Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Prayer in Fear

  • If people are facing the enemy in battle (or wild beasts or the danger of drowning or fire,) then the leader makes two groups for the prayer: one facing the enemy and one behind that group.
  • He first prays one subset with the group behind.
  • The moment he lifts his head from the second prostration, the first group goes to face the enemy while the second come to pray.
  • The leader leads the second group in his second subset, and sits for tashahhud and says the salaam. At that point the second group does not make salaam, but goes to face the enemy again and the other comes back.
  • The first group comes back again and they pray their second subset. They pray as singles without reciting -- because they were with the leader from the beginning. They sit for tashahhud and the salaam to end their prayer.
  • The first group goes back again to face the enemy, while the second comes back to pray their second subset with reciting - because they were preceded by a subset. They sit for tashahhud and the salaam to end their prayer.
  • If the leader is a resident, then he prays a pair of subsets with the first group and a pair with the second. If it is Maghrib he prays a pair with the first and a single subset with the second group.
  • If the fear and danger is very strong, then everyone prays single, hinting at bows and prostrations in any direction they are able.
  • In the middle of fighting activity one does not pray, but postpones the prayer.