Six Prayer Mistakes That Dishonor Salah

Alhamdulillah.

[Silence]

Ford.

[Silence]

I'm sorry. Wasam. Captain.

[Silence]

There's a a narration which has been collected by many of the scholars of hadith and it's in the majority of the major books of hadith on the authority ity of a companion by the name of Abdman. He said the messenger of Allah sallall.aii Wasam prohibited meaning and prohibited us prohibited in general that a person peck the pecking of a crow or that a person lay out in the posture of an animal or a beast a tiger or a lion. Or that an individual turn his head the turning of a fox. or that a person fall a camel does when it goes to sit down or lay down. Or that a person choose a place for himself that he always is in in the masid a camel chooses a place for itself in its pen or in its corral. This narration has a lot of prohibitions in it. These prohibitions are all with regards to salah. In salah, he mentions turning the head a fox. He mentions pecking a crow. He mentions falling a camel does when it goes to lay down. He mentions choosing a place for yourself that you always always pray in in the masid. You're always in that same place just a camel chooses a place in its pen and it doesn't go anywhere else to find its refuge and rest. And he prohibited that a person lay himself out a beast. Now what do these things mean? These things are all in what? In salah. So let's start with the first one. Turning the head a fox. What is that? Who could who here is the that's going to enlighten us with respect to the meaning of this turn in the head a fox? You know, foxes are very they are very paranoid creatures, right? They're very smart. They're very paranoid. They're always looking around making sure that there's no predators. What is this a prohibition of? Somebody say something that a person turn his head around looking around in salah. But this is actually in what? In when a person goes to say all right. this this movement or that it's not all the way. This is prohibited and this will invalidate a person's prayer if they do not say it properly. And Ibn Mas and others of the companions they said that when we would pray behind the prophet sallall.aiam when he would make aim he would look as far as he could to his right. And we would be able to see the full whiteness of his cheek when he would make a salam. So he would make a salam. If a person were behind, they would see the full side of the cheek. What is impermissible is half turns and that they be quick and swift a fox. This here can potentially invalidate a person's prayer because one of the pillars of prayer is what? Salam. It's the final pillar. And so if a person does not make a salam correctly in the sense that they say it completely and the bare minimum issu then the person's prayer may be invalid. How about moving the head around when a person is in any other position of prayer to look at something that's going on to move the head and to see? If there's no need to do this, no need for the prayer or in general they're just looking around. Muslim the prophet sallall.aii wasallam said if there's no need for it. When he was asked about turning the head in prayer, he said it is a type of stealing that a shan thieves from a person's prayer, meaning from the reward of his prayer. However, is it permissible when there is a need to do so? The answer is yes. Narrations in a sunnah mention that the prophet would turn his head in salah for any purpose. whether it would would be because he would be guarding the horizon in a time of war or fear or because something occurred and he needed to turn his head. All the narration speaking about him turning in salah. It's speaking about his head not the chest. The chest cannot turn from the direction of the was narrated to have looked and turned his head to see things while he is in prayer. If there's a need for it, it will not affect a person's prayer. Or for instance, a person in salah is looking at the im. They have to look at the imam. They have to turn their head. Correct. This is the sunnah. The sunnah is a person in salah behind the im that they look at the imam to see where he is in the prayer and what position he is going in. This is something which is permissible. However, this narration is speaking about specifically in or without need to do so. The only direction that it is haram to look at in salah is which direction? Is up. Is up. The prophet sallallah.aii wasallam strictly prohibited raising the vision above in salah. And he said, "A person who raises his vision in salah is in danger of Allah blinding him as a response to this disrespect for prayer." Okay. What is the next one? He mentions and pecking the pecking of a of a crow or a bird. What is this in reference to? Which position of prayer? and sujud, right? And most notably, this is that a person does not come up completely between the two sujud, right? Sitting between the two sagas is a pillar of prayer. If a person does not come up and find tranquility between the two sagdas, their salah is invalid. What is tranquility? for that a person. They mentioned that the bare minimum of tranquility in prayer is that a person rise up to the position and that their body find complete stillness in that position before they go on to the next position. But often times a person is making the sujud they they're making sujud they come up halfway or almost all the way and they go right back down. This is prohibited and this will invalidate a person's salah because again sitting between the two sagdas is what is a pillar of salah and tranquility is a pillar of salah. The next one he mentions is that a person lay himself out like the posture of a beast. This is referring to what in in sujud, you know, when cats or big big cats or bears or these kinds of animals when they lay on their belly, they usually lay their whole forearm up to the elbow on the ground. Right? This here touching the ground with a person's forearm in salah in sujud is prohibited in salah. A person is to make sujud on his hands. Right? The forearm should never be touching the ground. Even if a person's in a tight position in the prayer, right? The hands are on the ground, but the forearm is never touching the ground. The next one he mentions is that a person fall a camel does when it goes to lay down. What position is this speaking of.

