Purpose
Ṣalāḥ, the Arabic word for prayer, is the second of five pillars in the Islamic faith. It is an obligation upon every Muslim and a form of worship with multiple facets – physical, mental, and spiritual. The mandatory prayers consist of five specific prayers every day – each being performed at its prescribed time.
Though Ṣalāḥ is technically an obligation, it is received as a gift by Muslims. It is an act that exhibits a unique sweetness, captures a distinct fragrance, and purifies the heart – all to the one who embodies its true essence, purpose, and gravity. To the one who has embodied its exceptional value, it is an escape from the weight of this world which yields treasures. To the contrary, for one that lacks the perception of its unparalleled value, it is merely seen as an obligation and sometimes even a burden. The difference between the two lies in the understanding of our reality in this world, a vivid realization of the existence of life after this one, and the ability to absorb the power of the words and supplications that reside within the Ṣalāḥ.
True and sincere prayer is one that completes its purpose and objectives, both inwardly and outwardly, not simply going through the motions without presence of heart. In order for the prayer to be fulfilled, we must allow it to purify our hearts, to keep us away from sin, and to enrich our lives in the remembrance of Allāh.
Purification of the heart is the ultimate religious objective of prayer. A prayer will only be acceptable to Allāh if it is done with sincerity, reverence, awareness, and repentance. Our prayers should cleanse the heart of every spiritual disease such as envy, malice, and arrogance.
“He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself and mentions the name of his Lord and prays.”Sūrah Al-A’lā [87:14-15]
The parable of the prayer is that of a running river in which we cleanse our hearts five times a day.
The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “The example of the five prayers is that of a river running at the door of one of you in which he cleanses himself five times a day.”[Muslim]
When we are preparing for prayer, we should keep this image in mind so that our awareness is focused on the goal of attaining a pure heart. Related to this inward purification is the purification from sin, as prayer is among the greatest good deeds for which we expiate our sins.
Allāh has commanded us to worship and obey Him with sincerity, out of reverence, love, and thankfulness.
“And they are ordered to serve Allāh only, keeping religion pure for Him, to remain upright, and to establish worship and to pay the alms-due. That is true religion.”Sūrah Al-Bayyinah [98:5]
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Prayer is light.”[Muslim, Tirmidhī, and Ibn Mājah]
The Prophet ﷺ also said, “The example of the five [obligatory] prayers is like a fast stream running in front of the house of one of you in which he bathes five times daily.”[Muslim & Aḥmad]
Motivation
Ṣalāḥ is truly a nesting ground for yielding unparalleled treasures, in both this world and the next. Though the yield is quantified by the quality of ingredients that are combined into the mix, its gems can be garnered by anyone seeking it with a vehicle of sincerity. Its importance and value can only be truly appreciated when one considers the origins of its Divine transmission. Of all the obligations and rulings that was revealed to the beloved and most-honored Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him) from the Heavens to the Earth, the obligation of Ṣalāḥ was delivered to the Messenger beyond the realm of our physical existence. It was through the Prophet’s ﷺ ascension with Angel Jibrīl (peace be upon him) on the night of Isrā’ & Mi’rāj (the miraculous Night Journey), at the utmost reaching point that any creation had ever traversed, where his Lord commanded the five daily prayers for his nation.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “On the Day of Judgment the first action that a man will be asked about is his Ṣalāḥ. If it is fulfilled, he will succeed; but if it is incomplete, he will be disappointed and will be in loss.”[Abū Dāwūd]
The key element to finding intrinsic motivation to worship the Creator is to know, understand, and begin to comprehend the reality and magnitude of the Creator, along with our relation to Him. The more you learn about Allāh, the more your heart becomes filled with admiration and love towards Him; as a result, you will find ease and a sense of yearning to seek His Pleasure.
Reflect on the love you may have had towards someone in your life. The more intense the love, the more you yearn and strive to make them happy. You sacrifice your precious time, energy, and money – all for the sole purpose of instilling that sense of joy in them and, in turn, feeling that sense of fulfillment within yourself. Now think about your Creator – the One who created you, provided for you, sufficed for you, and continuously showers you with His blessings, despite the fact that you may be sinning and disobeying Him. And the moment that you turn towards Him, He immediately turns towards you. Seek the love and pleasure of your Creator through worship, supplication, remembrance, and through the mindfulness of your actions and, inshā’Allāh, you will taste the sweetness of life – one that no money or worldly pleasure could ever come close in comparison.
Maḏāhib
Sunni Muslims believe that there are four valid maḏāhib (schools of thought): Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī. Each of the four schools has its sources in the Qur’ān and Ḥadīth, and they differ only in the interpretation, application, and scholarly analysis of those sources. This website is currently and solely based on the Ḥanafī maḏhab.
It is important to remember that the great Imāms had a deep and mutual respect for one another’s legal positions. Consequently, accepting as valid the opinions of all four legal schools would become a cornerstone of Sunni jurisprudence. However, the etiquette that was and is still observed by each of four schools is:
Our opinion is correct with the possibility of being incorrect, and their opinion is incorrect with the possibility of being correct.
Hence, the scholars of one school do not criticize the scholars of another school, but rather understand that each is following an interpretation of the same sources of Sharī’ah (the Qur’ān and Ḥadīth) as propounded by their Imāms – all of whom possessed the ability to infer rulings directly from the Qur’ān and the aḥādīth of the Messenger ﷺ. These four schools have been accepted century after century by Ahl al-Sunnah w’al Jamaa’ah (people of the Sunnah and Companions). Although there are those who do not follow a school of jurisprudence and claim to rely only on the aḥādīth, what they are in fact claiming is a place alongside the four Sunni Imāms. These same people also follow the interpretations of scholars they trust, which is similar to following one of the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence. The difference however is that they replace the opinions of the righteous Imāms of earlier centuries with the opinions of scholars of latter times.
Transliteration Key
| ء | ‘ (a slight catch in the breath. It is also used to indicate where the hamza has been dropped from the beginning of a word.) |
| ا | a, ā |
| ب | b |
| ت | t |
| ث | th (Should be pronounced as the th in thin or thirst) |
| ج | j |
| ح | ḥ (Tensely breathed h sound) |
| خ | kh (Pronounced like the ch in Scottish loch with the mouth hollowed to produce a full sound) |
| د | d |
| ذ | dh (Should be pronounced as the th in this or that) |
| ر | r |
| ز | z |
| س | s |
| ش | sh |
| ص | ṣ (A heavy s pronounced far back in the mouth with the mouth hollowed to produce a full sound) |
| ض | ḍ (A heavy d/dh pronounced far back in the mouth with the mouth hollowed to produce a full sound) |
| ط | ṭ (A heavy t pronounced far back in the mouth with the mouth hollowed to produce a full sound) |
| ظ | ẓ (A heavy dh pronounced far back in the mouth with the mouth hollowed to produce a full sound) |
| ع | ‘, ‘a, ‘I, ‘u (Pronounced from the throat) |
| غ | gh (Pronounced like a throaty French r with the mouth hollowed to produce a full sound) |
| ف | f |
| ق | q (A guttural q sound with the mouth hollowed to produce a full sound) |
| ك | k |
| ل | l |
| م | m |
| ن | n |
| و | w, ū, u |
| ه | h |
| ي | y, ī, i |
Terms
CLASSIFICATION OF LEGAL RULINGS
Farḍ: An obligatory integral is that which an action is composed of and that which must be performed for the action to be complete and valid. It is a firm command established by decisively established text whose meaning is decisive and not open to the possibility of interpretation.
Wājib: A mandatory requisite is that which must also be performed; however, its omission does not entail invalidity, but does entail sin if intentional. It is a firm command supported by a text that allows for the possibility of interpretation.
Sunnah: Precedent and custom; the actions of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. The second source of Islamic sacred knowledge called aḥādīth.
Sunnah Mu’akkadah: Emphasized practice; that which the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, or his rightly guided successors after him, performed regularly and consistently. Leaving an emphasized sunnah is blameworthy but not sinful. Though it is important to note that leaving an emphasized sunnah habitually, however, is sinful. This is because it entails “running away” from the guidance of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, whom we have been commanded to follow.
Sunnah Mustaḥabb: Recommended practice; in which the Prophet ﷺ did sometimes or was of his worldly habits. Performing the recommended is rewarded, but leaving it is not sinful or blameworthy.
Mubāḥ: Permissible; it is in itself neither rewarded nor punished. Such acts are rewarded, however, if accompanied by a good intention.
Makrūh Tanzīhī: Somewhat disliked; it is that which we have been commanded to leave, even though it is not sinful. The one who leaves it is rewarded, and the one who does it acted sub optimally.
Makrūh Taḥrīmī: Prohibitively disliked; it is that which we have been firmly commanded to leave through a text open to the possibility of interpretation. Denying such a command is misguidance but not disbelief. Performing such an action is sinful.
Ḥarām: Forbidden, prohibited, unlawful. The status of something being completely unlawful under Islamic law and established through decisive proof and text.
PRAYERS
Fajr: Prayer performed between true dawn and sunrise
Ẓuhr: Noon prayer performed just after the sun has left its zenith
‘Aṣr: Late afternoon prayer, performed after an object’s shadow (minus the length of its shadow at the sun’s zenith) is twice as long as the object
Maghrib: Evening prayer performed after sunset
‘Īsha’: The night prayer, performed after the redness of sunset disappears
Witr: The odd-numbered night prayer, performed after ‘Īsha’ and before Fajr
Tahajjud: The night prayer
Jumu’ah: The Friday prayer
Ḍuḥā: The late morning prayer
Istikhārah: The prayer of making a decision
Janāzah: The funeral prayer
Tarawīḥ: Twenty rak’āt of sunnah prayer performed after the Farḍ of ‘Īsha’ during the month of Ramaḍān
Tahiyyatul Masjid: Greeting-the-masjid prayer, consisting of two rak’āt performed upon entry into the masjid prior to sitting down
Ḥājaḥ: The prayer of need
Istisqā’: The prayer for rain
Khawf: The prayer of fear
Kusūf: The prayer of solar eclipse
Khusūf: The prayer of lunar eclipse
PRAYER-RELATED
Adhān: The call to prayer
Du’ā: Supplication to Allāh
Iqāmah: The commencement of prayer
Imām: Derived from the Arabic word “to lead,” Imām is widely used for the leader of the prayer or the leader of a school of thought in Islamic law
Munfarid: Person performing prayer alone
Mu’adhin: Person making the adhān (call to prayer)
Mufsidāt: Invalidators of Ṣalāḥ
Muqtadī: Person performing prayer behind an imām in congregation
Musallī: Person performing prayer
Qaḍā’: Missed prayer that must be made up
Qiblah: The direction of the Ka’bah, in Makkah, towards which Muslims face in prayer
Qiyām: Standing posture of prayer
Qa’da: Sitting posture of prayer
Rak’ah: Unit of prayer consisting of a standing and bowing posture and prostrations
Rukū’: Bowing posture of prayer
Sajdah Al-Tilāwah: Prostration performed after reciting a verse of prostration
Sujūd: Prostrating posture of prayer
Sujūd Al-Sahw: Prostration of forgetfulness. Performance of two additional prostrations after completing the tashahhud in the final rak’ah, done to compensate for certain defects in the performance of prayer.
Sutrah: Stick or similar object placed in front of a person performing prayer, so that a passerby may pass outside the object and not directly in front of the worshipper
Takbīr Tahrīmah: Opening takbīr of prayer (“Allāhu Akbar”)
Tarwīha: Brief interval observed after every four rak’āt of tarawīḥ
Wuḍū’: Ritual ablution for prayer
ADDITIONAL
Adab: Etiquettes
Arkān: Integrals
Fiqh: Islamic law or jurisprudence
Ḥadīth: Literally, a piece of news, a story, or a report relating to a present or past event. In the technical sense, it refers to the reports or the words, deeds, and approvals or disapprovals of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.
Ijma’: Consensus. Often used to refer to the complete agreement among the Companions or the jurists regarding a particular juridical issue.
Ijtihād: An ability of the intellectual understanding by which the subtleties, implications, finer points, mysteries, wisdom, and causes of the laws of Islam are ascertained
‘Ilm: Sacred knowledge
Maḏhab: School of Islamic religious law
Madīnah: The illuminated city of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and the second holiest city in of Islam (located in Saudi Arabia)
Makkah: The holiest city of Islam and home to Masjid Al-Ḥaram and the Ka’bah (located in Saudi Arabia)
Nafl: Supererogatory practice
Niyyah: Intention
Qira’a: Recitation of the Holy Qur’ān
Sharā’it: Conditions
Sharī’ah: Islamic sacred law
Siwāk: Tooth stick from the branches or roots of shrubs having known anti-bacterial properties
Tafsīr: Explanation, commentary, or exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān
‘Ulamā’ (plural of ‘Ālim): Islamic scholar well-versed with Islamic sciences
Ummah: Community of the Prophet ﷺ
Usūl Al-Fiqh: Principles or roots of jurisprudence
Usūl Al-Ḥadīth: Principles or roots of hadīth
Sources
Ascent to Felicity: A Manual on Islamic Creed and Ḥanafī Jurisprudence – Abūl Ikhlas al-Shurunbulali [Translation by Faraz A. Khan]
The Absolute Essentials of Islam – Faraz Fareed Rabbani
Fiqh Al-Imām: Key Proofs in Ḥanafī Fiqh – Abdur-Rahman Ibn Yusuf
Mukhtasar al-Qudūrī – Imām al-Qudūrī
Disclaimer
The content of this website was derived from the sources noted above. Please note that though the rulings are based on the Ḥanafī maḏhab (school of thought), there are differing opinions on matters even within the maḏhab.
In matters subject to interpretation, there may be a wide variety of legitimate and valid opinions. It should be noted, however, that two opinions might both be valid — if they are both based on a reasonable and scholarly effort to interpret Islamic scripture—but one may be stronger than the other. Thus, valid opinions can be subcategorized by scholars based on the strength of their evidence. Some opinions are based on abundant scriptural, theological, and conceptual evidence and hence are rightfully categorized as very strong. Other opinions rely on only a few pieces of evidence and theoretical inferences, and hence those opinions are graded as weak by scholars. Evaluating the relative strength of various opinions is the domain of scholarly research, and throughout history scholars would re-evaluate opinions expressed within their school of jurisprudence, making judgments about those that are ‘relied upon’ (muʿtamad), ‘preferred’ (rājiḥ), ‘popularly held’ (mashhūr), and so on.
Scholars also emphasized that the simple presence of different valid opinions does not entitle one to select from amongst them according to whatever suits one’s desires or fancies. Rather, there must be a deciding criterion by which one prefers one opinion over another; for the scholar, this would relate to a juristic evidence such as a scriptural text, a legal maxim or principle, or a recognized benefit (maṣlaḥah). The layperson would need to rely on a trustworthy teacher to whom they have access for questions. The adoption of a particular view for the non-mujtahid may also relate to heuristics that suggest the relative strength of an opinion such as the majority view amongst the jurists, or the view of the scholar whom one personally finds most trustworthy, or one may choose to adopt the ‘safer’ view.
Reference: “Difference of Opinion” [Yaqeen Institute]