Ash-Shaykh Abdul Azeez ar-Raajihi, may Allah preserve him, was asked the following question,

هل يجب ترتيب الفوائت بحيث إذا فاتتني الصلاة وحضرت الجماعة الصلاة التي تليها أترك الجماعة وأقضي الفائتة؟

The Question: “Is it mandatory to make up the missed prayers in order, such as if I missed the prayer then the time for the Jama’ah of the next prayer comes in. So would I leave off the Jama’ah and make up the missed prayer?”

لا بد من الترتيب و يمكنك أن تصلي مع الجماعة الصلاة الفائتة ثم تصلي بعدها الحاضرة إلا إذا خشيت خروج وقت الحاضرة مثال( الحاضرة صلاة العصر خروج وقتها باصفرار الشمس ) أما فوات الجماعة لا بد من الترتيب

The Answer : “It is a must to perform them in order. While it is possible to pray with the Jama’ah (by making your intention to make up) for the missed prayer then after it you can pray the current salaah except in a state wherein you fear that the time for the current salaah will no longer be valid . For example if the current salaah is salaatu ‘Asr, the ending of its time is by the sun becoming yellow (during its setting). As for (if the purpose is merely to avoid) missing the congregation prayer then it is still necessary to perform them in order”

Reference: The Fataawa of Ash-Shaykh Abdul Azeez ar-Raajihi (excerpt from the app).

THE RULING ON PLACING THE HANDS ON THE HEART IN PRAYER – SHAIKH AL-ALBANI

Shaikh al-Albani rahimahullah said:

“Building upon that, you find in some of the Arab lands, rather in some of the Schools of thought which are followed, [the mention of] of placing the right hand upon the left on the heart and not on the chest [in prayer]. This is against the Sunnah. The Sunnah is to place them upon the chest and not to place them on the heart, which the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam described with his statement:

ألا وإن في الجسد مضغة إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ألا وهي القلب

There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoiled the whole body gets spoiled and that is the heart.

So it is not from the Sunnah is to place the hands like this, inclining them towards the left. Verily, the Sunnah is to place them like this upon the chest. So whoever takes them to the left due to a philosophical explanation has no foundation. Verily, it is the that the heart is the center of Iman. So placing the hands upon the chest is from the angle of preserving the Iman whose place of settlement is the heart. These explanations, for which Allah did not sent down an authority, are not reported in any Hadith, not even a weak Hadith or a fabricated Hadith from the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam that the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam used to incline to the heart when placing his hands on his chest like this. So you find some incline when placing his hands like this, then he comes with his forearm under his armpit. The Sunnah is to place the hands on the chest and not incline them to the left on the heart. So inclining them to the left on the heart, like the one who does this, does not have an origin for this or this. Verily, the hands are placed on the chest. It has come in some books of tafseer that the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam explained His statement:

إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ

Verily, We have granted you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) Al-Kauthar (a river in Paradise); Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only).

[108:1-2]

He said: (انحر) that is: place your hands on your chest. So the chest is here and not here. This is what I loved to mention between the answer to your question”.

[Fatawa al-Judda no. 16 Side A]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan

Abu Sulaymaan

IF A THIRD PERSON JOINS THE PRAYER, DOES THE IMAM MOVE FORWARD OR DOES THE CONGREGANT MOVE BACK ? – SHAIKH AL-ALBANI AND SHAIKH BIN BAZ

Shaikh al-Albani rahimahullah said:

“That which I want to say is that one person prays to the right of the Imam and as well he places his shoes to the right. If another comes and he does not know the nature of the ruling so he stands on the left of the Imam, then the Imam here follows the Prophet sallahu alahyhi wa salam and puts them both behind him. As for if the second has understanding that the two stand behind the Imam, then he stands behind the Imam and pull the one on the right. As for the Imam, then he remains in his place and he is not ordered to move forward. Yes”

[Silsilatul Huda wan-Nur no. 812 Side A]

Shaikh Bin Baz rahimahullah said

Question: There are two people praying asr in congregation and a third comes after both have entered prayer. So the Imam precedes because there is no place behind for the congregants to return to. So is it allowed for the Imam to come forward, specifically since we know the Hadith that the Messenger of Allah sallahu alayhi wa salam moved two people back and the Imam did not move forward?

Answer: ” If the Imam is in a place where it is possible for him to move them both back, then he moves them back. If the Imam is in a place where it is not possible for them to move back, he moves forward and there is no blame nor harm. What is important is if there is space in the place. If the space is behind, then he moves the one with him behind along with the other and they both pray behind him. Similar to what the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam did when Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) and Jabbar came and stood on his right and left. So he put both of them behind him. Likewise, the story of Anas and the orphan. He placed both of them behind. As for if they make a row against a wall and all of those behind him are against a wall. Then the Imam moves up and leads them and this is legislatted. May Allah bless you and reward you with good”.

