Part 8

Q. 231. What is the ruling on prayer between the pillars?

A. Praying between the pillars is permissible when there is crowding, but when there is room, one should not pray between the pillars, because it severs the rows. Written on 29/1/

* 1) Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Friday Prayers, in the Chapter: Aman should not make another man stand up from his place then sit in it (911); and by Muslim in the Book of Salutations, in Chapter 11: The Forbiddance of Making a Person Stand up From His Rightful Place Which Was Previously His.

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Q. 232. What is the ruling on the women’s rows? Is the worst of them the first of them and the best of them the last of them in all circumstances, or when there is no screen between the men and the women?

rer es ps] WE5 By “The best of the women’s rows is the last of them and the worst of them is the first of them.’"} The only reason that this is so, is because the last of them is farthest from the men and the first of them is nearest to the men.

But if there is a private place for them, as there is now in most Masjids, then the best of the women’s rows is the first of them, as is the case with men.

Q. 233. What is the ruling on the prayer of one who prays outside the Masjid, such as one who prays in the road adjacent to the Masjid?

A. If a Masjid is not large enough for the worshippers, and they pray in the roads adjacent to it, then there is no objection, as long as they are able to follow the Imam, because this is necessary. Written on 6/6/1413 A. H.

Q. 234. What is prescribed regarding the straightening of the rows? Is it legislated for the worshipper to connect his ankle to the ankle of the person next to him? Deliver a verdict for us and may you be rewarded.

"I Reported by Muslim in the Book of Prayer, in Chapter 28: Straightening the Rows 1:326:132 (440).

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A. The correct opinion is that what is prescribed regarding straightening the rows is for the ankles to be parallel to each other, not the tips of the toes. This is because the body is mounted upon the ankles, while toes differ according to the size of the feet, for there are big feet and small feet, therefore it is not possible to precisely straighten the rows except by the ankles.

As for connecting the ankles, each of them next to the other, there is no doubt that it has been reported from the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, for they used to straighten the rows by connecting the ankles, each of them next to the other.!"! That is, that each of them would connect his ankle to the ankle of his neighbor, so that they would be parallel and the rows would be straight. And it (i.e. the connecting of the ankles) is not an aim in itself; rather the aim is something other than this (i.e. the straightening of the rows), as the scholars have said. Therefore, if the rows are completed and the people are standing, then it is an obligation on each of them to connect his ankle to the ankle of his companion, in order to achieve straight rows; and the meaning of this is not that he should tenaciously insist on connecting the ankles and keeping them connected throughout the whole of the prayer.

This is a form of excessiveness in this matter as some of the people do, which is that they connect ankle-to-ankle with their companions and spread their feet wide, so that there are spaces between their shoulders and those of their neighbors, thereby contradicting the Sunnah; and the aim is that the ankles be straight.

Q. 235. Is raising the hands in places other than the four (well known) places confirmed? And likewise in the

" 1) There is an indication of this in the words of Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “Each of us would connect his shoulder to the shoulder of his companion and his foot to his foot.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of the adhan, in Chapter 76: Connecting the Shoulders (725).

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funeral prayer and the ‘Eid prayers?

A. First of all, we must know the four places in which the hands are raised: (They are) upon making the opening Takbir, upon bowing, upon straightening up from bowing and upon standing up from the first Tashahhud. These are the four places whose authenticity has been confirmed by the Hadith from the Messenger of Allah #8, reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

“The Prophet #8 used to raise his hands when he made Takbir for the prayer, when he made Takbir for the Ruku’, when he said: ‘Allah hears the one who praises him.’ And he did not do so in prostration. ay If Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, who was very careful about following the actions of the Messenger #% — and indeed, he used to follow him - and he saw him raising his hands in Takbir in the Ruku', when straightening up from it and when standing up from the first Tashahhud and he said: “And he did not do so in prostration,” then it may not be said that (raising the hands during prostration) falls under the heading of accepting the affirmative over the negation, and that when a person affirms raising the hands, he is giving precedence to the affirmative over the negation in the Hadith of {bn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him. This is because it is clear from the Hadith of bn ‘Umar that he was positive that he did not raise his hands. So, a person who witnessed him raising his hands when he bowed and raising his hands when straightening up from bowing and then says: He did not do that in prostration, can we Say that it is possible that he was inattentive or did not notice? That is not possible, because he was positive that he did

") Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of the adhan, in Chapter 83: Raising the Hands in the First Takbir at the Opening of the Prayer (735); and by Muslim in the Book of Prayer, in Chapter 9: The Recommendation of Raising the Hands 21 and 22 (390).

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not do it in prostration and he was positive that he did it when bowing and straightening up from it.

Q. 236. If a person praying behind the Imam caught the prayer while the Imam was bowing, should he make the Takbir twice?

A. Ifa person enters while the Imam is bowing, then he makes the opening Takbir, he should bow immediately and his Takbir for the Ruku ‘ in that case is a Sunnah and not an obligation. If he makes Takbir for the Ruku’, it is better, but if he leaves it, there is no sin upon him.

After that, he will be in one of the following three situations:

1. That he is certain that he reached the Ruku’ before the Imam straightened up from it, in which case, he will have caught the Rak‘ah and he is not required to recite Surat Al-Fatihah in these circumstances.

2. That he is certain that the Imam straightened up from the Ruku’ before he reached it, in which case, he will have missed the Rak‘ah and he must make up for it.

3. That he is uncertain and in doubt as to whether he caught the Imam while he was bowing or whether the Imam had straightened up before he caught him. In this situation, he should base his action on what he thinks is most likely, and if it seems more likely to him that he caught the Jmam in the Ruku‘, then he has caught the Rak‘ah. If it seems more likely to him that he did not catch the Jmam in the Ruku’, then he has missed the Rak‘ah. In this situation, if he has missed something from the prayer, he must perform the prostration of forgetfulness after making the Taslim. If he did not miss anything of the prayer, such as if the Rak‘ah about which he was in doubt was the first Rak‘ah, and he thought it more likely that he had caught it, then in this situation, the prostration of forgetfulness is not necessary, due to his prayer being bound to that of the

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Imam. The Imam takes the responsibility for the prostration of forgetfulness for the one who is being led in prayer, so long as he did not miss anything of the prayer.

There is another situation of doubt which occurs, and this is when a person is uncertain whether he caught the Imam while he was bowing, but he is unable to say which was more likely. In this situation, he should base his action upon what he is certain of, which is that he did not catch the Imam in Ruku’, because that is the basic principle. In which case, he will have missed the Rak‘ah and he must perform the prostration of forgetfulness before the Taslim.

There is still another matter which I would like to bring to your attention in regard to this. Many people, when they enter the Masjid while the Imam is bowing, begin to loudly and repeatedly clear their throats and possibly even speak, saying: ‘Verily, Allah is with the patient ones,’ or they might stamp their feet and all of these things are in contradiction to the Sunnah. It also disturbs the Imam and the worshippers. There are those among the people who, if they enter the Masjid while the Imam is bowing, rush in a most unseemly way. The Prophet # prohibited this, saying:

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“If you hear the Igamah, then walk to the prayer and do so with

calmness and tranquility, and do not hurry. Then, whatever you catch of the prayer, pray it and whatever you have missed, complete it.’"")

Q. 237. What is the ruling on placing the right hand over the left hand on the chest, or over the heart? What is the ruling on placing the hands below the navel? Is there a difference between a man and a woman?