Feeling Eagerness for the Prayer

Our righteous ancestors have set the perfect example in the way they preserved the prayer,even when they were ill and weak.When Amir bin Abdullah heard the Adhan while he was dying,he said:

"Lead me by my han.'They said to him,'You are ill.'He said ,'How can I hear Mu'adhdhin, yet,do not respond to it?'They took him by his hand,and his home was near the mosque,and he started the MAghrib prayer behind the Imam and died upon finishing only one Rak'ah." [Sifatu As-Safwah,vol.2,p.131 ans As-Siyar, vol.5,p.220]

Moreover ,the Farooq (i.e,who distinguished between goodness and evil)of the Muslim Ummah,'Umar(ra) became unconscious after he was stabbed,and according to Al Miswar bin Makhramah ,it was said:

"Nothing would wake him up except the call to prayer,if he is still alive."They said to him,"The prayer has finished,O Chief of the faithful!"He woke up and said,"The prayer,by Allah !Verily,there is no share in islam for whoever abndons the prayer."He performed the prayer while his wound was bleeding.[Tarikh Umar,p.243]

Umar(ra) ,for he was so eager and protective of the prayer that companions,who knew this fact of him,thought that if they mentioned the prayer to him ,he would wake up from his unconsciousness.This is exactly what happened,for when he was reminded that he did not pray yet,he woke up.In contrast ,some people in the present time like to sleep when it is so close to prayer time,while some others are being woke up for prayer,but do not respond.

Moreover,after Ar-Rabi' bin Khaytham became partially paralysed,he used to go to the mosque helped by two men.He was told:

"O Abu Yazid!You have been given permission to pray at home."He said,"You have said the truth, but I heard the caller herald,'Hayya 'ala al-Falah(Come to success),' and I thought that whoever hears this call should answer it even by crawling." [Hilyatu Al-Auliya Wa Tabaqhatu Al Asfiyaa,by Al Hafith Abu Na'im,vol.2,p.113]

Truly,they were eager to join  the prayer with obedience to Allah and His commandments and in anticipation for what He has prepared with Him of reward and bounties. Adi bin Hatim(ra) said:

"Every time the prayer time falls,it falls when I am eager for it and ready to perform it(i.e having Wudhu) [Az-Zuhd,by Imam Ahmad,p.249]

Mu'adhdhin and the Dwelling of Peace, and Paradise has moved the honorable hearts and motivated the inner-selves ,and thus, fell on responsive believing ears.Allah made the call to prayer reach those who are alive,by their Faith,and directed them to the grades of the pious ,leading them through the journey until they arrived at the Dwelling of Eternity.  

The importance our Salaf placed on the prayer brought them joy and delight when its time started;they were delighted and elated by this great favor that Allah had bestowed on them.Indeed ,as Abu Bakar ibn Abdullah Al-Muzany stated:

"Who is like you,O son of Adam?Whenever you wish, you use water to make Ablution,go to the place of worship and thus enter the presence of Your Lord (i.e., start praying) without a translator or a barrier between you and Him"[Al-Bidayah Wan -Nihayah,by Ibn Kathir,v.9,p.256]

There is no doubt that those who miss these bounties should feel grief,especially since time is the essence of man's existence and his only capital.Abu Rajaa Al-'Ataridi said:

"Nothing that i leave behind grieves me, except i used to bow down on my face five times a day before my Lord,the Exalted and Most Honored" [Hilyatu Al-Auliya ,v.2,p.306]

They gave the prayer is due consideration and honored it at its true value .Umar (ra) once said:

"If you see a man being careless concerning the prayer,then by Allah!He will be more careless,in everything else."[Tarikhu Umar,p.204]

Furthermore ,Abu Al-Aliyah said: "I would travel for days to meet a man and the first thing i notice about him is his prayer. If he establish the prayer perfectly and on time I would stay with him and hear knowledge he had. If I found him to be careles concerning the prayer,I would leave him and say to myself that for things other than the prayer,he would be even more careless."

Giving the prayer its due importance and consideration ,was also taught to children ,in obedience to the Prophet's command: 

"Order your children to pray at the age of seven and discipline them for it at the age of ten and seprate between their beds." [Abu Dawud,Ahmad abd Al Al-Hakim;Al-Albani rendered it Hassan]

in this context ,we could understand why Zaid Al-Ayami used to tell children ,"Come and pray and i will give you some hazelnuts."The children would come and pray and then gather around him to get nuts .He was asked  why he did that and he said,"I buy some nuts for them for five dirhams and they get used to praying."

In the present time, many people are concerned about teaching materialism to their children and satisfying their desires for food,drink and recreation. However,they dedicate little attention to their primary role and job as parents,that is ,teaching their children true Islamic ideals and making them get used to praying ,including questioning them if they come late for it.Allah,The Exalted and Most Honored said:

"O you who believe!Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones."(66:6)

Loving the prayer and rushing to perform it with Khushu' and perfection inwardly and outwardly ,demonstrates the heart's love for Allah  and eagerness to meet Him. On the other hand, disinterest in the prayer, laziness towards rushing to answer the Adhan, and performing it alone away from the congregational pf Muslims in the mosque,without a valid excuse, are all indications that the heart is empty of Allah's love and disinterested in what He has with Him.

 Let us compare Our mannerism with regards to Khushu' in the prayer with that of the Salaf.Maymun bin Hayyan said:  

"I never saw Muslim bin Yasar turning his head while praying,whether the prayer was short or long.Once,a part of the mosque came down and the noise caused fear to the people who were in the market,while he was in the mosque did not fear or even turn his head and keep praying." [Az-Zuhd,by Imam Ahmad,p.359]

When Khalaf bin Ayub was asked: "Why do you not swat at flies while praying, do they not bother you?"He said,"I will not do something that might become a habit and thus spoil my prayer for me."He was asked how he observed patience in that situation.He replied, "I was told that sinners observe patience when they are flogged by the Muslim authority and even boast about being patient in that situation.I am standing before My LOrd,would I move because of a fly?" [Al-Ihya ,vol.1,p.179]

Also when Ibn Az-Zubair stood up for prayer, he used to stand formally as if he was a piece of wood,due to his observing Khushu'. As for Abu Hanifah, he was called Al-Watad,the pole,because of his praying often with Khushu'.

 Moreover the Salaf used to perform long prayers,as often as they could.Ubaidullah bin Sulaiman said about his grandfather ,Abu Ubaidullah Al-Wazir:

"My grandfather's knees, face and hands wore through several mats due to his praying long prayers regularly.He also said that his grandfather gave away a great deal of food every day as charity, and when the prices went up he gave away double that amount."

             

 Nothing kept them busy from the prayer,and when they prayed,they strive hard to remove all barriers between them and Allah by attending the prayer in heart and with Khushu'.

Once upon a time, Abu Abdullah An-Nuba'hi was leading people in prayer in the city of Tarsus, when the call to Jihad was suddenly announced. However, he did not lessen the length of his recitation of prayer,and when he finished, people said to him,"The call to Jihad was announced but you did not lessen the length of prayer.

"He said,"I did not think that there were people who pray,and hear other things outside the prayer,instead of what they are invoking Allah with."[Sifat As-Safwah,vol.4,p.279]

They were just as Ibn Rajab described them in his book'Lata'if al-Ma'arif' ,"When they heard Allah's statements: So compete in good deeds."(5:48)

And "Race with one another in hastening towards forgiveness from your Lord(Allah), and Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heaven and the earth."(57:21)

They understood from these statements that each one among them should strive hard to compete in the race to acquire these honors and to reach the high grades and ranks. When one of them saw that another person was performing a righteous deed that he was unable to perform,he feared that whoever performed that good deed would beat him in the race , and he felt sad for this fact.

They competed in earning the high grades of the Hereafter as if in a race ,but after them,there came people who did the opposite and competed to earn the insignificant delights and perishable goods of this life.

When Abu Talhah (ra) once prayed in a garden he owned and became busy observing a bird that was flying around his trees,he ended up unaware how many Rak'ah he had prayed.HE want to Messenger of Allah(pbuh) and told him what had happened and declared:

"O Messenger of Allah(pbuh)! I give my garden as charity,so spend it however you wish." [Al-Ihya,vol.1,p.194]

Another man was once praying in a garden of date trees and was admiring it so much that he did not know  how many Rak'ah he prayed. He told Caliph Uthman(ra) what happened and said:

"I give that garden as charity,so spend it in cause of Allah,the Exalted,the Most Honored." Uthman (ra ) sold the garden for fifty thousand. [Al-Ihya,vol.1,p.194]

These two righteous men gave away their gardens,because they gave due consideration to the importance of the prayer. Each one of us will depart this life in the time between a prayer he performed and a prayer he is waiting for.Therefore,we ought to perform each prayer as if we are sure it is the last one we will be able to perform,so that Allah might end our deeds with our most righteous and good deeds and accept them from us and generously erase our sins.

