Are the Supererogatory Prayers of Morning Prayer to Be Done After the Call to Prayer

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Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question: As our beloved prophet (peace and blessings be upon him ) said the one who prays two Sunnah rakats of fajr will receive great rewards. My question is the two rakats Sunnah prayer of fajr should be prayed after azaan or before the azaan of fajr?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

As soon as the Fajr time has entered, regardless of whether the adhan has been called or not, one can pray the sunna prayers.

[Shurunbulali, Maraqi al -Falah]

Hope this helps
And Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.

Do Mistakes in Recitation Invalidate the Prayer?

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Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question: Do mistakes in recitation invalidate the prayer?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Your mispronunciation or mistakes does not invalidate your prayer.

What Types of Mistakes Invalidate the Prayer

The scholars have discussed this issue in a great deal and have mentioned that any mistakes made in the pronunciation of the Arabic do not break the prayer unless the change of the meaning is drastic, such that the meaning is tantamount to disbelief. [Hashiyah Ibn Abidin]

Others have mentioned that no mistakes invalidate the prayer because many people are unlearned and would often make pronunciation mistakes.

There is expansiveness in the matter.

Allah, Most High has not placed any undue hardship in the religion. Sometimes we overburden ourselves with doubts that may lead to waswasa.

How To Deal With Waswasa

For the one who is constantly in doubt abandoning caution is sometimes the best cure.

“As for the one who is often inflicted with waswasa, it is necessary for them to sever the cause of the waswasa and not to give it any consideration. This is because it is the doing of Shaytan and we have been commanded to oppose him.” [Hashiyah Ibn Abidin]

Knowledge

The long-term cure for these constant doubts is to seek a deeper understanding of Islamic Knowledge. With knowledge, Shaytan can not deceive you with his whispers and plots. I would advise that you find authentic scholars in your area and study with them a basic text in Islamic Jurisprudence.

Please note that SeekersGuidance has classes available in Islamic Jurisprudence and many other subjects.

May Allah ease your affairs

Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.

Keeping Silence During the Friday Sermon

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Answered by Ustadh Farid Dingle

Question: How do you tell someone to be quiet while the Friday sermon is being given?

Answer: Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner, thank you for your question. May Allah increase you in light, knowledge, and practice.

Just tap him on the back, or gesture to him to be silent without talking. This should work, inshaAllah.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘Whoever tells his friend to be quiet while the imam is giving the Friday sermon, has himself said something wrong.’ (Bukhari and Muslim)

In the al-Shafi’i school speaking while sitting down listening to the Friday sermon is offensive, and not haram. (al-Manhaj al-Qawim, Ibn Hajar) As such, telling someone to be quiet would not be forbidden, but it would still be offensive.

The proper thing to do is to just gesture to the person to stop talking. If this doesn’t work, one could utter actual words to make them stop talking. This would not be offensive:

‘All one can do if you wish to stop someone else speaking is to gesture in a manner that lets him know that he should be silent; if it is not understood, he should say as few words as possible to get the point across.’ (Hashiyat al-Tirmisi)

In fact, it could even be obligatory to tell the person to stop talking if it is the only way it could be achieved and if his talking prevents the minimum amount of people needed for a valid Friday prayer (40 people) from hearing the Friday prayer. (Bushra al Karim, Ba Ishin)

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.

What Is the Proof That Prayer Is Not Permissible When the Sun Is at Its Zenith?

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Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question: What is the textual evidence that prayer is not permissible when the sun is at its zenith?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

The Messenger of Allah said, “The prayer is witnessed and attended (i.e. by Angels) until the mid-day and it is certainly a time when the doors of Hell are opened and its fire kindled. So leave the prayer until the shadow appears. [Nasaai]

Uqbah bin Amir al-Juhani narrates, “There are three times which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) would prohibit us from praying or burying our deceased therein: When the sun clearly begins to rise until it has fully risen, when the sun reaches its peak till it begins to decline, and when the sun’s light begins to weaken till it fully sets.” [Muslim]

There are many other narrations in this regard as well.

May Allah bless you
Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.

What Is the Ruling of the Prostration of Forgetfulness?

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Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question: What Is the Ruling of the Prostration of Forgetfulness?

Answer: You will only need to perform Sajdah al-Sahw if you left out a necessary action in the prayer. If you did leave out such action then you should make Sajdah al-Sahw whether people are watching or not.

You should understand that Allah, Most High is certainly watching and His knowledge and opinion of you is more important than that of the people.

Doubts

If you are constantly doing Sajdah al-Sahw because of doubts regarding the number of units of prayer (rakah) that you have done, then you should only consider the doubt if it is substantial.

If you are 50/50 then you should continue your prayer based on the lesser number of units then end the prayer with Sajdah al-Sahw. [Maraqi al-Falah]

If this doubt occurs are the salaam or after having already sat in the final sitting the length of time it takes to recite the tashahud supplication, then you should not pay the doubt any mind. That is until and unless you have absolute certainty that you left out something. [Maraqi al-Falah]

Waswasa

For the one who is constantly in doubt abandoning caution is sometimes the best cure.

“As for the one who is often inflicted with waswasa, it is necessary for them to sever the cause of the waswasa and not to give it any consideration. This is because it is the doing of Shaytan and we have been commanded to oppose him.” [Hashiyah Ibn Abidin]

Knowledge

The long-term cure for these constant doubts is to seek a deeper understanding of Islamic Knowledge. With knowledge, Shaytan can not deceive you with his whispers and plots. I would advise that you find authentic scholars in your area and study with them a basic text in Islamic Jurisprudence.

Please note that SeekersGuidance.org has classes available in Islamic Jurisprudence and many other subjects.

May Allah ease all of your affairs and protect you and us from the plots of Shaytan

Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.

Is It Permissible to Just Read the Qur’an Until I Learn How to Pray?

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Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question: Assalamu ‘Alaykum, I just converted to Islam. Is It Permissible to Just Read the Qur’an During the Prayer Time until I Learn how to pray?

Answer: Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well. Congratulations! I pray Allah makes your faith thrive and that He makes you embody the beauty of this religion such that you are pleasing to Him.

Start Now

You should pray the five daily prayers in their time. This is quite simple as you only need to do the bare minimum of actions for the obligatory prayers (2 units for fajr, 4 for Zuhr, 4 for ‘Asr, 3 for Maghrib, 4 for ‘Isha, 3 for witr). This can be learned in five minutes.

You should get someone who prays to help you with the following, but it is fairly straight forward. Start a minimal wudu: wash you face, arms up to the elbows, and feet unto the ankles once; and wipe a moist hand over a 1/4 of your head,

Then, face the Qibla, intend the prayer you are praying, and say ‘Allahu Akbar’. If you do not know the Arabic pronunciation you can say ‘God is the greatest.’

Then recite just one verse in Arabic – which shouldn’t be difficult to learn (try ‘Allah-us-Samad’). Then bow (ruku’) and stay there for a couple of seconds, stand for a second, and go down in to the prostration (sujud). Sit up, and then do another sujud.

This is one unit complete. Stand for the next. For fajr, sit for about 30 seconds after the second unit, then look at your shoulders and say ‘salam’ to end the prayer.

For the rest of the prayers, you will sit after the second unit and then stand for the third or the last unit. Repeat what you did earlier to end when the number of units for the prayer are done.

One last thing – in the witr prayer, in the third unit, after reciting a verse, raise your hands and say ‘Allahu Akbar’ once more before bowing.

Doing the above will give mean that your prayers are valid, and as you learn the elements of the prayer you can add to the above formula as you go. Learning the above is not difficult, and you’ll find it very easy with the help of another.

Go Slow

The prayer is a great source of benefit for a believer, and a means of showing gratitude to Allah for what He gives us. Getting it going will aid you in strengthening your faith – but take it easy. Learning about the details of the religion can be overwhelming, and sometimes adding new practices is very tempting too.

Please take our course on the Absolute Essentials of Islam. It will help you build your practice in a balanced way.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.

Does the Exiting of a Praying Time Invalidate the Ablution?

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Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question: Does the exiting of a praying time invalidate the ablution (wudu)?

Answer: The exiting of the prayer time does not invalidate the ablution. However, if one is considered ‘excused’ by the Sacred Law the ablution terminates at the exiting of every prayer time.

One is only considered excused if, for example, they have a nose bleed and it never ceases for them to be able to make an ablution and prayer. [Maraqi al-Falah]

How To Deal With Waswasa

For the one who is constantly in doubt abandoning caution is often the best cure.

“As for the one who is often inflicted with waswasa, it is necessary for them to sever the cause of the waswasa and not to give it any consideration. This is because it is the doing of Shaytan and we have been commanded to oppose him.” [Hashiyah Ibn Abidin]

Knowledge

The long-term cure for these constant doubts is to seek a deeper understanding of Islamic Knowledge. With knowledge, Shaytan can not deceive you with his whispers and plots. I would advise that you find authentic scholars in your area and study with them a basic text in Islamic Jurisprudence.

Please note that SeekersGuidance.org has free classes available in Islamic Jurisprudence and many other subjects.

May Allah ease your difficulty
Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.

Is It Permissible to Pray in Multiple Friday Prayers in the Same City?

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Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question: Is it permissible to pray in multiple Jumua in the same city?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

May Allah bless you for your question

Performing Jumua in multiple places in the same city is permissible. [Maraqi al-Falah]

Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.

Are My Supplications Insincere?

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Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question: Every time I make dua for something I feel like I am not sincere enough. Would this be considered waswasa? Also, is there a specific dua you should make when you ask Allah (SWT) for something?

Answer: Assalamu alaykum sister,

Thank you for this excellent question.

Allah, Most High, says, “[O Prophet], if My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.
So let them respond to Me in obedience, and believe in Me, so that they may be rightly guided.“ [Qur`an, 2:186]
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said, “Supplication is worship.” [Abu Dawud]

Supplication (du`a) is the door to your relationship with Allah. Thinking that you are not sincere is surely from the Devil (Shaytan) and you must ignore it. Allah is the only judge of your sincerity, and customarily a person who doesn’t think he is sincere, is in fact sincere. Beware of letting the Shaytan dissuade you from du`a. Your Lord, Most High, has proclaimed, “Call upon Me, I will respond to you. Surely those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell, fully humbled.” [Qur`an, 40:60]

I have heard from a scholar once that the whole point of performing the prayer is to make du’a at the end. When one raises up one’s hands, one’s inner secrets, feelings, thoughts, doubts, and aspirations come to the lips. Who better to tell them to then the Creator? He knows them all anyway! But, we ask Him because we are the ones who need it. Our love, trust, devotion, submission, gratitude, and contentment will flourish when we turn to Him in du`a. This direct and intimate discourse that we have with Allah can be disturbed or influenced by no one. It’s just you and your Lord, especially if it is in the depth of the night.

When you ask Allah for something, some basic etiquettes come to mind.

1) Have ritual purity (ablution)
2) Face the Qibla, cover your head
3) Begin by blessing the Prophet, and end with it
4) Thank Allah for his blessing and mention his favors on you
5) Ask him to forgive you for your sins, and proceed to ask what you wish
6) Pray for others because of the following hadith: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said, “There is no believing servant who supplicates for his brother behind his back (in his absence) that the Angels do not say: The same be for you too.“ [Muslim]

One of my teacher’s teachers had taught her not to bother making du’a for oneself, but instead, only for the ummah of Islam, because it would come back to one, in any case. One of the best du`as that was often recited by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace is, “O our Lord, grant us the best in this life and the best in the next life, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Please see the following lecture on the subject. I have also linked a number of du’as and manners (adab) associated with du`a. Be sure to see them all.

Supplication is the Essence of Worship: The Reality and Proper Manners of Asking Allah (Dua)

Invocations and Supplications: A Comprehensive SeekersGuidance Reader
VIDEO: Three Manners of Supplication
Adab of Dua: Leave All Rhyme and Ask the Divine
Adab of Dua: The States That Can Change Fate
Adab of Dua: Are My Duas Being Answered?
Adab of Dua: Why Is My Dua Not Answered
Adab of Dua: Impermissible Duas
Adab of Dua: When Praying Is Haram

I pray that you take advantage of the very moment and supplicate. JazakAllah khayran.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.

Movements In Prayer

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Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question: Salam Aleykum, Do movements in the prayer invalidate the prayer? Does lifting one’s hand or hands in the prostration invalidate the prayer?

Answer: Wa Aleykum Selam

Movements That Invalidate the Prayer

Movements in the prayer, if excessive, can invalidate the prayer. The definition of excessive is such a movement that if an onlooker saw you doing it, they would assume that you are not in prayer. [Maraqi al-Falah] The movement you described doesn’t seem to fit this definition.

Movements That Do Not Invalidate the Prayer

Movements that are not excessive may still be disliked if they is no benefit in doing so or no wisdom behind it. This disliked movement is call ‘Abath’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily Allah dislikes for you ‘Abath’ idle movements in the prayer….” [Maraqi al-Falah]

Lifting One’s Hands During the Prostration

The minimum requirement of the prostration, regarding the hands, is that at least one hand must be placed on the ground. “The prostration is realized by placing the forehead, not just the nose, along with one of the hands….” [Maraqi al-Falah] If the forehead, one of the hands, the feet, and the knees were to be on the ground together, for at least the amount of time it takes to say ‘SubhanAllah’ once, the prostration would be valid. Although to leave the proper method of prostrating is disliked.

Stillness in Prayer

One should strive to remain still during the prayer. If one could fix their clothing prior to the prayer so that it does not disturb them in the prayer, this is best. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) entered the Masjid and saw a man playing with his beard, while in prayer. The Messenger then said, “If his heart were still, his limbs would have been still.” [Tirmidhi]

May Allah bless you

Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.