Prayer: Al-Haytami's Exposition of Salah

Al-Haytami's chapter on salah in the Tuhfah is among the most detailed and frequently consulted sections of the work. He begins by situating prayer within the five pillars — the second pillar after the shahada — and notes its unique distinction as the act of worship that cannot be delegated, performed by proxy, or omitted under any condition short of unconsciousness, even for the ill and the incapacitated who must pray according to whatever posture they are able to maintain.

The conditions of prayer receive thorough treatment. On facing the qiblah (istiqbal al-qiblah), al-Haytami discusses the ruling for those who can see the Ka'bah versus those at a distance. For those at a distance, the obligation is to face the direction of Mecca, not its precise geometric bearing — a position that reflects the Shafi'i allowance for honest estimation (ijtihad) in determining direction. He also addresses the ruling for prayer on a moving vessel or conveyance.

The heart of the salah chapter covers the seventeen pillars. Al-Haytami explains each with its conditions and potential nullifiers. On the recitation of al-Fatiha, he defends the Shafi'i requirement of recitation by the follower in congregational prayer, responding to the Hanafi objection that the imam's recitation is sufficient for the congregation. He cites the hadith 'There is no prayer for one who does not recite the Opener of the Book' and explains its application even within jama'ah.

Al-Haytami's discussion of the sujud (prostration) covers its obligatory elements: the forehead must touch the ground and be uncovered, with no barrier between it and the place of prostration unless the barrier is part of the praying person's clothing and moves with them. He discusses the sunna of prostrating on seven body parts — forehead (and nose), both palms, both knees, and the tips of both feet — and the required stillness (tuma'ninah) in each position.

The chapter on congregational prayer addresses the imam's responsibilities and the conditions that make following behind an imam valid. Al-Haytami is particularly careful on the question of a follower discovering mid-prayer that the imam lacked a condition of validity — such as being in a state of janabah without the follower's knowledge. The Shafi'i position is that the follower's prayer remains valid in such cases, as their intention and actions were sound.

Jumu'ah prayer receives its own section, with the conditions for its obligation: being male, free, a permanent resident, and free from illness or hardship. Al-Haytami discusses the two khutbahs (sermons) — obligatory components of Jumu'ah — and their required elements: praise of Allah, salutations upon the Prophet, Quranic recitation, exhortation to taqwa, and in the second khutba, supplication for the believers.