 Imam Muhammad bin Isma'il Al-Bukhari,who compiled Sahih Al-Bukhari, was praying one night when a wasp stung him close to twenty times. When he finished the prayer,he said,"Find out what bothered me!" The exalted level of patience the Salaf had while praying was possible because of the tremendous Khushu' and attention they gave to invoking Allah and praying to Him.Abu Naasr Al-FAradis said that he used to hear the sound of teardrops falling from Sa'id bin Abdul-Aziz eyes down,onto the mat while praying.[Tathkiratu Al-Huffath ,vol.1,p.219]

In contrast there is hard-heartedness in the present time demonstrated by many who do not shed tears while praying, except a few who do so only during the month of Ramadan.Sadly,this is because there are a few in the crowds that gather in the mosques feel humbleness and submission in their hearts before their Lord while praying.

Old age and weak bodies did not stop the righteous people of our Salaf from standing in prayer before Allah for long periods of time. For instance,Abu-Ishaq As-Subay'ii said complaining:

"I have lost the strength to pray much!I have become weak and my bones have become feeble, because these days,when I stand up in prayer I am only able to recite Surah Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran,reciting them an entire night."[Sifatu As-Safwah,vol.3,p.104]

 As for 'Ata bin Abu Rabah, as Ibn Jurayj described about him:"I accompanied 'Ata bin Rabah for eighteen years. When he became old and weak,he used to stand in prayer and read close to two hundred Ayat from Surat Al-Baqarah while standing in such firmness that no part of him could move." [As-Siyar,vol.5,p.87]

Old age and weakness that it brings to the body did not stop Ata from having Khushu' in the prayer and reciting the Qur'an for extended periods of time while standing firm with full submissiveness. Furthermore, Muslim bin Bannaq Al-MAkki narrated that Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, who was known for standing in prayer for a long time ,once bent down in Ruku for so long ,that it allowed Muslim to recite Surat AL-BAqarah ,Al-Imran, An-Nisa and Al-Ma'idah, before Ibn Az-Zubair raised his head from Ruku.[Al-Bidayah Wan Nihaya,vol.8,p.359]

Also, Al-Walid bin 'Ali narrated that Suwayd bin Ghaflah was leading prayer during Ramadan, when he was one hundred and twenty years old! Moreover, Mar'ruf bin Wasl At-Taymi was the Imam of his people for sixty years and he never made mistakes in the recitation of the Noble Qur'an, because he was so careful in the prayer. 

Talaq bin HAbib used to say: "I love standing in prayer for Allah until my back hurts."

 He would stand up in prayer and recite the Qur'an from the begining until Surat Al-Hijr(chapter 15) and then make the Ruku(so that about the length of his entire prayer.) Thabit Al-Banani said that he used to pass by Abdullah bin Az-Zubair while praying and standing as firm as a tree fixed in the ground.

We complain to Allah for the way we treat the prayer,which is the fastest act we perform these days.Some of us might pray as fast as the chicken picks seeds from the ground, many do not feel humbleness or Khushu' and many pray with disinterest and inattention.If we observe the way these and most other people conduct their life affairs ,we will see dedication ,patience,concern and excellence in taking and giving for the sake of few dirhams or dollars that they would earn!Why is it that we are so disinterested in performing the prayer with perfection and excellence?

Abdullah bin Mas'ud ra used to so motionless while praying that he would be compared to a piece of garment thrown on a floor,while Sa'id bin Jubair would stand as firm as a pole. A similar description was given to the way Abdullah bin Az-Zubair performedthe prayer,that birds would almost land on his back while he was performing Ruku so firmly  and with Khushu.

 We might find it amzing that the Salaf felt such Khushu' and humbleness in the prayer, especially since we do not witness such dedication and excellence nowdays.As for the prayer of Our Salaf,we continue, it was different.Al-Anbas bin 'Aqbah used to make such an exalted Sujud that the birds would land on his back thinking that he was an extension of the wall.[Az-Zuhd,p.496]

 Abu Bakr bin Aiyash said: "If you saw 'Habib bin Abu Thabit while in sujud,you would think that he had died because of his long prostration." [As-Siyar,vol.5,p.291]

Furthermore, Ibn Wahb narrated that he saw Sufyan Ath-Thauri in the mosque at Makkah performing voluntry prayer after MAghrib and go into suh a long Sajadah,that he only raised his head when the time for Isha prayer came.[As-Siyar,vol.7,p.266]

Is it they for whom the flag of Paradise was raised and they raced to earn it,and the straight path was laid for them and they took it firmly.They believed that it was a great error to sell what no eye has seen ,no ear has heared and no heart has imagined of delight in the eternal dwelling,in return for a perishable life that passes as fast as a dream and is full of grief and depression.If this life makes one laugh a little, it also brings many instances of crying,and if it delighted for a day,it would cause grief for months.The pain in this life overcomes its delights and its sadness over-weighs its happiness  this life goes on with various fears and ends in certain demise.

Abu Qatan said: "Whenever I saw Shu'bah bin Al-Hajjaj go into Ruku or Sujud,I would say to myself that he has forgotten(because of the length of Shu'bah's Ruku and Sujud.)" [Tathkiratu Al-Huffath,vol.1,p.193]

 Also Ali bin Al-Fudhayl said: "I saw Ath-Thauri went into Sujud while praying, and I performed Tawaf around the House seven times before he raised his head from sujud."[As-Siyar,vol.7,p.277]

Even though they were so concerned and dedicated in performing the prayer in the best manner,they still had fears, as Uthman bin Abi Dahrash stated:

"I never performed a prayer without invoking Allah afterwards to forgive me for falling into shortcomings in the way i performed it." [Tarikhu Baghdad,vol.13,p.207]

To further describe the way the Salaf conducted the religion,we should mention that Mu'awiyah ibn Murrah said:

"I lived during the time of seventy of the companions of Muhammmad pbuh, and they lived among you today,they would not recognize any of your acts except the Adhan." [Hilayatu Al-Auliyaa ,vol.2,p.299]

Moreover ,Maymun bin Mahran said: "If a man from the Salaf was resurrected among you today, he would only recognize your Qiblah (direction of the prayer,the Ka'bah at Makkah)."

This s how different the way of conducting the religion varied from the time of the companions to the time of teh early generations of Islam. What would they say about us,then,if one of them was to be resurrected in our time?

When Hatim Al-Asamm was asked about his prayer,he said: "When it is near the time of prayer, I perform a perfect Wudhu (ablution) ,and go to where I am going to pray and sit down there until I become fully attentive to what I am about to do.I then stand up and pray,imagining that the Ka'bah is in front of my eyes,Paradise to my right, Hell-fire to my left and Angel of death behind me.

I imagine that it is the last prayer I am about to perform,stand up in hope (in Allah,His paradise and rewards) and fear (from Allah's torment in Hell-fire) and recite the Takbir while having full attention.I recite the  Qur'an calmly,make Ruku humbly ,go into Sujud with Khushu and then sit on my left leg,with the left foot laid on the floor and the right foot raised up,all the while praying with sincerity. Afterwards, I do not know(or feel certain) if that prayer was accepted from me."[Al-Ihya,vol.1,p.179] 

Wudu

WUDU (Ablution) BEFORE DOING WUDU: If someone needs to go to the toilet ,he should use the toilet and do Istinja before doing wudu.

SIWAK(TOOTH-STICK): It is a good practice to clean the teeth with a tooth-stick,or a toothbrush before performing Wudu.In this way you can avoid many diseases which are caused by unclean teeth.

As mentioned in the Hadith:Aisha r.a reported Allah's Messenger pbuh as saying:"The use of a tooth-stick is a means of purifying the mouth and is pleasing to the Lord as well."(Ahmed, Darmi and Nasai)

Prophet Muhammad pbuh also said:"If I wouldn't have felt that it is difficult for my people I would have ordered them to use a tooth-stick with ever prayer,that is before doing each wudu.

So Muslims should always try to fulfil this wish of our Prophet pbuh.

MAKING INTENTION(NIYAH) FOR WUDU:

Before starting the actions o wudu it is necesary to make niyat.

Make Niyat that the act of performing  wudu is for the purpose  of

purity only. Niyat should be made in the heart because  it is an action

of the heart  and not of the tongue.

Niyat by words is not approved by Prophet  Muhammad  (S.A.W)

Then start the wudu by saying:- Bismillah  hir-rahma  nir-raheem

(ln the name of Allah, most gracious,  most merciful)

ACTIONS FOR PERFORMING WUDU: 

1.Wash the hands up to the wrist making sure that no part of the hands is left dry.

2.Rinse the mouth taking up water with the right hand.

3.Clean the nose :sniff water up from the right palm and then eject water with the left hand.

4.Wash the face ,from ear to ear,and forehead to chin making sure that no part of the face is left dry.

5.Then wash the forearms(right forearm first) upto the elbows making sure that no part of them is left dry.

6.Rub the head as follows: Wet your fingers and wipe the head with your fingers,starting from the forehead,taking\ them to the nape of the neck,then bring them back to the forehead.

7.Clean the ears by inserting the tips of the index fingers wetted with water into the ears,twist them around the folds of the ears then pass the thumb behind the ears from the bottom,upwards.

8.Wash the feet(right foot first) up to the anklesmaking surethat no part of the feet are left dry, especially between the toes.