[Arabic recitation]

That mean? Does that mean that a person when they go into sujud they should go on their hands first or on their knees first? What does the narration mean? What do you think it means hands? So the scholars mention both but really is that this narration is not referring to hands or or knees. It's referring to tranquility when falling into sujud whether a person goes into their hands or goes onto their knees first. This is not what the narration is speaking of. The narration is speaking of the abruptness, the kind of falling, the collapse that a person does when they go in sujud a camel does. I don't know if you have ever seen a camel when it goes to lay down. It falls with with with force. It's very it's very clumsy when it falls forward and then back. And so whether a person goes on his knees or his hands, that's not what the narration is speaking of. The narration is speaking of a person falling with that kind of with that kind of clumsiness. Right? And often times you can hear that if people are praying if you're on on a level underneath where people are praying above you, you can often hear this mistake. When people fall for sudoo it's light it's thunder right this is something which the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam prohibited when a person falls for sujud they fall with grace they gracefully fall to sud right whether the hands or the knees the last one is clear and that is that is that a person always pray in the same place in the masid every prayer. Camels are very particular creatures and they are creatures of habit. when they come into the me when when they come into the masjid, when they go into their, you know, wherever their place is, their their place of living, they always go to the same place, right? And you can start to see the outline of where it sits and it starts to dig into the ground and leave an impression in the ground cuz it's always there in the same place. This is prohibited for a person to always pray in the same place in the masid every single day. Rather, a person prays wherever they happen to be at that time. But to always pray in the same place, this is incorrect. This is a mistake people make in salah. One of the reasons for this is that if we always have the people praying in the same exact place every day, what starts to happen with that place, it's we start to get ownership, start to make people feel they have a right to that. I'm always this is my place. Nobody owns any part of the masid. So a person cannot even say oh this is my place I always pray here. No anyone is rightful to any place in the masid at any time whether they built the masid with their hands or they just walked in for the first time from the ends of the earth. Both have equal right to every place in the masid that they happen to pray. And this is a mistake that is often made especially on silhouette Juma. People come in they have their little groups and they put out their mats and nobody is allowed to come here and pray in this place and then they wait for their friends to come and fill up that place. And so also another byproduct of this is that people start to people start to become you know have these little groups in the masid that in the masid. So now we got the Arabs over here, we got the Indians over here, we got the Pakistanisians over here and and we don't really mix. We just, you know, we come kind of together. We pray real quick and then we retreat back to our places and our respective groups a prison yard. This is not how salah is supposed to be in the masid. It is supposed to be a congregational effort and all places all the Muslims have equal right and opportunity to any of those places except two places. Number one, the place where the imam prays. That one doesn't change. And number two, directly behind the imam. This is reserved for who? What's that? The.

[Arabic recitation]

Who are most memorized in the Quran. And this is honestly a a problem that happens and people should encourage this to not happen. You see the the huab or the people that if something happened to the imam, they would be the ones to take over the prayer or the ones who you know are are the standins for the imam or the assistance to the imam or what have you. They're praying all the way at the end at the far place and then the people who have the least you know memorization of the Quran are praying right behind the imam. So if anything happens to the im or the salah we have no way to correct the prayer and the prophet sallall.aii wasallam said that the most intelligent the most mature the most knowledgeable they are the ones to pray directly behind the im. So this is usually I give this little thing at the very beginning to try to get you know people's minds active a little bit before we take some questions or as some of the brothers have named it. Who is there anybody that has any questions for today? Yes. Hang on. Wait for the microphone inshallah. We have 11 minutes left. Yes.

[Arabic recitation]

Access to the mask.

[Arabic recitation]

And then someone has to give you some approval and you just said everybody should have access to the mask. I know it's some security measures but I feel there's some profiling in that. approve apply an approval for what?

[Arabic recitation]

Because of the codes over there.

[Arabic recitation]

Masid is different than a person having an equal right to pray any part of the masid. So if it were just a masid with no valuables in it, with no reason for there to be any doors on it or to be any locks on it or something of that sort, then sure. However, especially, you know, for instance in our situation here, we have a school, we have other valuables in the masid, we have potential for the masid to be abused, etc. But for the time of prayer, when a person comes into the masid, any place of salah, they should have access to it. But it doesn't mean that everyone gets a key to the masid. We don't know who people are. we have to protect the masid. And there's more than just the masid in the building, right? Correct. Clear.

[Arabic recitation]

A key then.

[Arabic recitation]

You want to give access.

[Arabic recitation]

You said.

[Arabic recitation]

Prays here constantly with us then they would and they're here usually they would get a key code. But you know what's the point of having a lock if you give a key to everybody? We might as well just take the lock off, right? So, you know, there's a process obviously for that. However, for the message being open and people praying in any position, that's that's something that's open now.

[Arabic recitation]

Just so that people watching online can hear the question. there is residu if there if a person comes into the masid.

[Arabic recitation]

Listening to the d the talk or making a sunnah.

[Arabic recitation]

And both are permissible. However, what is this break brings us back to an age-old question amongst the scholars which they've discussed in their books and the fukah and Islamic jurists have discussed and that is seeking knowledge and making which one is more which one takes precedence and the majority of the scholarship of Islam are of the view that seeking knowledge is the first priority after obligations have been fulfilled. Always. Always. There is nothing that takes priority over seeking knowledge after obligations have been fulfilled. If a person were to say for instance, should I spend my time studying the Quran or praying neil? We would say studying the Quran. seeking knowledge, listening to the scholarship of Islam, etc. This is a priority after any obligation. Now, yes, we have another question here with brother.

[Arabic recitation]

Abu Ali's question. and then just a quick second one. So the followup here is as you mentioned let's say for instance when you finish prayer right after that you know when people are doing their you know and whatnot sometime I mean you will get up and then try to give the talk in that case then.

[Arabic recitation]

And then finish our you know and all that stuff especially in the morning for instance.

[Arabic recitation]

And then just listen to the sheh who's giving the talk because in that case obviously.

[Arabic recitation]

Stuff.

[Arabic recitation]

She for I mean then leaving your.

[Arabic recitation]

Sabah stuff you know or just listening to the so that's that's one the second one is just to follow up on that is what is your take on sometimes I mean you You may see a brother again it's not anybody here just in general will be praying and then you try to focus but then you hear somebody maybe wave far to your right he's you know is so loud it just disturbs you misfocus type of thing or you know he's next to you but then really you're not focusing because you hear all these things that he's saying in his suj so if you can want to just mention a little bit on that.

[Arabic recitation]

To the same answer that was in the previous question and that is making a after the salah is it obligatory or optional? It is an it is it is optional. it will not affect the person's prayer. Listening to knowledge is it optional or obligatory? It could be obligatory in in but there is nothing to prevent a person from joining both at the same time. So we give the example we have the salah and then we have a or a talk after or after the people that are present they can continue with their while listening. This is something which is permissible and not only is it permissible but at some points it may be highly advised the prophet sallallah.aii alaihi wasallam said in the narration of J that if a person comes to the masid while the im is giving they should not sit until they make two and they are to make the two brief. So we hear here here we have an instance where a person is making salah while the is going on and listening to the is an obligation of J. But there are instances when both can be done together. If the student of knowledge or sheh or scholar or what have you were to begin to speak after salah does the person who had just made salah and had not finished his have to stop making his because he's speaking no they can continue their and listen as for the second question which is u regarding raising a person's voice in a silent part of prayer that it will be disturbing to others. As a matter of fact, some people recite in their salah so loud. I've had it where I'm in the row and I'm praying and there's someone next to me reading surah fat and I'm trying to read but because his voice is so intrusive I'm saying with him when he makes right. This is something that not only is impermissible but is incredibly distracting and irritating. It's very annoying. Again, the masid is a shared space. We have to share it. Right? This happens a lot as well when people come into the masid and join the im. So the im is in salah is reciting and someone comes to Allahb. We don't need that. We do not need that. Right? a person is to enter into salah. sometimes people will say it so loud that I will stop reading because I think somebody is correcting me, right? Or when the imam goes to make or they make a loud behind the im. None of this is of the sunnah. All of this is prohibited if it is distracting to those around you. But an occasional raising of the voice occasional once in a blue moon there was a this is something which is permissible on occasion. Let's say a person is well the narration in inahkari once the prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam came up from and said and one of the companions said and after he said who said that and the companion said I said that he said I saw 34 angels competing with each other who of them is going to take it up to Allah first. So he encouraged this dua and the raising of the voice on very scarce occasions is permissible in the companion said the prophet sallallah.aii wasallam in leading us in or would sometimes let us hear one or two verses of what he was reciting. So he'd be reading for instance he would raise his voice this in a natural way on occasion in a silent prayer. That's a different story than a person who is whispering so loud that a person next to them can hear and it will impede their prayer. How loud should a person's silent prayer be? This is really what the question gets down to when we say silent prayer. So it's an an inaudible prayer. It's it's etc. How loud should the person be? What is the minimum loudness volume and what is the maximum volume in that situation? mentions in his book that under normal circumstances a person in a quiet environment should be able to hear himself. That is the maximum and minimum volume that the fukah have given for recitation and silent prayers. So, as I'm reading under normal environment, meaning if a person is praying next to a diesel truck or or or a a compressor, right, or some some kind of loud thing, they wouldn't hear themselves. But under normal quiet conditions, environment, they would be able to hear their own whisper. This is how loud a person should be in silent prayer. Nothing below that is permissible. If a person only uses his mouth, moves his mouth but cannot hear himself in a normal environment, that prayer would not be valid. There's another thing which is reciting in a person's mind without moving the mouth. This is an invalid prayer according to the consensus of all of the in the for and sometimes you'll see this a person instead of reading in fata they will just be that they're they're not moving their lips they're not moving their mouth and they will say I'm reading in my heart or I'm reading in myself this is invalid accord according to the consensus of the scholars. Why? Because it's not recitation. We're commanded to recite. We're commanded to say certain things in prayer. If a person's mouth does not move and there is no sound whatever, this is not recitation according to the Arabic language. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in Muslim and.

[Silence]

So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said in a narration in Muslim, I am with my servant when he remembers me, when he makes mention of me and his lips. lips move with my mention. So this means that a person has to move his lips and his tongue and there has to be some sound otherwise it is not considered to be recitation. Now if there's any more questions otherwise we have gone past our time inshallah. Anyone else? one question long question at your own risk inshallah.

[Arabic recitation]

Know the person in their life.

[Arabic recitation]

Want to up to oneird of what they own if it has to do with the earns errors and I know one/ird is probably too high. We we've heard that before and we know that. So the question is number one if somebody does not follow this and really goes beyond the one-third or spends more amongst some of the earths and not all of them.

[Arabic recitation]

Punishment or the consideration that's the question. Number two, is there a scenario where perhaps you have six, seven children, one of them is totally in need. Your income level comes on a like payment monthly basis.

[Arabic recitation]

Which would take all your income after your expenses. And this looks like you're spending all your money and and you're not considering the others. Is this condition of need negates that or the fault the the inheritance condition does not fall into that tell you for the first question inheritance is when a person dies that is the specific time and ruling of inheritance. So what does this mean? Let's say a person is not deathly ill. They're not on their deathbed and they are not expecting to die. Are they is it permissible for them to give of their money whatever they want? The answer is yes. It's permissible. Hypothetically, it's permissible if I had a fortune of whatever and I'm healthy and in good state of mind to give it all to charity. that's permissible for me because that's my wealth. There would be other issues that might come up. Maybe I have obligations that I have to tend to maybe that's a different story. However, is that impermissible for me? The answer is no. Because that is not inheritance. That is still my my money. When is it impermissible? In two situations. Number one, the person's intention behind doing that is to stunt the inheritance of their heirs. This is haram. And this is what is referred to as a which is doing something haram with an outward image of halal and that is haram and a major sin. The second time is if a person is ill and expecting to die. So let's say a person gets some kind of cancer diagnosis and or some kind of diagnosis that you have a month a year to live and so now they have their children and they start thinking well if I wait till I die then it has to be divided this way but I like this kid more than this one or I want to give this one more than this one. So they give it in the form of a gift, but it's when they're expecting to die. This is a major sin in Islam and it is the same ruling as the one before it. Even if it is just a gift, if I give a child a gift, it is haram in Islam to give a gift to one child and not give it to the others even if they are male or female. So if I give a gift to my son then I need to give an equal gift to my daughter. I have to the prophet said inki he was one of the companions brought his sonbashir and he said I want you to be testify oh messenger of Allah and bear witness to me giving this servant to my son in he said does he have siblings he said Yes, he said I will not bear witness to oppression. Why? Because he is not going to give a servant as well to the rest of his children. So if it is just a gift when a person's not dying then they have to give equal gifts to their children that doesn't follow the rulings of where a boy or a male receives two portions and a female one. or if the person is trying to short circuit or take a trying to interfere with the inheritance of his heirs, this is haram. Or if a person is on his deathbed or expecting to die and so they start to give gifts out out of with the intention of that being from their inheritance in order to divide their inheritance in a way which is haram. This is impermissible. All three of these are impermissible. what about us as the people who are there for the inheritance? Let's say a person is passing away. They write a will or they give an inheritance and they give to one more than another or they choose to give from that onethird and they go more than a third. It is haram to obey that will. Why? Because a lot of times we misunderstand the essence of the ruling of inheritance. What is the essence? The essence is inheritance does not belong to me. It is no longer mine once I pass away or expect to die. It is no longer my money. I earned it. Yeah, I earned it. Allah gave it to me. But when a person dies, it no longer belongs to them. And they cannot choose how that is distributed. anything beyond a third and that one-third cannot go to any of his natural heirs. The prophet says in so that third is to give to anyone except for his heirs. If it is to his heirs, impermissible. Now this is regarding a person's inheritance and how it should be divided. This is something that is an obligation upon a person. If they do not make sure that this happens upon their death, they will be held accountable. And what will they be held accountable for? For stealing. Why? What do you mean stealing? Yes, stealing. because that is not their money. All right? So if I try to move this money around after my death in a way that is not commanded by Allah, I am now moving around money that doesn't belong to me. That is the ruling in Islam for someone who does that with regards to inheritance. And then it's it's an extremely delicate and very very grave issue in Islam. And so for us here in America for instance, we could, you know, person could hypothetically give all of their money to their pet if they want to. They could give it to their pet lizard if they want to, right? Because we live in an insane place, an insane time. And you know that's that's what it's to live in the circus that we live in. But what is the obligation upon a Muslim who has wealth that will be inherited with regards to his will and testament? He is to write a willing testament that is to outline exactly what would naturally be given in the Quran and the distribution that's mentioned in the two verses of and the final verse of.

[Arabic recitation]

You have more kids need others, you know, don't need it and one needs or two needs.

[Arabic recitation]

Financial support. All right. That was one of the question. Yeah. I mean, if I have a number of children and one of them is in need of zak and they're grown, can I give them zak? Yes, you can give them from the zakat. Why? because it's not obligatory for you to support them because they're grown. Now, zaka is permissible to a person who is of age who a person who is it's permissible to a family member even a child as long as the person does not does not try to hit two birds with one stone. We know that. So for instance person has a child and they are obliged to spend their money on this child support this child or their wife. They say well I have to give zakat too. So I'll I'll hit two birds with one stone. I'll give my zakat to my dependence. I gave my zaky and I right this is the impermissible way of giving zak she is not obliged to support her husband in this instance. So her zakat to her needy husband if he if he is one of those eight then it is permissible and the same thing if the children are grown for instance say the children are no longer my dependent right and they are poor and they are eligible for zaka is it permissible for me to give my zakat to them yes it's permissible to give zakat to your children to your uncles to your family members as long as you are not otherwise obliged to support them. Right? The same thing goes with the will. Let's say a person now has a child that he supports and he's supporting them from his wealth. that would upon his death turn into their inheritance. As long as he is not on his deathbed or trying to give away his heir's inheritance by doing that, it's permissible because it's still his money. He can give it to whoever he wants. But upon a diagnosis or a deathbed or what have you, an expectation of death, now it becomes impermissible to interfere with anything more than one-third. So if you have five children and you support one of them who is genuinely in need of your support and you don't support the other four, is that permissible? Yes. That's not a gift. That's support. That's different. That's a But if you're giving a gift, even if they're wealthy or poor, you have to give equally.

[Silence]

With.