Intention – We will try to gain proximity to Allah SWT What is Salah?

What does Allah mean by making this Salah an obligatory act on us?

For Emphasis The first characteristic of believer mentioned is Prayer Believers are those who pray humbly and those who submit to Allah SWT in a humble way. Khaashi-oon – We are acting upon this world.

In this verse Allah SWT is telling us the effect of standing in prayer. Allah SWT gives us a hint – the remembrance of Allah SWT is greater.

Is our heart present? Is our heart yearning for Allah? Is our heart calling Allah? The remembrance is the part that is missing.

And Allah (SWT) knows our inward thoughts.

Something that needs work – Rememberance of AllahNeed to have feelings of Allah outside of Salah, need to do zikr of Allah outside of Salah. One way to make Salah easy is to remember Allah all the time and then you will be able to remember him IN Salah.

How to make Salah easy:

He’s not taking his name here, he is saying ME. Lot of power to this verse.

1. Worship me 2. Establish Prayer for my remembrance

Characteristic of people who were hypocrite:

Kusala – LazilyHypocrites stand in Salah, because they want to show to other people that they are standing in Salah. Allah isn’t saying that THEY DON’T REMEMBER HIM AT ALL, What Allah is saying that they used to remember a little.

We should be careful to not have any resemblance to hypocrites. Remembrance is just a little for hypocritesRealisation: Take salah where it belongs.

Salah is best of action and has highest potential to make us close to Allah SWT.

Closest meaning: Nabi asked Sahabi “If you had a running river outside your house and you wash your body in that river five times a day, would any dirt remain on your body? Sahabah: I would be very clean. Nabi: This is exactly how a believer and his salah is.

Salah wiping sins, by wudhu and wipe out minor sins, and make person leave immoral acts, becoming completely pure.

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Nabi reached masjid awsa saw a lot of people gathered there and Nabi asked Jiraeel about tall man who was standed, and Hadrat Jibraeel said this is Adam, and again Nabi asked about another beautiful man, and Hadrat Jibraeel said this is Ibrahim AS and Nabi asked about another man, Hadrat Jibraeel said that this is Musa AS

Nabi was waitng for someone to take the lead, Jibraeel AS told him you are supposed to lead all these messengers and prphets, and many angels descended and they all prayed behind Nabi SAW after which he was taken to Arsh of Allah SWT, Nabi greeted Allah, and Allah gave him a gift – Salah – for his Ummah, originally 50 salah.

Hadrat Jibraeel said : Your Ummah will never be able to pray 50 salah a day

`Why this verse here?Ecasue Allah has already decided to give this amount of proximity and reward to the ummah of Nabi, the reward of 50 salah was already decided. One act of salah is equal to 10 salah. So 5 prayers is equal to 50 salah.

Nabi: “A sign of end time is that the mosque will be filled with people who come to prayer BUT their hearts will be absent of remeberance of Allah SWT”

Bring rememberance of Allah in salah and then we will be able to appreciate the importance of Allah.

1. Purity Purity form what? From major and minor impurity.

Major –HaidMinor – Lack fo wudhu

Purity of body – no impurity on it. The body part is properly washed.

Purity of clothes Purity of place of prayer Clothing of nakedness:

Men – right below the navel to right below the knee – the minmum for men in Salah, if not then salah will not be validWomen – Body except hand, face and feet

Facing the Qiblah – What does it mean? For person who can see Ka’bah, for them they have to face the Ka’bah itself. For us it’s far away, what does it mean that we should Qiblah? It can be 45 degrees to left or right of Kab’ah then prayer will be valid. Whenever person can see Ka’bah no deviation is allowed.

Time – very sure of time. Not sure if Isha time has entered and she prays – Schoalrs say it is as though your salah hasn’t started, why? Because you don’t know if salah time has come.

Intention – Intenion of heart is required however schoalrs say because of state of people nowadays they should utter the intention because there is a chance of it bringing about a state of rememberance.

If no purity then they will not be able to bring about rememberance of Allah SWTMake sure everything is pure. Allah is pure and he loves purity.

What Is spiritual purity?Purity of body from sin. If nothing is pure they will not be able to connect to Allah. Should not hurt other people. Purity of heart from envy, anger, jealousy. Puity fo food? Eat from the lawful. Unlwaful will lead to decrease in remembrance of Allah SWT.

Session Two

Do not take Makruh Tanzihi lightly. Should not make it into a habit, if you do this it will then cause sin – Delay Isha right until the time of Fajr time.

Makruh Tehreemi is closer to Haram. (Hanafi scholars are conscious of making acts haram) – Praying to Allah SWT when the sun is atit’s peak.

Haram (Forbidden)

There are three things that are conditional for it to be obligatory i.e. for a person to have legal responsibility of it:

1. Islam – Be a Muslim2. Maturity – Hitting puberty3. Sanity – Be in right state of mind.

Educating Children:

Children should be ordered to pray when they are seven years old. They should be disciplined if they neglect the prayer after they reach the age of ten [Abu Dawood]

(Need to show children the spiritual side of Salah, develop the interest of Salah in them)

The times of Salah

The five daily salah must be performed at their specific times.

In the Qur’an (Source 1):

Salah is mentioned in Qur’an but the timings of Salah are found in Hadith.

Hadith Imam-e-Jibraeel is very important hadith for finding out timings of Salah

(Sun is the main evidence for finding out timings of Salah)Fajr: False Dawn: Some brightness in sky, stays there for some time, and then dissapears, whiteness is vertical – Not the start time of Fajr. When this light dissapears, then another light appears, this

light is horizontal, along the horizon, caled the true dawn, will mark the time of Fajr.The moment sun hits horizon, this is when Fajr ends.

Zuhr:When the sun reaches it’s zenith, this is when praying any obligatory prayer is Makrooh Tehreemi. When sun goes passed zenith, this is your Zuhr time.

Asr: Shadow of object becomes twice its length, Zuhr is ending and Asr is starting

Maghrib:When disk of horizon goes below horizon it become maghrib time. Remaing until brightness is apparent in sky.

Isha:Starts when sky becomes dark.

Fuqaha can pray salah until sun has become reddish (this is Makruh

tehreemi time, if someone hasn’t prayed before this time they should pray during this time)

Saying delay, because after you pray your four Farz rakah salah, no nafl salah is to be offered.

Should be prayed as soon as possible.

This is an example of Makrooh Tehreemi

Session Three

Spiritual Aspect of Prayer:

The reality of Prayer – Zikr of Allah (SWT)/Miraaj

Lack of zikr/feeling in prayer makes someone resemble a hypocrite/not becoming a hypocrite.

Timings of Salah:

Fajr:Starts: True Dawn

When the sun will rise and it will hit the horizon, appearing at the horizon till that point onwards till the sun is approximately 3 metres high/above the horizon – Makruh to pray at that timeCannot say ANY Farz salah in that period BUT can read Nafl pray. Have to wait until the sun reaches its zenith/highest point (this is called zawwal, in contemperory charts the time of zawwal given is when the sun is right above a persons head –when the sun is perpendicular to the surface of the earth, however if one were to use the terminology accurately/correctly this is supposed to be called the time of istiwwa (literal meaning ‘right above’) – People call it Zawwal, technically zawwal means when the sun begins to decline.)End: When the sun rises.

Zuhr:Start:When the sun is going to come out of this point and go passed this line (shown in red by apa in following diagram) – will be the beginning time of Zuhr

End time:The sun is going to decline gradually till the shadow of an object is twice its size

Asr:Start time:When shadow of object is twice it’s size

End time: Remain Asr until Maghrib – Makruh Tehreemi (Stricter Makruh – however there is an exception that only Asr of that day (A person is not supposed ot pray asr deliberately at this time, howveer if it got delayed Fuqaha say it is naqis (deficient) it is better to pray than to make Qaza (20 mins before Maghrib) – not okay to pray Qaza during Mkaruh Tehreemi time.

Only ASR farz is recommended to read but not Sunnah as Fuqaha have said

MaghribStart time:When the tip of the sun hits below the horizon.

End Time:

Isha

Start time: When the sky is absoloutely dark (Hanafi), has a tendency to become Makruh tanzihi when half the night has passed – Half the night? Divide the time from Maghrib to Fajr, divde that into two equal parts – you will know the latter is Makruh tanzeehi – try to pray Isha before this time.

Situation #1:Person praying Qur’an, happens to be reciting Qur’an and its Zawwal and within the 20 prohobited minutes/15 prohibited minutes – comes across a ayah of Sajda, Sajda becomes Wajib on person, Oh it’s time of Zawaal, what should she do? If a person happens to be in such situation

then perosn may offer wajib act also but that is disliked, ideally should wait for such a time which is permissable and then offer Sajda Tilawat (as it is like a prayer, same conditions as Salah)

Situation #2:Zaid, an Imam, asked to recite Janazah, the body of person comes in front of Zaid for the Janazah to be prayed, during the time of Zawaal, person is abosloutely ready, what should he do?He still has the two options:

1. OK to pray Janazah prayer IF it is ready during the time that is Makruh

2. However if Imam Zaid happens to be in a situation that for instance Janazah was ready WAY before the time of Zawaal, now Imam Zaid cannot pray the Janazah Salah at the time of Salah, because it became Wajib outside the Makruh time.

Another set of timings which are disliked (However, it is OK for a person to pray QAZA during THESE TIMES but NOT Nafl):

1. Fajr – Only for the Fajr prayer, no other prayer should be read – Fuqaha – time generally disliked.

(Side note: Don’t have time to pray Farz of Fajr then read Sunnah but it is very disliked – Hanafi Fiqh say :The sunnah of Fajr cannot be offered after the Farz of Sunnah)

No other NAFL should be read, even if you have prayed Fajr and also BEFORE you have prayed Fajr. However Qaza can be read

2. After Asr – Makruh to pray any optional prayer. Should wait do so after Maghrb prayer.

Hadith: There is no prayer after Asr prayer until the sun has set and there is no prayer after Fajr prayer until the sun has risen” (Bukhari Muslim)(Side note: It is OK for a person to pray Nafl before Salah of Asr – One OpinionIn Hanafi Fiqh: Should delay the Asr a bit, reason given for that is so that the Optional prayers can be read – Take this position then it is OK to pray Nafl before the FOUR FarzAnother opinion – Disliked to pray Optional before Asr and after)

(Sid note: All schools – Maghrib should be offered as soon as possible, praying any Nawafil before Maghrib Salah, delaying Magrib too much is Makhruh)

Joining Salah

In the Hanafi fiqh it is not OK to combine Obligatory prayers, all other schools allow this joining.

(If you miss witr you have to do Qaza of witr (it is Wajib)

Book he wrote towards end of his life. There is a lot of wisdom in it. Good book to have in your lifeInner dimension of Salah. We are leaving out the essence of Salah. One needs to understand that the spiritual side should be our focus. What should I feel when I recite the Takbeer-e-Tehreemi?

Awareness of what you are doing:Imagine if you are in a interview with a multi millionaire company, you are talking to them, after some time you say “I don’t remember what I said, I’m lost, not aware of

what I’m doing here” obviously the potential boss will not hire you. So our meeting with Allah SWT we are not even aware of what we’re doing.

“First thing that needs to do is be aware, aware of what you’re doing” – Imam Ghazali RA.“You fix this problem through mental exercise, by working on yourself. Make effort, try to understand of what you’re doing, aware”“You should remember your hereafter more” Why is he saying this? Because your salah will have consequences in hereafter, barakah and reward will be held in hereafter. – Remembering will not take you a long time, just take 10-15 seconds! What are you supposed to be doing?This act which has been prescribed so many times in the Holy Qur’an.

“Second, be aware of Allah SWT, the Lord of the worlds” – Imam Ghazali RA

Third, Understanding the words and understanding the meaning of the words of Salah. In reply to this above quote by Imam Ghazali, scholar have said: “Even if you don’t know the meaning of the words in your salah, you will be able to catch words, that will make you connect back to Allah SWT” – Read Surah Ar Rahman – When you read the word rahman or jannah or jahannam, you will be able to

understanding a few words, so much barakah one word of Qur’an, barakah in the the Qur’an.

Fourth thing which is required is reverance (Haybah) – Feel the supremacy of Allah SWT in heart such that it leads a perosn to have reverance in heart, will make you connect to your Salah moreWill get it through reflection – Imam GhazaliFifth, is awe (azmath) – Feel his lordship and feel that he is so amazing and supreme, and you should feel humble,

your won humiliy – make you connect more in Salah. Terror is diff from Awe. Awe a person will feel that Allah SWT has given me so much, I don’t want to lose my connection with him. Reflect on greatness of Allah SWT (should not lead to depression)

`Sixth, Gift from Allah (SWT) which will help me to gain his pleasure. I am your sinning slave, butI have hope in your mercy, you are so kind, so raheem, through this the next feeling should be inspire; Shame

Seventh feeling, Shame. I am so sinning, I am not doing enough, however this shouldn’t lead a person into depression.

Should give you a renewed vigour.

25/04/2014

Discussion on: Tilawah

Nabi (SAW) “Truly you should pray as if you can see Allah (SWT) surely if you can’t see him, He can see”

Allah SWT is our beloved, obviously we can’t see Him, but we want him to see us. Stand in Qiyaam, we want it to be pleasing to him, when we do sajda, we want it to be in such a humble way.

If we want to make our Salah close to perfection, we need to perfect it with the most flawless Qalam of Allah (SWT); TilawahQur’an kareem attracts Allah’s Mercy – inside and outside of Salah. “And when the Qur’an is recited, surely you should listen to it, so indeed Allah SWT will send blessings upon you” – Surah A’raaf (204)Should listen with the ears of your heart.

When Qur’an is recited: Listen Be Quiet

(*Apa says she feels like sometimes it seems the Qur’an was written for women, as women are cratures of love, and there is so much love expressed by Allah SWT in Qur’an)

When we were supposed to listen to Qur’an, because our hearts become so dark; because of sins, but the sound won’t pass through and touch our hearts.

(Even though I’m physically pure, I’m so tainted with sins)“Only the pure can read and touch the Qur’an” :

1. Physically purified – Zaahir2. Spritually purified - Baathin

When Sahaba ra read Qur’an a person listening could tell how much love they had for the Qur’an

Story:At Tahajjud in Madinah, in the stillness of the night, a soft breeze and there used to be such a nice sound emenating from everywhere – Qur’an tilawat. Every single house there used to be this sound, rich, poor, women, children.

Story:Winter nights are longer, Hadrat Fatima, woke up to pray, did 2 rakat nawafil, did tilawat for a long time, when she finished it was the end of Tahajjud time. She said “Oh Allah what has happened that your nights have become so short that they’re not enough for Fatima’s two rakats”

Story:Sayiddina Ubay Bin Ka’b ra – Qari of Qur’an – Nabi SAW said “Oh Ubay recite Qur’an” Hadrat Ubay RA, suddenly he remembered Allah SWT “Oh Nabi did Allah take my name and order me to do tilawat” Nabi “Yes, Allah took your name, and said go to Ubay and asked him to do tilawat and Oh my beloved I will listen and you listen with me/you listen and I will listen with you”*Allah SWT is requesting to listen to Sahabah, He SWT is the audience. *Even if person doesn’t have faith, the Qur’an is so immense it can affect people without Imaan.

At-Taaha – Surah which was the reason for Umar RA converting. Was the reason for Farooq. Strong, severe ayah of Qur’an.

Angels are not allowed to do Tilawah of Qur’an Kareem, Jibraeel AS was the exception. They are messengers of mercy, when they comethey bring barakah and imagine the helplessness they would feel.Comes in rawayath that Angels come so close to reciter of Qur’an that they’re only a breath away – This is how much they are attracted to, and how much they love Qur’an.

Adab of recitation of Qur’an: Cut off from world, all there is to my existence is Me and

My Allah Have passion/interest/love towards tilawat. Have a gham (grief/heartbroken) when doing tilwat

Have pleasure for what is being recited; just do tilwat of this one verse just because you love it. Pleasure overpowering our senses, making us drift in the words of Allah SWTWhen you have it in heart, it will manifest itself somehow, may hum, may have it in your hear

In a beautiful voice – Haq of Qur’an that we recite in most beautiful way. When reciting verse of Quran which is happy, should feel happyWhen reciting verse of Qur’an which is scary, should fear scared. We should feel feelings of Qur’an

In Salah:Have to do Fatiha and Ghayr Fatiha Minimum verses – 3 in Salah For it to be counted as Surah

Surah Ikhlaas:

3rd to last Surah of Qur’an If someone recites Surah Ikhlaas it is as if they have recited

1/3rd of Qur’an Sahabah came to Nabi SAW: I love Surah Ikhlaas. Nabi: “Insh

Allah you will enter Jnnah Firdaus because of that love you have for it”

If someone recites Surah ikhlaas and Muawwadhathayn it is enough to protect from Shaytaan – Nabi SAW

Should do ihtemaam of it. Shan e nuzool: Context of surah revelation:In Makkah, where Nabi was preaching. He was reading Qur’an in front them, Quraysh were a difficult crowd to get a hold of, Mushrik were so ignorant. Mushrik: Tell us what your lord is made of? Tell us what is the lineage of your lord? (Only two things which mattered to them) Allah SWT revealed Surah

Ikhlaas at that time. Allah SWT was giving introduction to himself. Kul – SayJust as Allah SWT is revealing this, we see:Nabi is being divinely inspired – to the heart of Nabi SAW, IS the kalaam of Allah SWTHuwallahu ahadh – this lord is one First words Allah chooses to use for himself. Allah is his Zaathi name and 99 names are sifaathi namesAhadh means ONE, Pure from all similarities, this being who is ahad, nothing can replicate or come close to Allah SWTEveryone will need his Mercy, He will never need our Ibadah. 58

Surah Asr: