Lesson Twenty one
Teaching Prayer (part two)
Dearest students, we have shown you the end way of performing Prayer, with a case study of the Dawn (Fajr) prayer. And now, I want to explain to you the five times prayers and the number of Rakats (Bows) then the Sunna and the Fard (compulsory) part of it.
The table of Fard and Sunna Prayers
The Congregational prayer:
And now, if someone wants to pray with another, how would he pray? Well, let’s take a case study of the afternoon prayer (Dhuhr). Normally, after the second call (Iqama) for starting the prayer, the human’s spirit is reactivated and prepared to stand before its Creator and Provider for worship.
1- Then the person stands a little bit behind on the right hand side of the leading person (the Imam). If there are more than two, the Imam (the leader) stands ahead while the rest form a line behind him. They have to repeat all the actions of the Imam when he says for instance "God is greater" , raising his hands up they repeat and so on till the end of the prayer. Normally, the Noon and the Afternoon prayers are performed very silently i.e. the recitation of Al-Fatiha and other verses of the Qur’an in the first two bows and only Al- Fatiha is recited in the next two. The Imam and those with him all recite silently while during the sunset, evening and the dawn prayers, only the Imam recites loud ly in the first two bows and others only listen with perfect attention to his recitation as understood from the clear evidence of the Holy Qur’an. God Says: (So, when the Qur’an is recited, listen to it and be silent that you may receive mercy (i.e. during the compulsory congregational prayers when the Imam is leading the prayer)) Fortress ..., Al-A‟araf, verse 204.
2- When he glorifies God loudly at the knee bowing state, others do so with their silent voices. He rises up saying "God heard who praised Him" , they say ―our lord, praise be to You" , he glorifies for the first and second prostrations, then the second Rukat
―bows" which ends with the recitation of ―Atahiya" up to the testimony. Then the third and the fourth bows with only Al- Fatiha recited silently. After the recitation of ―Atahiya" plus Salati Ibrahima and other invocations, he then finally greets our prophet Mohammad and the other Prophets as seen above with head turned to the right and to the left. Note that whenever the Imam is reciting loudly others do not recite except in the silent parts of the prayer, where all have to recite.
Assalatul witr (the odd prayer):
This prayer is very essential and should be performed after the Sunna of the Isha-i (evening) prayer. It can either be performed immediately after it or later before sleep or after sleep before the dawn prayer. It contains three Rakats (Bows) like the sunset prayer. You recite Al-Fatiha and Al-Nnaas Fortresses for the first Bow, for the second you recite Al-Fatiha and Al-Faleq Fortresses and Al-Fatiha and Al-Ikhlaas Fortresses for the last Bow. When you get up right from the knee bow of the last Rakat, you invocate your Great Provider concerning your needs and ask Him for the blessing, peace, saviour.....and ask Him for the link with the Prophet (cpth). If you wish you invocate in the Language you understand very well so as to know what you are doing, then you prostrate.
Please, know that prayer means standing before God your Provider for communication with Him. So, we have to be calm, concentrated and linked to Him with our whole heart. And avoid being distracted by people’s activities around us and cover o ur nakedness. Male nakedness starts from the navel to the knee and no part of it should be exposed. No chewing of anything, no talking and no off thinking and off action(s),but perfect attention should be maintained else, our prayers will be nullified.
The prostration of inattentive person (Sujoudus Sahwe)
In case someone is inattentive in his prayer due to certain things and he forgets to do any of the following roles:
- The recitation of Al-Fatiha,
- The recitation of some verse(s) of the Qur’an,
- Sitting for the recitation of ‘Atahiyatu’.
- Prostration.
- One bow.
- And so on.... see the photo.
He has to do this prostration twice, to amend or correct it and to be assured of it and freeing himself from worry. But if he doubts in the decrease of the numbers of bows done, he completes the remaining and does the prostration in order to clear doubt. The prostration is generally done after the last recitation of ‘Atahiya’ before Salam. See photo bellow...
