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Salat during the prophet time-Siraj islam fbfd
Salat during the time of the Prophet
The multiple-meaning word SALAT derives from the root sad-lam-waw1, which implies communication, contact, nearing, bonding, following closely, backing, remaining attached and so on, depending on the context.
In its most occurrences in the Quran, SALAT means communication – and, more specifically, communication with a guide. This guide can be a messenger, a reminder, a man of wisdom, a book of knowledge, or simply a person’s own inner Script or conscience.
The frequent Quranic directive “aqeemoo alssalata”, or “establish the salat/communication”2, is NOT about “performing a ritual prayer”, but a call to constantly heed the divine messages and implement them in real life.
During the time of the Quranic revelation, people used to receive these messages via direct communication (salat) with the messenger at regular meetings, usually twice a day3. These salat sessions were held at specific times – at dawn and nightfall (11:114, 17:78-79, 24:58) and also occasionally, in an emergency, during business hours of the day (62:9-11; cf. 73:7). They were attended by males, due to the then patriarchal social reality (4:43, 5:6); required, for the sake of civility, physical cleanliness4 and presentability (4:43, 5:6, 7:31); and, importantly, required a conscious state of mind for understanding the messages (4:43, 5:91). For establishing order in personal and collective life, people were asked to establish this on-going communication (salat) in practice, by closely following the prophetic messages of oneness, knowledge, compassion, justice, pluralism and so on.
Clearly, these congregations during the Prophet’s ministry were not ritualistic prayer services in the traditional sense. Originally designed to discuss the contemporary events and to address the important issues of the community, they were mainly about pondering over the words freshly revealed along with transmission of the necessary information (73:20, 35:29, 42:38). Earlier, the Quran encouraged the disciples to establish study groups for making some concentrated effort to reflect on the words during a large portion of the night (73:20, 73:1-7).
Because these salat sessions were primarily intended to deliver and disseminate the messages – and because their audience were therefore urged to understand and assimilate them by thinking and reasoning (3:79, 4:43, 5:91, 12:2, 14:4, 20:114, 25:73, 43:3-4, 44:58, 47:24, 73:6) – they essentially differed from today’s mindless ritual prayers which consist of repetitive mechanical movements and robotic chanting and which entirely overlook the quintessence of the original salat and its actual objective (25:73, 8:35, 107:4-5).
Now, long after the departure of the Prophet, who fulfilled his sole duty of delivering5 (5:92, 16:35), people currently have full access to his detailed message via the copies of the completed Quran and therefore do not need in the same way those scheduled salat sessions at specific times to receive the message from a human messenger. Since the Quran now represents the living messenger, any communication with it or with a similar reminder would qualify as one of the endless forms of salat and would serve the purpose. Likewise, any communication with our inherent inner Script (the Book, al-Kitab), through introspection and mindful meditation, provided it is not robotic, would equally qualify as a form of salat.
As socio-economic progress in our time has made life complex and vast, there are far too many ways available now whereby people can conduct (and benefit from) a Quranically rational salat/communication. Examples include: a discussion session at any meeting place like a community centre; a lesson in a classroom; an online group study at an internet forum or another social media; a self-study of a thought-provoking book at one’s own home; or simply a communication with the inner self anytime anywhere. The quality and content of salat may widely vary: from beautiful and well balanced, like the prophetic salat (2:238), to mere noise and aversion of whistling and clapping, like the Meccan polytheists’ salat (8:35).
While all these are forms of salat, a form cannot be the End in itself but is only a means to an End. The End is obviously the establishment of the salat by constantly remembering God by remaining mindful of God’s messages, through all our thoughts and actions, while applying them in our daily life (7:170, 11:114, 19:60-61, 20:14, 21:73, 29:45). This End, the constant remembrance, is truly more important than any of the forms of salat (29:45; note: remembering God = remembering God’s messages in nature; elsewhere, God’s right is defined as the right of the needy, 6:141).
Final words
The salat sessions during the time of the Quranic revelation were mainly about pondering over the words freshly revealed along with discussing the important issues of the community.
Because these prophetic congregations were primarily intended to deliver and disseminate the messages – and because their audience were therefore urged to understand and assimilate them by thinking and reasoning – they essentially differed from the ritualistic prayer services traditionally misperceived as salat.
Sadly, today’s ritual prayer is a mindless ritual developed over time mimicking the original salat, by annexing to it certain repetitive mechanical movements and robotic chanting, mostly devoid of any real sense or benefit, while entirely overlooking the quintessence of salat and its actual objective – thus reducing it into an act of mockery, to put it bluntly.
***********************************
Note 1
The multiple-meaning word SALAT derives from the root ṣlw, or sad-lam-waw, which, depending on the context, implies communication (4:43, 4:102, 17:110, 20:14), contact (19:59, 22:40), nearing (75:31-32), bonding (2:125), following closely (20:132, 70:23, 74:43, 23:2,9), walking/following behind closely (9:84), law-abiding (9:5, 9:11), oration/lecturing (3:39), briefing/discussion (5:106), backing (33:43, 33:56), remaining attached (70:22) and so on. In a horse race when the second horse follows the first one so closely that its head always overlaps the first horse’s body that horse is called AL-MUSSALLI (i.e. the one who follows closely/remains attached). Central portion of the back, portion from where the tail of an animal comes out, the rump. LL, V4, p: 444, 445 http://ejtaal.net/aa/#q=SLW
Note 2
Attending the salat/communication sessions is not the same as establishing the salat, which is remembering/minding these communications (“remembering God”) and implementing them in real life. In other words, we can establish salat by adhering to God’s messages/principles/laws (4:103, 42:38, 62:10), which are constantly communicated to us as God’s messages in nature and are reminded by the messengers (24:41, 22:18).
Note 3
The salat sessions during the Prophet’s time were held usually twice a day – at dawn and nightfall (11:114, 17:78-79, 24:58; cf. 6:52, 7:205, 18:28, 25:5, 33:41-42, 48:9, 76:25). In addition, in an emergency, a salat session could also be held exceptionally during business hours of the day, which is now widely ritualised as ‘Friday prayer’ (62:9-11; cf. 73:7). The concept of a ‘middle prayer’, deduced from overinterpretation of 2:238, is negated by verses like 2:143, 68:28 and 24:58. Then the concept of noon and afternoon prayers, deduced from overinterpretation of 30:17-19, is negated by a careful reading: So glory be to God, when you are at evening and when you are at dawn./ To Him belongs all praise in the heavens and the earth and at the sun’s decline and when you are at noon./ He brings the living from the dead, and He brings the dead from the living. … 30:17-19. This passage, lacking imperative verb, is not a commandment for prayer, but is simply an announcement: Exalted/glorified is God to whom belongs all praise in the heavens and the earth and throughout all the hours of day and night. It is interesting to observe here the recurrent references to dualities in creation that remind us of the oneness of the Creator (evening … dawn; heavens … earth; sun’s decline … noon; living … dead; dead … living, etc). This is in line with the continuously recurring dialectical expressions throughout the long context, 30:2-27. Compare this with analogous passages where God is glorified and praised with similar mentions of day and night, heavens and earth, living and dead etc. For example: 57:1,2,6; 17:12,43,44,49; 3:27,29; 2:163-164; 6:95-96.
Note 4
The salat sessions in early Islam required, for the sake of civility, physical cleanliness (4:43, 5:6). The Quran asked the attendants to achieve this by washing the exposed body areas (face, hands, feet) and, when needed, by washing more thoroughly. There was NOTHING RITUAL about it. Also, if no water was available, the attendants were asked to use clean sand (but never soil or dirt) as typically might be found at the rises of sand dunes (Note: ṣaʿīdan in 4:43 and 5:6 derives from a root that refers to rising; cf. ascend, 35:10, 3:153, 6:125). Apparently, if there was clean sand available instead of water and people were sticky, they could rub about with it and brush it off. Here the Quran is simply giving a practical solution to the contemporary adherents in their arid desert environment, before assuring them that God is pretty relaxed about this. Once again, there was NOTHING RITUAL about it.
Note 5
Everyone’s salat is their own and therefore unique, and thus differs from the salats of others (24:41). The salat of the messengers is also NOT the same as the salat of their followers. Since the sole duty of the messengers was only to deliver, when they were asked to ‘establish the salat’ (11:114, 17:78, 17:110, 20:14, 29:45; cf. 10:87, 14:40, 17:110), they were in fact asked to actualise their salat/communication with God – i.e. God’s order to them to fulfil their duty to deliver the message to their followers – through their delivery missions (19:31, cf. 19:55, 21:73). The Prophet, for example, established in practice his own salat/communication with God – which is God’s order to fulfil his duty of delivery – by following the instructions given to him personally in this regard, such as arranging scheduled salat sessions twice a day (11:114, 17:78-79, 24:58), reciting the discourse at dawn (17:78; cf. 29:45), orating in a moderate tone without raising the voice (17:110, 7:205) and so on. Please observe that all these commandments were ONLY FOR the messenger, and not for his followers (note the 2nd person masculine singular imperative verbs). On the other hand, when the followers were asked to ‘establish the salat’, they were actually asked to establish in practice their salat/communications with their messenger, by implementing these communications in their daily life. Remarkably, the instruction ‘establish the communication’ (‘aqeemoo alssalata’), when addressed to the followers, is usually followed by ‘and contribute towards betterment’. In contrast, the instruction ‘establish the communication’ (‘aqimi alssalata’), when addressed to the messengers, is never accompanied with ‘and contribute towards betterment’.
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Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Salat a ritual prayer?
By David Namuh
While it is true the debate on Salat is ongoing but here is the thing, if you try to plug any other 'meaning' instead of a ritual prayer, it just introduces contradictions in the book of God. What most do to get around these contradictions is to change the meanings of very well understood Arabic words, by the dozens.
You may be interested to read my detailed note on the issue here on FB:
"Hence, when we take Quran 4:101 to 4:103 together, a logical slam dunk materializes. There are three aspects in these three verses. The first is that Al-Salat has a beginning for which a call is made. The second aspect is that Salat has a conclusion. (The word used in Quran 4:103 for this is (قضيتم). Attempts have been made to twist this very clear term. But it is clear to any Arabic speaker that almost all connotations of this word point to coming to an end.) The third is that Salat can be shortened. All in a course of a day or part of a single day. In addition, it shoots down some of the linguistics gymnastics that are initiated to try and prove that Al-Salat has no ritualistic aspects to it.
Those who have declared that standing, bowing and prostration doesn’t mean physical activities then after the Salat is concluded, what are we to make of standing sitting and laying on one’s side? (The remembering aspect is repeated in Quran 3:191 in these exact terms). So, we are to engage in the remembrance of God in a non-ritualistic manner and then conclude doing so but at the same time continue to remember God again in non-ritualistic manner.
Hence, standing doesn’t mean standing during A-Salat and apparently standing doesn’t mean standing after its conclusion. Let us keep in mind that during Al-Salat, Quran gives us a sequence of physical steps that is standing, bowing and prostration in the relevant verse. Then it gives us a slightly different sequence of physical states after its conclusion of standing, siting and laying on one’s side. The genius of the Quran is that whenever somebody wants to twist straightforward wording of God, Quran takes it to them till they are forced to see sense. For them to make their claim plausible they essentially have to rewrite the meaning of commonly understood everyday use words. Although, the etymology of these words have not changed at all. "
https://www.facebook.com/notes/david-namuh/salat-a-ritual-or-not/1750531055227564/
God bless
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Salat ok(wusta is not JOHR but Tahajjud salat)
Quran rejectors keep asking how can we do salat without hadiths. Let me show you. Please pay attention:
SALAT -
FROM QURAN ONLY PERSPECTIVE:
Start with purifying one self:
1️⃣ ABLUTION (wudu):
"O you who believe, WHEN YOU RISE to observe the Salat, you shall wash your faces and your arms to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles." 5:6
"………… If you are ill or travelling, or if any of you has come from the toilet, or had sexual contact with the women, and you could not find water, you shall observe Tayammum by means of wiping your faces and hands with clean dry soil." 4:43
⭕️ the purifying is 4 simple steps as above.
2️⃣ DIRECTION:
2:144
We see the turning of thy face (for guidance to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction....
3️⃣ TIMINGS:
1. Sala-al Fajr-DAWN PRAYER (24:58; 11:114).
2. Sala-al Esha-EVENING PRAYER (24:58; 17:78; 11:114)
3. Sala-al Wusta- MIDDLE PRAYER (2:238; 17:78)
⭕️ only 3 salats and not 5
Even in the other abraham following creeds:
JEWS:
Three Daily Prayers, The: There are three daily Jewish prayers: morning (shacharit), afternoon (mincha) and evening (maariv).
CHRISTIANS:
9:00 a.m. - Third Hour (Trece).........................The Lord's Prayer
Noon - - - Sixth Hour (Sext).......................................23rd Psalm
3:00 p.m. - Ninth Hour (None)......................................Psalm 117
4️⃣ POSITIONS:
The Quran gives us the three positions to be observed during the Salat. These are Standing, Bowing and Prostrating. The Salat starts in the standing position:
"You shall maintain the Salawaat and the Salat Al-Wusta, and STAND devoutly before God." 2:238
"So the angels called him while he was STANDING praying in the sanctuary: "God gives you news of John; confirming a word from God, a master, moral, and a righteous prophet." 3:39
"And if you are among them and you lead the Salat for them, let a group of them STAND with you and let them hold on to their weapons. Then ONCE THEY HAVE PROSTRATED let them be positioned behind you and let another group, who have not yet observed the Salat, observe the Salat with you while remaining cautious and while holding on to their weapons." 4:102
"We appointed Abraham to establish the Shrine: "You shall not idolize any other god beside Me, and purify My shrine for those who visit it, those who live near it, and THOSE WHO BOW AND PROSTRATE" 22:26
"Muhammad-the messenger of God, and those with him are harsh and stern against the disbelievers, but kind and compassionate amongst themselves. You see them BOWING AND PROSTRATING, as they seek God's blessings and approval" 48:29
⭕️ from above verses we can establish that salat positions are in the order of STAND, BOW & FINALLY PROSTRATE (4:102). The salat ENDS in PROSTRATION and NOT SITTING ON KNEES
5️⃣ THE WORDS:
1- "Recite what has been inspired to you of your Lord's book. There is no changing to His words and you will not find any refuge besides Him." 18:27
2- "You shall recite what is revealed to you of the book and observe the Salat." 29:45
3- "They are not all the same; among the people of the book are an upright nation, THEY RECITE GOD'S REVELATIONS during the night WHILE THEY PROSTRATE." 3:113
⭕️ salat words should be ONLY from The Quran and not ANY OTHER source. In prostration verses should be read to keep us in that position and not just the quick version as approved by mullahs.
SINCE Only Quran so...
- no duroods
- no athayaats
- no ameens
....Do not be loud in your salat, nor quiet/private; but seek a path in between. 17:110
Salat cannot be silent or whispered
6️⃣ ENDING OF SALAT (words) :
10:10
Their prayer in it is: "Glory be to our god!" and their greeting in it is: "Peace," and the END OF THIER PRAYER is:
"Praise be to God, the Lord of the
worlds!" (Alhumdulillah rabial Alalameen)
⭕️ True ending is by praising Allah Swt who has blessed us. End while STILL PROSTRATING and not giving salams left or right.
7️⃣ PURPOSE OF SALAT:
"I am God, there is no god but Me, therefore you shall WORSHIP ME and observe the Salat to commemorate ME." 20:14
The masjids are for God, so DO NOT CALL ON ANYONE with God. 72:18
Say, "My contact prayer, my devotion and offerings, my life, and my death, are ALL TO GOD the Lord of the worlds." 6:162
⭕️ salat is purely to worship & commemorate Allah Swt ALONE and NO OTHER person or entity should be mentioned in any way.
8️⃣ RAKATS
There is no such thing in Quran or any indication of any such requirement so there is absolutely no need to go up and down on multiple occasions.
During salat verses are recited in each position.
The more verses that are recited the longer the salat becomes so to shorten then a person would simply just recite LESS verses.
*************************
I have shown you my Quran ONLY salat now show me a single hadith that shows full salat!!!
.
Source fb:- https://m.facebook.com/groups/712558885500753?view=permalink&id=1132442110179093
Thursday, May 7, 2020
5:6 leg and feet
Feet and Leg 5:6 by MAGani sb.
.
FEET(qadam),LEG(rijl).
FEET(qadam)(قْدَامِ).
٤١:٥٥
يُعْرَفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمْ فَيُؤْخَذُ بِالنَّوَاصِي وَالْأَقْدَامِ
৫৫:৪১
অপৰাধীসকলৰ পৰিচয় পোৱা যাব সিহঁতৰ লক্ষণৰ দ্বাৰা, তাৰ পিছত সিহঁতৰ আগচুলি আৰু ভৰিত ধৰি টানি নিয়া হ’ব।
qadam
n.f. (pl. aqdam)
2:250
وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِه ِِ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرا ً وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Wa Lammā Barazū Lijālūta Wa Junūdihi Qālū Rabbanā ‘Afrigh `Alaynā Şabrāan Wa Thabbit ‘Aqdāmanā Wa Anşurnā `Alá Al-Qawmi Al-Kāfirīna
And when they came forth to Goliath and his soldiers, they said: “Our Lord grant us patience, and make firm our foothold, and grant us victory over the disbelieving people.”
3:147
وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلاَّ أَنْ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Wa Mā Kāna Qawlahum ‘Illā ‘An Qālū Rabbanā Aghfir Lanā Dhunūbanā Wa ‘Isrāfanā Fī ‘Amrinā Wa Thabbit ‘Aqdāmanā Wa Anşurnā `Alá Al-Qawmi Al-Kāfirīna
And they did not say except: “Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our shortcomings in our responsibility, and make firm our foothold, and grant us victory over the rejecting people.”
8:11
إِذْ يُغَشِّيكُمُ النُّعَاسَ أَمَنَة ً مِنْهُ وَيُنَزِّلُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاء ً لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ بِه ِِ وَيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمْ رِجْزَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيَرْبِطَ عَلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتَ بِهِ الأَقْدَامَ
‘Idh Yughashshīkumu An-Nu`āsa ‘Amanatan Minhu Wa Yunazzilu `Alaykum Mina As-Samā’i Mā’an Liyuţahhirakum Bihi Wa Yudh/hiba `Ankum Rijza Ash-Shayţāni Wa Liyarbiţa `Alá Qulūbikum Wa Yuthabbita Bihi Al-‘Aqdāma
Sleep overcame you to give you tranquility from Him; and He sent down to you water from the sky to cleanse you with it and cause the affliction of the devil to leave you; and so that He may strengthen your hearts and set firm your feet.
10:2
أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَباً أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى رَجُل ٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنْذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَسَاحِر ٌ مُبِين ٌ
‘Akāna Lilnnāsi `Ajabāan ‘An ‘Awĥaynā ‘Ilá Rajulin Minhum ‘An ‘Andhiri An-Nāsa Wa Bashshiri Al-Ladhīna ‘Āmanū ‘Anna Lahum Qadama Şidqin `Inda Rabbihim Qāla Al-Kāfirūna ‘Inna Hādhā Lasāĥirun Mubīnun
Is it a surprise for the people who We inspired a man from among them: “Warn the people and give good news to those who believe, that they will have a footing of truth with their Lord.” The rejecters said: “This is clearly magic!”
16:94
وَلاَ تَتَّخِذُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلا ً بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَم ٌ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا وَتَذُوقُوا السُّوءَ بِمَا صَدَدْتُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيم ٌ
Wa Lā Tattakhidhū ‘Aymānakum Dakhalāan Baynakum Fatazilla Qadamun Ba`da Thubūtihā Wa Tadhūqū As-Sū’a Bimā Şadadtum `An Sabīli Allāhi Wa Lakum `Adhābun `Ažīmun
And do not use your oaths as a means of deception between you, that a foot will slip after it has been made firm, and you will taste the evil of turning away from the path of God, and you will have a great retribution.
41:29
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا رَبَّنَا أَرِنَا الَّذَيْنِ أَضَلاَّنَا مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنْسِ نَجْعَلْهُمَا تَحْتَ أَقْدَامِنَا لِيَكُونَا مِنَ الأَسْفَلِينَ
Wa Qāla Al-Ladhīna Kafarū Rabbanā ‘Arinā Al-Ladhayni ‘AĐallānā Mina Al-Jinni Wa Al-‘Insi Naj`alhumā Taĥta ‘Aqdāminā Liyakūnā Mina Al-‘Asfalīna
And those who have rejected will say: Our Lord, show us those who have misled us from among the Jinn and mankind so we can trample them under our feet, so that they would be the lowest.
47:7
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ
Yā ‘Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna ‘Āmanū ‘In Tanşurū Allāha Yanşurkum Wa Yuthabbit ‘Aqdāmakum
O you who believe, if you support God, He will support you, and make your foothold firm.
55:41
يُعْرَفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمْ فَيُؤْخَذُ بِالنَّوَاصِي وَالأَقْدَامِ
Yu`rafu Al-Mujrimūna Bisīmāhum Fayu’ukhadhu Bin-Nawāşī Wa Al-‘Aqdāmi
The guilty will be recognized by their features; they will be taken by the forelocks and the feet.
……
LEG(rijl).
rijl
n.f. (pl. arjul)
5:6
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ جُنُبا ً فَاطَّهَّرُوا وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَد ٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لاَمَسْتُمُ النِسَاء فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاء ً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدا ً طَيِّبا ً فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَرَج ٍ وَلَكِنْ يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَه ُُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Yā ‘Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna ‘Āmanū ‘Idhā Qumtum ‘Ilá Aş-Şalāati Fāghsilū Wujūhakum Wa ‘Aydiyakum ‘Ilá Al-Marāfiqi Wa Amsaĥū Biru’ūsikum Wa ‘Arjulakum ‘Ilá Al-Ka`bayni Wa ‘In Kuntum Junubāan Fa Aţţahharū Wa ‘In Kuntum MarĐá ‘Aw `Alá Safarin ‘Aw Jā’a ‘Aĥadun Minkum Mina Al-Ghā’iţi ‘Aw Lāmastumu An-Nisā’ Falam Tajidū Mā’an Fatayammamū Şa`īdāan Ţayyibāan Fāmsaĥū Biwujūhikum Wa ‘Aydīkum Minhu Mā Yurīdu Allāhu Liyaj`ala `Alaykum Min Ĥarajin Wa Lakin Yurīdu Liyuţahhirakum Waliyutimma Ni`matahu `Alaykum La`allakum Tashkurūna
O you who believe, if you rise to hold the contact prayer, then wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you have had intercourse, then you shall bathe. And if you are ill, or traveling, or you have excreted feces, or you have had sexual contact with the women, and you cannot not find water, then you shall select from the clean soil; you shall wipe your faces and your hands with it. God does not want to place any hardship on you, but He wants to cleanse you and to complete His blessings upon you that you may be thankful.
5:33
إِنَّمَا جَزَاءُ الَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَه ُُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَسَاداً أَنْ يُقَتَّلُوا أَوْ يُصَلَّبُوا أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُمْ مِنْ خِلاَفٍ أَوْ يُنفَوْا مِنَ الأَرْضِ ذَلِكَ لَهُمْ خِزْي ٌ فِي الدُّنيَا وَلَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيم ٌ
‘Innamā Jazā’u Al-Ladhīna Yuĥāribūna Allāha Wa Rasūlahu Wa Yas`awna Fī Al-‘ArĐi Fasādāan ‘An Yuqattalū ‘Aw Yuşallabū ‘Aw Tuqaţţa`a ‘Aydīhim Wa ‘Arjuluhum Min Khilāfin ‘Aw Yunfaw Mina Al-‘ArĐi Dhālika Lahum Khizyun Fī Ad-Dunyā Wa Lahum Fī Al-‘Ākhirati `Adhābun `Ažīmun
The recompense of those who fight God and His messenger, and seek to make corruption in the land, is that they will be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from alternate sides or that they be banished from the land; that is a disgrace for them in this world and in the Hereafter they will have a great retribution.
5:66
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لَأَكَلُوا مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ مِنْهُمْ أُمَّة ٌ مُقْتَصِدَة ٌ وَكَثِير ٌ مِنْهُمْ سَاءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ
Wa Law ‘Annahum ‘Aqāmū At-Tawrāata Wa Al-‘Injīla Wa Mā ‘Unzila ‘Ilayhim Min Rabbihim La’akalū Min Fawqihim Wa Min Taĥti ‘Arjulihim Minhum ‘Ummatun Muqtaşidatun Wa Kathīrun Minhum Sā’a Mā Ya`malūna
And if they had upheld the Torah and the Gospel, and what was sent down to them from their Lord, they would have been rewarded from above them and from beneath their feet. From among them is a pious nation, but most of them only do evil.
6:65
قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابا ً مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعا ً وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْض ٍ انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ
Qul Huwa Al-Qādiru `Alá ‘An Yab`atha `Alaykum `Adhābāan Min Fawqikum ‘Aw Min Taĥti ‘Arjulikum ‘Aw Yalbisakum Shiya`āan Wa Yudhīqa Ba`Đakum Ba’sa Ba`Đin Anžur Kayfa Nuşarrifu Al-‘Āyāti La`allahum Yafqahūna
Say: “He is able to send retribution from above you or from below your feet, or He will make you belong to opposing factions, then He will let you taste the might of each other.” See how We dispatch the signs, perhaps they may understand.
7:124
لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلاَف ٍ ثُمَّ لَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
La’uqaţţi`anna ‘Aydiyakum Wa ‘Arjulakum Min Khilāfin Thumma La’uşallibannakum ‘Ajma`īna
“I will cut off your hands and feet from alternate sides, then I will crucify you all.”
7:195
أَلَهُمْ أَرْجُل ٌ يَمْشُونَ بِهَا أَمْ لَهُمْ أَيْد ٍ يَبْطِشُونَ بِهَا أَمْ لَهُمْ أَعْيُن ٌ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا أَمْ لَهُمْ آذَان ٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا قُلِ ادْعُوا شُرَكَاءَكُمْ ثُمَّ كِيدُونِ فَلاَ تُنظِرُونِ
‘Alahum ‘Arjulun Yamshūna Bihā ‘Am Lahum ‘Aydin Yabţishūna Bihā ‘Am Lahum ‘A`yunun Yubşirūna Bihā ‘Am Lahum ‘Ādhānun Yasma`ūna Bihā Quli Ad`ū Shurakā’akum Thumma Kīdūni Falā Tunžirūni
Do they have feet with which to walk? Or, do they have hands with which to strike? Or, do they have eyes with which to see? Or, do they have ears with which to hear? Say: “Call on your partners, then plan against me. You will not be given respite.”
20:71
قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَه ُُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ إِنَّه ُُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلاَف ٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَا أَشَدُّ عَذَابا ً وَأَبْقَى
Qāla ‘Āmantum Lahu Qabla ‘An ‘Ādhana Lakum ‘Innahu Lakabīrukumu Al-Ladhī `Allamakumu As-Siĥra Fala’uqaţţi`anna ‘Aydiyakum Wa ‘Arjulakum Min Khilāfin Wa La’uşallibannakum Fī Judhū`i An-Nakhli Wa Lata`lamunna ‘Ayyunā ‘Ashaddu `Adhābāan Wa ‘Abqá
He said: “Have you believed to him before taking my permission? He is surely your great one who has taught you magic. So, I will cut off your hands and feet from alternate sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of the palm trees, and you will come to know which of us is greater in retribution and more lasting!”
24:24
يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Yawma Tash/hadu `Alayhim ‘Alsinatuhum Wa ‘Aydīhim Wa ‘Arjuluhum Bimā Kānū Ya`malūna
On the Day when their tongues, and their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them for what they used to do.
24:31
وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلاَ يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلاَ يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُوْلِي الإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِسَاء وَلاَ يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
Wa Qul Lilmu’umināti YaghĐuĐna Min ‘Abşārihinna Wa Yaĥfažna Furūjahunna Wa Lā Yubdīna Zīnatahunna ‘Illā Mā žahara Minhā Wa LīaĐribna Bikhumurihinna `Alá Juyūbihinna Wa Lā Yubdīna Zīnatahunna ‘Illā Libu`ūlatihinna ‘Aw ‘Ābā’ihinna ‘Aw ‘Ābā’i Bu`ūlatihinna ‘Aw ‘Abnā’ihinna ‘Aw ‘Abnā’i Bu`ūlatihinna ‘Aw ‘Ikhwānihinna ‘Aw Banī ‘Ikhwānihinna ‘Aw Banī ‘Akhawātihinna ‘Aw Nisā’ihinna ‘Aw Mā Malakat ‘Aymānuhunna ‘Awi At-Tābi`īna Ghayri ‘Ūlī Al-‘Irbati Mina Ar-Rijāli ‘Awi Aţ-Ţifli Al-Ladhīna Lam Yažharū `Alá `Awrāti An-Nisā’ Wa Lā YaĐribna Bi’arjulihinna Liyu`lama Mā Yukhfīna Min Zīnatihinna Wa Tūbū ‘Ilá Allāhi Jamī`āan ‘Ayyuhā Al-Mu’uminūna La`allakum Tufliĥūna
And tell the believing females to lower their gaze and keep covered their private parts, and that they should not reveal their beauty except what is apparent, and let them put forth their shawls over their cleavage. And let them not reveal their beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or the sons of their brothers, or the sons of their sisters, or their women, or those maintained by their oaths, or the male servants who are without need, or the child who has not yet understood the composition of women. And let them not strike with their feet in a manner that reveals what they are keeping hidden of their beauty. And repent to God, all of you believers, that you may succeed.
24:45
وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَابَّة ٍ مِنْ مَاء ٍ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِي عَلَى بَطْنِه ِِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِي عَلَى رِجْلَيْنِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِي عَلَى أَرْبَع ٍ يَخْلُقُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْء ٍ قَدِير ٌ
Wa Allāhu Khalaqa Kulla Dābbatin Min Mā’in Faminhum Man Yamshī `Alá Baţnihi Wa Minhum Man Yamshī `Alá Rijlayni Wa Minhum Man Yamshī `Alá ‘Arba`in Yakhluqu Allāhu Mā Yashā’u ‘Inna Allāha `Alá Kulli Shay’in Qadīrun
And God created every moving creature from water. So some of them move on their bellies, and some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. God creates whatever He wills. God is capable of all things.
26:49
قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَه ُُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ إِنَّه ُُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ فَلَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلاَف ٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
Qāla ‘Āmantum Lahu Qabla ‘An ‘Ādhana Lakum ‘Innahu Lakabīrukumu Al-Ladhī `Allamakumu As-Siĥra Falasawfa Ta`lamūna La’uqaţţi`anna ‘Aydiyakum Wa ‘Arjulakum Min Khilāfin Wa La’uşallibannakum ‘Ajma`īna
He said: “Have you believed unto him before I permitted you? He is surely your great one who has taught you magic. So you shall come to know, I will cut off your hands and feet from alternate sides, and I will crucify you all.”
29:55
يَوْمَ يَغْشَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ وَيَقُولُ ذُوقُوا مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
Yawma Yaghshāhumu Al-`Adhābu Min Fawqihim Wa Min Taĥti ‘Arjulihim Wa Yaqūlu Dhūqū Mā Kuntum Ta`malūna
The Day will come when the retribution overwhelms them, from above them and from beneath their feet; and We will say: “Taste the results of what you used to do!”
36:65
الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَا أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
Al-Yawma Nakhtimu `Alá ‘Afwāhihim Wa Tukallimunā ‘Aydīhim Wa Tash/hadu ‘Arjuluhum Bimā Kānū Yaksibūna
Today, We shall cease their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will bear witness to everything they had done.
38:42
ارْكُضْ بِرِجْلِكَ هَذَا مُغْتَسَل ٌ بَارِد ٌ وَشَرَاب ٌ
ArkuĐ Birijlika Hādhā Mughtasalun Bāridun Wa Sharābun
“Rapidly move with your foot, here is a cold spring to wash with and to drink.”
60:12
يَاأَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ عَلَى أَنْ لاَ يُشْرِكْنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئا ً وَلاَ يَسْرِقْنَ وَلاَ يَزْنِينَ وَلاَ يَقْتُلْنَ أَوْلاَدَهُنَّ وَلاَ يَأْتِينَ بِبُهْتَان ٍ يَفْتَرِينَه ُُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِنَّ وَأَرْجُلِهِنَّ وَلاَ يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوف ٍ فَبَايِعْهُنَّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُنَّ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُور ٌ رَحِيم ٌ
Yā ‘Ayyuhā An-Nabīyu ‘Idhā Jā’aka Al-Mu’uminātu Yubāyi`naka `Alá ‘An Lā Yushrikna Billāhi Shay’āan Wa Lā Yasriqna Wa Lā Yaznīna Wa Lā Yaqtulna ‘Awlādahunna Wa Lā Ya’tīna Bibuhtānin Yaftarīnahu Bayna ‘Aydīhinna Wa ‘Arjulihinna Wa Lā Ya`şīnaka Fī Ma`rūfin Fabāyi`hunna Wa Astaghfir Lahunna Allāha ‘Inna Allāha Ghafūrun Raĥīmun
O you prophet, if the believing females come to make allegiance to you that they will not set up anything besides God, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor fabricate any falsehood, nor disobey you in any matter which is righteous, then you shall accept their allegiance, and ask God to forgive them. God is Forgiver, Merciful.
…..
ARRANGED.SYEDRAF.
Monday, May 4, 2020
Menstruation has nothing to do with the Salat / Siam
By Zia Mahmood fbfd
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The only Quranic prohibition related to menstruation has nothing to do with the Salat / Siam. The prohibition, which concerns married couples, is against having sexual intercourse during menstruation (2:222).
IT IS NOT A SICKNESS. IT CONTAINS HARM FOR YOU - THE HUSBAND AND NOT FOR WIFE.
They ask you about menstruation: say, "It contains harm, SO KEEP AWAY FROM WOMEN DURING MENSTRUATION, and do not approach them until they are cleansed of it. WHEN THEY ARE CLEANSED OF IT, YOU CAN APPROACH THEM as God has commanded you. God loves the repenters, and He loves those who purify themselves." 2:222
The extraordinary thing about this matter is that those who enforce un-Quranic restrictions on women, depriving them from the Salat / Siam during their menstruation, are the same people who circulate false hadith which imply that women are deficient in their religion because they do not observe the Salat at all times! Well, if you allow them to follow God's law they would not be that deficient, would they?
In addition, those who deprive women from worshipping their Creator during parts of the month manipulate the words in 2:222 to claim that women are “unclean” during menstruation so should not worship God in an unclean state!
Needless to say, the un-cleanliness mentioned in 2:222 is related only to having sexual intercourse. It is not hygienic to have sexual intercourse during menstruation. There is no mention in 2:222 of the Salat / Siam nor is it implied.
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/233232853928910/permalink/640189463233245/
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Salat by Zia Mahmood fbfd
SALAT PER QURAN
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(Source link: https://m.facebook.com/groups/233232853928910?view=permalink&id=491441541441372).
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Often people ask about details of Salat. I edited an article and posting here as a reference guide.
Part one
Introduction
What is the definition of the Salat in the Quran? How should we observe it and is the Salat practiced today by millions of Muslims in agreement with the Quranic Salat?
In accordance to 6:114 we must accept the Quran as the only source of law:
Shall I seek other than God as a lawmaker when it is He who has brought down to you the Book fully detailed? 6:114
God asserts that the Quran is fully detailed and contains everything we need in order to practice our religion:
We did not leave anything out of the Book. 6:38
We brought the Book down to you providing explanations for all things. 16:89
He who has brought down to you the Book fully detailed. 6:114
In spite of these clear Quranic words, it is sad that most Muslims still claim that the Quran does not include everything and that the Quran alone is insufficient. They are arrogantly arguing against God just as God describes them in the following verse:
We have diversified in this Quran all kinds of examples for the people, yet the human being is, more than anything, argumentative. 18:54
They will say that the Quran speaks of the headlines only and that the details are to be found only in the hadith!
Note the words "all things" in 16:89 means all matters, big and small alike. The words "fully detailed" in 6:114 simply mean that the Quran contains all the details. It is necessary here to explain exactly what is meant by saying that the Quran contains all the details. The followers of hadith claim that the hadith contains many details that are not to be found in the Quran. This is quite true, however the absence of these details from the Quran is not because the Quran is not fully detailed, but because these details were never authorised by God. The Quran contains all the details that are authorised by God which we will be held accountable to. The followers of hadith have a wide collection of books which they highly cherish which contain all sorts of totally irrational details to say the least. The following verse includes a mockery about such behavior and a warning against such acts of idolatry:
Or do you have some book in which you are studying? Do you have in it whatever you choose? 68:37-38
Consequently, in accordance with 6:114 and other similar verses, all guidance can be derived from the Quran and nothing else.
Importance of the Salat
The Salat provides the nourishment needed by our souls and is a sure method of attaining righteousness and nearness to our Creator. The Quran lists a number of benefits attained from observing the Salat:
1- The Salat protects believers from evil and vice:
Observe the Salat, for the Salat forbids immorality and evil. 29:45
2- The Salat strengthens our belief and make us attain certainty:
Glorify your Lord with praise, and be among the prostrators, and worship your Lord in order to attain certainty. 15:98-99
3- The Salat (along with charity) is the best investment for the hereafter:
Those who recite God's Book, observe the Salat, and give from what We have provided for them, secretly and publicly, are seeking a trade that can never go to waste: that He may pay them their reward in full and increase for them His favour. Indeed, He is Forgiving, Appreciative. 35:29-30
4- Above all, the Salat is to commemorate God:
Surely, the most important objective of the Salat is to commemorate God.
Recite what is revealed to you of the Book, and observe the Salat, for the Salat prohibits immorality and evil, and the remembrance of God is of greater importance. God knows what you do. 29:45
I am God, there is no god except Me. Therefore, you shall worship Me and observe the Salat to commemorate Me. 20:14
Part Two
Salat Pre-Requisites
Before observing the Salat, believers are to adhere to a number of pre-requisites. These are Intention, Devotion, Ablution, and Direction.
1- Intention
This first pre-requisite is the conscious intention to establish contact with God Almighty. The believer does not need to utter an intention declaration as is commonly practiced, for God knows our intentions, we do not need to declare it. The intention to observe the Salat cannot be present if one is under intoxication:
O you who believe, do not approach the Salat while intoxicated until you know what you are saying. 4:43
The Salat is not accepted from anyone who is intoxicated from the effect of alcohol or drugs. As a matter of fact, intoxicants present the only case in the Quran where the human being is deprived from the blessing of Salat. This does not mean that intoxication is the greatest of all sins; it only means that a person who is intoxicated would simply not know what he/she is saying.
It is not the sin of taking intoxicants in itself that robs a person from the blessing of Salat, but it is the effect of the sin on the mind that is the cause of the prohibition. What this means is that as soon as the person is free from the effect of intoxication, they must resume observing the Salat.
The Quran asserts the fact that no believer is ever deprived of the gift of Salat, provided that he/she are in their full senses, even after committing the most gruesome of sins. Sins and good deeds are independent of each other; each will be recorded and judged equitably. No sin will erase a good deed:
Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. 99:7-8
However, and because God is the Most Merciful, He has decreed that for the believers, their good deeds will wipe out their sins:
The good deeds wipe out the bad deeds. 11:114
And if that was not enough to demonstrate God's boundless mercy He has also decreed that for those who believe and lead a righteous life, He will even transform their sins into credits:
God replaces their bad deeds with good deeds. Indeed, God is Forgiver, Merciful. 25:70
For all that it becomes apparent why we should increase our good deeds, especially and immediately after committing a sin.
2- Ablution
O you who believe, when you get up to observe the Salat, wash your faces and your arms to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles. 5:6
This is the ablution that is decreed in the Quran, it consist of four simple steps:
1- Wash the face 2- Wash the arms to the elbows 3- Wipe the head 4- Wipe the feet to the ankles.
In spite of this very clear command in the Quran, the majority of Muslims today perform their ablution in a different way. The ablution they perform is taken from the 'Sunna' (methodology) of the Prophet. Somehow they believe that the Prophet left the ablution prescribed to him by God and devised an amended ablution! In addition to the four steps prescribed in the Quran they add washing the hands to the wrists, the mouth, the nose, the ears and the neck.
They argue that since 'cleanliness is part of a good belief (as a famous hadith states), then the cleaner one is before the Salat the better. These additional measures that are not found in the Quranic ablution raise the following questions:
1- Is it conceivable that the Prophet whom we are told in the Quran was a "good example" for the believers (33:21), and who was blessed with receiving the Quran, and who was commanded by God to follow the Quran and nothing else (5:48 and 46:9), has in fact ignored the Quranic ablution and devised a different format?
2- Is the ablution prescribed by God inadequate?
3- The previous question ultimately leads to the crucial question; is the purpose and aim of ablution cleanliness after all?
The reply to all these three questions is the negative.
Part Three
The Purpose of Wudu (Ablution)
O you who believe, when you get up to observe the Salat, wash your faces and your arms to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles. 5:6
The Ablution prescribed by God in the Quran consists of four simple steps:
1- Wash the face
2- Wash the arms to the elbows
3- Wipe the head
4- Wipe the feet to the ankles.
One would think that if God was deliberate in giving us such a precise format for ablution, that all Muslims would say, "We hear and we obey" and follow it to the letter; but no! It is a sad fact that the largest majority of Muslims do not follow this precise ablution but a different format!
The Ablution they perform is taken from what they are told is the sunna (methodology of Prophet Muhammad). They follow an Ablution which they believe was devised and followed by Prophet Muhammad. In addition to the four steps prescribed in the Quran, they add:
1- Washing the hands to the wrists
2- Washing the mouth
3- Washing the nose (nostrils)
4- Washing the ears
5- Washing the neck
As a result, instead of observing the 4-step Quranic Ablution, they observe an Ablution that consists of 9 steps!
They argue that since "Al-Nazafah min al-Imaan" (cleanliness is an attribute of good faith), as one hadith states, then, the more thorough one performs the act of cleansing the better.
Performing these additional steps in Ablution, none of which are in the Quran, raises the following questions:
1- Is it possible that Prophet Muhammad, who was commanded very firmly by God to follow nothing other than the Quran that was revealed to him, has in fact ignored God's commands and devised an Ablution that is different from the one prescribed to him in the Quran?
Say (O Muhammad), "I am not a novelty among the messengers, nor do I know what will happen to me or to you. I follow nothing other than what is revealed to me (Quran). I am no more than a clear warner. 46:9, also 10:15
2- Those who perform the alleged Ablution of the Prophet; are they implying that the Ablution prescribed in the Quran by God is inadequate, and that they prefer an 'improved' format?
3- The above questions ultimately lead to another crucial question: is physical cleanliness the real purpose and aim of ablution after all?
The only answer to the first and second questions must be the negative. The Prophet would have never devised or followed a different format for Ablution than what God gave him in the Quran, not if he obeyed the following command from God in 46:9.
As for the third question one must pose and reflect on a number of issues.
If the primary purpose of Ablution was in fact cleanliness, why did God not command us to wash other parts of our bodies that are more in need of cleaning than our faces, such as our arm pits or our private parts? Better still, if it is all about cleanliness, why did God not instruct us to take a full bath before observing the Salat? In addition, if the purpose of Ablution was cleanliness why did God only say "wipe your heads" and not "wash your heads"? Surely, wiping the head does not properly clean it!
There can only be one answer to such questions: The purpose of Ablution cannot be primarily for physical cleanliness. Ablution can only be a simple command from God to test our obedience. Are we going to obey God's four simple steps, or will the devil dupe us into changing God's command, thinking we are doing good? This simple test that resides in the Ablution is in fact identical to the test given to Adam with regards to the forbidden tree. Why did God place the forbidden tree among all the other trees of Paradise then warn Adam not to eat its fruit? There was nothing physically wrong with the fruit of the tree, because when Adam ate its fruit no physical harm befell him. However Adam failed in the simple test of obedience to God. The devil tricked him in exactly the same way he is tricking millions of Muslims today into disobeying the simplest of God's commands!
The devil's tricks are always the same. God Almighty has warned us that the devil will entice us with lies and illusions. In the case of Adam, the devil tricked him into believing that the fruit of the forbidden tree was of immense benefit when he said:
O Adam, shall I show you the tree of immortality and sovereignty that never perishes? 20:120
Similarly, in the case of Ablution, the devil has enticed millions into believing that there is a better ablution than the one prescribed by God! To make it more convincing, he has tricked many into believing that Prophet Muhammad followed the 'improved ablution'! In reality, the Prophet is innocent of such fabricated lies which are attributed to him. There is no doubt whatsoever that the Prophet, in compliance with the command he received in 46:9, must have followed God's commands in the Quran to the letter without altering them.
If cleanliness was the issue exploited by Satan to mislead people, we find that God has given us sufficient indications in the Quran to confirm that Ablution is merely a test of obedience and not a matter of cleanliness. To confirm the points presented above, the following points are re-affirmed:
First: The parts of the body addressed in the Quranic Ablution (5:6) are not necessarily the parts of the body that need cleaning the most. A person's arm pits and private parts are more in need of frequent cleaning.
Second: The deliberate command from God to only wipe our heads, when a simple wiping does not in any way clean the head, is a firm indication from God to tell us that Ablution is not primarily for physical cleanliness, rather, that obeying God's simple commands is the real core of the Ablution instruction.
Third: The third confirmation is found in the following verse:
If you are ill or travelling, or if any of you has come from the toilet or had sexual contact with women, and you could not find water, then observe dry ablution by means of wiping your faces and hands with clean dry soil. 4:43
An important observation here is that the one who has just been to the toilet or has just had sex with his/her spouse really needs to wash their private parts and not the face and hands! However, and in the absence of water, the command from God is to wipe the face and the hands with clean soil (dry Ablution) which will obviously not clean the private parts. Once again, this confirms that the whole issue of Ablution is not one of physical cleanliness, but simply a test of obedience.
Sadly, the falsifiers will not only add rituals never authorised by God, which makes them guilty of shirk (42:21), but they also add ridiculous conditions that must be observed during Ablution. One of the totally absurd conditions they set is in the direction of water during washing. They insist that if the water slides from the elbow to the wrist then the Ablution is void! They insist that the correct method is for the water to slide from wrist to elbow!
God made the religion easy to practice and rendered the Quranic commands simple and unambiguous (39:28), but sadly, the majority of people who are not satisfied with the Quran alone, have rejected the Quranic instructions and allowed their Imams and scholars to dictate to them a totally complicated and hard to follow version of Islam! When shown the simple commands of God, they will argue against them and will treat them with contempt!
God has already told us that no matter how simple His commands may be, the human being will always argue unnecessarily:
We have diversified in this Quran all kinds of examples for the people, yet the human being is, nore than anything, argumentative. 18:54
Part Four
3- Devotion
Say, "My Salat, my worship practices, my life and my death, are all devoted to God, the Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. This is what I was commanded with and I am the first of the submitters." 6:162-163
I am God, there is no god except Me. Therefore, you shall worship Me and observe the Salat to commemorate Me. 20:14
In accordance with the above Quranic commands, believers must devote and dedicate all their Salat (as well as all other rituals) to the name of God alone. The commemoration of any names other than God in the Salat is in total violation of the Quranic rules and immediately voids the Salat.
Those who dedicate all their religion to God alone are given the title of 'Ebad Allah Al-Mukhlaseen' which translates to God's pure servants. The word "Mukhalseen" comes from the Arabic word 'Khales' which means pure. The phrase 'Al-Deen Al-Khales' as in 39:3 means the Pure Religion and it describes the religion that is devoted absolutely to God alone.
We brought down to you the Book with truth, so worship God, devoting the religion purely to Him. Unquestionably, it is to God that the pure religion is due. 39:2-3
Indeed devotion to God and total submission is an important pre-requisite for the Salat:
Successful indeed are the believers; those who are humble in their Salat. 23:1-2
4- Direction (Qibla)
With the revelation of the Quran, the Qibla has been set towards the Masjid Al-Haram (2:144). In addition, we are given a command to turn our faces towards the Masjid Al-Haram wherever we are when we observe the Salat (2:149-150):
From wherever you set off, turn your face towards the Masjid Al-Haram. This is the truth from your Lord, and God is not unaware of what you do. 2:149
Indeed, from wherever you set off, turn your face towards the Masjid Al-Haram. And wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it so that the people will have no argument against you, except for the transgressors among them. So do not fear them but fear Me instead, so that I may complete My blessings upon you and so that you may be guided. 2:150
Part Five
Salat Positions
The Quran speaks of three positions to be observed during the Salat, they are: Standing, Bowing and Prostrating.
The following verses confirm that the Salat starts in the standing position:
You shall maintain the Salawaat and the Salat Al-Wusta, and stand devoutly obedient before God. 2:238
O you who believe, when you get up to observe the Salat, you shall ....... 5:6
So the angels called out to him while he was standing, praying in the sanctuary: "God gives you news of John, confirming a Word from God, who will be honourable and celibate, as well as a prophet, from among the righteous." 3:39
And if you are among them and you lead the Salat for them, let a group of them stand with you and let them hold on to their weapons. 4:102
After the standing position comes the bowing and prostrating:
We appointed for Abraham the location of the House: "Do not associate anything with Me, and purify My House for those passing by and those standing, bowing, and prostrating." 22:26
Muhammad, the messenger of God, and those with him are stern with the disbelievers and compassionate amongst one another. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking favour from God and consent. 48:29
The Salat ends with prostration:
Then once they have prostrated, let them be positioned behind you and let another group, who has not yet observed the Salat, observe the Salat with you while remaining cautious and while holding on to their weapons. 4:102
The words 'once they have prostrated' indicate clearly that prostration marks the end of the Salat, after which a new group comes to observe their Salat in the place of the first group. There is no mention in 4:102, or anywhere else in the Quran, that the believers should follow prostration by standing once again and repeating the cycle.
Part Six
Three Salat (Prayers) Authorised in the Quran
The Prayers mentioned by name in the Quran are:
1- Salat Al-Fajr (Dawn Prayer) 24:58
2- Al-Salat Al-Wusta (The Middle Prayer) 2:238
3- Salat Al-Isha (Night Prayer) 24:58
However, 99% of all Muslims in the world observe 5 daily prayers.
Their 5 Salat are: Fajr - Zhohr - Asr - Maghrib - Isha.
What they did was add two Prayers to the ones authorised by God in the Quran.
The question is: If the prescribed Prayers are indeed five per day, why does the Quran give us only three named Salat?
First: Why are there only three named Salat in the Quran?
If it is true that God authorised 5 obligatory Salat per day, then we should have a good reason as to why there are only 3 names of Salat given in the Quran?
Let us consider a number of options for this matter:
1- The names of the other Salat are not in the Quran because the Quran does not contain all the details.
This claim is immediately refuted by God's assurance that the Quran is fully detailed and that nothing has been left out of the Book:
Shall I seek other than God as a lawmaker when it is He who has brought down to you the Book fully detailed? 6:114
We did not leave anything out of the Book. 6:38
2- God forgot to mention the other two names of Salat!
This cannot be the case because we read in the Quran that God, be praised, does not forget:
He said, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a Record. My Lord does not err, nor does He forget." 20:52
3- God did not mention the names of the other 2 Salat because they are not as important as the other 3.
If some Salat were not important they would not be compulsory, and as a result, to claim that there are five compulsory prayers becomes a false claim.
4- God did not mention the names of the other 2 Salat because God wants us to guess them!
Once again this is false. The Quran is unambiguous and is not a book of puzzles:
A.L.R. These are the signs of the clear Book. 12:1
We have made it (the Quran) easy to understand, in your own tongue, so that they may be reminded. 44:58
5- God does not mention the names of the other 2 Salat because God wants us to find them in the hadith.
Once again this is a false claim since we are commanded in the Quran not to believe or follow any hadith other than the Quran:
These are God's revelations (Quran) that We recite to you with truth, so in which hadith other than God and His revelations (Quran) do they believe? 45:6
It is also a false claim because God assures us in the Quran that the Quran has all the details.
6- God does not mention the names of all the Salat since they came to us through inherited rituals, and because God wants us to follow what we inherited from our parents, even if it is not found in the Quran!
This once again is a claim that violates the Quran. In the Quran we are commanded not to follow what we inherited from our parents if it is not clearly found in the Quran:
And when it is said to them, "Follow what God has brought down (Quran)," they said, "No, we only follow what we found our fathers upon." What! Even if their fathers did not understand anything and were not guided? 2:170
7- God does not mention the names of the other 2 Prayers, because there are no 2 other Prayers according to the law of the Quran.
The genuine believers who believe that the Quran contains all the details, with no ifs or buts, will not accept any option other than option 7.
Second: The Salat is given precise times in the Quran
We read in 4:103 that the time of each Prayer is precisely given in the Quran 'kitaban mawqootan'. The word 'kitaban' means 'book', and the Book we received from God is the Quran. The word 'mawqootan' means specifically timed. The deliberate use of these two words by God confirms that the precise appointed time for each of the Prayers is given in the Quran. This conforms to the fact that the Quran contains all the details.
The exact times of the three Salat are given in the Quran and they are as follows:
1- Salat Al-Fajr (Dawn Prayer), mentioned by name in 24:58
This Prayer starts when Fajr (dawn) starts. The start of Fajr is given in 2:187. It starts when the first thin ray of light is observed in the sky. The words in 2:187 are: 'until the white thread of dawn becomes distinguishable to you from the dark thread.' The Prayer ends at sunrise as will be explained in more detail below.
2- Al-Salat Al-Wusta (Middle Prayer), mentioned by name in 2:238
The time of the Middle (Wusta) Prayer is given in 17:78. It starts when the sun starts to decline from its highest point in the sky (dulook al-shams), which is at noon, and ends at sunset as detailed below.
3- Salat Al-Isha (Night Prayer) mentioned by name in 24:58
The Night Prayer corresponds to the latter end of the day. It is the mirror image of the Fajr Salat. This Prayer starts as soon as the sun has set and ends when all light has disappeared from the night sky.
Part Seven
How many raka?
Traditional Muslims conduct their Salat in units which they call raka. One raka is a cycle of standing, bowing then 2 prostrations. They also follow a strict format for the Salat which is 24434. This means that the first of their Salat (Fajr) has 2 raka, the second of their Salat (Zhohr) has 4 raka and so on. We don’t find this format, nor any other format in the Quran. In addition, the word raka itself is not found in the Quran.
The Quran gives us the following assurances:
Should I seek other than God as a lawmaker when it is He who has brought down to you the Book fully detailed? 6:114
We did not leave anything out of the Book. 6:38
This (Quran) is not a fabricated hadith, but an authentication of what came before it, a detailed account of all things, and guidance and mercy for people who believe.12:111
We brought the Book down to you providing explanations for all things, guidance, mercy, and good news for the submitters. 16:89
Nevertheless, many still argue against God's words about the full detailed attribute of the Quran. They are often heard saying:
- "If the Quran has all the details, then can you show me where do we find the number of raka in the Quran?"
By asking such a question, they rubber stamp a clear admission that they do not believe any of the above verses! They will reject the direct and straightforward meaning of these verses and will always come up with a twisted meaning then claim that these verses in fact, mean something else!
Indeed the Quran does not have any number of raka, but it is not because the Quran does not have all the details, but because the concept of raka itself is not authorised by God.
As a result, when they ask to be shown the number of raka in the Quran, the answer to them would be: How can we show you in the Quran something that was never authorised by God in the first place?
Their question about the number of raka is not any different from someone asking the following question:
- "Where would we find in the Quran the number of pebbles we must throw when we observe the ritual of rajm (stoning) during our Hajj?"
The same answer is given:
God never authorised the ritual of stoning, so how do you expect God to provide a number (of pebbles) for a ritual that He never authorised in the first place?
The Quranic Salat is simply made up of standing, bowing then prostrating in that order. This means that as soon as prostration is observed, the Salat is complete.
To observe one sequence of standing, bowing and prostrating does not mean that the Salat will be reduced to a very short time either! Not at all, those who observe Salat are free to spend as much or as little time in each of the three positions. One can stand in prayer for two minutes, twenty minutes or for any duration of time. The same applies to how much time is spent bowing and prostrating.
Some have also suggested that in 4:101 God gives us the concession to shorten our Salat at times of war or danger. As a result, they claim that the Salat must be made up of at least 2 raka since it is not possible to shorten one raka!
Once again, the error in their interpretation is because they chose a starting point (number of raka) which is not a Quranic concept, thus their result is also un-Quranic.
Shortening the Salat is related to the overall time that is given to the Salat and not to the number of the un-Quranic rakas observed. How can it be possible that God would instruct us to shorten something He never authorised in the first place?
When we adopt the correct meaning of shortening the Salat (time spent), it follows that if we normally spend 10 or 15 minutes in our Salat, at times of war this can be shortened to only a few minutes. In all cases, the Salat would still be comprised of standing, bowing then prostrating.
In addition, we are given Quranic evidence in 4:102 that prostration marks the end of the Salat. The words in 4:102 which speak to the Prophet (or to any leader of the Salat at times of war) say:
And if you are among them and you lead the Salat for them, let a group of them stand with you and let them hold on to their weapons. Then once they have prostrated, let them be positioned behind you and let another group, who has not yet observed the Salat, observe the Salat with you while remaining cautious and while holding on to their weapons. 4:102
The words 'once they have prostrated' are very clear and they indicate that as soon as any group has prostrated, this would mark the end of their Salat, and thus another group may come and observe the Salat with the same Imam. Note that God never said that they should prostrate a number of times, nor did God say that they should stand and repeat the cycle. A clear Quranic proof that the Salat is complete after the first prostration.
If we wish to repeat any of the positions of the Salat, or all of them, as many times as we wish, that is fine, but we should never impose rules and un-Quranic concepts and attribute them to God. This in the Quran is labelled as an act of shirk:
Or do they have 'shuraka' (partners) who legislate for them of the religion what God did not authorise? If it were not for a decisive Word, judgement would have already been passed over them. Indeed, the transgressors shall have a painful punishment. 42:21
The word 'shuraka' is the plural of the word 'shareek' which means partner. The importance of this word should not be overlooked.
God could have said: 'do they have others who legislate for them', but God deliberately chose the word 'shuraka'. The word 'shareek' is an adjective from the noun 'shirk' (setting up partners with God in any of His exclusive rights). One of God's exclusive rights is that He is the Only Law Maker (6:114). Since the words in 42:21 connect the word 'shuraka' with the words 'of the religion what God did not authorised', thus the word 'shuraka' in this verse can only be speaking about partners with God in His exclusive right to be the Only Law Maker. It follows that all who advocate or follow religious rules or rituals not authorised by God are committing shirk. On the Day of Judgement, those who committed shirk will be asked:'where are your shuraka?' (6:22).
Part Eight
Salat Words
With regards to the words of the Salat, we must remember that the purpose of the Salat is to commemorate and glorify the name of God alone.
God instructs in the Quran to utter our Salat in a moderate voice that is not shouting nor whispering:
Say, "Call upon God, or call upon the Almighty. Whichever you call upon, to Him belong the Beautiful Names." Do not shout your Salat nor whisper it, but seek a path in between. 17:110
In addition, we find guidance in the Quran with respect to the following matters:
First : All the words of the Salat should be from the Quran.
Second : Specific Quranic phrases are to be spoken during the Salat.
______________
First : The words of the Salat should be from the Quran.
1- Recite what has been inspired to you of your Lord's Book. None can change His words, and you will not find any refuge besides Him. 18:27
This verse does not specify any one activity, as a result, reciting Quranic words can be done at all times including when we are worshipping God through the Salat.
2- Recite what is revealed to you of the Book and observe the Salat. 29:45
In this verse we read a clear connection between the recitation of the Quran and observing the Salat.
3- They are not all the same: among the people of the Book are an upright nation. They recite God's revelations during the night while they prostrate. 3:113
This verse speaks of the righteous and how they recite the Scripture while prostrating. Prostration, being one of the positions of the Salat, provides another strong link between reciting from God's Book during the Salat.
4- In 20:14 we are told that the Salat is observed for the purpose of commemorating (zhikr) God:
I am God, there is no god but Me. Therefore, you shall worship Me and observe the Salat to commemorate Me. 20:14
We see the same word, "zhikr" of God mentioned in the following verse:
When you mention your Lord, in the Quran alone, they turn their backs and run away in aversion. 17:46
(p.s. the word 'zhikr' is the noun and the word 'zhakart' is the verb)
17:46 tells us that the true believers commemorate God by using the Quran alone. And therefore, the commemoration of God is the principle purpose and core of the Salat (20:14), then it follows that all commemoration of God in the Salat must be by means of the Quran alone.