Question
What is the Importance of Prayer ?
Praise be to Allaah.
The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated. It is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned after mentioning the testimony of faith, by which one becomes a Muslim. It was made obligatory upon all the prophets and for all peoples. Allah has declared its obligatory status under majestic circumstances. For example, when Allah spoke directly to Moses, He said
"And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you. Verily, I am Allah! There is none worthy of worship but I, so worship Me and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance." [Taha 13-14]
Similarly, the prayers were made obligatory upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during his ascension to heaven. Furthermore, when Allah praises the believers, such as in the beginning of surah al-Muminoon, one of the first descriptions He states is their adherence to the prayers.
Once a man asked the Prohpet (peace be upon him) about the most virtuous deed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that the most virtuous deed is the prayer. The man asked again and again. The first three times, the Prophet (peace be upon him) again answered, "The prayer," then on the fourth occasion he stated, "Jihad in the way of Allah." [This is form a hadith recorded by Ahmad and ibn Hibban. According to al-Albani, the hadith is hasan. Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, Sahih al-Targheeb wa al-Tarheeb (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami, 1982), vol. 1, p. 150]
The importance of prayer is demonstrated in the many of the Prophet’s statement. For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad."
The importance of the prayers lies in the fact that no matter what actions one performs in his life, the msot important aspect is one’s relationship to Allah, that is, one’s faith (imaan), God-consciousness (taqwa), sincerity (ikhlas) and worship of Allah (`ibaadah). This relationship with Allah is both demonstrated and put into practice, as well as improved and increased, by the prayer. Therefore, if the prayers are sound and proper, the rest of the deeds will be sound and proper; and if the prayers are not sound and proper, then the rest of the deeds will not be sound and proper, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself stated.
In reality, the prayer is performed properly – with true remembrance of Allah and turning to Him for forgiveness – it will have a lasting effect on the person. After he finishes the prayer, his heart will be filled with the remembrance of Allah. He will be fearful as well as hopeful of Allah. After that experience, he will not want to move from that lofty position to one wherein he disobeys Allah. Allah has mentioned this aspect of the prayer when He has said,
"Verily, the prayer keeps one from the great sins and evil deeds" (al-Ankaboot 45).
Its aim is to generate within the subliminal self of man such spiritual power, light of faith and awareness of God as can enable him to strive successfully against all kinds of evils and temptations and remain steadfast at times of trial and adversity and protect himself against the weakness of the flesh and the mischief of immoderate appetites. [Nadwi, p. 24]
"Verily, man was created impatient, irritable when evil touches him and niggardly when good touches him. Except for those devoted to prayer those who remain constant in their prayers…" (al-Maarij 19-23).
"Allah has obligated five prayers. Whoever excellently performs their ablutions, prays them in their proper times, completes their bows, prostrations and khushu` [Khushu` in the prayer is where the person’s heart is attuned to the prayer. This feeling in the heart is then reflected on the body. The person remains still and calm. His gaze is also lowered. Even his voice is affected by this feeling in the heart.
The prayers are a type of purification for a human being. He turns and meets with his Lord five times a day. As alluded to above, this repeated standing in front of Allah should keep the person from performing sins during the day. Furthermore, it should also be a time of remorse and repentance, such that he earnestly asks Allah for forgiveness for those sins that he committed. In addition, the prayer in itself is a good deed that wipes away some of the evil deeds that he performed. These points can be noted in the following hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
"If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it five times a day, do you think he would have any filth left on him?" The people said, "No filth would remain on him whatsoever." The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, "That is like the five daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them." (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
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Question
Is speaking about things one does not know properly a sin?
Is speaking about things one does not remember correctly a sin?
Is speaking about things one does not know at all a sin?
Answer
Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
The Muslim should strive to speak the truth and be honest, and his words should be useful, whether they are about worldly matters or matters of the hereafter.
He should not speak too much about that which is of no benefit and serves no purpose, and he should avoid speaking on the basis of speculation or speaking of that of which he has no knowledge, because this is what it means to be truthful and honest. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, had instructed His believing slaves to be with those who are true (in word and deed), as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Fear Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)” [at-Tawbah 9:119].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Be true and adhere to truthfulness and be with those who are true, and you will be saved from doom and be granted relief from hardship. End quote.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer (4/230)
As-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“and be with those who are true” that is, those who are true in word, deed and conduct, those whose words are true and whose deeds and conduct cannot be but based on truth, devoid of laziness and apathy, free of bad intentions, and based on sincerity and good intentions. For truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. End quote.
Tafseer as-Sa‘di (p. 355)
Abu Dawood (4989) and at-Tirmidhi (1971) narrated that Ibn Mas‘ood said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Beware of lying, for lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to Hell. A man may lie and strive hard in lying until he is recorded with Allah as a liar. You should be truthful for truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man may speak the truth and strive hard in speaking the truth until he is recorded with Allah as a speaker of truth.”.
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood
Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) have forbidden us to engage in speculation or suspicion. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicions are sins”
[al-Hujuraat 49:12].
Al-Bukhaari (5143) and Muslim (2563) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech.”
And Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge”
[al-Isra’ 17:36].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Qataadah said: Do not say, “I saw” when you did not see, or say “I heard” when you did not hear, or “I know” when you do not know, for verily Allah will question you about all of that.
What we may conclude from their comments is that Allah, may He be exalted, forbids speaking without knowledge; in fact He forbids speculation or suspicion, which is based on imagination. End quote.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer (5/75)
Al-Qutaybi said: Do not speak on the basis of speculation and suspicion.
Tafseer al-Baghawi (5/92)
As-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
That is, do not speak of that of which you have no knowledge; rather make sure that everything that you say or do is based on proper knowledge, and do not think that you will be let off for that. End quote.
Tafseer as-Sa‘di (p. 457)
The prohibition on such talk is more emphatic when it comes to matters of Islamic teachings and rulings on halaal and haraam. It is not permissible for anyone to speak about the religion of Allah without knowledge, or on the basis of speculation and conjecture. Imam Ahmad (6702) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: “The Qur’an was not revealed to contradict itself; rather parts of it confirmed other parts. Whatever you understand of it, act upon it, and whatever you do not understand of it, refer it to one who has knowledge of it.”
Whatever a person knows, he is obliged to follow it and act upon it, because in his case that is like a leader. Whatever he is ignorant of, such as that which he is confused about and does not know its meaning, he should leave it to one who has knowledge of it. End quote.
The Muslim should not speak about anything of which he does not have sufficient knowledge, or anything of which he does not remember the details correctly, or anything of which he has no knowledge. Rather he should speak – if he does speak – on the basis of knowledge, otherwise remaining silent is safer. Allah does not require him to speak on the basis of speculation or suspicion, which is the falsest of speech, or to speak of that of which he does not have sufficient knowledge.
The Muslim may sometimes be required to speak on the basis of speculation and what he thinks is the case or of that which he does not remember well. In that case he should explain that to his listener, and tell him that he is only speaking on the basis of speculation or what he thinks is the case, and not on the basis of certain knowledge.
Conclusion:
The Muslim should not speak of anything except that which he knows for certain, and he should avoid speaking on the basis of speculation, conjecture and possibilities, except within the limits dictated by interests, when one may sometimes speak in that manner.
And Allah knows best.
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Question
In my country there is a law that implies secularism between religion and school. It hadnt been implied until recently when its implied our school forbade us from praying zuhur go to juma. Every Muslim student stopped praying because they were afraid of the school board they didn't even ask why the were forbidden, but I collected signatures of students asking to pray and presented it to the academic principal. He answered me politely that this is beyond his capability because it's the law and if he breaks it, he will face consequences from the government. What should I do? I have applied for this year national exam under this school and can't change to another school that is Islamic school (the rule allows only religious schools to practice their religion in school) until I take this exam. (there are about 3 months left for exam).
Answer
Praise be to Allah.
We appreciate your eagerness to perform the rituals of your religion, and we ask Allah to make you steadfast and help you.
What is required of the Muslim is to regularly offer the prayers at the proper times, and to keep away from schools that do not allow him to do that, so as to protect his religious commitment, because prayer is the foundation of Islam and anything that distracts from doing it is not permissible.
Based on that, whoever is able to move to another school where he can pray Zuhr and Jumu‘ah, must do that. Whoever is not able to move should strive to offer Zuhr prayer at the proper time even if he prays on his own; if he is not able to do that, then he may put it together with ‘Asr prayer.
Similarly, in the case of Jumu‘ah prayer, it is waived in his case if he has done all he can to offer it; if he is not able to do that, then there is nothing wrong with him praying it as Zuhr.
The scholars have stated that one of the excuses for not praying Jumu‘ah or offering prayers in congregation is fear of harm from an unjust ruler or of a negative impact on his livelihood.
If he is afraid that if he goes out for Jumu‘ah, the ruler may detain him unlawfully, then he may stay away from Jumu‘ah.
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Question
I am affected by waswaas (whispers from the Shaytaan) and I am trying hard to avoid doubts that come to me regarding wudoo’ and prayer.
But two days ago, when I was praying in the mosque, I suddenly noticed a smell (of passing wind), even though I did not feel anything in my stomach, and I did not feel that anything came out of me before I noticed the smell.
I said: This is waswaas, and I completed my prayer. But after I had prayed, I began to strongly doubt the validity of my prayer. Perhaps there had been some movement in my stomach and I had forgot, or perhaps it was gas, because that happens to me sometimes.
I still have my doubts until now.
Is my prayer valid, or should I make it up? Do I have to do anything, because several days have passed since I offered that prayer?
Answer
Praise be to Allah
Your prayer is valid and you do not have to repeat it; do not worry about the smell that you noticed so long as you did not feel anything coming out of you. You should not pay attention to the waswaas that comes to your mind and cast aside the doubts that cross your mind.
He noticed a smell but did not feel any wind coming out of him
Question
I am affected by waswaas (whispers from the Shaytaan) and I am trying hard to avoid doubts that come to me regarding wudoo’ and prayer.
But two days ago, when I was praying in the mosque, I suddenly noticed a smell (of passing wind), even though I did not feel anything in my stomach, and I did not feel that anything came out of me before I noticed the smell.
I said: This is waswaas, and I completed my prayer. But after I had prayed, I began to strongly doubt the validity of my prayer. Perhaps there had been some movement in my stomach and I had forgot, or perhaps it was gas, because that happens to me sometimes.
I still have my doubts until now.
Is my prayer valid, or should I make it up? Do I have to do anything, because several days have passed since I offered that prayer?
Answer
Praise be to Allah
Your prayer is valid and you do not have to repeat it; do not worry about the smell that you noticed so long as you did not feel anything coming out of you. You should not pay attention to the waswaas that comes to your mind and cast aside the doubts that cross your mind.
With regard to the hadeeth which says that a man complained to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he felt something during the prayer, and asked whether he should stop praying, and he said: “No, unless you hear a sound or notice a smell” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 20546; Muslim, 361), this has to do with one who feels something and is not sure whether it came out; this indicates that one should not do something that is due to waswaas, because the certainty of being in a state of purity cannot be affected by uncertainty or doubt.
The believer should not pay attention to this waswaas, because this will encourage the Shaytaan, and the Shaytaan is keen to spoil the good deeds of the sons of Adam, such as prayer and so on. What he must do is be aware of his tricks and whispers, put his trust in Allah, and assume that whatever happens of waswaas is from the Shaytaan, so that he will not pay any attention to it. Then if something comes out of him and he is certain of it, not uncertain, he should clean himself again (istinja’) and repeat wudoo’. But so long as there is any uncertainty, even if it is slight, then he should not pay attention to that, and he should still believe that he is in a state of purity and ward off the whispers of the Shaytaan.
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Question
Does buying lottery tickets fall into the category of gambling which is haram? What response would you give to people who claim to be only occassional gamblers?
Lotteries and raffles are other names for gambling, which is haraam according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and the consensus of the scholars. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al Ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to idols, etc.), and Al Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.
Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?” [al-Maa’idah 5:90-91]
It is not permissible for the Muslims to engage in any kind of gambling at all, whether the money collected from gambling is to spent on charitable projects or otherwise, because it is evil and forbidden, as indicated by the general meaning of the evidence (daleel), and because the earnings derived from gambling are among the kinds of earnings which we must avoid and beware of. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
This gambling – which is any transaction in which a person may win or lose, and he does not know whether he will be a winner or a loser – is all haraam. Indeed, it is one of the major sins, and its abhorrent nature is no secret when one realizes that Allaah mentions it in conjunction with idol-worship, alcohol and azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision). Whatever benefits may be hoped for from gambling pale into insignificance beside the harm that it causes.
“They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: ‘In them is a great sin, and (some) benefits for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit.’”
[al-Baqarah 2:219]
Think about this aayah, where benefits (manaafi’) are mentioned in the plural, and sin (ithm) is mentioned in the singular. Allaah did not say, “In it are many sins and (some) benefits for men”, rather He said (interpretation of the meaning): “a great sin”. This is an indication that the benefits, no matter how numerous they may be, are insignificant when compared with this great sin; the great sin far outweighs them. So its sin is greater than its benefits, no matter what they are.
With regard to a person’s saying that he only gambles occasionally, this is like one who says that he only commits adultery occasionally, or he only steals occasionally, or he only lies occasionally. Does the fact that he commits that haraam action only rarely means that it is not a sin and that he is not exposed to the wrath of Allaah? How does he know that this rare action will not develop into something that is done more frequently, until it becomes a habit? In fact this is what usually happens, especially in the case of those who are afflicted by gambling. He should fear Allaah and abstain from that which Allaah has forbidden to him.
And Allaah knows best.
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Question
I was walking outside and foound a winning lottery ticket on the ground that nobody has claimed. Is it permissible for me to cash it in because i did not put any money or goods to purchase the ticket which is the definition of gambling. Please advise.
Answer
Praise be to Allaah.
The lottery is gambling, which is haraam
If a Muslim finds a lottery ticket on the ground, then he has not engaged in gambling, because he did not pay any money for this ticket, but this does not mean that taking the money is permissible, because he will be taking the money unlawfully.
What right does he have to take this money?
Taking money in this way comes under the general meaning of the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And eat up not one another’s property unjustly (in any illegal way, e.g. stealing, robbing, deceiving)”
[al-Baqarah 2:188].
A lottery ticket is not a permissible means of earning money.
And Allah knows best.
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Question
How can he make up for missed prayers?
Answer
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Allaah has allocated specific times for acts of worship for reasons that are known to Him. We know some of them, but some of them are hidden from us. Whatever the case, we are enjoined to adhere to them and it is not permissible to transgress against that except for reasons permitted in sharee’ah.
If a person misses the prayer, one of two scenarios must apply:
1 –
He missed it for a reason, such as falling asleep or forgetting it. There is no sin on him in this case, but he has to make it up when he wakes up or remembers it.
2 –
He missed the prayer with no excuse; rather he ignored it until the time for it ended, out of laziness and carelessness. This person is sinning according to the consensus of the Muslims, and has committed a major sin.
It is not valid for him to make it up according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, rather he has to repent and regret it, and resolve not to do that again, and he should do a lot of good deeds and offer a lot of voluntary prayers.
As for the one who deliberately omits to pray until the time for the prayer ends, he can never make it up, so he should do a lot of good deeds and offer a lot of voluntary prayers, so that his balance (of good deeds) will weigh heavily on the Day of Resurrection, and he should repent and ask Allaah for forgiveness.
This is also the view of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab and his son ‘Abd-Allaah, and of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas, Salmaan, Ibn Mas’ood, al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, Badeel al-‘Aqeeli, Muhammad ibn Sireen, Mutarrif ibn ‘Abd-Allaah and ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez. It was also the view of Dawood al-Zaahiri and Ibn Hazm, and was the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and al-Shawkaani. Among contemporary scholars it was regarded as more correct by al-Albaani, Ibn Baaz, Ibn ‘Uthaymeen and others.
The words “let him offer it as soon as he remembers, for there is no expiation for it other than that” mean: If he is slow in offering the prayer after he remembers it, then it is not an expiation, so how about the one who neglects it deliberately without forgetting or sleeping? It is even more likely that it will not be an expiation in that case, and making it up will be of no benefit.
Also, making it up should be based on evidence, and it is not permissible for anything to be prescribed other than by Allaah on the lips of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). We ask those who say that the one who deliberately omits the prayer is obliged to make it up to tell us about this prayer that you are telling him to do – is it the prayer that was enjoined by Allaah or some other prayer? If they say it is the one that was enjoined by Allaah, then we say to them: Then the one who deliberately omits it is not a sinner, because he has done what Allaah commanded him to do and there is no sin according to what you say, and there is no blame on the one who deliberately omits to pray until the time for it ends. But that is something that no Muslim can say. If they say that it is not the prayer that Allaah has enjoined him to do, then we say: You are right, and that is enough, because they have admitted that they told him to do something that was not enjoined by Allaah.
Those who say that he has to make it up did so by analogy with the one who forgets or falls asleep, and they said that if the one who forgets has to make it up, then it is more likely that the one who deliberately omitted it should do so.
My response is that there is no comparison between the two scenarios, because the one who omits it deliberately is sinning, which is not true in the case of the one who forgets, so how can an analogy be drawn between the one who is sinning and the one who is not sinning?
The more correct view – and Allaah knows best – is that the one who deliberately omits the prayer should not make it up, rather he has to seek forgiveness and repent.
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