Catching up missed prayers or parts of group prayer

Catching part of the group prayer

• The one who reached the group prayer while the leader was in the bowing position, then proscribed and remained standing until the leader stood up, has not caught this subset. He stands up and prays this subset and all others missed after the leader has completed his prayer.
• If a follower bowed before the leader, then his bow was valid if the leader caught the follower in it, not otherwise. However, it is better to repeat the bow.

Catching Up Missed Obligatory Prayers

• The correct sequence of missed prayers and the obligation of the current time is required, and leaving it invalidates the prayer, unless:
• One fears that the time to pray the current obligation is running out
• The missed prayers are more than 5
• One forgot about the missed prayers until after the current time’s obligation

Making Up Missed Optional Prayers

• The 2 optional subsets before Fajr are prayed after the group prayer has started, if one can catch the second subset with the leader, but outside the masjid. This is not for the optional subsets before other obligatory prayers.
• If someone misses the Ascertained Merit (sunnah) before Fajr, then he does not pray it after Fajr unless he missed Fajr itself so he can pray it in combination with the missed Fajr.
• Other ascertained sunnah prayers are caught up within their associated obligatory prayer's time, but not after.

Interrupting the prayer to join a group prayer

• If someone completed his obligatory prayer alone, then he may join the group prayer afterwards as an optional prayer, but not after Fajr, Asr or Maghrib.
• If he has not made the first prostration of the second subset of Fajr; he interrupts Fajr and joins the group.
• If he had prostrated once in the 3rd subset of Thuhr, 2nd subset of Maghrib or Fajr then he completes the prayer.
• If he was praying the sunnah mu'akkadah (ascertained merit) before Thuhr or the Friday Group Prayer, and then the group prayer or the speech started, then he interrupts after competing the first pair of subsets.

Witr Prayer

• Witr's is a duty, has three consequtive subsets (no tasliim after the first sitting for tashahhud) with FatiHah and a suurah, and with a supplication (qunuut) before bowing in the 3rd subset.
• When one wants to make the Witr Supplication, one raises the hands like in the proscription while saying "Allahu Akbar," then starts to supplicate silently.
• There is no regularly prescribed qunut supplication (like the supplication of Witr) other than in Witr.
• If there are calamities, such as war, one may make qunut supplication in other than Witr in the standing after the bow (rukuu^) in the last subset.
• Followers remain silent if the leader of the prayer makes the qunuut supplication in Fajr.
• Witr is prayed in group in Ramadan only, by the consensus of the muslims, and with loud reciting.

Optional Prayers

The optional prayers and their description

• All subsets in optional prayer must have the FatiHah and a suurah recited in them because every pair of subset is like a separate prayer.
• The number of subsets of optional prayers of the daytime are 2 or 4
• During the night one may pray 2, 4, 6 or 8 subsets in one prayer.
• The best number of subsets for optional prayers is 4.
• The Merit (sunnah) prayers are: 2 subsets before Fajr, 4 in one prayer before Thuhr, 2 (or 4) after Thuhr, (2 or 4 before Asr), 2 after Maghrib, (2 or 4 before Eisha) and 2 (or 4) after Eisha. Those in brackets are not ascertained.
• One does not leave the Merit prayers, unless time is running out for the obligatory prayer.
• Duha is prayed by 4 subsets after the sun rises high, but before its zenith
• The best place to pray optional prayers is in the house (except taraawiiH).
• Ramadan’s TaraawiiH: 10 prayers of 2 subsets behind a leader, or alone at home, after the obligatory night prayer, with a resting period every 4 subsets.
• A traveler outside the city prays optional prayers on the back of his animal in the direction it is facing, hinting at the prayer movements.
• If someone started praying on the back of an animal, then descended and finished on the ground, then his prayer is correct, but not the other way around.
• Optional prayers seated while able to stand are permitted. It is best to sit as in the tashahhud.
• If someone started to pray an optional prayer standing, but later sat without an excuse, then this is valid.

The one who starts an optional prayer and then invalidates it must pray it later.

Since every pair of subset is like a separate prayer:

• If someone was praying 4 subsets optionally, and invalidated the prayer after standing up for the 3rd subset, then he must pray 2 subsets later.
• If one does not recite in a subset pair, then the proscription has been invalidated.
• Reciting in only one subset of a pair of subsets invalidates that pair only.

Invalidators of Prayer

In prayer, the underlying cause of invalidation is a lot of activity that does not belong to the prayer:

• Speaking in prayer, whether purposefully or forgetfully, invalidates it. An exception here is forgetfully saying the "assalam" saying during prayer.
• If the leader of the prayer recited Qur'aan by reading from a book (not merely reading)
• Entering another prayer by proscription (one has entered the other prayer)
• If someone said "there is no god but God" intending it as an answer to someone else, but not if he intended by it to make someone aware that he was praying.
• If someone helps in the reciting of someone other than the leader of the prayer he is in, then his prayer becomes invalid.
• If someone helps his own leader remember in his reciting, it does not invalidate his prayer, unless the leader has already gone to another aayah. He should not hurry in this.
• If someone sneezed, and someone who was praying said "raHimaka Allah" (bless you), then the latter's prayer is invalidated.
• The one who clears his throat, and pronounces letters in doing so, invalidates his prayer unless he is excused by being unable to prevent it (i.e. naturally or to be able to recite), just like sneezing or belching.
• If a person sighed, moaned or cried with letter-sounds in prayer, then it invalidates it unless it is because of remembering Paradise or Hell (not pain or adversity)
• More than two consecutive movements
• Killing scorpions or any type of snake during prayer is not harmful
• The one who eats or drinks in prayer invalidates it, whether it was intentionally or not.
• Exempted here is if you swallowed something that was already in your mouth before the prayer started and it was less that a chick-pea in size.
• To answer a greeting during prayer invalidates it, if it is by the tongue or by shaking hands. It is disliked if it is done by giving a sign (such as a nod.)

Disliked acts related to prayer and the masjid

Disliked acts in the prayer

• To count suuras or aayas of the Quran during prayer by the hand (not merely pressing the fingers into the body)For the leader of the prayer to stand (not just prostrate) in the arcade, or on a separate platform (or the followers being on a platform and the leader not).
• To pray with a forbidden picture in front, over the head, to the side, behind, on the clothes or on the prayer rug.
• To pray towards the back of a man sitting and having a conversation has no harm in it.
• To pray with a copy of the Qur'aan or a sword hung up directly in front is not disliked.
• If the head of a statue has been removed, then it is not considered a forbidden image.
• It is not disliked to have a picture in the house on a pillow or a carpet on the floor, because it is stepped on.
• The image of something that does not have a soul is not disliked (such as plants and trees).
• It is disliked for the one in prayer to toy with his clothing, fingers, body or pebbles.
• One may remove pebbles from the place of prostration by a single movement if it affects one's ability to perform it properly.
• To place one's hands on the hips during prayer is disliked
• Turning one's head in prayer is also disliked but turning one's eyes alone left and right during prayer is not
• To sit on one's buttocks with the knees up in front during prayer is disliked
• To put ones forearms on the ground in prostration is disliked
• To sit cross-legged in prayer is disliked without an excuse
• To lift and hold one's clothing while descending into prostration
• For the man to have his hair collected in a ponytail or by pigment at the back.
• To let one's clothes hang loosely from ones head and shoulders during prayer

Dislikes related to the masjid

• Locking up the masjid is disliked, because it resembles prevention of prayer, unless one fears for the property in it outside the prayer times.
• Ornamenting a masjid with gypsum, wood or gold paint has no sin in it, but it is not rewardable to do so. Some said it is if someone did it using his own money.
• Intercourse, defecation, urination or having Greater Ritual Impurity above a public masjid is disliked, because its roof is like being inside it.

Passing in front of someone praying and using a sutrah

• The one who passes between the praying person and the place he makes prostration has committed a sin -- unless there is a barrier between, such as a wall. It does not invalidate the prayer.
• When praying in an open area, one should put a divider in front, about 70 cm high and wider than a finger.) One should stand close to the divider, and keep it a little to the left or right from the middle, so as not to pray directly towards it.
• One may pray without the divider if one feels safe from anyone passing in front and one is not facing a road.
• The divider in front of the leader works as a divider for all his followers.
• The person praying prevents people from passing in front of him by either using the hand to stop them or by saying "subhaanallaah".

Entering a masjid in which the call for prayer had already been made

• If the call has been made, then it is disliked to exit from the masjid until one has prayed. Exempted is the one who is part arranging the group prayer in another place.
• If he had already prayed and it was the time of Eisha or Thuhr, then he may exit before the call to stand to pray starts, not after. For Fajr, Asr and Maghrib he exits regardless.

Accidents during group prayer

Breaking ones ablution in prayer

• The one who breaks his ablution during prayer unintentionally, but not intentionally or by loss of mind or ejaculation, may go to take ablution and then continue from where he was in the prayer. If he does anything else that invalidates the prayer other than making the necessary movements to make ablution, such as speaking, exposing the ^awrah, or passing by water close by in order to use other water, then his prayer is invalidated. It is also invalidated if he waits for the time it takes to perform an obligation before he takes off, or performs a part of the prayer after breaking the ablution. It is in any case better to start over.
• If the leader broke his ablution unintentionally or became unable to recite (before completing the minimum recital), then he appoints a replacement immediately.

12 invalidators of the prayer before saying the ending salaam

These invalidate the prayer even after sitting for the last tashahhud before saying the salam:

1. The one who has taken ablution by soil sees water.
2. The unintentional exposure of the foot of the one who has been wiping his footwear (khuff) by little movement.
3. The time-period for wiping the footwear runs out.
4. The unable to recite learns to recite a suurah of the Quran.
5. The naked one finds something to cover with.
6. The one who was only hinting at the movements of prayer became strong enough to bow and prostrate.
7. Someone remembered an obligatory prayer that he missed and didn't pray yet.
8. The leader of the prayer broke his ablution and appointed a replacement that doesn't know how to recite.
9. The time of Fajr ended.
10. The time of Asr entered during the Friday Group Prayer.
11. Someone was wearing a bandage and it fell off exposing a healed wound.
12. Someone became well after being excused from taking ablution from some of its invalidators due to an ailment, such as irregular vaginal bleeding.

When the leader ends his prayer by other than saying salaam

• If the leader of the prayer sat for the length of time of the tashahhud (the last obligation), and then laughed or willfully broke his ablution then:
  1. The prayer is valid, but it is a duty to repeat it.
  2. Those who did not catch the first subset with him have invalid prayers.
• If the leader spoke or exited from the moske after completing all his obligations, without saying the salaam, then the prayers of those who did not catch the first subset were not invalidated.

Prayer Leadership

Group Prayer

Group prayer for men in the 5 obligatory prayers in the masjid is an Ascertained Merit. It's disliked, but valid, for women to pray alone as a group. It is disliked for the young woman to join the group prayer in the mosque.

The suitability of a Prayer Leader (Imaam)

• The most fit leader of the prayer, is the one who has the most knowledge.
• It is disliked, but valid, to let a big sinner lead the prayer
• It's invalid to pray an obligatory prayer behind someone in an optional prayer
• It is invalid for a man to follow a woman or boy that has not reached puberty
• It's invalid for a person who has complete ablution to pray behind someone who is excused from having to take ablution due to an ailment
• It's invalid for all if the one who is not able to recite leads someone who can
• It’s invalid for the one who is able to bow and prostrate, to pray behind the one who only hints at the prayer movements
• Someone who is able to stand in prayer can pray behind the one who sits (but is able to prostrate) - but he himself must stand
• The one who has taken ablution by earth (tayammum) may lead those who have ablution by water
• The one who wipes his footwear instead of washing his feet, may lead the prayer of those who are washing
• Someone who is praying an optional prayer may pray behind someone praying an obligatory prayer
• The follower in the prayer that later finds out that the leader did not have ablution, must repeat his prayer

Arranging the rows

• When setting up the rows for the group prayer, the men should come first, then young boys, and finally women
• A single follower stands to the right and slightly behind.
• Two followers in the prayer stand behind

Reciting in prayer

When to perform loud or silent reciting

To recite silently means making your self hear only, whereas reciting loudly means to make others hear.

1. The leader of the prayer recites Quran loudly as a duty:
   • In the two first subsets of all obligatory prayers except Thuhr and Asr.
   • The Friday Prayer, the Eiid prayers, Witr Prayer (in Ramadan) and taraawiiH
   .
2. The one praying alone may pray silently in all prayers if he likes.
3. Optional prayers are silent in daytime, but one may recite loudly in them at night.
4. The followers in a group prayer keep silent.
5. Attendees of the Friday Speech keep silent (except if the speaker recites the aayah that orders to praise Prophet Muhammad (may Allah raise his rank.))
6. If one misses the obligatory night prayer, and performs it the next day in a group, then the leader of the prayer recites loudly. However, if one is praying it alone then one must recite silently.

Forgetting Fatihah

The one who recited Quran, but forgot to recite the Faatihah in the first two subsets of an obligatory prayer, does not catch them up in the last to subsets. However, if one recited the Faatihah in the two first subsets and nothing more, then it is waajib (a duty) to catch up by reciting it again with another suurah in the two last subsets (loudly if it was supposed to have been recited aloud). One must prostrate for innatentiveness (sujuud al-sahw) in both cases above.

Obligatory and Waajib Reciting

• The obligatory required reciting is fulfilled by a single aayah. This must be done in every subset in optional prayer, but at least in two in obligatory prayers.
• It is a duty to read at least an additional suurah or a long aayah after the Fatihah (except in the 3rd and 4th subsets of the 5 obligatory daily prayers).
• It is a sunnah to read the Fatihah in all subsets in obligatory prayers (but one does not add to it other reciting in the 3rd and 4th subsets).

The preferred amount to recite

The Quran is divided into 30 parts, the last three of these as a unit are called "The Divided One" because its divided into many suurahs.

• It is a convention in the Fajr prayer and the Thuhr prayer to recite in the first two subsets between 40 and 50 aayah, or the longer suurahs of The Divided One. This is in addition to the Faatihah.
• Other numbers have been related, and the way to make agreement between the sayings is to say that the leader recites with the hard-working 100 aayah, but with the lazy only 40, and with average people between 50 and 60. Others said that the criteria is to look at how busy people are, especially with regard to Thuhr prayer.
• In the Asr prayer and the Eisha prayer, one should read middle length suurahs from The Divided One. For the Maghrib prayer one should recite shorter suurahs from The Divided One.
• The first subset of the Fajr prayer should be made longer than the second one. This is to help people make the group prayer at a time when they are sleeping or drowsy.
• The first two subsets of Thuhr prayer are equally deserving of recital length. The same is true for all the prayers except the Fajr prayer, as mentioned. It does not matter if the first or second subset is longer than the other one by two or three aayahs.
• The traveler recites the Faatihah and any suurah, if he is in a hurry.

Umrah with Hajj Pilgrimage

Hajj is wajib for the one who meets the following criteria

• He is free (not a slave).
• He has reached puberty.
• He is sound minded (not crazy).
• He is healthy enough to perform the hajj.
• He has enough money for food, necessities and transportation for the trip beyond his financial obligations to his dependents as well as his house and other basic necessities.
• The road to hajj is safe.

The prerequisite of Hajj

• Proscription (Ihraam)

The Requisites of Hajj

• Being at Arafah between the sun's zenith on the day of ^Ararah, and the start of Fajr on the day of Eid.
• Most of Tawaaf-uz- Ziyaarah (with intention) after Fajr on Eid.

The duties of Hajj

• Proscription (Ihraam) before or at the mawaaqiit
• Starting Tawaaf from the Black Stone
• Going counter-clockwise around the Kaabah
• Ritual purity in Tawaaf
• Covering the ^awrah in Tawaaf
• Walking in Sa^y if able
• Making Sa^y after Tawaaf (it is invalid alone)
• Being at Muzdalifah after Fajr time enters
• Sa^y between Safa and Marwah
• Throwing the pebbles
• The farewell tawaaf for strangers
• Shaving (men only) or cutting (about 1 inch of) one's hair (at least 1/4 of all the head, but preferrably all)
• Remaining in ^Arafah until Maghrib enters
• Slaughtering for tamattu^ and Qiraan
• Order between throwing and shaving for regular single Hajj
• Order between throwing, slaughtering and shaving for tamattu^ and Qiraan
• Tawaaf-uz- Ziyaarah between Fajr on Eid until the entry of Maghrib on the 12th (the 3rd day of Eid.)
• Shaving or cutting one's hair in the Haram area.

Leaving any waajib requires atonement, but ones Hajj is valid without it.

Sunnahs of Hajj

• The Tawaaf of entering Mekkah for the stranger
• If a man (not a woman) has the intention of sa^y after Tawaaf: to walk fast with a strutt in 3 rounds; to uncover the right shoulder and cover the left
• Going to Mina on the 8th and staying until having prayed Fajr on the 9th
• Exiting from Mina after sunrise
• Staying at Muzdalifah the night of Eid
• Taking ghusl in ^Arafah
• Spending the nights of Eid in Mina

Tamattu^ Pilgrimage - Umrah then Hajj

1. One must proscribe before or at the miiqaat. When one wants to make proscription, one takes a full shower and ablution, puts one's (preferrably white) pilgrimage clothes (sandals, ridaa' and izaar for men), prays two subsets and then intends to make Umrah, saying " O Allaah, I have hereby intended to make Umrah, so make it easy for me!" then one immediately says the talbiyah: "labbaykAllaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shariika laka labbayk, innal-Hamda wanni^mata laka wal-mulk, laa shariika lak!" (Loudly for the man, quietly for the woman (she is like that in all sayings). One continues to say this until one reaches the doors of the masjid of the haram.)

2. When one first sees the ka^bah one should say "Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha illa-Allaah" and supplicate.

3. Head towards the black stone and proscribe for Tawaaf by saying "Allaahu-akbar" lifting your hands as in prayer. Stretch your right hand towards the black stone saying "bismillahi Allaahu akbar" then kiss the inside of your hand. Every time you pass by the stone do the same. Don't try to touch or kiss the stone unless you can do it without harming anybody.

4. Complete 3 rounds walking fast and struttingly, then 4 at normal pace. Uncover the right shoulder during all rounds, and cover the left shoulder.

5. After completing 7 rounds, pray the two subsets of tawaaf. This is a duty anytime one makes Tawaaf. The best place to do it is behind "maqaam Ibraahiim".

6. Drink some zamzam water.

7. Go to al-Safa intending al-sa^y, face the Ka^bah when you reach and say "Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha illa-Allaah" and "Allaahumma Salli ^alaa MuHammad" and supplicate as you wish while lifting your hands.

8. Go from al-Safa to al-marwah. Walk fast with a strut between the green pillars. When you reach al-marwah, say "Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha illa-Allaah" and "Allaahumma Salli ^alaa MuHammad" and supplicate as you wish while lifting your hands.You have now completed one round.

9. Go from al-marwah to al-Safa . Walk fast with a strut between the green pillars. When you reach al-Safa, say "Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha illa-Allaah" and "Allaahumma Salli ^alaa MuHammad" and supplicate as you wish while lifting your hands. You have now completed two rounds.

10. Complete 7 rounds, ending finally in al-marwah.

11. Cut your hair (women and men) or shave your head (men only). You have now completed the Umrah.

12. Proscribe for Hajj on the day before Arafah in Makkah.

13. Go to Mina during the day before the standing on Arafah and stay there at night.

14. Go to Arafah after Fajr prayer in Mina and stay until after Maghrib. Pray Thuhr and Asr together in Thuhr time if you like and keep busy with worship.

15. Go to Muzdalifah. Pray Maghrib and Eisha together there in the time of Eisha as a duty. Stay there until after midnight. It is better to stay until after Fajr prayer.

16. Go to Mina and throw the 7 stones of ^Aqabah, lifting the hand and throwing 7 pebbles saying "bismillahi Allaahu akbar". Avoid harming others by pushing and the like.

17. Slaughter a sheep in Mina or Makkah. You may ask a trustworthy person to do it for you, but you cannot cut your hair until you are sure it has been done.

18. After the slaughter has happened, cut or shave you hair. You can now wear normal clothes, wear perfume - anything normally allowed, except what pertains to sex.

19. Make the obligatory Tawaaf (of ziyaarah) and sa^y as in steps 2 to 10. This can be done any time after sunrise the first day of Eid until Maghrib enters the 3rd day of Eid (3 days.)

20. After Tawaaf you are now allowed everything a normal person can do.

21. Stay in Mina at night until after Fajr the second day of Eid, and likewise the next night. There is no sin if you stay until midnight only, or don't stay at all.

22. Throw the 7 pebbles of the smaller, medium and larger stoning places both on the second and third days of Eid. It must be done after Thuhr time enters until Fajr time enters to be valid. After finishing the smaller and medium stonings it is good to stop and supplicate, but not after the larger (i.e. you do not stop, but keep moving).

23. If one stays until Maghrib enters in Mina on the 3rd day of Eid, then one should stay and throw on the 13th as well. If one stays until Fajr enters on the 13th, then it is a duty to throw on this day also.

24. Before leaving Makkah one should make the tawaaf of farewell (as a duty). This Tawaaf is with regular clothing and at a regular pace. There is no sa^y after it.