. Hence one of the salaf
said: "It is part of a person's smartness to c heck on his faith and
be aware of what affects it." It is also part of a person's smartness
"that he recognizes how the Shaytaan whispers to him."
So he has to come back to faith. If you come back to faith and do as
itrequires, then you will achieve what you want. We will tell you of a
basic principle which will let you know when faith is present and when
it is not. Imam Ibn al-Jawzi said: "O you who are turned away, O you
who are deprived ofmeeting your loved ones, if you want to know how
you stand before the king, then look at how you are spending your time
and what work you are assigned to do. How many people stand at the
door of the king, butno one enters except theone whom he cares for.
Not every heart is fit to draw close, not every heart can be filled
with love, not every wind is like the morning breeze."
If a person want to know how he stands before Allaah and how he stands
in relation to His commands and prohibitions, let him look at himself
and see what he is preoccupied with. If he is busy with da'wah and
with saving people from the Fire, striving to attain Paradise, helping
the weak and needy, honouring his parents, then let him rejoice in the
fact that he is close to the King of kings, for Allaah does not help
anyone to do good except those whom He loves.
But if he is has no interest in da'wah, dislikes the daa'iyahs and
does not do good things, if he is preoccupied with this world and its
gains, and with gossip and asking too many questions, whilst not doing
much or following his whims and desires, let him know that he is far
from Allaah and has been deprived of that which will bring him closer
to Paradise, because Allaah says in His holy Book (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitoryenjoyment of this
world), We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then,
afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein
disgraced and rejected ( far away from Allaah's Mercy).
And whoever desires theHereafter and strives for it, with the
necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah's
obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic
Monotheism) — then such are the ones whose striving shall be
appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allaah)"
[al-Isra' 17:18-19]
My brother, if you want to have a high position in all kinds of good
deeds, to be a devoted slave of Allaah and to honour your parents, and
you are seeking Paradise, then you have to do the following:
1 – You have to revive the faith in your heart. Faith is what will
bring the Muslim everything he seeks in this world and in the
Hereafter. Faith is the key to all goodness and locks the door to all
evil. The means of reviving and strengthening faith in one's heart are
many and varied, including doing a lot of acts of worship and
righteous deeds.
2 – You must turn to your Lord sincerely, as it says in the report:
"If My slave turns to me inwardly and outwardly,I will turn the hearts
of My slaves to him with love and mercy."
Allaah has made worshipthe ultimate aim and loftiest purpose of man:
"And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they
should worship Me (Alone)"
[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56 – interpretation of the meaning)]
3 – You should always set your sights on the highest degrees, and make
your goal in life to earn the pleasure of Allaah, and strive to attain
the victory of Paradise, or to attain thehighest Firdaws. You should
strive as hard as you can to achieve theselofty aims.
4 – You should follow the example of historicalMuslim figures such as
the Sahaabah, Taabi'eenand righteous forebears (the salaf).
5 – You should make the most of every minute, every moment and
everyheartbeat to use it in such a way as to increase your faith.
6 – You should try to keep company with righteous people, because the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,
"A man will follow the religion of his close friend, so let each one
of you look at whom he befriends." Narrated by Abu Dawood and
al-Tirmidhi with a hasan isnaad. Good friends are one of the best
means of helping you to obey Allaah and to avoid sin and error.
7 – Doing a lot of righteous deeds which will bring you happinessin
this world and in the Hereafter.
8 – Praying qiyaam al-layl, making du'aa' in the time just before
dawn. The feet of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to swell because of his desire to be a
thankful slave, even though Allaah had forgiven his previous and
future sins.
9 – Persisting in reading a portion of Qur'aan daily, and other dhikr
that helps you to think and ponder the meanings of the Qur'aan.
10 – Striving to spread the word and make da'wah for the sake of
Allaah, and working for Islam as much as possible.
If you want to reach the status of devoted slave for which you long,
thenbe as Allaah commandedHis Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him):
"Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, myliving,
and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the 'Aalameen (mankind,jinn
and all that exists)"
[al-An'aam 6:162]
Being a devoted slave of Allaah means declaring one's devotion and
belonging to the Lord, which can only be achieved by applying this
aayah, so that we are for Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, in all our
affairs.
