Shuroot al Salat - Conditions for the Validity of Prayer

Thursday Halaqa Notes
9/12/13
MCA -Santa Clara, CA

Shuroot al Salat: Conditions for the Validity of Prayer

• There are several conditions that must be met before you start your Prayer. If these are not met, the prayer is not acceptable.

• 1. Timing (Dukhool waqt al salat) - the time for that prayer has begun. Prayers must be made in their prescribed times. “Indeed the prayer is upon the mu’mineen, something which is prescribed with a legislated time.” (4:103)

• 2. Intention (Niyyah) - make your intention to pray that particular prayer, whether it’s Fajr or Dhuhr etc., fard or sunnah. “Actions are by intentions…” (Bukhaari/Muslim). But it has to be done in the heart only. Rasullullah (Salla Allahu ‘alaihi wassalam) did not obligate us to recite the intention with our lips. 
• Note: It is possible to combine intentions for sunnah prayers. For example if you are going to pray Dhuhr in the masjid, when you first enter you can pray 2 rak’aat sunnah with the intention of Duha prayer, sunnah prayer, and tahiyyat al masjid (the 2 rak’as you make when you first enter the masjid prayer room).  
• Note: Once you begin praying, you cannot change your intention. If you started to pray with the intention of sunnah, you cannot change your intention to fard.

• 3. Purification (Taharah min al-hadath) - this refers to wudu or ghusl if necessary. ”O you who believe! If you arise to pray then wash your face and your hands to your elbows…” (Surah al-Ma’idah 5:6) 
• Note: In wudu, be careful to make sure water has reached the back of the arms, the area on the face near the ears, and the ankles. These are the common missed areas that the Prophet (SAW) warned us of.
• Note: In wudu, it is allowed to wash beyond the area required, it will increase your light, Noor, on the day of Judgement.

• 4. Cleanliness (Ijtinaaban najasaat) - this includes cleanliness of the body, the clothes, and the place where the prayer is to be performed, from any impure substances (najasaat) like urine, feces, blood, semen, etc. “And purify your clothing.” (74:4)

• 5. Concealing of the Private Parts (Sitril ‘Awrah) - for a man: navel to the knees, for a woman: all her body except for face and hands. “O children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying….” And, “Wear your beautiful clothing at every place of prayer.” (7:31)
• Note: for women, be careful to cover the feet, neck, and wrists during prayer. If it is just for a short time accidentally it’s ok, but try your best to minimize and make sure the entire awrah will stay covered during prayer.  

• 6. Facing the Qiblah (Istiqbaal al Qibleh) - this means that you must pray facing towards the direction of the sacred mosque in Makkah. “If you rose to pray, perform wudu in a good manner and then face the Qibla and make takbeer.” (Bukhaari/Muslim)
• Note: For the Qibleh, if you realized during the prayer that you are standing in the wrong direction, or someone told you while you are praying, you can turn during the prayer to the right direction - you don’t have to stop your prayer and start over.)
• Note: For the Qibleh, if you don’t know the direction of the Qibleh, ask someone. If there is no one to ask, make the best guess and your prayer will be acceptable in sha’ Allah.

• 7. Reached the age of maturity (Baaligh) - the prayer is required only for a person who  has reached the age of puberty or after 15 years of age. For children, it is preferred for them to begin praying at age 7 in order to get them in the habit of praying. After the age of 10, if they intentionally miss a prayer, they should be punished. This is from the hadith of the Prophet (Salla Allahu ‘alaihi wassalam) “Order your children to pray when they reach the age of seven and punish them for not performing it at the age of ten and separate them (ie. boys and girls) in their beds” (Bukhari)

• 8. Sanity & Consciousness - prayer is required only where the person is not mentally ill and is not asleep. This is from the hadith: "The pen is raised for three (meaning: there is no obligation upon three): one who is sleeping until he wakens, the child until he becomes an adult, and one who is insane until he becomes sane." (Bukhari)