Drawing Attention to some Mistakes made in Prayer

Many people fall into errors that go against the correct understanding of prayer either knowingly or unknowingly – and the sweetest of the two is bitter!!

So I felt that I should dedicate this last chapter to warning against some of these mistakes in order to advise the ummah and acting on the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam): “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself [of good].” [1]

First: Reaching the Imaam while he is Bowing
Whoever joins the prayaner congregation while the Imaam is bowing, he must say the initial takbeer (i.e. Allaahu Akbar) whilst standing up with his back straight and being completely relaxed. Then he should make another takbeer to transition into the bowing position.

As for making takbeer when one has his back crooked and whilst already moving into the bowing position, this is not allowed at all. In fact, it may be a cause for his prayer to be nullified.

Imaam Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughnee (1/544): “A person that comes late to prayer must make the opening takbeer while his back erect. If he does it after having completely bent his back to go into the bowing position or whilst in the process of bending his back to bow, it is not valid, since he has done it in other than its proper place…” [2]

Second: Excessive Moving
Moving around (wile praying) in itself – due to some need or emergency – is not prohibited in the Religion. However, moving around (in prayer) without a need for it or due to no valid reason is not permissible. This is based on the Messenger of Allaah’s statement: “Be relaxed in prayer.” [3]

Third: Straightening the Rows
Imaam Muslim reported in his Saheeh that the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: “Straighten (your rows) and do not be divided, lest your hearts should become divided.”

Al-Bukhaaree reported in his Saheeh that the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: “Either you straighten your rows or Allaah will cause disparity to occur between your faces.”

And it is reported in Saheeh Muslim that he (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: “Straightening the rows is from the completeness of prayer.”

And in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: “Verily, establishing the row (evenly) is from the perfection of prayer.”

Many people contradict these ahaadeeth, and so you see them standing in prayer with huge amounts of space between the foot of one person and the foot of the person praying next to him in the row. This is in spite of what the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: “Tighten the rows, for indeed the Devil stands in the gaps.”[4] And he (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: “Tighten your rows and bring them close together. And line the necks up evenly across from one another. For I swear by the One in whose Hand my soul is, I see the devils entering through the gaps in the rows as if they were small sheep.” [5]

So this small gap that exists between the foot of one person and the foot of the other is a place for the devil, which he uses to play around and bother the children of Adam that oppose the Sunnah of their Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam).

Surprisingly, some people reject this type of ruling based on their mere logical reasoning, claiming that: “This Devil can also enter through (the spaces) in between our feet and ourselves!!”

We say: No, because the issue, primarily, is a matter of the Unseen and therefore there is no room in it for the human intellect except for that of understanding and comprehending. As for thrusting oneself headfirst into these matters (of the Unseen) and trying to unravel its hidden secrets, then no…since Allaah says: “But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.” [Surah An-Nisaa: 65]

Fourth: The Second Congregation and those beyond that
Many business people and their customers, as well those similar to them, take praying in congregation lightly due to their assumption that any congregation they catch in the masjid is valid. Such a belief causes them to become lenient with and belittle the first congregation.

It is no secret to any of the people of knowledge that the numerous ahaadeeth on the virtue of praying in congregation apply to only the first congregation, which is the one established by the main Imaam of the masjid or his deputy. If this was not this case and these ahaadeeth applied to any congregation, there would be no increased merit for arriving early to prayer and catching the congregation. This would mean that anyone who is able to catch any of the congregations would then be achieving the same virtue,[6] and this is not true!

Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee said in his book al-Umm (1/180): “If a masjid has a regularly employed Imaam, and a man or some men come to the masjid and find that they have missed the prayer (in congregation) , they should pray individually (i.e. separately). I do not like that they should pray in a congregation in it. However, if they do it, their praying in congregation in the masjid is valid.” [7]

He, may Allaah have mercy on him, then said: “I believe that the reason why some of them (i.e. the scholars) considered it disliked was due to the fact that it causes division and dissuades a person from praying behind the Imaam leading the congregation. This will cause a disparity between this person and the one who goes to the masjid during the proper time of the (first) congregation. So when the prayer finishes, they enter the masjid and pray. So this consists of differing between the people and dividing the ranks, and both of these things are detestable.”

In his notes to Sunan At-Tirmidhee (1/431-432), the great scholar and Muhaddith, Shaikh Ahmad Shaakir quoted the above words of Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee then commented on them, saying:

“The opinion that Ash-Shaafi’ee derived on this issue based on this understanding is correct and proper. He is stating it based on sharp perception, precise understanding, and an effective intellect of the spirit and objectives of Islaam. The first, most honorable and most significant objective of Islaam is to unify the ranks of the Muslims, connect their hearts towards one goal – which is uplifting the Word of Allaah – and unify the ranks of the Muslims in working towards this goal. So the spiritual significance in this is their congregating to pray and their lining up in rows for that purpose first, as the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Either you straighten your rows or Allaah will cause disparity to occur between your faces.’ [8]

This is an intricate point that cannot be derived except by those whose intellect Allaah has enlightened with understanding of the Religion, such as Ash-Shaafi’ee and those like him.

The Muslims have seen with their own eyes and touched with their own hands the ill-effects of divided congregations and unstable rows in prayer has had on them, except for those who have lost their sense of feeling or been blinded.

If you enter many of the masaajid of the Muslims (today), you will find people refraining from praying in congregation, claiming the Sunnah as they think, then establishing other congregations for themselves, thinking that they are establishing the prayer better than anyone else! If they were truthful in their claim, they would bear the sin of what they missed out on from their original prayer. So there is no benefit in the good that they think they are doing when they condemn others for leaving off the voluntary and recommended prayers!!

And you will see other people staying away from the masaajid of the Muslims and then getting other masaajid for themselves, thus causing harm and division to the unity and splitting the ranks of the Muslims. We ask Allaah to grant us protection and success, and we ask Him to guide us to unify our ranks. Verily, He hears the supplication.” [End of Ahmad Shaakir’s words]

Footnotes:

[1] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from Anas; The addition mentioned in brackets is from An-Nasaa’ee as stated in Silsilat-ul- Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah (73)
[2] Refer to al-Qawl-ul-Mubeen fee Akhtaa-il-Musalleen (pg. 264)
[3] Reported by Muslim
[4] Reported by Ahmad from Anas bin Maalik; Refer to Saheeh al-Jaami’-us- Sagheer (3454)
[5] Reported by Ahmad and Abu Dawood from Anas; Refer to Saheeh al-Jaami’-us- Sagheer (3455)
[6] This is why Imaam Wakee’ bin Al-Jarraah, the teacher of Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee, said: “Whoever treats the opening takbeer lightly (i.e. by not being present for it in the congregation) , then wipe your hands clean from him.” Refer to Hilyat-ul-Awliyaa (8/370) of Abu Nu’aim Al-Asbahaanee.
[7] Meaning: Their prayer is valid even though they have opposed the authentic Sunnah and the Prophet’s guidance.
[8] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree