The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No.876- It is recommended that after the takbīrat-ul-iḥrām, one should recite this with the intention of rajā’ (seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt)):يا مُحْسِنُ قَدْ اَتاکَ الْمُسىءُ وَ قَدْ أَمَرْتَ الْمـُحْسِنَ اَنْ يَتَجاوَزَ عَنِ الْمُسيئِ اَنتَ الْمـُحْسِنُ وَ أَنَا الْمُسيئُ بِحَقِّ مُحَمَّد وَ آلِ مُحَمَّد صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّد وَ آلِ مُحَمَّد وَ تَجاوَزْ عَنْ قَبِيحِ ما تَعْلَمُ مِنّى(O Beneficent Lord! This sinful servant of Yours has come before You and You have ordered the righteous and the beneficent ones to pardon the sinners. You are the Beneficent, and I am a sinner. Bestow Your blessings on Muhammad and his progeny, and pardon my evil acts of which You are aware).

Issue No.878- If a person doubts whether he has pronounced takbīrat-ul-iḥrām or not, if he has started reciting al-fātiḥa, he should ignore his doubt, and in case he has not yet read anything, he should pronounce takbīr. However, if he knows that he has pronounced takbīrat-ul-iḥrām, but he doubts whether he has pronounced it correctly or not, he should ignore it if this doubt is after takbīr.

Issue No.879- Qiyam means to stand erect, and in two instances in prayers it is obligatory and considered to be a Rukn (basic element): one before saying Takbiratul Ehram, and the other before the Ruku' which is called Qiyam muttasil be Ruku’. But standing while reciting Surah Al-Hamd and the other Surah, and also standing after Ruku’ is obligatory but it is not Rukn.

Issue No.880- If a person forgets to perform rukū‘, and sits down after reciting al-fātiḥa and sūrah, and then remembers that he has not performed rukū‘, he should first stand up and then go to rukū‘. If he returns to rukū‘ immediately (without having stood up first), his prayer will be void because he has not performed the qīyām connected to rukū‘

Issue No.881- When a person stands for takbīrat-ul-iḥrām or qarā’ah (recitation), he should not move his body and feet, nor should he incline towards one side or lean on anything. However, if it is inevitable to do so, there is no harm in it.

Issue No.883- At the time of standing, if a person stands on one foot, his prayer will be void as an obligatory precaution, but it is not necessary that the weight of his body should be on both the feet equally.

Issue No.885- When a person in prayer wishes to go a little backward or forward or to move his body a little towards the right side or the left side, he should not recite anything at that time. However, this phrase"بِحَوْلِاللهِوَقُوَّتِهِاَقُومُوَاَقْعُدُ" should be recited while rising from prostration.

Issue No.890- A person who is not able to offer prayer in a standing posture, should sit down, but if he is able to stand and lean on a stick or against a wall, etc., or keep his feet away from each other, he should offer his prayer in a standing posture, unless it causes an extraordinary hardship for him. Also as long as a person can offer prayer in a sitting posture, even if he may have to lean against something, he should not offer his prayer in a lying posture. And if he cannot sit at all, he should lie on his right side, so that the front part of his body faces the qiblah. If he cannot lie on that side, he should lie on the left side. And if this is not possible either, he should lie on his back, with the soles of his feet facing qiblah.

Issue No.896- One should recite Surah al-Hamd in the first and second Rak’at of the daily obligatory prayers after Takbiratul Ehram, and thereafter one should recite, on the basis of obligatory precaution, a complete Surah of the Holy Qur’an, and reciting one or a few verses will not suffice. It should be noted that Surah az Zuha and Surah inshirah are treated to be one surah, and the same is the case with Surah al-Fil and Quraysh.

Issue No.897- If the time is short for the prayer, or when there is fear of a thief or a wild animal, or if one is in a hurry for an important matter, he may abandon the sūrah.

Issue No.898- It is obligatory to recite sūrah al-fātiḥa before the sūrah, and if a person recites it intentionally after the sūrah, his prayer will be void, but if he recites it after the sūrah by mistake, and he realises his mistake before going to rukū‘, he should recite al-fātiḥa and the sūrah properly again, and in case he realises it after going to rukū‘, his prayer will be correct. Similarly, if one forgets to recite either al-fātiḥa or the sūrah or both of them after reaching rukū‘, his prayer will be valid.

Issue No.899- If a person intentionally recites one of the four sūrahs which contain verses of obligatory sajdah [1] in the prayer, he should, as an obligatory precaution, perform a sajdah instantly upon reciting the verse, then he should stand up and recite al-fātiḥa and the sūrah and finish the prayer, and then repeat the whole prayer. In case it occurs unintentionally and he realises this before reaching the verse of sajdah, he should abandon that sūrah and recite another sūrah. However, if he realises this after he has recited more than half of the sūrah, he should, as an obligatory precaution, repeat the prayer, and if he realises after reciting the verse of obligatory sajdah, he should act as per the above-mentioned instruction (the case of reciting intentionally).