SPECIAL FACILITIES IN WUDU: Rubbing the socks with wet hands instead of washing the feet is allowed provided that the socks have been put on after performing an ablution including washing the feet.This is allowed for 24 hours from the time of ablution,and for 3 days if the person is on journey.After this time the feet must be washed .Similarly if there is a wound in any parts of the body which has to be washed in ablution,and if washing that particular part is likely to cause harm, it is permissible to wipe the dressing of the wound with a wet hand.

Hadith:Mughira bin Shu'bah said:"Prophet pbuh performed ablution and wiped over his socks and his sandals."(Ahmad,Tirmidhi,Abu Dawud)

Each detail of ablution has been performed by Prophet Muhammad pbuh once,twice or three times (except rubbing of head and cleaning of ears i.e. action 6 and 7 should only be done once).Since all the above methods meet Prophet pbuh's approval, we can perform ablution by doing the actions once ,twice or three times,provided that no part has been left dry.

Amr bin Shu'aib, quoting his father on the authority of his grand father narrated that prophet Muhammad said:"If anyone performs actions of ablution more than 3 times ,he has done wrong,transgressed , and done wickedly."(Ibn Majah, Nasai)

DUA AT THE END OF WUDU: Ashadu an la ilaha illal lahu wah duhu la shareeka lahu wa ash hadu an-na Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluhu.

"I testify that there is no deity except Allah Alone. And I testify that Muhammad pbuh is His servant and Messenger."(Muslim)

Allahum maj 'alnee minat taw-wabeena waj'alnee minal muta tahhireen.

"O Allah make me among those who are penitent and make me among those who are purified."(Tirmidhi)

TAYAMMUM: In circumstances when water cannot be found ,or just enough is available for drinking ,or it is injurious to health:in such situations Tayammum (dry ablution) can be performed.

The procedure below is given according to Qur'an and hadith. "..And if you don't find any water,then take clean earth (or sand ) and rub it on your face,and hands .Allah does not wish to put you in a difficulty ,but He wants to make you clean, and to complete His favour unto you,so you should be grateful to Him."(surah 5:verse 6)

Procedure:

1.Make Niyat in the heart.

2.Begin with the name of Allah.

3.Strike palms of both hands on clean sand,dust or anything containing these e.g wall or stone etc.then blow into the palm of both hands over the face once and then rub your right hand with the left palm and left hand with the right palm.(Bukhari)

4.Finish with the same dua as given at the end of ablution.

TIME-PLACE-DRESS AND TYPES OF PRAYER

TIME OF SALAT: Each Salat must be offered at or during its proper time .No salat can be offered before its time .There are five obligatory Salat in a day:

Fajar Prayer: The time for the Fajar or morning prayer starts at dawn and ends at sunrise.

Zuhr Prayer: The time of Zuhr prayer starts when the sun begins to decline from its zenith and ends when the size of an object's shadow is equal to the size of object.

Jabir bin Abullah ra narrated:"The angel Jibrael came to Prophet Muhammad pbuh and said to him:'Stand up and pray Zuhr' so Allah's Messenger prayed zuhr when the sun had declined from its zenith.Then the angel Jibrael came again at the time of Asr and said:'Stand up and pray Asr'.The Prophet Muhammad pbuh prayed Asr when the shadow of everything was equal to itself.Then Jibrael came the next day to the Prophet pbuh and said:'Stand up and pray zuhur.'Then the Prophet Muhammad pbuh prayed the zuhur when the shadow of everything was equal to itself.Then Jibrael came again at Asr time and said:'Satnd up and pray Asr".Then He prayed Asr when the shadow of everything was twice its length...Then Jibrael said,(after praying 10 Salat with Prophet Muhammd pbuh in two consecutive days) that the time of Salat is in between these two times." Ahmad,Nasai, Tirmidhi and Bukhari remarked that this is the most authentic Hadith giving the times of prayer.

We find that many books on salat state the ending time of Zuhur prayer and the starting time of Asr prayer when the shadow of something is twice itself.But this contradicts the above hadith as on the first day Jibrael asked Prophet Muhammad pbuh to pray Asr when shadow of everything was equal to itself.This means that was the end time of Zuhr prayer.And we already know that all the Ulama of the Muslim Ummah agree unanimously that no Salat can be offered before this time.

Asr Prayer: The time for Asr prayer or late afternoon prayer starts when the shadow of something is equal to itself and ends just before sunset.

It is better to offer Asr prayer before the sun become yellow because even though it is allowed to offer the Salat at this time the Prophet pbuh disliked Muslims to delay Asr prayer up to this time.He remarked that the Munafiq (hypocrite) offered his salat at this time.

Maghrib Prayer: The time for the Maghrib or the sunset starts just after sunset and ends when twilight has disappeared.

Isha Prayer: The time for Isha or night prayer starts from the disappearance of twilight and ends just before midnight.It is preferable to offer this prayer before midnight.

FORBIDDEN TIMES OF PRAYER

Uqbah bin 'Amir said,There are three times at which Allah's Messenger pbuh used to forbid us to pray or bury our dead.

1.When the sun began to riseuntil it was fully up.

2.When the sun was at its height at midday till it pass meridian.

3.When the sun drew near to setting till it had set.(Muslim)

Forbidden times for Nafl Prayer:

1.Abu Sa'eed Al Khudree ra reported Allah's Messenger pbuh as saying:"No Salat is to be said after the Fajar prayer until the sun rises, or after the Asr prayer until the sun sets."(Bukhari and Muslim)

Only Nafl prayer is forbidden at these times but a missed Fard prayer can be offered .Most of the ' ULAMA of the Muslim Ummah allowed the offering of missed Fard prayer after Fajar and 'Asr because of the following Hadith:

 Prophet pbuh said'"Who has forgotten the prayer he should pray it whenever he remembers it."(Bukhari and Muslim)

2.A Nafl cannot be offered once the Iqamat for Fard prayer has been said.Abu Huraira  narrated that Messenger pbuh said:"When the Iqamat  has been said , then there is no Salat valid(Nafl or Sunnat ) exept the Fard prayer for which the iqamat was said."(Ahmad and Muslim)

It is seen in practice that many people continue with the sunnat prayer even though the Iqamat has been said for the Fard prayer especially in the Fajar prayer.They feel that the 2 Rak'at Sunnat of Fajar can only be offered before the Fard. This practice is against congregation philosphy, discipline of Jama'at and a clear violation of Hadith. They should offer 2 Rak'at Sunnat of Fajar immediately after the Fard or after sunrise.

PLACE FOR SALAT

A place or a building which is used for the purpose of worship and Salat is called a MASJID(Mosque) .A Hadith tells us that ,All the earth has been rendered for the Muslims as the Mosque (pure and clean).

This means that whereever a Muslim might be he can offer his Salat but the reward of a Salat offered in a Mosque is far greater than that offered in an ordinary place. The following points should be noted when choosing a place for Salat,

a)The place should be clean and pure. Salat in a dirty, filthy and impure place such as a rubbish tip ,slaughter house ,bathing place and a camel pen is forbidden.

b)The place should be free from danger.The danger could be due to someone or something that may disturb the worshipper.

c)A prayer place where the worshipper might hinder the movement of others should be avoided, e.g. busy pavements, public roadways etc.

d)It is forbidden to pray on the roof of BAITULLAH(Ka'bah)

e)It is forbidden to pray on top of or facing towards a grave.

Prayer in the Mosque

Allah The Exalted and Most Honored ,has required Muslim men to join congregational prayers in the mosque: "...and bow down along with Ar-Raki'un (Those who bow down in prayer)."(2:43)

Also,The Messenger of Allah(pbuh) and his companions preserved the prayer at the mosque so perfectly that it was as if attending congregational prayer became a part of the prayer itself. For instance, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) preserved the congregational prayer even when he was travelling and during illness that preceded his death.

Presently, this dedication  to the congregational prayer has almost disappeared from our mosques,except for Friday prayer,for the mosques are usually packed during the prayer.However,these crowds are now here to be seen during other prayers ,as if they were given permission to be absent from the rest of the daily prayers for which they hear the Adhan,five times a day.Do they think that they will not be questioned about this shortcoming and plain error?

The Adhan is the call to Tawhid and it should bring happiness to the heart,since it is Allah's call for Muslims to join the ranks of faithful believers in the mosque.This is why when the call to prayer was pronounced,Abu 'Imran Al-Jazni used to cry. Before that,as 'Aishah(ra) narrated of the Messenger of Allah(pbuh): 

"He used to talk to us and we to him,but when the time for prayer came,it would be as if he did not know us."

Also when Ali bin Husain used to perform Wudhu, his color would change .His family asked him why this happenend to  him everytime he performed Ablution,said:

"Do you know before Whose Hands i am about to stand (in prayer)?"

When Sulaiman bin Al-A'mash used to wake up at night to answer the call to nature and did not find much water for Wudhu, he would wipe his hand on the dusty wall and perform Tayammum,saying,"I fear that i might die while not in state of Wudhu. "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

"Know that prayer is your best act,and only a believer would preserve Wudhu." [Ahmad,Al-Bayhaqi and Al-Hakim;Al-Albani rendered this hadith sahih]

When Mansur bin Zadhan performed Wudhu;his eyes became overflowing with tears .He was asked: "Why are you crying?

