Night Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Ways to Help Oneself Pray Qiyaam al-Layl - Part 2

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( contineud Part 1... ) standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? Say: ‘Arethose who know equal to those who know not?’ It is only men of understanding who will remember.” [al-Zumar 39:9]
Qiyaam al-layl is “sunnah mu’akkadah” (confirmed Sunnah), which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to do when he said, “You should pray qiyaam al-layl, for it is the habit of the righteous people who came before you, and it will bring you closer to your Lord, expiate for bad deeds, prevent sin, and expel disease from the body.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad).
According to a hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of prayers after the prescribed prayers is qiyaam al-layl.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) always had the habit of praying qiyaam al-layl, and never gave it up, whether he was travelling or staying at home. Even though he, among all the sons of Adam, would be the one to have all his past and future sins forgiven, he prayed qiyaam al-layl until his feet became swollen, and when he was asked about that, he said, “Should I not be a grateful slave?” (Agreed upon).
This is how the noble salaf were, may Allaah have mercy upon them. Abu’l-Darda’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Pray two rak’ahs in the darkness of the night for the darkness of the grave.” Ahmad ibn Harb said: “I am astonished at people who know that the delights of Paradise lie above them and the horrors of Hell lie beneath them. How can they sleep in between them?”
When ‘Umar ibn Dharr saw that night had come, he would say: “Night has come, and night has dignity, and Allaah is most deserving of reverence.”
For this reason, al-Fudayl ibn ‘Ayaad said: “I met some people who feel ashamed before Allaah to sleep for too long in the depths of the night. Such a person may be resting on his side, and when he moves, he says to himself, ‘This is not your right. Get up and take your share of the Hereafter.’”
Al-Hasan said: “We do not know of any deed more difficult than the struggle to stay up at night or to spend money.” It was said to him, “Why do the mutahajjadeen (those who pray Tahajjud at night) have the most beautiful faces?” He said, “Because they spend time alone with the Most Merciful, so He adorns them with some of His light.”
The women of the salaf also used to strive to pray qiyaam al-layl with energy and determination. Where are the women of our own age when it comes to such great deeds? ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: “I came to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) one day to greet her, and I found her praying and reciting the aayah (interpretation of the meaning),‘But Allaah has been gracious to us, and has saved us from the torment of the Fire’ [al-Toor 52:27], repeating it and weeping. I waited for her, but I got bored of waiting, so I went to the market for some things I needed, then I came back to ‘Aa’ishah, and she was still praying and reciting this aayah and weeping.”
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Jibreel said to me, ‘Go back to Hafsah, for she fasts a lot and prays a lot at night (qiyaam al-layl).’” (Reported by al-Haakim,Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4227).
Mu’aadhah al-‘Adawiyyah, one of the righteous Taabi’aat (successors of the companions of the Prophet) spent her wedding night, along with her husband Silah ibn Ashyam, praying until Fajr. When her husband and son were killed in the land of jihaad (battle), she would spend the whole night in prayer, worshipping and beseeching Allaah, and she would sleep during the day. If she felt sleepy whilst she was praying at night, she would tell herself: “O soul, there is plenty of sleep ahead of you.”
When Habeebah al-‘Adawiyyah prayed ‘Ishaa’, she would stand on the roof of her house, wearing her chemise and khimaar (i.e., covered in proper Islamic dress), then she would say, “O my God, the stars have come out, people have gone to sleep, and kings have closed their doors, but Your door is open. Every lover is alone with his lover, but here I am standing before You.” Then she would start to pray and talk to her Lord until the time of suhoor. When the time of suhoor came, she would say, “O Allaah, this night is ending, the day is coming, and I wish I knew whether you have accepted this night (of worship) from me, so that I could congratulate myself, or if it has been rejected, so that I might console myself.”
‘Amrah, the wife of Habeeb al-‘Ajami, prayed qiyaam al-layl one night whilst her husband was asleep. When the time for suhoor came, and her husband was still asleep, she woke him up and said to him, “Get up, my master, for the night has gone, the day has come and ahead of you lies a long road with little provision, and a small group of righteous people who have gone before us, and we are still here.”
We ask Allaah to help us to remember Him, to thank Him and to worship Him properly. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

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Night Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Ways to Help Oneself Pray Qiyaam al-Layl - Part 1

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What are some ways that help to pray Qiyam Allayl or tahajjud (late night voluntary prayers)?
Praise be to Allaah.
There are many things that one can do to help oneself pray qiyaam al-layl, among which are the following:
1 – Being sincere towards Allaah, as He has commanded us to be sincere towards Him and none other in our deeds. He tells us (interpretation of the meaning):“And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none but Him Alone…” [al-Bayyinah 98:5].The more sincere a person is towards Allaah, the more he will be guided and helped to obey Allaah and draw closer to Him. Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Give glad tidings to this ummah (nation/community)of splendour, religion, high rank, victory and prevalence on earth. Whoever does the deeds of the Hereafter to gain some worldly benefit, will have no share of the Hereafter.” (Reported by Ahmad.Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2825). Mutarraf ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Shakheer said: “The goodness of a deed is related to the goodness of the heart, and the goodness of the heart is related to the goodness of the intention.” Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The degree to which a person is helped and aided by Allaah depends on the degree of his intention, drive, aim and hopes. Help from Allaah comes to people in proportion to their drive, intention, hopes and fears, and failure comes to them in like manner.”
Therefore the salaf (pious predecessors) were very keen to conceal their acts of worship such as qiyaam al-layl. A man asked Tameem ibn Aws al-Daari (may Allaah be pleased with him), ‘How do you pray at night?’ He got very angry and said, ‘By Allaah, one rak’ah that I pray in secret in the small hours of the night is more beloved to me than praying the whole night long and then telling people about it.’ Ayyoob al-Sakhtiyaani used to spend the entire night in prayer, then when dawn approached, he would go back to bed and lie down, and when dawn came, he would raise his voice as if he had just woken up.
2 – The person who wants to pray qiyaam al-layl should realize that Allaah is calling him to qiyaam. When the slave realizes that his Master, Who has no need of people’s worship, is calling him to do this, he will respond. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):“O you wrapped in your garments (i.e., Prophet Muhammad)! Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. Half of it, or a little less than that, or a little more; and recite the Qur’aan (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style.” [al-Muzzammil 73:1-4].
Sa’d ibn Hishaam ibn ‘Aamir said to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her): “Tell me about how the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed qiyaam.” She said: “Have you not read “Yaa ayyuha’l-muzzammil(O you wrapped in your garments!)?” He said, “Of course.” She said: “Allaah, may He be exalted and glorified, made qiyaam obligatory at the beginning of this soorah, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions prayed qiyaam for a year, and Allaah withheld the end of this soorah for twelve months, until He revealed something at the end of this soorah to make things easier, so qiyaam al-layl became voluntary after it had been obligatory.” (Reported by Muslim).
3 – Knowing the virtues of qiyaam al-layl. Whoever knows the virtues of this act of worship will be keen to talk to Allaah, may He be exalted, and to stand before Him at that time. Among the reports that describe the virtues of this act of worship is the hadeeth (narration)of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of prayers after the prescribed prayers is prayer in the depths of the night, and the best of fasting after the month of Ramadaan is fasting the month of Allaah, Muharram.” (reported by Muslim).
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be pleased with them both) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The most beloved of prayer to Allaah is the prayer of Dawood, and the most beloved of fasts to Allaah is the fast of Dawood. He used to sleep for half of the night, then get up and pray for a third of the night, then sleep for a sixth of the night, and he used to fast every other day.” (Agreed upon).
‘Amr ibn ‘Absah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The closest that the Lord is to His slave is in the later part of the night, so if you can be one of those who remember Allaah at that time, then do so.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisaa'i).
According to a hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Our Lord admires two men: a man who leaves his mattress and cover, and slips away from his wife and lover, to go and pray. Allaah says, ‘O My angels, look at My slave. He has left his mattress and cover and slipped away from his lover and wife to pray, out of hope for what is with Me and out of fear of what is with Me.” (Reported by Ahmad. It is a hasan (sound) report.Saheeh al-Targheeb, 258).
Qiyaam al-Layl expels forgetfulness from the heart, as is stated in the hadeeth narrated by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with them both), in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites ten aayaat (verses)in qiyaam will not be recorded as one of the forgetful. Whoever recites a hundred aayaat in qiyaam will be recorded as one of the devout , and whoever prays a thousand aayaat in qiyaam will be recorded as one of themuqantareen(those who pile up good deeds).” (Reported by Abu Dawood and Ibn Hibbaan. It is a hasan report.Saheeh al-Targheeb, 635).
Yahyaa ibn Mu’aadh said: “The medicine of the heart is five things: reading Qur’aan and pondering the meaning, having an empty stomach, praying at night (qiyaam al-layl), beseeching Allaah at the time of suhoor, and keeping company with righteous people.”
4 – Studying how the salaf and righteous people practised qiyaam al-layl and adhered to it. The salaf used to enjoy qiyaam al-layl and rejoice greatly in doing it. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Wahb said: “Every type of pleasure is enjoyed only once, except for acts of worship, which are enjoyed three times: when you do it, when you remember it, and when you are given the reward for it.”
Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: “There is nothing left of the joys of this life except three: qiyaam al-layl, meeting one’s brothers in faith, and praying in congregation.”
Thaabit al-Banaani said: “There is nothing I enjoy more than qiyaam al-layl.”
Yazeed al-Riqaashi said: “A lot of tahajjud brings delight to the worshippers, and a lot of thirst (i.e., fasting), brings joy when they meet Allaah.”
Mukhallad ibn Husayn said: “I never woke up at night except I saw Ibraaheem ibn Adham remembering Allaah and praying, and this made me depressed, so I consoled myself with this aayah (interpretation of the meaning):‘…That is the Grace of Allaah which He bestows on whom He pleases. And Allaah is the Owner of Great Bounty’ [al-Hadeed 54:21].”
Abu ‘Aasim al-Nabeel said: “Abu Haneefah used to be called al-Watad (pole or pillar) because he prayed so much.”
Al-Qaasim ibn Ma’een said: “Abu Haneefah spent an entire night in qiyaam reciting this aayah (interpretation of the meaning):‘Nay, but the Hour is their appointed time (for their full recompense), and the Hour will be more grievous and more bitter’ [al-Qamar 54:46], repeating it and weeping, beseeching Allaah until morning came.”
Ibraaheem ibn Shammaas said: “I used to see Ahmad ibn Hanbal staying up at night to pray when he was a young man.”
Abu Bakr al-Marwadhi said: “I was with Imaam Ahmad for nearly four months in the army, and he never stopped praying qiyaam at night or reading Qur’aan during the day, and I never knew when he completed the Qur’aan, because he kept that secret.”
Imaam al-Bukhaari used to pray qiyaam and tahajjud at night until the time of suhoor, and he would read between a half and a third of the Qur’aan, and complete it at suhoor every third night.
Al-‘Allaamah Ibn ‘Abd al-Haadi said, describing the qiyaam of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah: “At night he would keep away from people, and spend that time only with his Lord, beseeching Him continually and reciting Qur’aan, repeating different kinds of acts of worship by night and by day. When he began to pray, his body would start to tremble, leaning to the left and right.”
Ibn Rajab said concerning his shaykh Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim: “He was a man of worship, tahajjud and lengthy prayers. I have never seen his equal in worship and knowledge of the Qur’aan, hadeeth and principles of faith.”
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said, describing his shaykh al-Haafiz al-‘Iraaqi: “I stayed with him, and I never saw him forsake qiyaam al-layl: it was like a habit for him.”
5 – Sleeping on one’s right side. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught his ummah (followers)to sleep on their right sides, as is reported in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you goes to bed, let him clear his bed by hitting it with his garment, for he does not know what may have come onto it. Then let him lie down on his right side, then let him say, ‘Bismika Rabbi wada’tu janbi wa bika arfa’uhu. In amsakta nafsi farhamhaa wa in arsaltahaa fahfazhaa bimaa tahfazu bihi ‘ibaadaka al-saaliheen(In Your Name, my Lord, I lay myself down and I get up again. If You take my soul, then have mercy on it, and if You send it back to me, then protect it with that with which You protect Your righteous slaves).’” (Agreed upon).
Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you want to go to bed, do wudoo’ as for prayer, then lie down on your right side.” (Agreed upon)
Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would put his right hand under his right cheek.” (Reported by al-Tabaraani,Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4523).
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “There is a reason for his lying on his right side, which is that the heart is located on the left, so if a person lays on his left side, he will sleep too deeply, because the heart’s position will be too comfortable, but if he sleeps on his right side, he will not be too settled, so he won’t sleep deeply.”
6 – Sleeping in a state of tahaarah (purity). We have already quoted the hadeeth of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him), in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “When you go to bed, do wudoo’ as if for prayer.” (Agreed upon).
Mu’aad ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who goes to sleep remembering Allaah and in a state of purity, and when he turns over he asks Allaah for good in this world and the next, but it will be given to him.” (Reported by Abu Dawood and Ahmad.Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5754).
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Purify these bodies and Allaah will purify you, for there is no slave who goes to sleep in a state of purity but an angel spends the night with him, and every time he turns over, [the angel] says, ‘O Allaah, forgive Your slave, for he went to bed in a state of purity.’” (Reported by al-Tabaraani. Al-Mundhiri said, its isnaad is jaayid.Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3831).
7 – Going to sleep early. Sleeping straight after ‘Ishaa’ is the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and a good and healthy habit. One of the ahaadeeth that describe its virtues was narrated by Abu Barzah al-Aslami (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to prefer to delay ‘Ishaa’, and he did not like to sleep before it or talk after it. (Reported by al-Bukhaari).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar reported that al-Qaadi ‘Ayaad said, concerning the phrase “He did not like to sleep before it”: “Because that could lead to one praying it too late, or delaying it until after the preferred time, and talking after it could lead to one sleeping before Fajr and missing it, or missing qiyaam al-layl.”
Ibn Raafi’ said: “ ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to wave his stick at the people when darkness fell, and would say, ‘Get up and go, may Allaah help you to pray qiyaam at night!’”
Another matter that has to do with sleep is choosing a suitable bed, not one that is excessively luxurious or soft, because that makes a person sleep too much and become negligent, and causes laziness and carelessness. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The pillow of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on which he slept at night was made of leather stuffed with palm fibres.” (Reported by Abu Dawood and Ahmad.Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4714).
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab entered upon the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was lying on a mat of palm fibres that had left marks on his side. ‘Umar said, “O Messenger of Allaah, why do you not get something more comfortable than this?” He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “What do I have to do with this world? My relationship with this world is like that of a traveller on a hot summer’s day, who seeks shade under a tree for an hour, then moves on.” (Reported by Ahmad and al-Haakim.Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5545).
‘Ali ibn Bakkaar (may Allaah have mercy on him) used to have a slave-woman who would spread out his bed for him, and he would touch it with his hand and say: “By Allaah, you are good, and by Allaah you are cool, but by Allaah I will not rest on you tonight.” Then he would get up and pray qiyaam until Fajr.
Also, one should not sleep too much or too deeply. Ibraaheem ibn Adham said: “If you are sleeping at night, and running about during the day, and always committing sin, how can you earn the pleasure of the One Who is directing your affairs?”
8 – Having the habit of reciting adhkaar (words of remembrance of Allah) prescribed by sharee’ah (Islamic law) before going to sleep, because these adhkaar are like a fortress which protects a person from the Shaytaan, by the permission of Allaah, and helps him to get up for qiyaam. Among these adhkaar is that mentioned in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you goes to bed, let him clear his bed by hitting it with his garment, for he does not know what may have come onto it. Then let him lie down on his right side, then let him say, ‘Bismika Rabbi wada’tu janbi wa bika arfa’uhu. In amsakta nafsi farhamhaa wa in arsaltahaa fahfazhaa bimaa tahfazu bihi ‘ibaadaka al-saaliheen(In Your Name, my Lord, I lay myself down and I get up again. If You take my soul, then have mercy on it, and if You send it back to me, then protect it with that with which You protect Your righteous slaves).’” (Agreed upon).
‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) reported that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed each night, he would put his palms together, blow in them, and reciteQul huwa Allaahu ahad,Qul a’oodhu bi Rabbi’l-FalaqandQul a’oodhu bi Rabbi’l-Naas, then he would wipe as much of his body as he could with his hands, starting with his head and face, and the front of his body, doing this three times. (Agreed upon).
Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites the last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah, this will take care of him.” (Agreed upon).
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would say: “Al-hamdu Lillaah illadhi at’amanaa wa saqaanaa, wa kafaanaa fa kam mimman laa kaafeeya lahu wa laa mu’weeya lahu(Praise be to Allaah Who has fed us and given us to drink, and Who has given us enough, for how many are there who have no-one to suffice them or give them refuge).” (Reported by Muslim).
According to the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah in which he tells the story of how he captured the Shaytaan, the Shaytaan said to him: “When you go to bed, recite Aayat al-Kursi,‘Allaah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…’ [al-Baqarah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning]until the end of it, because it will bring Allaah’s protection for you, and no shaytaan (devil) will approach you until morning comes.” Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) mentioned this to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he said, “He spoke the truth even though he is a liar.” (Agreed upon).
‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that when the Prophet’s daughter Faatimah (may Allaah be pleased with her) came to him and asked him for a servant, he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to her and ‘Ali: “Shall I not teach you something that will be better for you than a servant? When you go to bed, say ‘Subhaan Allaah’thirty-three times, ‘al-hamdu Lillaah’thirty-three times, and ‘Allaahu akbar’thirty-four times. This is better for you than a servant.” (Agreed upon).
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Recite‘Qul yaa ayyuha’l-kaafiroon’when you go to sleep, for it is a renunciation of shirk.” (polytheism) (Reported by al-Bayhaqi.Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1172).
Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her) reported that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would put his right hand under his right cheek and say: ‘Rabbi qinee ‘adhaabaka yawma tab’athu ‘ibaadaka(My Lord, save me from Your punishment on the Day when You resurrect Your slaves).’” (Reported by Abu Dawood,Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4532).
Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you go to bed, do wudoo’ as if for prayer, then lie down on your right side, then say: ‘Allaahummah aslamtu nafsi ilayk, wa wajahtu wajhi ilayk, wa fawwadtu amri ilayk, wa alja’tu zahri ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, laa malja’a wa laa manjaa minka illa ilayk. Aamantu bi kitaabik alladhi anzalt, wa bi nabiyyik alladhi arsalt(O Allaah, I submit myself to You, I turn my face to You, I delegate my affairs to You and I rely totally on You, out of fear and hope of You. There is no refuge or sanctuary from You except in You. I believe in Your Book which You have revealed and in Your Prophet whom You have sent).’ Then if you die, you will have died on the fitrah, (natural state) , so make these the last words you speak.” (Agreed upon).
Similarly, the Muslim should have the habit of reciting adhkaar prescribed by sharee’ah when waking up, such as that reported by Abu Hurayrah, who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you wakes up, he should say: ‘Al-hamdu Lillaah illadhi radda ‘alayya roohi, wa ‘aafaani fi jasadi wa adhina li bi dhikrihi(Praise be to Allaah Who has restored my soul, given health to my body, and allowed me to remember Him).” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisaa'i,Saheeh al-Jaami’, 326).
‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever turns over at night and says ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘a’l kulli shay’in qadeer. Al-hamdulillahi, subhaan Allaah wa laa illaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah(There is no god but Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate. His is the Dominion and the Praise, and He is Able to do all things. Praise be to Allaah, glory be to Allaah. There is no god except Allaah, Allaah is Most Great and there is no strength and no power except in Allaah),’ then says, ‘Allaahumma ‘ghfir li(O Allaah, forgive me),’ or some other du’aa’, it will be answered, and if he does wudoo’ and then prays, his prayer will be accepted.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari)
Imaam Ibn Battaal said: “Allaah has promised through His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that whoever wakes up from his sleep pronouncing words of Tawheed, submitting to His sovereignty, recognizing His blessings by praising Him, exalting Him above that which does not befit Him by glorifying Him (saying ‘Subhaan Allaah’), submitting to Him by magnifying Him (saying ‘Allaahu akbar’) and admitting one’s utter dependence upon His help, then if he makes du’aa’ it will be answered, and if he prays his prayer will be accepted. Everyone who hears this hadeeth should apply it and make the most of it, and make his intention sincerely for his Lord, may He be glorified and exalted.”
Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) woke up, he would say: ‘Al-hamdu Lillaah illadhi ahyaanaa ba’da maa amaatanaa wa ilayhi al-nushoor(Praise be to Allaah Who has brought us back to life after having caused us to die, and unto Him is the resurrection).’” (Reported by Muslim).
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) reported that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) woke up he would wipe the sleep from his face with his hand, then look at the sky and recite the final ten aayaat of Soorat Aal ‘Imran:“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth…” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:190 – interpretation of the meaning].” (Reported by Muslim)
Imaam al-Nawawi said: “This indicates that it is mustahabb (recommended) to wipe away the traces of sleep from one’s face, and to recite these aayaat when getting up from sleep.”
9 – Being keen to take a nap or siesta during the day, whether before zuhr or after. Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Take a nap, for the shayaateen do not take naps.” (Reported by al-Tabaraani.Al-Saheehah, 2647).
Ishaaq ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “Taking a nap is one of the deeds of good people. It revitalizes the heart and helps one to pray qiyaam al-layl.”
Al-Hasan al-Basri passed by a group of people in the marketplace in the middle of the day, and heard the racket they were making. He said, “Do these people take a nap?” It was said to him, “No.” He said, “I think their nights must be bad.”
10 – Avoiding eating or drinking too much. Eating and drinking too much are two of the main obstacles that prevent people from praying qiyaam al-layl. Al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’d Yakrib (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Man fills no vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to have a few mouthfuls to give him the strength he needs. If he has to fill his stomach, then let him leave one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah.Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5674).
Abu Juhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to a man who burped in his presence: “Stop your burping, for the people who eat the most in this life will be the most hungry on the Day of Resurrection.” (Reported by al-Haakim.Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1190).
Sufyaan al-Thawri said: “You should eat little, so that you will be able to pray qiyaam al-layl.”
Ma’qal ibn Habeeb saw some people eating a lot, and said, ‘I do not think that our companions want to pray qiyaam al-layl.”
Wahb ibn Munabbih said: “There is no son of Adam dearer to his shaytaan than the one who eats and sleeps a lot.”
11 – Striving against oneself to pray qiyaam al-layl. This is one of the best means of helping oneself to pray qiyaam, because human nature is inclined towards wrongdoing, so the one who follows his own inclinations will be led to doom and destruction. Allaah has commanded us to strive against our own selves, as He says (interpretation of the meanings):
“And strive hard in Allaah’s Cause as you ought to strive…” [al-Hajj 22:78]
“And as for those who strive hard in Our Cause, We will surely guide them to Our Paths. And verily, Allaah is with the muhsinoon (good-doers).” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:69]
“Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (charity in Allaah’s Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them” [al-Sajdah 32:16]
Fadaalah ibn ‘Ubayd (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The mujaahid (warrior) is the one who strives against his own self for the sake of Allaah.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibbaan.Al-Saheehah, 549).
According to the hadeeth of ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allaah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When a man from my ummah gets up to pray at night, striving against his own self to get up and purify himself, there are knots on him. When he washes his hands in wudoo’, one knot is undone. When he washes his face, another knot is undone. When he wipes his head another knot is undone. When he washes his feet, another knot is undone. Then Allaah says to those who are veiled (in the Unseen): ‘Look at this slave of Mine, he is striving against his own self and asking of Me. Whatever My slave asks of Me shall be his.” (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Hibaan.Saheeh al-Targheeb, 627).
Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: “I struggled against my own self for forty years until it became right.” Thaabit al-Banaani said: “I struggled for twenty years to make myself pray qiyaam al-layl, and I enjoyed it (qiyaam al-layl) for twenty years.” ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez said: “The best of deeds are those which we force ourselves to do.” ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak said: “The souls of righteous people in the past used to push them to do good deeds, but our souls do not do what we want them to do except by force, so we have to force them.” Qutaadah said: “O son of Adam, if you do not want to do any good except when you have the energy for it, then your nature is more inclined towards boredom and laziness. The true believer is the one who pushes himself.”
12 – Avoiding sin. If the Muslim wants to be one of those who earn the honour of speaking to Allaah in the depths of the night, let him beware of sin, for the one who is contaminated with the stain of sin will not be helped to pray qiyaam al-layl. A man said to Ibraaheem ibn Adham, “I cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, so tell me the cure for this.” He said, “Do not commit sin during the day, and He will help you to stand before Him at night, for your standing before Him at night is one of the greatest honours, and the sinner does not deserve that honour.”
A man said to al-Hasan al-Basri: “”O Abu Sa’eed, I sleep in good health, and I love to pray qiyaam al-layl, and I prepare water with which to purify myself, so why can I not get up?” Al-Hasan said: “Your sins are restricting you.” He said, may Allaah have mercy on him, “The slave who commits a sin will be denied the opportunity to pray qiyaam at night and to fast during the day.”
Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Ayaad said: “If you cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, or fast during the day, know that you are indeed deprived and restricted, chained by your sins.”
13 – Checking oneself and rebuking oneself for not praying qiyaam al-layl. Checking oneself is one of the signs of the righteous and truthful. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):“O you who believe! Fear Allaah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is All-Aware of what you do.” [al-Hashr 59:18].
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim said: “If the slave is responsible and accountable for everything, even his hearing, sight and innermost thoughts, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning),‘…Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of you will be questioned by Allaah’ [al-Isra’ 17:36], then he should check on himself before he is brought to account.”
Qiyaam al-layl is an act of worship that connects the heart to Allaah, may He be exalted, and enables it to overcome the temptations of life and to strive against one’s own self, at the time when voices are stilled, eyes are closed in sleep, and sleepers are tossing and turning in their beds. Therefore qiyaam al-layl is one of the measures of sincere determination and one of the qualities of those who have great ambitions. Allaah has praised them and distinguished them from others in the Qur’aan, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):“Is one who is obedient to Allaah, prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? Say: ‘Arethose who know equal to those who know not?’ It is only men of understanding who will remember.” [al-Zumar 39:9]..... (to be continued..)

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For children, - Hijab Stories: You are Precious than Diamonds and Pearls(Beautiful Stories for Muslim Women)

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"If memory serves me correctly, I was wearing a little white tank top and a short black skirt. I had been raised Orthodox Muslim, so I had never before worn such revealing clothing while in my father's presence. When we finally arrived, the chauffer escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father's suite.
As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day. My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget.
He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Hana, everything that Allah (SWT) made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them."
He looked at me with serious eyes. "Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too."
Source: "More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali's Life Lessons Through His Daughter's Eyes."
In Hijab Muslim Girl looks 10 times more beautiful.
Most IMPORTANT about Hijab is that Allah (SWT) has ordered to wear Hejab. For detail please see Noble Qur'an (33:59, 24:30, 24:31).

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Night Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Following the imaam until hefinishes Taraaweeh

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The most correct opinion is that the number of rak’ahs for Taraaweeh is eleven, but I pray in a mosque where they do twenty one rak’ahs. Can I leave the mosque after the tenth rak’ah, or is it better to complete the twenty one rak’ahs with them?
Praise be to Allaah.
It is better to stay with the imaam until he finishes, even if he is doing more than eleven rak’ahs, because it is permissible to do the extra rak’ahs, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays qiyaam with the imaam until he finishes, Allaah will record it as if he prayed the whole night” (reported by al-Nisaa'i and others.Sunan al-Nisaa'i, Baab Qiyaam Shahr Ramadaan), and because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Prayer at night should be two by two (rak’ahs), and when dawn approaches, pray one for witr.” (Reported by the seven; this version reported by al-Nisaa'i).
There is no doubt that adhering to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is better and brings more reward, so long as it is done properly and without haste, but if it is the matter of a choice between leaving the imaam because of the number of rak’ahs or going along with the extra that he does, it is better to go along with him, because of the ahaadeeth referred to above. At the same time, you should advise the imaam to follow the Sunnah.

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Night Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * He prayed an extra rak’ah in Taraaweeh

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The imaam stood up for a third rak’ah during Taraaweeh prayers and he finished the prayer, then they told him that he had prayed three rak’ahs. Should he prostratesajdat al-sahw(prostration of forgetfulness) or complete four rak’ahs?
Praise be to Allaah.
We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
He should dosajdat al-sahw, then complete the prayer two by two, just as he should do if it were an obligatory prayer.
And Allaah knows best.

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Night Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Praying Taraaweeh at home/putting cream on the body when fasting

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Can a person pray Tharawih prayers at home ? if so please specify how many rakat's and if there are any special dua's to be recited. Can one apply any creams on the face or body while fasting ?
Praise be to Allaah.
Taraaweeh prayer is prescribed for men in congregation in the mosque at night in Ramadaan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever stands with the imams until he finishes, it will be written for him as if he spent the whole night in prayer.”(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 806; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi)
Nevertheless, if a man prays Taraaweeh at home, there is no sin on him and his prayer is valid. At times other than Ramadaan, it is prescribed for a man to prayqiyaam al-laylat home.
With regard to women, it is better for them to pray at home, but if a woman wants to pray in the mosque, she should not be prevented from doing so, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not prevent your women from coming to the mosques, but their houses are better for them.”(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 567; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani).
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not prevent to slave women of Allaah from coming to the mosques of Allaah.”(Agreed upon; al-Bukhaari, 900; Muslim, 442).
With regard to putting cream on the face and body, there is nothing wrong with that. And Allaah knows best.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Intention and du’aa’ during prayer

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My question is on the intention during regular prayer. What should one be thinking during his prayer, the glorification of Allah? The reason I ask is that for some reason I remember reading a hadith that says you should always be asking from Allah during your prayer. Is this true, and if it is how does one go about doing that, by thought or by saying something during the prayer? May allah be pleased with what you are doing.
Praise be to Allaah.
The intention is a condition of prayer, which is essential for the prayer to be valid. The shar’i definition of the intention is: “Deciding to do an act of worship in order to draw closer to Allaah.” This definition includes two meanings:
1 – The intention to do the action. This distinguishes acts of worship from other actions, and distinguishes acts of worship from one another. So one has the intention that these movements are the prescribed prayer, and decides whether it is fard (obligatory) or naafil.
2 – The intention with regard to whom it is done for. This means that by doing this action one is seeking the pleasure of Allaah and nothing else.
The site of this intention is the heart. By simply deciding in his heart to do this action, a person has made his intention. Hence it is not prescribed to speak the intention out loud when one wants to do the action. Rather speaking the intention out loud is a kind of innovation that was not narrated in the Book of Allaah or in the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), nor was it narrated from any of his Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them all). Seeal-Sharh al-Mumti’, 2/283. For more information please see question no. 13337.
With regard to what a person should think about during the prayer, he should focus on the greatness of his Lord before Whom he is honoured to stand. So he should stand before Him properly, with humility and veneration. He should think about what it is prescribed for him to say in every part of the prayer. When he is standing he should ponder the meaning of what he is reciting from the Qur’aan. When bowing he should think about the meaning of the dhikr he is reciting, and the same when prostrating and in other parts of the prayer. He should also strive in all parts of the prayer to recite the dhikrs and du’aa’s that were narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). With regard to du’aa’ in the sense of asking Allaah for what one needs of the good things in this world and in the Hereafter, the time to do that is when prostrating, after reciting the prescribed dhikr, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I have been forbidden to recite Qur’aan when bowing and prostrating. As for rukoo’ (bowing), glorify your Lord therein, and as for sujood (prostration), strive in du’aa’, for then it is more likely that your Lord will answer you.” (Narrated by Muslim, 738).
With regard to what is mentioned in the question, that it is narrated in some ahaadeeth that we have to call upon Allaah throughout the prayer, none of the reputable scholars has mentioned this or referred to it. Perhaps you have understood from the definition of some scholars that salaah (prayer) means du’aa’ (supplication), and this is the meaning that you mentioned.
Or perhaps you have heard some scholars saying that salaah is all du’aa’. By this they were referring to the second category of du’aa’, for some of the scholars divided du’aa’ into two categories:
1 – Du’aa’ in the sense of asking, which means asking Allaah for one’s needs; and 2 – du’aa’ in the sense of worship, which means worshipping Allaah in the ways that He has prescribed, by means of various acts of worship such as prayer, fasting and zakaah. What this means is that these acts of worship include asking from Allaah, is if one is saying, “O Allaah accept this from me” or “Reward me for this act of worship by granting me forgiveness, admission to Paradise and salvation from Hell,” etc. All of prayer is considered to be du’aa’ in this sense.
Hence our advice to all Muslims is to adhere to the Sunnah of the greatest of Messengers (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) throughout the prayer, following his command: “pray as you have seen me praying.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 631). They should ponder the meanings of what they recite from the Qur’aan, and the dhikrs they recite, so that they may fulfil the greater purpose of prayer which is, as Allaah explained:
“and perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah). Verily, As-Salaah (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahshaa’ (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed)”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:45 – interpretation of the meaning]
We ask Allaah to guide us all… Ameen.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Helping someone who faints during Jumu’ah prayers

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In one of the Friday prayer , a person praying besides me got fainted and lied down unconsiously.
My question is , what should be done at this moment ? Should we alert others and cry for help or just wait for the prayer to end .
Please provide the answer in detail.
Praise be to Allaah.
And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings.
This depends on what has happened to this worshipper. If waiting until you have finished the prayer will cause him harm, then you should stop your prayer and help him. If waiting until you finish will not cause him harm then you can help him after you finish the prayer. And Allaah knows best.
Fatwa of Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah al-Ghadyaan.
In such cases you should act according to what you believe is most likely to be the case, with regard to whether waiting until the prayer is finished will cause harm or not. And Allaah knows best.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * The status of prayer in Islam

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I hope that you can explain to us the status of prayer in Islam.
Praise be to Allaah.
Prayer occupies a great status in Islam that is not shared by any other act of worship. This is indicated by the following:
1 – It is the pillar of the religion, which cannot stand without it.
According to a hadeeth narrated by Mu’aadh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Shall I not tell you of the head of the whole matter and its pillar and top?” I [Mu’aadh] said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allaah.” He said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is prayer and its top is jihad.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2616; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2110.
2 – It is second in status to the Shahaadatayn (twin testimony of faith) as further proof of the soundness of a person’s belief and as visible evidence of the beliefs that reside in the heart.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is built on five [pillars]: the testimony that there is no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, establishing prayer, paying zakaah, performing pilgrimage to the House, and fasting Ramadaan.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 8; Muslim, 16.
Establishing prayer means performing prayer in full with all its words and actions, at the appointed times, as it says in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, As-Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”
[al-Nisa’ 4:103]
i.e., at defined times.
3 – Prayer occupies a special position among other acts of worship because of the way in which it was enjoined.
It was not brought down to earth by an angel, rather Allaah wanted to bless His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by taking him up to heaven and addressing him directly concerning the obligation of prayer. This is something that is unique to prayer among all the rituals of Islam.
Prayer was enjoined on the night of the Mi’raaj [Prophet’s ascent to heaven], approximately three years before the Hijrah.
Fifty prayers (per day) were enjoined at first, then the number was reduced to five, but the reward of fifty remains. This is indicative of Allaah’s love of prayer and its great status.
4 – Allaah erases sins by means of prayer
Al-Bukhaari (528) and Muslim (667) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said – and in the hadeeth of Bakr it is narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say – “What do you think if there was a river by the door of any one of you and he bathed in it five times a day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?” They said, “No trace of dirt would be left on him.” He said, “That is like the five daily prayers, by means of which Allaah erases sin.”
5 – Prayer is the last part of religion to be lost, and if it is lost the whole religion is lost.
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk [associating others with Allaah] and kufr [disbelief] there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim, 82.
Hence the Muslim should be keen to perform the prayers on time, and not be lazy or take the matter lightly. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So woe unto those performers of Salaah (prayers) (hypocrites),
Those who delay their Salaah (prayer from their stated fixed times)”
[al-Maa’oon 107:4-5]
And Allaah warns those who cause their prayers to be lost by saying (interpretation of the meaning):
“Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salaat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell”
[Maryam 19:59]
6 – Prayer is the first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection:
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The first deed for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is good then he will have prospered and succeeded, but if it is bad then he will be doomed and have lost. If anything is lacking from his obligatory prayers, the Lord will say, ‘Look and see whether My slave did any voluntary prayers, and make up the shortfall in his obligatory prayers from that.’ Then all his deeds will be dealt with likewise.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 465; al-Tirmidhi, 413. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Jaami’, 2573.
We ask Allaah to help us to remember Him, give thanks to Him and to worship Him properly.
Reference:al-Salaahby Dr. al-Tayyaar, p. 16;Tawdeeh al-Ahkaamby al-Bassaam, 1/371;Taareekh Mashroo’iyyat al-Salaahby al-Balooshi, p. 31.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Does the deceased benefit from charity and fasting if he died when he was not praying?

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My father has recently passed away.
He has missed many salaah during his lifetime. He has passed away at aged 65.
Is there any way of paying to charity any amount for the salaah missed.
Please advise how to calculate the number of salaah missed and the amount to pay for charity for each day of salaah missed.
Eg. 65 years less 15 years = 50 years salaah missed. 50 years X 365 days = 18250 days of salaah missed.
Your assistance in answering the above will be greatly appreciated.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The scholars differed on the ruling on one who neglects the prayer out of heedlessness and laziness. The correct view is that he is a kaafir. This has been discussed previously in the answers to questions no. 2182and 5208.
Once it is established that the one who does not pray is a kaafir, it is not permissible to give charity, fast and do Hajj on his behalf.
The scholars of the Standing Committee (9/69) were asked: Is it acceptable to pray for forgiveness and give charity for one who died when he did not pray, or he used to pray sometimes and sometimes he did not pray? Is it permissible to attend his funeral and bury him in the Muslim graveyard?
They replied: The one who does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory is a kaafir according to the consensus of the Muslims. The one who does not pray out of heedlessness and laziness is a kaafir according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions.
Based on that, if a person who deliberately does not pray dies, it is not permissible to pray for forgiveness for him, or to give charity on his behalf, or to attend his funeral, or bury him in the Muslim graveyard, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is the prayer; whoever abandons it is a kaafir.” Narrated by Ahmad and the authors ofas-Sunanwith a saheeh isnaad. And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Between a man and kufr and shirk there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz … Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi… Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan… Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Qa‘ood
If your father was unaware that prayer is obligatory, or he followed scholars who ruled that the one who does not pray out of heedlessness is not a kaafir, then we hope that Allah will forgive him, and in this case supplication and prayers for forgiveness for him, and giving charity on his behalf, will benefit him.
And Allah knows best.

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For children, - Stories of the Prophets, Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh): O Allah (SWT) hide my sins..!

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It was narrated that in the days that Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh)wandered with Bani Israel (Children of Israel) in the desert, an intense drought befell them. Together, they raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the blessed rain to come. Then, to the astonishment of Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) and all those watching, the few scattered clouds that were in the sky vanished, the heat poured down, and the drought intensified.
It was revealed to Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) that there was a sinner amongst the tribe of Bani Israel (Children of Israel) who had disobeyed Allah (SWT) for more than forty years of his life.
"Let him separate himself from the congregation," Allah (SWT) told Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh). "Only then shall I shower you all with rain."
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) then called out to the throngs of humanity, "There is a person amongst us who has disobeyed Allah (SWT) for forty years. Let him separate himself from the congregation and only then shall we be rescued from the drought."
That man waited, looking left and right, hoping that someone else would step forward, but no one did. Sweat poured forth from his brow and he knew that he was the one. The man knew that if he stayed amongst the congregation all would die of thirst and that if he stepped forward he would be humiliated for all eternity.
He raised his hands with a sincerity he had never known before, with humility he had never tasted, and as tears poured down on both cheeks he said, "O Allah, have mercy on me! O Allah, hide my sins! O Allah, forgive me!"
As Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) and the people of Bani Israel (Children of Israel) waited for the sinner to step forward, the clouds hugged the sky and the rain poured. Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) asked Allah (SWT), "O Allah, you blessed us with rain even though the sinner did not come forward."
And Allah (SWT) replied, "O Musa, it is for the repentance of that very person that I blessed all of Bani Israel (Children of Israel) with water."
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh), wanting to know who this blessed man was, asked, "Show him to me O Allah!"
Allah (SWT) replied, "O Musa, I hid his sins for forty years, do you think that after his repentance I shall expose him?"
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "My entire nation is safe, except al-Mujahirin (those who boast of their sins). Among the Mujaharah is that a man commits an (evil) act, and wakes up in the morning while Allah has kept his (sin) a secret, he says: 'O Fulan! Last night I did this and that.' He goes to sleep while Allah has kept his (sin) a secret but he wakes up in the morning and uncovers what Allah has kept a secret!" [Saheeh al-Bukhari]

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Ruling on stopping one’s prayer if something serious happens

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If I am praying and someone knocks at the door, and there is no one else in the house, what should I do? If I stop praying, am I sinning?
Praise be to Allaah.
If a prayer is naafil (supererogatory), there is more room for manoeuvre, and it is o.k. to stop praying in order to find out who is at the door. But in the case of a fard (obligatory) prayer, it is not permissible to stop it unless there is something important which one is afraid of missing. If it is possible to alert someone else, by saying “Subhan-Allaah” out loud in the case of men and clapping in the case of women, so that the person at the door will realize that the person in the house is busy praying, that will do away with any need to stop praying. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever is alarmed by anything whilst praying, let men say ‘Subhan-Allaah’ and let women clap.” (Agreed upon. Al-Bukhaari, 1234; Muslim, 421).
If it is possible to let the person who is at the door realize that the person inside the house is praying, by clapping in the case of women and saying ‘Subhan-Allaah’ in the case of men, whilst still praying, this will save you from having to stop the prayer. If that will not work, because one is too far away from the door or the person outside will not be able to hear, then it is o.k. to stop the prayer if necessary, especially if it is a naafil prayer. But in the case of an obligatory prayer, if it is something important or necessary, and there is the fear of missing it, it is also o.k. to stop the prayer, and to repeat it from the beginning. Praise be to Allaah.

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

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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.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Why do we pray Zuhr and ‘Asr silently?

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Why do we recite zuhr and asr prayer in low voice when it is clearly mentioned in the quran the following ?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It was decreed that recitation in Zuhr and ‘Asr should be done silently because the time of these prayers is during the day, and at that time a person's mind may be preoccupied with a lot of thoughts, as he is busy with his work or trade or manufacturing. If the recitation were to be done out loud, his mind would be distracted and he would not listen attentively to the imam’s recitation; he would not listen to it or devote his attention to it; rather other things would come to mind and distract him. So he was commanded to recite to himself so that his recitation will make him think and ponder. It is well known that if people pray in congregation for Zuhr or ‘Asr prayer, they should not recite out loud, because then they would distract one another. So both the imam and the one who is praying behind him are enjoined to recite silently. But with regard to the prayers that are offered during the night, in most cases people are free from distractions so the imam is enjoined to recite out loud, so that others may benefit from his recitation.
With regard to the verse which you mention, it applies only to qiyaam al-layl and tahajjud. If a person is praying and there are people around him who are listening to his recitation and others who are asleep, then he should not recite so loudly as not to disturb those who are sleeping or so quietly as to cause those who are listening to him to miss out on any benefit; rather he should recite at a moderate volume, enough to be heard but not so loud as to disturb those who are asleep. It also states in the verse that the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite out loud and the mushrikeen heard him and reviled the Qur'aan and the one who had bought it, so he was forbidden to recite out loud and he began to recite silently, but then the members of his household and those who were listening to him missed out on the benefit, so he was enjoined to recite at a moderate volume.

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For children, - Favourite Stories: Messenger of Allah (saww) said, Paradise is at the feet of Mothers

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The Arabic word for womb is "rahem." Rahem is derived from the word for mercy. In Islamic tradition, one of Allah's 99 beautiful names ( Asmaul Husna) is "Al-Raheem," or "the Most Merciful."
There exists, therefore, a unique connection between God and the womb. Through the womb, we get a glimpse of the Almighty's qualities and attributes. It nurtures, feeds and shelters us in the early stages of life. The womb can be viewed as one manifestation of divinity in the world.
Each of us should appreciate what we have in our mothers. They are our teachers and our role models. Every day with them is an opportunity to grow as a person. Every day away from them is a missed opportunity.
In other words, the debt we owe to our mothers is magnified due to the difficult nature of pregnancy - not to mention the nurturing and attention paid to us in infancy.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * She got a yellowishdischarge afterforty days of nifaas; can she pray and fast?

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Directly after forty days (of nifaas) I fasted to make up what I owed from Ramadaan, and whilst I was fasting I found that there was a yellowish discharge with no blood, but this was the usual time for my period. My question is: is my fast valid or do I have to repeat it and make it up again? Please note that I am praying and I did not stop praying because most of the time I have the signs of tahaarah (being pure) and I did not see anything that would make me stop praying.
Praise be to Allaah.
The majority of scholars are of the view that the maximum length of nifaas is forty days; if the bleeding lasts any longer than that, then it is istihaadah (irregular bleeding) unless it happens at the usual time of menses, in which case it is menses.
See the answer to question no. 10488.
Based on this, if you saw blood after forty days and it coincided with the usual time of your period, then it is menses. As for yellowish discharge, it does not mean anything, because Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “We did not regard yellowish and brownish discharge after tuhr (becoming pure) as being of any significance.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (307) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh Abu Dawood.
You did right to continue praying and make up the fast you owed. May Allaah increase you in knowledge and guidance.
And Allaah knows best.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * She miscarried the foetus at two months and stopped praying because she thought it was nifaas

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I had a miscarriage at approximately seven weeks. After the miscarriage I did not pray for fifteen days, out of ignorance on my part, because I thought that I came under the ruling of nifaas and I was bleeding.
Praise be to Allaah.
If a woman has a miscarriage when human features, such as the head and limbs had not yet appeared in it, not even the outlines thereof, then the bleeding that occurs is irregular bleeding and it does not mean that she cannot pray or fast. If human features had already appeared in it, then the bleeding is nifaas. The minimum period in which human features may appear is eighty-one days, as is explained in the answer to question no. 37784and 45564.
Based on that, you made a mistake when you stopped praying, and you have to make up these days according to the majority of scholars. Some scholars are of the view that prayers do not have to be made up in such cases, because one was unaware that prayer was obligatory at that time.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Based on this, if a person did not do the obligatory purification because the text had not reached him, such as if he ate camel meat and did not do wudoo’, then the text reached him and it became clear to him that wudoo’ was required in this case, or he prayed in a camel pen, then the text reached him and became apparent to him, does he have to make up what he missed? There are two opinions concerning that, both of which were narrated from Ahmad.
A similar case is a man who touches his penis and prays, then it becomes clear to him that it is obligatory to do wudoo’ after touching one’s penis.
The correct view in all these cases is that it is not obligatory to repeat them (the prayers), because Allaah forgives mistakes and forgetfulness, and because He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)”
[al-Isra’ 17:15].
If the command of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning a particular matter did not reach a person, then it has not been proven to him that it is obligatory. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not order ‘Umar and ‘Ammaar, when they became junub and ‘Umar did not pray but ‘Ammaar prayed after rolling in the dust, to make up or repeat their prayers. Similarly, he did not command Abu Dharr to repeat the prayers when he became junub and did not pray for several days. And he did not tell the Sahaabi who ate until he could distinguish the white thread from the black thread to make up his fast. And he did not command the one who had prayed facing Jerusalem before news of the abrogation of that ruling (i.e., facing Jerusalem when praying) reached him to make up the prayers.
Under this heading also comes the case of the woman who experiences istihaadah (irregular vaginal bleeding), if she does not pray for a while because she believes that prayer is not obligatory for her. There are two scholarly opinions as to whether she is obliged to make up the prayers, one of which is that she is not required to do so, as was narrated from Maalik and others, because in the case of the woman with istihaadah who said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “I experience severe and heavy bleeding that kept me from praying and fasting”, his response was to tell her what she should do in the future, and he did not tell her to make up the missed prayers. End quote fromMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(21/101).
But to be on the safe side, she may make up these prayers, by doing them in batches, according to what she is able to do. So she can pray five prayers for the first day, then five for the second day, and so on, until she has finished them all.
And Allaah knows best.

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