[http://www.binbaz.org.sa/node/16049]

Tranlsated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan

Abu Sulayman

THE RULING ON PRAYING TOWARDS A SUTRAH THAT HAS AN OPENING IN THE BOTTOM – SHAIKH AL-ALBANI

Questioner: The issue of a sutrahs which are connected to the ground and they have pillars and are not completely stuck on the ground. Should they be taken as a sutrah and should the person praying place their legs to the right or left of him? Like for example, this table or should he pray towards the opening [of the table ]?

Shaikh: He should not pray to this opening. He should pray to the leg.

Questioner: Alright. The Hadith of the bed. Oh Shaikh. the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam prayed towards the bed. Is it not understood that the bed had an opening?

Shaikh: prayed towards the bed?

Questioner: Yes

Shaikh: Alright, we do not have an official picture nor a descriptive image that it was open nor covered. So why do we go into detail with this when we know that a sutrah is anything in front of a praying person even if it is a spear? So if he prayed towards a bed, then it is a must for us to suppose that the affair is not ordinary and the affair is actually ordinary. The ordinary affair is to use as a sutrah with something fixed and not something open. So if he prays towards a bed and we suppose that the bed is like a table which is in front of us, that it had a open space between the legs, then no doubt we pray towards one of the two legs. This if we suppose that it is open and not covered. We are close to this in a lot of situations in our room. We find a bed and there is a cloth for example. This cloth is covering the bed such that it covers the opening. So if you pray to this opening of the bed in this situation, you are not praying towards the opening. You are praying towards the screen which is this cloth. As comes in the narration of Ali may Allah be pleased with him in the Musnad that he said: that if a narration comes to you from the Messenger of Allah sallahu alahi wa salam, this is the meaning of the Hadith not the actual wording, carry the Hadith to the best of meaning. Do you remember the wording?

Questioner: We think that is what it is

Shaikh: Possibly yes

Questioner: In Ibn Majah also

Shaikh: Therefore, we carry the Hadith upon the best of meaning. We carry the Hadith according to what agrees with other Hadith. Not upon what is incompatible. Yes

Questioner: Alright, oh Shaikh we recall in this speech that the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam prayed towards a saddle. And a saddle is well-known to have an hole

Shaikh: The saddle is standing upon air?

Questioner: It is standing upon the earth, however…

Shaikh: The affair is ended. Your position is clear that is your speech is about the table

Another Questioner: The table itself

Shaikh: The table itself

Questioner: Jazakallahu Khairan

Shaikh: Wa iyyaka”

[Silsilatul Huda wan-Nur no. 812 side A]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan

Abu Sulaymaan

DRIVING A CAR OR RIDING A BIKE TO THE MASJID – SHAIKH ABDUL-MUHSIN AL-‘ABBAD

Question: Those who drive cars or ride bikes, do they enter into [the Hadith] about taking more steps to the Masaajid*?

Answer: “No doubt, whether he arrives on his feet or by car. This distance he travels, he will be rewarded for the steps”.

[Sharh Tirmidhi no. 13]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan

* The Hadith in reference is the following:

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏”‏ألا أدلكم على ما يمحو الله به الخطايا، ويرفع به الدرجات‏؟‏ ‏”‏ قالوا بلى يا رسول الله‏.‏ قال‏:‏ ‏‏إسباغ الوضوء على المكاره، وكثرة الخطا إلى المساجد، وانتظار الصلاة بعد الصلاة، فذلكم الرباط، فذلكم الرباط

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Shall I not tell you something by which Allah effaces the sins and elevates the ranks (in Jannah).” The Companions said: “Yes (please tell us), O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Performing the Wudu’ properly in spite of difficult circumstances, walking with more paces to the mosque, and waiting for the next Salat (prayer) after a observing Salat; and that is Ar-Ribat, and that is Ar-Ribat.

[Reported by Muslim no. 251, Tirmidhi no. 51, and others]

Ash-Shaykh al-Uthaymeen was asked the following question,

Question: A man missed the fajr prayer with the congregation. Does he pray the Raatibah [the Sunnah] or the obligation knowing that the congregation has left?

Answer: “He precedes the Raatibah over the obligation because the Sunnah of fajr is before the obligation. Even if the congregants have left the Masjid”

[Majmoo’ al-Fatawa wa Rasaail question no. 868]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan