Prayer in Fath al-Mu'in

The prayer chapter of Fath al-Mu'in is one of the most detailed in the work, reflecting the centrality of salah to daily Muslim life and the complexity of its rulings in the Shafi'i school. Al-Malibari's intermediate-level treatment gives students both the positions and enough explanation to apply them.

The chapter opens with the times of the five prayers, giving the beginning and end of each prayer's window with attention to the concepts of preferred time and permissible time. The fajr prayer, for example, has its most preferred time at the beginning of dawn (fajr sadiq) and extends until sunrise, but the most emphasized sunnah is to delay it somewhat — performing it when it is light enough to be certain of the prayer's validity. Al-Malibari addresses the common question of how to determine prayer times in locations where accurate instruments are unavailable, reflecting his awareness of the practical situation of his readers.

The seventeen pillars of Shafi'i prayer are covered with the detail appropriate for this level. On al-Fatiha, al-Malibari confirms the Shafi'i requirement of recitation in every raka'ah, including by the follower behind the imam. He explains the ruling on silent and audible prayers: in audible prayers, the follower waits for the imam to finish his recitation and then recites al-Fatiha quietly; in silent prayers, the follower recites at the same time as the imam. The sunnah of reciting the basmalah aloud in audible prayers is noted as a characteristic Shafi'i practice.

The chapter on congregation (jama'ah) is thorough on the conditions for following an imam. Al-Malibari addresses the question of following an imam of a different school — such as a Maliki imam in the Haramayn whose wudu was broken by cupping (a Maliki view) which does not break wudu in the Shafi'i school — and the Shafi'i principle that the validity of the prayer depends on the imam's actual state according to his own school, not the follower's assessment of it.

Fath al-Mu'in's coverage of the supererogatory prayers is particularly valuable. Al-Malibari covers the rawatib (confirmed sunnahs accompanying the five obligatory prayers), the duha prayer, the tahajjud and its virtues, and the night prayer in general. These rulings are practically important for students who seek to build a complete devotional life beyond the obligatory minimum.

The chapter on the Friday prayer addresses the conditions of its obligation and validity, the two khutbahs and their required elements, and the ruling on those who miss the jumu'ah and must perform zuhr instead.