Being a devoted slave of Allaah can only be fully achieved in this
manner;it can only be achieved by worshipping Allaah inthe fullest
sense of the word, which means making our living and dying, and all
our movements, for Him alone. So we only speak that which is pleasing
to Allaah; we only do that which is pleasing to Allaah; we focus our
intention in these wordsand deeds only on Allaah. Worship should not
be reduced to merely raising and lowering our heads at certain times,
or giving afew pennies every once in a while, or fasting a few days
each year, or moving our lips to say a few words and dhikrs.
Hence the deeds that lead to this status – of being a devoted slave –
are innumerable and may take many shapes inall aspects of our lives
and the places where welive. This is by the bounty of Allaah towards
us and towards all people.
Just look, in every place where you find yourself and every moment
that comes to you, for that which will please Him, and what you think
He wants to see you doing, and do it. Then you will be a devoted
slave.
Finally, we ask Allaah to accept righteous deeds from us and from you,
and to gather us and you in His mercy with the Prophets, siddeeqs,
martyrs and righteous, and those are the best ofcompanions.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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At-Tufayl ibn Amr ad-Dawsi - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

At-Tufayl ibn Amr was the chief of the Daws tribe in preQuranic times
and a distinguished Arab notable known for his manly virtues and good
works.
He fed the hungry, comforted those in distress and granted asylum to
refugees. He was also keenly interested in literature and was himself
a sharp and sensitive poet capable of expressing the most delicate
emotions.
Tufayl left the hearths of his village in Tihama in the south of the
Arabian peninsula and set out for Makkah. The struggle between the
noble Prophet and the disbelieving Quraysh was already at its height.
Each wanted to gain support for his cause and recruit helpers. The
Prophet, peace and blessings of God be on him, sought help from his
Lord. His weapons werefaith and truth. The disbelieving Quraysh
resisted his message with every weapon, and attempted to keep people
away from it by all the means at their disposal.
Tufayl found himself entering this battle without any preparation or
warning. He did not come to Makkah to get involved in it. Indeed he
was notaware of the struggle that was taking place.
Let Tufayl himself take up the story from this point:
I approached Makkah. As soon asthe Quraysh leaders saw me, they came
up to me and gave me a most hearty welcome and accommodated me in a
grand house. Their leaders and notables then gathered and said:
"O Tufayl, you have come to our town. This man who claims that he is a
Prophet has ruined our authority and shattered our community. We are
afraid that he would succeed in undermining you and your authority
among your people just as he has done with us. Don't speak to the man.
On no account listen to anything he has to say. He has the speech of a
wizard, causing division between father and son, between brother and
brother and between husband and wife."
They went on telling me the most fantastic stories and scared me by
recounting tales ofhis incredible deeds. I made up my mind then not to
approach this man, or speak to him or listen to anything he had to
say.
The following morning I went tothe Sacred Mosque to make tawaf around
the Kabah as an act of worship to the idols that we made pilgrimage to
and glorified. I inserted a piece of cotton in my ears out of fear
that something of the speech of Muhammad would reach my hearing. As
soon as I entered theMosque, I saw him standing near the Kabah. He was
praying in a fashion which was different from our prayer. His whole
manner of worship was different. The scene captivated me. His worship
made me tremble and I felt drawn to him, despite myself, until I was
quite close to him.
Not withstanding the precautionI had taken, God willed that some of
what he was saying should reach my hearing and I heard a speech that
was so beautiful that I said to myself,"What are you doing, Tufayl?
You are a perceptive poet. You can distinguish between the good and
the bad in poetry. What prevents you from listening to what this man
is saying? If what comes from him is good, accept it, and if it is
bad,reject it."
I remained there until the Prophet left for his home. I followed him
as he entered his house, and I entered also and said, "O Muhammad,
your peoplehave said certain things to me about you. By God, they kept
on frightening me away from your message so that I even blocked my
ears to keep out your words.Despite this, God caused me to hear
something of it and I foundit good. So tell me more about your
mission."
The Prophet, peace be upon him,did and recited to me Surah Al-Iklaas
and Surah Al-Falaq. I swear by God, I had never heard such beautiful
words before. Neither was a more noble or justmission ever described
to me. Thereupon, I stretched out my hand to him in allegiance and
testified that there is no god butAllah and that Muhammad is
themessenger of Allah. This is how Ientered Islam.
I stayed on for some time in Makkah learning the teachings of Islam
memorizing parts of the Quran. When I decided to return to my people,
I said, "O Rasulullah. I am a man who is obeyed in his tribe. I am
going back to them and I shall invite them to Islam . . ."
When I returned to my people, my father, who was quite old then, came
up to me and I said, 'O Father, let me relate my news to you. I am no
longer from you and you are not of me.''
"Why so, my son?" he asked.
"I have accepted Islam and now follow the religion of Muhammad, peace
and blessingsof God be upon him," I replied.
"My son," he said, "your religion is my religion."
''Go and wash your sell and cleanse your clothes," I said."Then come
that I may teach you what I have learnt."
This the old man did and I explained Islam to him and he became a Muslim.
"Then came my wife and I said,"Let me relate my news to you. Iam no
longer of you and you arenot of me."
"Good heavens! Why so?" she exclaimed.
"Islam has separated us," I explained. "I have become a Muslim and
follow the religion of Muhammad."
"Your religion is my religion," she replied.
'Then go and purify yourself, notwith the water of Dhu Shara, theidol
of the Daws, but with pure water from the mountain. "
"Good gracious! Do you fear anything from Dhu Shara?"
"Damn Dhu Shari. I told you, go and wash there, far away from people.
I guarantee you that thisdumb stone won't do a thing to you."
She went and washed and I explained Islam to her and she became a
Muslim. I then invited the Daws as a whole to become Muslims. They
were all slow in responding, except Abu Hurayrah. He was the quickest
torespond to the invitation of Islam.
The next time I went to Makkah, Abu Hurayrah was with me.
"What have you left behind?' theProphet asked me.
"Hearts with veils over them obscuring the Truth, and firm disbelief.
Sin and disobedience have won over the Daws."
The Prophet thereupon stood up, made wudu and prayed withhis hands
raised to the heavens. Abu Hurayrah remarked, "When Isaw the Prophet
like this, I was afraid that he was praying against my people and that
they would be destroyed."
But the Prophet, upon whom be peace, prayed, "O Lord, guide theDaws,
guide the Daws, guide theDaws." Then he turned to me and said:
"Go back to your people, befriend them, treat them gently and invite
them to Islam."
I stayed in the land of the Daws inviting them to Islam until afterthe
hijrah of the Prophet to Madinah and after the battle of Badr, Uhud
and Khandaq had taken place. Then I went to the Prophet. With me were
eighty families who had become Muslims and who were strong intheir
faith. The Prophet was pleased with us and he gave us aportion of the
booty after the battle of Khaybar. We said to him, "O Rasulullah, make
us the right wing of your army in every battle and make our efforts
acceptable."
Tufayl stayed with the Prophet until the liberation of Makkah. After
the destruction of the idolsthere, Tufayl asked the Prophet to send
him to put an end to theworship of Dhu-l Kafayn, the chief idol of his
people. The Prophet gave him permission.
Back in Tihama among the Daws, men, women and childrenof the tribe had
gathered and were agitated that the idol was going to be burnt. They
were waiting to see if any evil would befall Tufayl should he harm
Dhu-l Kafayn. Tufayl approached the idols with the worshipers around
it. As he set fire to it, he proclaimed:
"O Dhu-l Kafayn, of your worshipers I certainly am not.
Fire have I inserted into your heart."
Whatever shirk remained in the Daws tribe went up in the flames that
burnt the idol. The whole tribe became Muslims.
Tufayl remained a lieutenant of the Prophet until the noble messenger
passed away. Tufayl then placed himself in the service of the Khalifah
Abu Bakr, the successor of the Prophet. During the Riddah wars, he led
acontingent of his people against the impostor Musaylamah.
In the battle of al-Yamamah thatfollowed, the dear companion ofthe
Prophet, Tufayl ibn Amr fought hard but eventually fell as a martyr on
the battlefield.

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