3.1.6 The Service

The Arabic word for prayer is salat, which originally means praying or the making of a supplication, and was employed in this sense before Islam. In the Holy Qur’an, the word is used both in the technical sense of Divine service as established by Islam, and in a general sense. In the latter, it means simply praying or making a supplication. In the technical sense it is almost always used with one of the derivatives of the word iqamah. Aqamah means he kept a thing or an affair in a right state (LL.). Hence the iqama of salah would mean the keeping of the prayer in a right state, which includes both the proper observance of the outward form and maintaining its true spirit. The purification before prayer, the mosque, the fixing of times and finally the settling of the form, are all parts of the outward organization, without which the spirit could not have been kept alive. To keep alive the spirit, an outward form is essential, for the spirit cannot live without a body. This is as true of institutions as of life. To maintain the spirit of law and order is the object of every good government, yet this spirit cannot be maintained without an external form. If therefore the object of religion is to enable man to seek and maintain a relationship with the Divine Spirit, that object cannot be attained without a form. In fact, as already stated, the great end in view, viz., to bring about the unity of the human race through Divine service, could not have been attained without a regularity in form and without a uniformity prevailing throughout the whole of the Muslim world. Hence a form has been fixed for the institution of the Islamic prayer, the individual having, in addition, liberty to pray to God in accordance with the desire of his own soul, when and where and as he likes. Like the times of prayer, the form was revealed to the Holy prophet by the Holy Spirit or Gabriel.

The outward form is not, however, the end; it is only a help, a means to gain the end which is the maintaining of a true relationship with the Divine Spirit and purification of all evil inclinations. Thus in the Holy Qur’an, the observance of the form of the prayer is spoken of as being meant to free a man from evil: “And keep up prayer at the two ends of the day and in the first hours of the night. Surely good deeds take away evil deeds. This is a reminder for the mindful” (11:114). And only they are said to attain self-development or success, who are true to the spirit of the prayer: “Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their prayers” (23:1, 2). And the mere form without the spirit is condemned in one of the earliest revelations: “So woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of (the spirit of) their prayer” (107:4, 5). It is a mistake to think that Islam only requires the form to be observed; it no doubt enjoins a form, but only a form with a spirit in it.

The Divine service, as already shown, is held five times a day, and each service has two parts, the congregational, which is called fardz (obligatory), and individual, which is called sunnah (the Holy Prophet’s practice). Each is made up of a number of rak‘ahs varying from two to four. Technically rak‘ah means one complete act of devotion which includes standing, bowing down, prostration and sitting reverentially, and is thus a kind of a unit in the Divine service. The order in which these different postures are adopted is a natural order. The worshipper first stands reverentially, and offers certain prayers; then he bows down and glorifies God; then he stands up again praising God; then falls prostrate placing his forehead on the ground glorifying God; then he sits down in a reverential position and makes a petition; then again falls down in prostration. Each change of posture is performed with the utterance of the words Allahu Akbar meaning “Allah is the Greatest”. This is called takbir which means magnifying or extolling the greatness (of God).

The obligatory part of the prayer (fardz), which, in a congregation, is performed after the Imam, contains the following number of rak‘ahs:

1. Fajr, or morning prayer — 2 rak‘ahs.

2. Zuhr, or early afternoon prayer — 4 rak‘ahs.

3. ‘Asr, or late afternoon prayer — 4 rak‘ahs.

4. Maghrib, or sunset prayer — 3 rak‘ahs.

5. ‘Isha’ or night prayer — 4 rak‘ahs.

The individual parts which are called sunnah (Holy Prophet’s practice) contain the following number of rak‘ahs:

1. Fajr, 2 rak‘ahs before the congregational prayer.

2. Zuhr, 4 rak‘ahs before the congregational prayer and 2 after it.

3. Maghrib, 2 rak‘ahs after the congregational prayer.

4. ‘Isha’, 2 rak‘ahs after the congregational prayer, followed by three rak‘ahs called witr (lit., odd number). The latter are really a part of the voluntary prayer (Tahajjud) which consists of two rak‘ahs said successively four times, followed by three rak‘ahs.

Every rak‘ah consists of four parts. The first of these is the standing position (qiyam), with which the prayer is started. The worshipper, turning his face towards the Ka‘bah, the Central Mosque of the world, raises both hands to his ears and utters the takbir. As a sign of reverence for the Holy Presence, before Whom the worshipper stands, the hands are thereafter folded on the breast, the wrist of the right hand being just over the wrist of the left. That is the preferable position, but they may as well be folded lower below the navel, the palm of the right hand being over the left. Or they may be left quite free in the natural position. These are small matters in which people may differ according to their tastes. The essential factor is that the worshipper should stand in a reverential position, having the feeling that he is standing before the Holy and Majestic Presence. In this standing position (qiyam), the Divine Being is praised and prayers are addressed to Him and certain portions of the Holy Qur’an are recited, as will be explained later on.

The qiyam is followed by the ruku‘ which means bowing down. In this posture the worshipper, while standing, bows forward and places both his hands on his knees and utters words declaring Divine glory.

Next comes the sajdah, or prostration, but before falling down in sajdah the worshipper rises up from the ruku‘, so that he again assumes the standing position with both hands hanging down freely, and along with the assumption of this position the following words, and not takbir, are uttered: Sami‘ Allahu li-man hamidah, meaning, Allah listens to him who praises Him. And, with this, words of Divine praise are uttered, Rabbana wa la-k-al-hamd, that is, “Our Lord! All praise is due to Thee”. After thus standing up, the worshipper prostrates himself with “Allahu Akbar” on his lips. In this state, the toes of both feet, both knees, both hands and the forehead touch the ground, and thus a posture of the utmost humility is assumed, while words declaring the Divine glory and Divine greatness are on the lips of the worshipper. This posture is assumed twice, the worshipper in between raising his head with the takbir on his lips, and briefly assumes the sitting position, as described in the next paragraph.

The qa‘dah, meaning sitting, follows every two rak‘ahs. If it is the first rak‘ah, then after performing the second sajdah, the worshipper stands up and performs the second rak‘ah in exactly the same manner as the first, after which the sitting position (qa‘dah) is assumed. In this posture, the right foot remains in a standing position, as in the sajdah, the tips of the toes touching the ground, while the left foot is spread with its back in contact with the ground, and the open hands placed on the knees. This position is kept so long as the necessary recitals are made. If the prayer consists of two rak‘ahs, it ends in this position. In the case of three or four rak‘ahs the standing position is again assumed and the required number of rak‘ahs performed in the same manner. The last position, with which the prayer comes to an end, is in all cases the sitting position (qa‘dah), and the prayer concludes with taslim i.e., the utterance of the words al-salamu ‘alai-kum wa rahmatu-llah, or “Peace be on you and the mercy of Allah!”

It may be added here that the four positions, qiyam, ruku‘, sajdah and qa‘dah, are all the possible positions which a man can assume to show reverence, and so far as the physical position of the worshipper is concerned, the form adopted is the most perfect possible and leaves nothing to be desired. The different postures, even if unaccompanied by any prayers to or praise of the Divine Being, with silent contemplation of the Divine Presence, are sufficient to inspire the heart of the worshipper with true awe of the Divine Being, and to bring before his mind a picture of the great majesty and glory of God, as he stands up, then bows down, then places his forehead on the ground. The law allows certain modifications in certain cases; as, for instance, when a person is sick, he may say his prayers in a sitting position, or if unable to sit down, he may say them while lying down, dispensing with even the ruku‘ and the sajdah if necessary. So, on a journey, a man is allowed to say his prayers while riding a horse or a camel (Bu. 18:7, 19), and though this is expressly allowed only in the case of voluntary prayers, the obligatory (fardz) prayer, in a railway carriage, on a boat or in an aeroplane seat would follow the same rule, and the postures adopted in all such cases must be subject to the exigencies of the situation. Even the direction may not be towards Qiblah. But when there is no exigency, a departure from the form prescribed by the Holy Prophet may not be made.

The question is sometimes asked if these positions are essential, and if an alteration in them would in any way, affect the value of the prayer. Suppose a man simply kneels down and bows his head a little; another man on a chair bows his forehead on to a table placed before him; would it not answer the purpose? Another suggestion is that there should be arrangements in mosques similar to those in churches. These are undoubtedly the suggestions of persons who do not want to mix with their humbler brethen, and the next step would be to have separate seats for distinguished men, so that they may be able to hold their heads above others proudly even in the House of God. The result would be a death-blow to the very object at which Islam aims through the institution of prayer — i.e., the creating of a spirit of humility and the levelling of differences between man and man. The spiritual experience of the man who lays his forehead on the ground, as a sign of the utmost humility, must be altogether different from that of him who sits in a chair; for it cannot be denied that the different postures of the body have a corresponding effect on the mind, and Islam seeks to make the spiritual experience of the Muslim perfect by making him assume one position of reverential humility after another, so that he may pass from one experience to another. And what, after all, is the idea at the bottom of all these suggestions? Only that such a man thinks himself too important to place his forehead on the ground before his Maker. Surely such a man will fail to acquire any spiritual experience of true humility, and prayer for him will have no value.

Corresponding to the different postures of humility which the worshipper assumes in saying his prayers, he is enjoined to give expression to the praise and glory of God, to His great attributes of love, mercy, forgiveness, etc., to confess his own weakness, to pray for Divine help to support him in his weakness and for Divine guidance to lead him aright and make him achieve the goal of his existence. All such expressions are known in Arabic by the one name dhikr, which is generally translated as remembrance. The whole of prayer is called in the Holy Qur’an dhikr-Allah, or the remembrance of Allah. The Holy Qur’an itself is also frequently referred to as dhikr. Hence, whether a portion of the Holy Qur’an is recited in prayer, or words giving expression to Divine glory and greatness are uttered, as taught by the Holy Prophet, all goes by the name of dhikr.

The qiyam (standing posture) starts with the takbir or the utterance of “Allahu Akbar”. Nothing besides the takbir must be said to open the prayers. To announce that the worshipper intends to say so many rak‘ahs, fardz or sunnah, having his face towards the Qiblah, and so on, is simply absurd, as no trace of it is met with in the practice of the Holy Prophet (Sunnah) or in the practice of sayings of the Companions or the followers of the four Imams (ZM. I, p. 51).

Between the first takbir and the recital of the Opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an, which is the most essential part of the prayer, several kinds of dhikr are reported from the Holy Prophet. The best known, which the Caliph ‘Umar used to recite, is as follows:

Subhana-k-Allah-umma wa bi-hamdi-ka wa tabaraka-smu-ka wa ta-‘ala jaddu-ka wa la ilaha ghairu-k (Ad. 2: 120).

Glory to Thee, O Allah, and Thine is the praise, and blessed is Thy name, and exalted is Thy majesty, and there is none to be served besides Thee.

This dhikr is uttered in a low voice not heard by others. Bukhari however relates a hadith from Abu Hurairah, according to which the Holy Prophet addressed the following prayer after the first takbir:

Allah-umma ba‘id baini wa baina khataya-ya kama ba‘adta bain-al-mashriqi wa-l-maghribi; Allah-umma naqqini min-al-khataya kama yunaqqa-th thaub-ul-abyadzu min-addanasi; Allah-umma aghsil khataya-ya bi-l-ma’i wath-thalji wa-l-baradi (Bu. 10:80).

O Allah! keep faults as distant from me as the east is distant from the west; O Allah! cleanse me of all faults as a white cloth is cleansed of dirt; O Allah! wash away my faults with water and snow and hail.

Still another form, mentioned in other Hadith, is as follows:

Inni wajjahtu wajhiya lilladhi fatar-al-samawati wa-l-ardza hanif-an wa ma ana min-al- mushrikin. Inna salati wa nusuki wa mahya-ya wa mamati lillahi Rabbi-l-‘alamin. La sharika la-hu wa bi-dhalika umirtu wa ana min- al-Muslimin. Allah-umma anta- l Maliku la ilaha illa anta. Anta Rabbi wa ana ‘abdu-ka, zalamtu nafsi wa‘taraftu bi-dhanbi faghfir-li dhunubi jami‘-anla yaghfiru-l-dhunuba illa anta, wah-di-ni li-ahsani-l-akhlaqi la yahdi li-ahsani-ha illa anta wasrif ‘anni sayyi’a-ha la yasrifu sayyi’a ha illa anta. (AD. 2:119).

Surely I have turned myself, being upright, wholly to Him Who originated the heavens and the earth and I am not of the polytheists. Surely my prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds, no associate has He; and this I am commanded and I am one of those who submit. O Allah! Thou art the King, none is to be served but Thee; Thou art my Lord and I am Thy servant; I have been unjust to myself and I confess my shortcomings so forgive Thou all my shortcomings for none forgives the shortcomings but Thou. O Allah! Guide me to the best of morals, none guides to the best of them but Thou, and turn away from me bad morals, none can turn away bad morals but Thou.

Some other forms are also given in Hadith, which shows that if the worshipper offers any other prayer or utters any other words glorifying the Divine Being it is quite permissible to do so.

The above dhikr is followed by the words:

A‘udhu bi-llahi mina -shai.tani-r-rajim.

I seek the refuge of Allah from the accursed devil.

The dhikr mentioned above is peculiar, to the opening rak‘ah of a prayer. It is actually with the Opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an (Fatihah) that the prayer opens, for it is this short chapter (surah) that is recited in every rak‘ah. The Fatihah, the salient points of which have already been given, runs thus:

Bi-smi-llahi-r-Rahmani-r- Rahim.

1. Al-hamdu li-llahi Rabbi-l-‘alamin.

2. Ar-Rahmani-r-Rahim.

3. Maliki yaumi-d-din.

4. Iyya-ka na‘budu wa iyya-ka nasta‘in.

5. Ihdi-na-s-sirat-al-— mustaqim:

6. Sirat-alladhina an‘amta ‘alai- him.

7. Ghairi-l-maghdzubi ‘alai-him wa la-dz dzallin.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

1. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

2. The Beneficent, the Merciful.

3. Master of the Day of Requital.

4. Thee do we serve and Thee do we beseech for help.

5. Guide us on the right path:

6. The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favours.

7. Not those upon whom wrath is brought down, nor those who go astray.

At the close of the above is said “Amin!’’ which means “Be it so!”

The recital of the Fatihah is followed by any other portion of the Holy Qur’an, it may be a short or a long chapter or it may be one or more verses selected from anywhere. A short chapter, al-Ikhlas or Unity which in its four very short verses contains the doctrine of the Unity of the Divine Being in its perfection, is given below:

Bi-smi-llahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim.

1. Qul huw-Allahu Ahad.

2. Allahu-s-Samad.

3. Lam yalid wa lam yulad.

4. Wa lam yakul la-hu kufuwan Ahad.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

1. Say, He, Allah, is One.

2. Allah is He on Whom all depend.

3. He begets not nor is He begotten.

4. And none is like Him.

It may be noted here that while the Opening chapter Fatihah is essential to prayer and must be recited in every rak‘ah in the standing position, the addition thereto of any other portion of the Holy Qur’an is dispensed with in certain cases, as in the third or fourth rak‘ah in case of congregational prayer. A little pause was also generally observed by the Holy Prophet after qira‘ah before assuming the next posture (ruku’).

The dhikr in the state of sajdah differs but slightly from that in ruku‘. Of the following, the first is the best-known dhikr for ruku‘, the second for sajdah, while the third is an alternative form for either:

1. Subhana Rabbiy-al- ‘Azim (AD. 2:149).

2. Subhana Rabbiy-al-‘A‘la (Ibid.).

3. Subhana-k-Allah-umma Rabba-na wa bi-hamdika Allah-ummagh-fir-li (Ibid.)

Glory to my Lord, the Great.

Glory to my Lord, the most High.

Glory to Thee, O Allah our Lord! and Thine is the praise; O Allah, grant me protection!

This dhikr is repeated thrice, while to it may be added any other prayer. The sajdah, in particular, is the most fitting position for addressing any prayer in any language to the Almighty. There are reports showing that the Holy Prophet used to pray in the sajdah in both forms: in the form of glorifying and praising the Divine Being and in the form of petition or asking the Divine Being for His favours (ZM. I, p. 60). Numerous forms of these prayers are given in Hadith, and all of them show an outpouring of the soul in a state of true submission, which is what, in fact, every worshipper needs, and therefore he is free to express the yearning of his soul before his great Maker in any way that he likes.

There are two sitting postures, the first being the jalsa, the short sitting between the two sajdahs. The prayer addressed in this position is as follows:

Allah-umma-ghfir-li wa rham-ni wa-hdi-ni wa ‘afi-ni wa-rzuq-ni (AD. 2:143). wa-jbur-ni wa-rfa‘ni (IM. 5:23).

O Allah! grant me protection and have mercy on me and grant me security and guide me and grant me sustenance and set right my affairs and exalt me!

The second sitting position, the qa‘dah, is assumed after two rak‘ahs have been offered. And then the following prayer, called al-tashshahud, is offered.

At-tahyyatu li-llahi wa-s-salawatu wa-tayyi batu; as-salamu ‘alai-ka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa rahmatu-llahi wa bara-katuhu, as-salamu ‘alai- na wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahi-s-salih in. Ashhadu al-la ilaha ill-Allahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abdu-hu wa rasuluh. (Tr. 2:100).

All services rendered by words and bodily actions and sacrifice of wealth are due to Allah. Peace be on thee, O prophet! and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be on us and on the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Apostle.

If this is only the intermediate sitting in a prayer of three or four rak‘ahs, the worshipper stands up after the above-mentioned dhikr, but if it is the final sitting, whether in a prayer of two or three or four rak‘ahs, the following dhikr, called al-sala ‘ala-l-Nabiyy, is added:

Allah-umma salli ‘ala Muhammad-in wa ‘ala ali Muhammad-in kama sallai-ta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahima inna-ka Ham-id-un Majid. Allah-umma-barik ‘ala Muhammad-in wa ala ali Muhammad-in kama ba rakta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahima inna-ka Hamid-um Majid. (AD. 2:181).

O Allah! Exalt Muhammad and the true followers of Muhammad as Thou didst exalt, Abraham and the true followers of Abraham; surely Thou art Praised, Magnified. O Allah! Bless Muhammad and the true followers of Muhammad as Thou didst bless Abraham and the true followers of Abraham; surely Thou art Praised, Magnified.

The following prayer is then added:

Rabbi-j‘al-ni muqima-s-salati wa min dhurriyyati Rabba-na wa taqabbal du‘a’; Rabba-na-ghfir-li wa li-walidayya wa li-l-mu’minina yauma yaqu mu-l-hisab.

My Lord! make me and my offspring keep up prayer; our Lord! and accept my prayer; our Lord! grant protection to me and my parents and to the believers on the day when the reckoning will take place.

This may be followed by any other prayer which the worshipper may wish to offer. One such prayer, comprehensive in its content, which is given in a hadith, is reproduced below:

Allah-umma inni a‘udhubi-ka min-al-hammi wa-l-huzni wa a‘udhu-bi-ka min’al’‘ijzi wa-l-kasali wa a‘udhu-bi-ka min-al-‘jubni wa-l-bukhli wa a‘udhu-bi-ka min ghalabati-d-daini wa qahri-r-rijal; Allah-umma-k-fi-ni bi-halali-ka ‘an harami-ka wa-aghni-ni bi-fadzli-ka ‘am-man siwa-ka.

O Allah! I seek Thy refuge from anxiety and grief, and I seek Thy refuge from lack of strength and laziness, and I seek Thy refuge from cowardice and niggardliness, and I seek Thy refuge from being over-powered by debt and the oppression of men; O Allah! suffice Thou me with what is lawful, to keep me away from what is prohibited, and with Thy grace make me free from want of what is besides Thee!

The concluding dhikr in the sitting position is taslim, or the utterance of the following words:

As-salamu ‘alai-kum wa rahmatu-llah.

Peace be on you and the mercy of Allah.

These words are uttered twice, first turning the face to the right and then turning to the left.

Qunut comes from qanata which means he was humble in obedience to God, and qunut is really a prayer of humility, but it also means standing long in prayer. There are two kinds of qunut spoken of in Hadith. One of these was the prayer which was specially addressed to the Divine Being on the occasion of some great tribulation, as happened when seventy Muslim missionaries were treacherously murdered by the tribes of Ra‘l, Dhakwan, etc. (Bu. 14:7; 56:19). It was a prayer calling for Divine punishment on the tyrants who butchered absolutely innocent people, and this prayer was offered after rising from ruku‘ in the morning and evening congregational prayers. It was on this occasion that the Holy Prophet received a revelation (3:128), not to pray for the punishment of a people, but still his practice of offering qunut at the time of great disaster or imminent danger was acted upon by his Companions, as by Abu Bakr before the battle with Musailimah (ZM. I, p. 75). The qunut in this case was a prayer to God to avert a calamity.

The more well-known qunut is, however, that offered in the witr prayer in the third rak‘ah. It is based on a hadith related in the Sunan and the Musnad of Ahmad, and the words of this prayer, as reported by Hasan, son of ‘Ali, are as follows:

Allah-umma-hdi-ni fi-man hadaita wa ‘afi-ni fi-man ‘afaita wa tawalla-ni fi man tawallaita wa barik li fi-ma a‘taita wa-qi-ni sharra ma qadzaita inna-ka taqdzi wa la yuqdza ‘alaika, inna-hu la yadhillu man walaita tabarakta Rabba-na wa ta‘ alaita (ZM. I, p. 70)

O Allah! Guide me among those whom Thou hast guided, and preserve me among those whom Thou hast preserved, and befriend me among those whom Thou hast befriended, and bless me in what Thou hast granted, and save me from the evil of what Thou hast ordained, for Thou dost order and no order is given against Thy order; surely he is not disgraced whom Thou befriendest; blessed art Thou, our Lord! and highly exalted.

Another form of qunut is the following:

Allah-umma inna nasta‘i nu-ka wa nastaghfiru-ka wa nu’ minu bi-ka wa natawakkalu ‘alaika wa nuthni ‘alaik-al-khaira wa nashkuru-ka wa la nakfuru ka wa nakhla‘u wa natruku man yafjuru-k; Allah-umma iyya-ka na‘budu wa la-ka nusalli wa nasjudu wa-ilai-ka nas‘a wa nahfidu wa narju rahmata ka wa nakh sha ‘adhaba-ka inna ‘adhaba-ka bi l-kuffari mulhiq.

O Allah! We beseech Thee for help, and seek Thy protection and believe in Thee and rely on Thee and extol Thee and are thankful to Thee and are not ungrateful to Thee and we declare ourselves clear of, and forsake, him who disobeys Thee. O Allah! Thee do we serve and for Thee do we pray and prostrate ourselves and to Thee do we betake ourselves and to obey Thee we are quick, and Thy mercy do we hope for, and Thy punishment do we fear, for Thy punishment overtakes the unbelievers.

There is no reference in any hadith to the Holy Prophet raising up the hands for supplication after offering prayers, as is the general practice, but some kinds of dhikr are recommended:

Astaghfiru-llaha Rabbi min kulli dhanb-in wa atubu ilai-h.

I seek the protection of Allah my Lord, from every fault and turn to Him.

Allah-umma anta-s-salamu wa min-ka-s-salamu, taba-rakta ya Dha-l-Jalali wa-l-Ikram.

O Allah! Thou art the Author of peace, and from Thee comes peace, blessed art Thou, O Lord of Glory and Honour.

La ilaha ill-Allahu wahda-hu la sharika la-hu, la hu-l-mulku wa-l-hamdu wa huwa ‘ala kulli shai’-in Qadir;

Nothing deserves to be worshipped except Allah, He is One and has no associate; His is the kingdom and for Him is praise, and He has power over all things.

Allah-umma la mani‘a li-ma a‘taita wa la mu‘tiya li- ma mana‘ta wa la yanfa‘u dha-l-jaddi min-ka-l-jaddu.

O Allah! there is none who can withhold what Thou grantest, and there is none who can give what Thou withholdest, and greatness does not benefit any possessor of greatness as against Thee.

In addition to these prayers, the recital of verse 2:255 of the Holy Qur’an (ayat al-kursiyy) is also recommended, as well as that of the words subhan-Allah (glory be to Allah), al-hamduli-ilah (praise be to Allah), and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), several times each.

As already noted, the essential part of the obligatory prayers called fardz is said in congregation. The very form of the different prayers to be recited shows that Islam has laid special stress on prayer in congregation. The whole Muslim body that can assemble in one place, both men and women, must gather at the appointed time, praise and glorify God, and address their petitions to Him in a body. All people stand shoulder to shoulder in a row, or in several rows, as the case may be, their feet being in one line, and one person, chosen from among them and called the Imam, which means leader, leads the prayer and stands in front of all. If, however, there are women in the congregation, they form a row by themselves at the back, and after the congregational prayer is over the men are not allowed to leave their places until the women have gone out. The distance between the Imam and the first row, or between the different rows, is such that the persons in each row may be able to prostrate themselves, so that their heads may be almost at the feet of the front row. This distance would generally be four feet. The smallest number of people that can form a congregation is two, one leading the prayer and the other following, and these two stand together, the Imam a little ahead, say about six inches, and standing to the left while the follower stands on the right. If a third person joins while the prayer is thus being led, either the Imam moves forward or the person following moves backward, so that the two who follow form a row. The people who stand behind are called muqtadun or followers, and the discipline is so perfect that the followers are bound to obey the Imam, even though he may make a mistake, though they have the right to point out the mistake, by pronouncing the words subhan-Allah (glory be to Allah). This amounts to a hint that God alone is free from all defects, such being the meaning of the word subhana. It is however the judgment of the Imam which is the decisive factor, and the followers, after giving the hint, must still obey him.

To announce that the congregational prayer is ready, the iqamah (which means causing to stand) is pronounced in a loud voice, though not so loud as the call to prayer (adhan). The sentences of the adhan are also the sentences which form the iqamah, but with the difference that they may be uttered only once and not repeated, and the following sentence is uttered twice after hayya ‘ala-l-falah:

Qad qamati-s-salah

Prayer is ready.

The additional words of the morning adhan also do not find a place in the iqamah, which is generally recited by the person who calls out the adhan, though in his absence anyone else standing behind the Imam may do so.

When the iqamah has been called out, the followers do not begin the prayer until the Imam starts it by saying: ‘‘Allahu Akbar’’ in a loud voice. With the utterance of these words by the Imam, the whole congregation, like the Imam, raises hands to ears while uttering the same words in a low voice. Both the Imam and the followers then recite, still in a low voice, some introductory dhikr, as stated above, after which the Imam recites the Opening Chapter of the Holy Qur’an (Fatihah) in a loud voice, pausing slightly after every verse, so that during the interval the followers may slowly repeat each sentence. The Hanafis, however, hold that the Imam’s recitation is sufficient, and that the followers need not recite the sentences of the Fatihah.

After the Imam has recited Fatihah, the whole congregation says Amin, either in a loud or a low voice, the former, no doubt, having the greater effect. After this, the Imam recites in a loud voice any portion of the Holy Qur’an, the followers listening in silence, occasionally glorifying God or praising Him or addressing some petition to Him in accordance with the subject-matter of the verses that are being recited. This procedure is followed in the case of the morning prayer, which consists of only two rak‘ahs of fardz, and of the first two rak‘ahs of the evening and early night prayers. In the case of the first two rak‘ahs of the early afternoon and the late afternoon, prayer is more in the nature of a meditation than a recital, like the private prayer, and the Imam and the followers individually recite the Fatihah and a portion of the Holy Qur’an inaudibly. In the last two rak‘ahs of both the afternoon prayers and the early night prayer, as well as in the last rak‘ah of the sunset prayer, the Fatihah is recited in a similar manner, individually and inaudibly. All the takbirs uttered at the changes of posture, and the final taslim ending the prayer, are, however, uttered by the Imam in a loud voice in all congregational prayers, and so is the dhikr Sami‘ Allahu li-man hamidah recited on rising from ruku‘, while the followers in this last case say in a low voice, Rabba-na wa la-kal hamd. The dkikr in ruku‘ and sajdah and the sitting posture is repeated in a low voice by the Imam, as well as those who follow him.

If a mistake is made in prayer, or the worshipper is doubtful about the number of rak‘ahs, he adds, what is called, sajdah sahw, (sahw meaning mistake) at the close of prayer, just before the taslim. The sajdah sahw consists in performing a double prostration like the ordinary prostration in prayer. If the Imam has made a similar mistake, he, along with the whole congregation, performs sajdah sahw.

A person who comes in late and joins the congregational service when it has already started, must, if he has missed one or more rak‘ahs, complete the number after the Imam has finished. A rak‘ah is deemed to have been completed when a person joins the ruku‘, though he may have missed the qiyam.

If one is on a journey, the prayers are shortened. The sunnahs are all dropped with the exception of the two of the morning prayer, and the number of obligatory rak‘ahs in the Zuhr, ‘Asr and ‘Isha’ prayers, which is four ordinarily, is reduced to two. In addition to this, the man who is journeying is allowed to combine the Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers and also the Maghrib and ‘Isha’ prayers. The witr of the ‘Isha’ prayer are also retained. If a man who is on a journey is chosen to lead the prayers, he shortens the prayers, while such of the followers who are not on a journey complete the number of rak‘ahs; but if the Imam is not on a journey, while some or all of the followers are, the latter do not shorten the prayer.

So much importance is given by the Holy Qur’an to the holding of Divine service that, even when facing the enemy, it must be held just the same. But this service is much shortened, and its holding is expressly mentioned in the Holy Qur’an thus: “And when you journey in the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve will give you trouble. Surely the disbelievers are your open enemies. And when thou art among them and leadest the prayer for them, let a party of them stand up with thee and let them take their arms; then when they have performed their prostration, let them go to your rear, and let another party who have not prayed come forward and pray with thee” (4:101, 102).

It appears from this that in case when there is fear of enemy’s attack, the congregation is divided into two parties, each saying only one rak‘ah of prayer with the Imam, while the Imam says only two rak‘ahs. This is called salat al-khauf (or prayer when there is fear) (Bu. 12:1). In case of still greater fear, it is permitted to say prayers whether on foot or riding (Bu. 12:2), as the Holy Qur’an says: “But if you are in danger, (then say your prayers) on foot or on horseback” (2:239). This, it is explained, is the saying of prayer by ima, i.e., simply by nodding of the head (Bu. 12:5).