{The Absolute

Essentials of Islam}
Faith, Worship, and Spirituality

Lesson Eight:
Faraz
Rabbani

Prayer

Virtues of Prayer
Qur’an:
“Establish prayer for
My remembrance”
“Seek assistance in patience
& prayer”
Sunna:
Light
Purificatio
n
Best of works
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 The Valid Prayer

Fulfilling conditions
Performing integrals
{difference?
} Seven +
Five
Everything else: either necessary
(wajib) or recommended (sunna)

Facing Qibla
Time
Covering
Nakedness

Intention Conditions

Purity

Opening
Invocation The Obligatory Acts
of Prayer

Final Sitting

Standing Integrals
Prostration

Recitation
Bowing

The Conditions
Purity

Covering Nakedness

Facing Qibla
Conditions for
Valid Prayer
Time

Intention

Opening Invocation

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 Conditions 1-2: Purity and Free of Filth

(1) Purity
Wudu or Ghusl
(2) Free of Filth
Body, clothing, place of
prayer Exception: Excused
amount

Conditions 3: Clothing Nakedness

(3) Clothing nakedness
For men: navel to knee
For women: everything except
hands, feet, face
Caution:
(a) Tight—disliked, even sinful
(b) Sunnas—loose, modest,
dignified
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Conditions 4: Facing the Qibla

Two situations:
(a) Can see Kaaba: face directly
(b) Otherwise: face
direction What if
unsure?
Reasoned judgment
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 Condition 5: Time
Two conditions:
(a) actually entered
(b) believe it
entered
Issues:
(1) reliable
timetables
(2) learn how to tell
(3) on planes?
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Condition 6: Intention
definition: (1) resolve to perform an
act of obedience (2) and to draw
closer to Allah, (3) at the beginning
of the action
Issues:
(1) Obligatory prayer: specify
(2) Assume validity
(3) Pause—what, why, and magnify
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Condition 7: Opening Invocation

Say: Allahu Akbar

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 The Integrals
Standing

Recitation

The Integrals of Bowing

Prayer
Prostration

Final Sitting

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The Integrals: 1. Standing

Obligatory for obligatory and

necessary prayers
Sunnas: superior—full
reward
When excused?
Two levels of hardship

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The Levels of Hardship

Slight hardship Undue hardship

No dispensation Basis for dispensation

Responsibility only to extent

Entailed by moral responsibility
of ability

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The Integrals: 2. Recitation

The Obligatory Recitation: One

verse—two rakats
Other: Necessary
Why?
“Recite whatever is easy of the
Qur’an.” [Q. 73.20]

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The Integrals: 3. Bowing

Minimum: hands reach knees

Optimum: description
Why?
“Bow and prostrate” [Q. 22.77]

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The Integrals: 4. Prostration

Minimum: place forehead—and what

is needed for it to be called a
‘prostration’
Optimum: description
Why?
“Bow and prostrate” [Q. 22.77]

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The Integrals: 5. Final Sitting

Duration of Tashahhud
Tashahhud: necessary

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The Necessary and Sunna Acts

What if ommitted?
(1)Necessary Left: valid, but
unsound—rectify, within time
(2) Sunna Left: valid and sound, but
lost reward—no rectification

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