"He said,"What matter is greater than this?I am about to stand before the Hands of He Who never sleeps nor succumbs to slumber,and He might turn away from me." [Sifatu As-Safwah'vol.2,p.12]

They had these soft feelings because their hearts were righteous and their inner-selves were pure.When Yazid bin Abdullah was asked:

"Should we make a roof for our mosque?"He said, "Purify you hearts and your mosque will be sufficient for you."[Hilayatu Al-Auliya,vol.2,p.312]

Surely their mosque not having a roof will not bother those who have pure hearts and sincere intention .Rather they will be dedicated to perfectly performing the prayer so that Allah might accept it from them.

Adi bin Hathim (ra) said:

"Ever since I became Muslim, i always made sure to have Wudhu ' when the Adhan is called." [As-Siyar,vol.3,p.160]

Answering the Adhan promptly and perfectly was an integral part of the Life of Salaf, so much so, that they did not succumb to laziness nor did it become tiresome for them,even though they sustained an exalted level of vitality and vigor in this regard.They respond to the Adhan by heading towards the mosque and in the meantime ,leaving the affairs of this life behind them. 

For instance, when Ibrahim bin Maymun Al-Marwazi' a jewler ,would hear the Adhan while holding up his tools his hand would not come down on the jewelry! He would then rush to the mosque to pray.They were men whose hearts were eager to answe the Adhan in obedience to the Lord of the worlds and imitating the Sunnah of the master of all the Messengers.When they heared the Adhan ,they left the affairs of this life and rushed to the obedience of Allah ,the Exalted,the Most Honored,walking to the mosque calmly and with grace.

In the present time,Muslims have lost interest in the congregational prayer as compared to our Salaf. There is a big difference between the worshippers of today and the worshippers of of yesterday. Many men today do not enter the mosque either before,during or after the Adhanis pronounced. Some might live and die without once entering the mosque to pray, except for the time when he is taken to the mosque to be prayed  for! In contrast, our Salaf implemented the Prophet's statement that encouraged them to go to the mosque early to pray, so that they are able to be in the first line: 

"If the people but knew the reward of (answering) the Adhan and attendance in the first line,and had to draw lots to be in it,they would do so." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The Salaf were so dedicated in preserving this great command,that it was reported that Bishr bin Al-Husain made sure to be in the first line in the mosque for fifty consecutive years.However,things have changed since that time! Nowadays,you rarely see those who are adamant on preserving the congregational prayer,which is an important obligation and a great act of righteousness. There has been a loss of interest in being behind the Imam when he recites the first Takbir that starts the act of prayer,i.e., Takbir Tahrimah: Allahu Akbar, Allah is the Most Great.As for Salaf, Sa'id bin Al-Musayyab , a great scholar from the Tabi,in the second generation of Islam  demonstrated their exalted mannerism in this regard when he said:

"For the past fifty years , I have never missed Takbir Tahrimah, nor have i stood behind a man in the prayer(indicating that Sa'id made sure to be in the first line behind the Imam,the leader of the prayer)." [Hilayatu Al-Auliya Wa Tabaqatu Al-Asfiya vol.2,p.163]

Allah said: "...And for this let(all) those strive who want to strive (i.e. hasten earnestly to the obedience of Allah)." Indeed the congregational prayer is a worthy prize that men should compete to earn and a noble goal to reach and attain.

Those who compete in collecting world possessions ,no matter how valued and sought after these possessions are, will be competing in collecting an insignificant prize in a world, all of which is worth less than the wing of a mosquito with Allah. In contrast, the Hereafter is heavy in Allah's scale and is the prize that should be vigorously sought to earn.

Why is it, then that some of us might not attend the first Takbir for a full year, unlike Sulaiman bin Mahran, who made sure to be behind the Imam for TAkbir Tahrimah for seventy years(except,of course, when he was travelling or very ill.)

It is a shame to see that only a few people attend the prayer with the congregation from beginning to end,in the present time, for we witness few people who do not continue the prayer after the  Imam is finished with it because they started late.

Usayd bin Ja'far said: "I never saw my uncle Bishr bin Mansur miss the first Takbir , and whenever any person stood up in our mosque to ask people for help, my uncle gave him something." [Sifatus-Safwah vol.3,p.376]

Furthermore ,Waki'bin Al-Jarrah said that for almost seventy years ,Al-A'mash did not missed Takbir Tahrimah behind the Imam. Some of the Salaf would miss Takbir Tahrimah only once or twice over a span of many years.

For instance, Ibn Sama'ah said: "For forty years I only missed Takbir Tahrimah when my mother died." [As-Siyar,vol.10,p.646]

This is how dedicated they were praying and attending the congregational prayer from the beginning  In this context, we could understand why Ibrahim An-Nakha'i said that:

"If you know a man's disinterest in Takbir Tahrimah, then wash your hands of him." [As-Siyar,vol.5,p.65]

Furthermore,Ibrahim At-Taymi emphasized the dedication of the Salaf to the congregational prayer when he said similar words to those stated by An-Nakha'i. Also, our Salaf were well aware of the importance of coming early to the prayer, as demonstrated by the statement of Sufyan bin uyaynah:

"Honoring the prayer includes coming before the Iqamah is recited."[Sifatu As-Safwah,vol.2,p.235]

People whowere such dedicated to the congregational prayer would certainly feel grief if they missed attending the congregational prayer,even once.Sulaiman bin Hamazah Al-Maqdisi , who was a judge in the area of Syria, said:

"Only two times I prayed alone , and I consider myself as if I did not perform these prayers at all."

He was ninety years old when he said this.They used to feel pain for missing the prayer with the congregation ,aggrieved that they lost the tremendous rewards of this righteous act.Muhammad bin Al-Mubarak As-Suri said that when sa'id bin Abdul Aziz missed the congregational prayer ,he would cry!

To them congregational prayer was worth more than any part of this life that we compete in collecting and might be lured by it to ignore praying on time.Once, Maymun bin Mahran came to the mosque late and when he was told that the people had already finished the prayer ,he said:

"WE all belong to Allah an to Him shall be our return!I prefer the congregational prayer to being the governor of Iraq." [Mukashafatu Al-Qulub ,p.364]

Some of us might miss the congregational prayer for an insignificant matter of this life,let alone being the governor of Iraq!

 The Salaf so sad when they missed the congregational prayer  ,that some of them, like Abdullah bin 'Umar (ra) for instance, would stand in voluntary prayer for the entire night if he missed the ISha prayer in congregation. Congregational prayer had an exalted status with these righteous men and they felt the pain of losing it, just as if they lost a loved one.They considered it a great matter and had knowledge  of its essence and true value. For instance, when HAtim Al-'Asam missed the congregational prayer one time, Abu Ishaq Al-Bukhari alone gave him condolences. Hatim said:

"Had I lost a son, more than ten thousand people would have given me condolences, because religious loss to people is less important than material loss!" [Mukashafatu Al-Qulub,p.364]

This is a wise lesson of tremendous importance. We see many people condoling those who have lost loved ones, but very few , if any, give condolences for losing or missing a religious act. O Allah! Do not make us among those who fall victim to calamities and trials in religion, nor make this life the subject of our concern. Yunus bin Abdullah once said:

"What is the matter with me? When I lose a chicken I feel concerned, but when I miss the prayer in congregation ,it does not grieve me."Hilayatu Al Auliya ,vol.3, p.19]

How many among us indulge in the affairs of work and livelihood so deeply, anticipating salary increases and other prizes of life, and have trouble going to sleep because of this and other worldly concerns? In the morning, we see these people tire themselves working and doing this and that, calculating the material significance of this matter and that matter, and in the process miss the congregational prayers, yet they do not feel sad for this great loss. Some of them might attribute this shortcoming to being busy at work and sustaining their livelihood!

The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Give glad tidings of perfect light on the Day of Resurrection to those who walk in the dark to the Mosque." [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi]

This is a great news to those who wake up at night ,leave the delight of sleep and the softness of their beds ,recite the Adhan after the Muadhin and then walk to the mosque in calmness, during the coldness of night and in total darkness. Allah  will record the steps they take to the mosque and Allah willing ,they are worthy of the glad tidings that the Prophet (pbuh) has conveyed .Therefore,neither let Satan overcome you with sleep, nor hesitate  to wake up for the prayer. Wake up and rush to Paradise, as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the pious. In it, there is what no eye has ever seen , nor ear has heard and no heart has ever imagined of delights. May Allah bring you to this destination  and make Paradise your final dwelling.

The Salaf used to spend much of their time performing acts of obedience and worship, even though they carried  great responsibilities and work to earn their living.

 For instance, Abu Yusuf, who was a judge, used to pray voluntary prayers daily , even after he was appointed a judge. Also Caliph Harun Ar-Rashid used to pray voluntarily every night , from the time he became caliph until he died, except when he was ill.

The mosque  assumed a Pivotal role in their life , because it is a place to worship Allah. This is why , when 'Ata bin Yasar saw a man selling in the mosque , he said to him:

"This is the marketplace of hereafter. If you are seeking this life, then go to the marketplace of this life."