and all those who followed in his footsteps. "O you who believe!
Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger and those of you who are in authority
and if you believe in Allaah and the Last Day. {Qur'aan 4:59} Prophet
Muhammad
said: "Pray
as you see me praying." {Bukhari}
.
Standing for prayer:
The etiquette of standing for prayer in Jam'a are:
said, "I saw
that everyone of us used to put his ankle with the ankle of his companion".
Anas ibn Malik, said "Everyone
of us used to put his shoulder with the shoulder of his companion
and his knee with the knee of his companion." {Bukhari}Takbeer:
After making the intention one must raise his/her hand
up to his shoulders or to the ear and say the Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar).
The prophet said, "The key
to the prayer is purification, it is entered by Takbeer and exited
by Tasleem." Narrated Abdullaah ibn Umar:
Allaah's messenger
used to raise both his hands up to the level of the shoulders (at times
up to the ear) when opening the Salaat. {Bukhari} Therefore when one begins
their prayer he/she should not raise the hands to his/her ear and touch
it and say the Takbeer.
Where should the hands be after Takbeer:
After saying the Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar) some people place
their hands under the navel, on the sides, or on the chest. The correct
posture of the hands after Takbeer is the right hand over the left on
the chest. Wail ibn Hajir
said "I prayed with prophet Muhammed
and he put his right hand over the left on his chest." {Ibn Khuzaimah,
Abu Dawood, Muslim}
Recitation of surah Fatihah behind an Imaam:
Some people are very confused whether they should or should
not read Surah Fatihah while praying in congregation. But there should
not be any confusion in this matter as the following hadith very clearly
answers the question. Ubadha bin samit
said, "We were behind the prophet
in the Fajar prayer, and he recited a passage from the Qur'aan, but the
recitation became difficult for him. Then when he finished he said, 'Do
you recite behind you imaam?' We replied, Yes, Messenger of Allaah.
Then the Messenger of Allaah
said; 'Do not recite anything (behind the imaam) except Fatihah-tul kitab
(Surah Fatihah) because he who does not include it (Surah Fatihah)
in his recitation in prayer his prayer is not valid." (Abu Dawood,
Tirmidhee) Abu Hurairah reported
that the Messenger of Allaah
said: "If anyone observes prayer (salaat) in which he does not read
Ummul Qur'aan (Fatihah), it is deficient, it is deficient, it is deficient,
and not complete." It was said to Abu Hurairah: "What should we do
when we are behind an imaam? He, (Abu Hurairah)
replied, "Read it in silence.." (Muslim)
Saying Ameen out loud in prayer:
There have been great discussions about saying Ameen out
loud after the Imaam recites the Surah Fatihah. It is clear issue with
the evidence from the Sunnah that the Imaam is required to say Ameen audibly
in all the prayers when he is reciting the Suratul Fatihah aloud. Na`eem
al Mujammar said: "I prayed behind Abu Hurairah.
He recited Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem, then he recited Suratul Fatihah,
and when he reached "walad daal-leen," he said "Ameen" after it, and the
people behind him said Ameen"..." {Bukhari} Abu Hurairah
reported that the Messenger of Allaah
said: "When the imaam says "Ghayril maghdubi `alayhim walad daal-leen,"
all of you should say "ameen" because the Angels say "ameen" and his voice
blends with that of the Angels, he would be forgiven his past sins."
{Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Nasaa`ee} Aisha
reported that the Messenger of Allaah
said: "The Jews are more envious of Muslims in two things: Our greeting
of each other with Assalaamu `Alaykum, and our saying "Ameen" aloud behind
the imaam." { Ahmad, Ibn Majah}.
Raising The Hands:
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
The Prophet (when he stood up
for prayer) used to raise his hands parallel to his shoulders when he started
the prayer (by saying Allaahu-Akbar), when he uttered the Takbeer to Ruku
(bow), and when he raised his head from Ruku (bowing posture). {Bukhari
and Muslim}. The narration of `Abdullaah ibn Umar
is clear enough to prove that the raising of the hands was not canceled
nor given up. There are other authentic ahadeeth which prove that Prophet
Muhammad used to raise his hands
at the beginning of prayer, before and after Ruku, and when standing up
for the third Raka'at. Every single book of Hadeeth, including: Bukhari,
Muslim, Muwatta by Imaam Maalik, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhee, Nasaa`ee, Ibn Majah,
Ibn Khuzaimah, Haakim, Ahmad, Tabaraanee, Bayhaqi, and many others mention
this practice of the Prophet {Rafa-al
Daeen}
Jalsah (The sitting between two Sajdah):
It is common practice that when the Muslims go down for
the Sajda and come up to sit (Jalsa) and prepare to make the second Sajda,
they do not utter anything except sit and look at the place of prostration.
However, in the Hadith of the prophet Muhammad
collected by Ahmad ibn Hanbal which the Prophet told us to say Rabbigh-firlee
3 times in the sitting position. There is another Du'a which is similar
to this one, which can be found in abu Dawood and Tirmidhee.
Making Du'a after Salaat behind the Imaam:
It should be known that the Salaat (prayer) is finished
when the Imaam makes the Tasleem (to the right and to the left). Unfortunately,
there are Muslims who make the Tasleem and Immediately after with the Imaam
raise their hands and commence to make Du'a. They make this action (du'a)
a compulsion on themselves and others even though there is not one authentic
evidence that the prophet Muhammad
or his companions did this type of `Ibaada (Du'a) after prayer. Instead
one should be engaged in following what is established in the Sunnah by
doing dhikr individually, reciting ayatul kuri, etc. In addition, the prophet
Muhammad is the only one who has
the authority to demonstrate to us how and when to make Du'a in order that
Allaah will hear our call. However the Muslims have taken the action of
Du'a like the Christians, who have to go through a priest to God.
Therefore we should make Du'a to Allaah as much as we
can in the times prescribed by prophet Muhammad
like: Lailatul Qadr, after making wudu, between adhaan and the Iqaama,
while one is traveling, on Friday after Asr, while drinking the zam zam
water, in ruku and sajda, making Du'a for our brothers or sisters in their
absence, on the day of `Arafah and other times as it is mentioned in the
authentic ahadeeth. It should also be noted that all Du'a should be done
individually, as was the practiced of the prophet Muhammad
and companions, except in Du'a qunut. And other places specified in the
authentic Hadith. Allaah the Most Merciful says in the Qur'aan "And
when My slaves ask you (Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I
am indeed near. I respond to the Du'a of the supplicant when he calls on
Me (without any mediator or intercessor) {2:186}
