Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * How was prayer first prescribed?

Share

I have heard that during the early years of islam, muslims were told to perform 40 prayers a day, but this was cut down by 5 each time ALLAH (S.W.T) knew this was unachievable by majority of muslims until their were only 5 salat a day were left. is this because ALLAH (S.W.T) has shown us mercy?.
Praise be to Allaah.
What you have heard about the prayer is not correct. The correct version is that Allaah initially – on the night of the Mi’raaj when our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken up into heaven – enjoined fifty prayers to be performed night and day. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kept asking his Lord to reduce it until it became five prayers to be offered night and day. But Allaah decreed the reward of fifty prayers for these five, so whoever prays five prayers will receive the reward of fifty prayers.
It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: Abu Dharr narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The roof of my house was split open when I was in Makkah, and Jibreel (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came down and split open my chest and washed it with Zamzam water. Then he brought a golden vessel filled with wisdom and faith and poured it into my chest, then he sealed it. Then he took me by the hand and ascended with me into the lowest heaven. When I reached the lowest heaven Jibreel said to the gatekeeper, ‘Open up!’ He said, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘Jibreel.’ He said, ‘Is there anyone with you?’ He said, ‘Yes, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is with me.’ He said, ‘Has his mission begun?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ And when it was opened we went up into the lowest heaven… Then Allaah enjoined upon my ummah fifty prayers, and I came back until I passed by Moosa who said, ‘What has Allaah enjoined upon your ummah?’ I said, ‘He has enjoined fifty prayers.’ He said, ‘Go back to your Lord, for your ummah will not be able to bear that.’ So I went back and He reduced it. Then I came back to Moosa and said, ‘He has reduced it.’ He said, ‘Go back to your Lord, for your ummah will not be able to bear that.’ So I went back and He reduced it further. Then I came back to Moosa and said, ‘He has reduced it further.’ He said, ‘Go back to your Lord, for your ummah will not be able to bear that.’ So I went back and He said, ‘(The prayers) are five but (the reward) is fifty. The Sentence that comes from Me cannot be changed [cf. Qaaf 50:29].’ Then I went back to Moosa and he said, ‘Go back to your Lord.’ But I said, ‘I feel shy before my Lord.’…”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 342; Muslim, 163
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
What is meant is that they are five with regard to what is to be done, but they are fifty with regard to the reward.
Fath al-Baari, 1/463
And Allaah knows best.

Share

Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * He became Muslimat the time of prayer; should he make up what came before it?

Share

If a person becomes Muslim at the time of prayer, does he have to make up what came before it?.
Praise be to Allaah.
He does not have to make up what came before it, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven”
[al-Anfaal 8:38].
i.e., if they give up their kufr and become Muslim, then Allaah will forgive them their previous sins, whether these were sins of neglecting obligatory duties or doing haraam acts. But he must offer the prayer at the time of which he became Muslim, if there remained enough time to do one rak’ah or more, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever catches up with a rak’ah of the prayer has caught up with the prayer.”
As for the prayers that came before, he does not have to make them up, such as if he became Muslim after ‘Asr, he has to make up ‘Asr, but he does not have to make up Zuhr, because the time for it had ended. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).

Share

Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Times when it is forbidden to pray

Share

Can you please tell me what are the forbidden times of prayers in a day.
Praise be to Allaah.
There are times when it is forbidden to pray. They are as follows:
From dawn until sunrise
From sunrise until the sun has risen to the height of a spear above the horizon; nowadays this is regarded as equivalent to twelve minutes after sunrise, but to be on the safe side one should make it a quarter of an hour.
When the sun is overhead at noon, until it has passed its zenith
From ‘Asr prayer until sunset
When the sun starts to set until it is completely set
These times may be summed up more briefly as follows:
From dawn until the sun has risen to the height of a spear
When it is directly overhead at noon until it has passed its zenith
From ‘Asr prayer until the sun has set completely.
When we say from dawn, we mean that one should not offer voluntary prayers after the adhaan of Fajr except the Sunnah of Fajr. This is the view of the Hanbalis. The Shaafa’is are of the view that the prohibition has to do with Fajr prayer itself, so it is not forbidden to offer voluntary prayers between the adhaan and iqaamah, rather it is forbidden to offer voluntary prayers after offering the obligatory prayer of Fajr.
This is the more correct view, but one should not offer any voluntary prayer after dawn apart from the two Sunnah rak’ahs of Fajr, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) only prayed two brief rak’ahs after dawn had broken.
Seeal-Sharh al-Mumti’by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 4/160.
This is indicated by the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (547) and Muslim (1367) from Ibn ‘Abbaas, who said: Some trustworthy men bore witness in my presence, the most trustworthy of whom in my view was ‘Umar, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade praying after Fajr until the sun had risen and after ‘Asr until the sun had set.”
Al-Bukhaari (548) and Muslim (1371) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When the top edge of the sun has risen, then delay praying until it has risen above the horizon, and when the lower part of the sun has set, delay praying until it is fully set.”
Al-Bukhaari (551) narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “There is no prayer after Fajr until the sun has risen fully, and no prayer after ‘Asr until the sun has set.”
Muslim (1373) narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir al-Juhani said: “There are three times at which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to pray or to bury our dead: when the sun has clearly started to rise until it is fully risen, when it is directly overhead at midday until it has passed its zenith, and when the sun starts to set until it has fully set.”
And Allaah knows best.

Share

Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * How was prayer first prescribed?

Share

I have heard that during the early years of islam, muslims were told to perform 40 prayers a day, but this was cut down by 5 each time ALLAH (S.W.T) knew this was unachievable by majority of muslims until their were only 5 salat a day were left. is this because ALLAH (S.W.T) has shown us mercy?.
Praise be to Allaah.
What you have heard about the prayer is not correct. The correct version is that Allaah initially – on the night of the Mi’raaj when our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken up into heaven – enjoined fifty prayers to be performed night and day. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kept asking his Lord to reduce it until it became five prayers to be offered night and day. But Allaah decreed the reward of fifty prayers for these five, so whoever prays five prayers will receive the reward of fifty prayers.
It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: Abu Dharr narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The roof of my house was split open when I was in Makkah, and Jibreel (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came down and split open my chest and washed it with Zamzam water. Then he brought a golden vessel filled with wisdom and faith and poured it into my chest, then he sealed it. Then he took me by the hand and ascended with me into the lowest heaven. When I reached the lowest heaven Jibreel said to the gatekeeper, ‘Open up!’ He said, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘Jibreel.’ He said, ‘Is there anyone with you?’ He said, ‘Yes, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is with me.’ He said, ‘Has his mission begun?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ And when it was opened we went up into the lowest heaven… Then Allaah enjoined upon my ummah fifty prayers, and I came back until I passed by Moosa who said, ‘What has Allaah enjoined upon your ummah?’ I said, ‘He has enjoined fifty prayers.’ He said, ‘Go back to your Lord, for your ummah will not be able to bear that.’ So I went back and He reduced it. Then I came back to Moosa and said, ‘He has reduced it.’ He said, ‘Go back to your Lord, for your ummah will not be able to bear that.’ So I went back and He reduced it further. Then I came back to Moosa and said, ‘He has reduced it further.’ He said, ‘Go back to your Lord, for your ummah will not be able to bear that.’ So I went back and He said, ‘(The prayers) are five but (the reward) is fifty. The Sentence that comes from Me cannot be changed [cf. Qaaf 50:29].’ Then I went back to Moosa and he said, ‘Go back to your Lord.’ But I said, ‘I feel shy before my Lord.’…”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 342; Muslim, 163
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
What is meant is that they are five with regard to what is to be done, but they are fifty with regard to the reward.
Fath al-Baari, 1/463
And Allaah knows best.

Share