HOW TO MAKE WUDHU AND PRAY AS THE PROPHET DID
 

Narrated Humran
(the slave of 'Uthman) I saw 'Uthman bin 'Affan asking for a tumbler
of water (and when it was brought) he poured water over his hands and
washed them thrice and then put his right hand in the water container
and rinsed his mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and then
blowing it out. Then he washed his face and forearms up to the elbows
thrice, passed his wet hands over his head and washed his feet up to
the ankles thrice. Then he said, "Allah's Apostle said 'If anyone
performs ablution like that of mine and offers a two-rak'at prayer
during which he does not think of anything else (not related to the
present prayer) then his past sins will be forgiven.' "

After performing the ablution 'Uthman said, "I am going to tell you a
Hadith which I would not have told you, had I not been compelled by a
certain Holy Verse (the sub narrator 'Urwa said: This verse is:
'Verily, those who conceal the clear signs and the guidance which we
have sent down...)' (2.159). I heard the Prophet saying, 'If a man
performs ablution perfectly and then offers the compulsory
congregational prayer, Allah will forgive his sins committed between
that (prayer) and the (next) prayer till he offers it.' " (Bukhari
1.161)
 

Narrated Yahya Al Mazini

A person asked 'Abdullah bin Zaid who was the grandfather of 'Amr bin
Yahya, "Can you show me how Allah's Apostle used to perform ablution?"
'Abdullah bin Zaid replied in the affirmative and asked for water. He
poured it on his hands and washed them twice, then he rinsed his mouth
thrice and washed his nose with water thrice by putting water in it
and blowing it out. He washed his face thrice and after that he washed
his forearms up to the elbows twice and then passed his wet hands over
his head from its front to its back and vice versa (beginning from the
front and taking them to the back of his head up to the nape of the
neck and then brought them to the front again from where he had
started) and washed his feet (up to the ankles). (Bukhari 1.185)
 

Narrated Amr bin Yahya

(on the authority of his father) 'Abdullah bin Zaid poured
water on his hands from a utensil containing water and washed them and
then with one handful of water he rinsed his mouth and cleaned his
nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out. He repeated it
thrice. He then washed his hands and forearms up to the elbows twice
and passed wet hands over his head, both forwards and backwards, and
washed his feet up to the ankles and said, "This is the ablution of
Allah's Apostle." (Bukhari 1.190)
 

Narrated Ata bin Yasar

Ibn 'Abbas performed ablution and washed his face (in the following
way): He ladled out a handful of water, rinsed his mouth and
washed his nose with it by putting in water and then blowing it out.
He then took another handful (of water) and did like this (gesturing),
joining both hands, and washed his face, took another handful of water
and washed his right forearm. He again took another handful of water
and washed his left forearm, and passed wet hands over his head
and took another handful of water and poured it over his
right foot (up to his ankles) and washed it thoroughly and
similarly took another handful of water and washed thoroughly his left
foot (up to the ankles) and said, "I saw Allah's Apostle performing
ablution in this way." (Bukhari 1.142)
 

Narrated Ibn Abbas

The Prophet performed ablution by washing the body parts only once.
(Bukhari 1.159) 

Narrated Abdullah bin Zaid

The Prophet performed ablution by washing the body parts twice.
(Bukhari 1.160)  
 

PROPHET MOHAMMAD'S MANNER OF PERFORMING PRAYERS
(May peace and blessings of Allah be on him)

By His Eminence
SHEIKH ABDUL AZIZ IBN ABDULLAH IBN BAZ
 

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
PRESIDENCY OF ISLAMIC RESEARCHES IFTA AND PROPAGATION
PRINTING AND TRANSLATION AGENCY RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI
ARABIA

WAKF (ENDOWMENT) GRATIF
1413 H, 1992 AD
 
All praise be to Allah alone, and may His peace and
blessings be upon His messenger and bondsman our Prophet
Mohammed, his family and his companions.

The objective of this concise pamphlet is to explain how
prophet Mohammed (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
used to perform his prayers. I would like to present this
explanation to every male and female Muslim so that they
may strive to take up the Prophet's manner in performing
their prayers as a model for them. It was narrated by A1
Bukhari that Prophet Mohammed (Peace and blessings of Allah
be on him) had said:

"Perform your prayers in the same manner you had seen me
doing."
Therefore, here is the explanation for the Prophet's manner
of prayer:
1. To perform completely the ablution, adopting the method
commanded by Allah in the Quran:

"O ye who believe, when ye prepare for prayer, wash your
faces and your hands (and arms) to the elbows, rub your
heads(with water) and (wash) your feet to the ankles."(S:6)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said:

"Prayer without ablution is invalid."

2. To turn one's face and whole body towards the Ka'aba,
The Holy House at Makkah, intending by heart to perform the
prayer which he wants to fulfill, whether it is an
obligatory prayer or a supererogatory prayer, the
worshipper in all cases, should not pronounce his intention
openly, because neither the Prophet nor his companions used
to utter the intention for prayer. Thus, pronouncing the
intention for prayer in audible voice is a heresy and an
illicit action. Whether the individual be an Imam or
performs his prayer individually, he should make (A Sutra)
i.e. a curtain for his prayer. Directing the face towards
the Qibla (The Ka'aba at Makkah) is an imperative condition
for every prayer. However, there are few exceptions for
this rule explained in authoritative books for whom who
wish to refer.
3. To pronounce "Takbirat A1 Ihram" that is to say "Allahu
Akbar" celebrating by that the greatness of Allah and
looking meanwhile, downwards to the place where he will
prostrate.

4. To raise one's hands up to the level of the shoulders or
near to the lobes of his ears, while pronouncing "Takbirat
Al Ihram".

5. To put one's right hand over his left hand and left
wrist, and put them both over his chest, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do.

6. It is advisable that the worshipper recite this opening
supplication saying:

"Allahumma bald bayni wa bayena khatayaya kama boadta
bayena almashriki wal maghribi, Allahumma naqqiniy min
khatayaya kama yonaqa al thawbo alabyndo min aldans..
Allahumma igysilniy min khatayaya bilmai wathalgi
walbarad."

This supplication means:

"O Allah, separate me from my sins as You have separated
the east and west. O Allah, cleanse me of my sins as the
white rope is cleansed from dirt. O Allah, wash off my sins
with water, snow and hail."

Or, may say instead:

"Sobhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika wa~abaraka Ismoka wata'la
jaddoka wala ilaha ghayroka"

"Praise and glory be to Allah. Blessed be Your Name,
exalted be Your Majesty and Glory. There is no god but
You."

Or he may say any other supplications which the Prophet,
(peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to say in his
prayers. It is better to recite these supplications
alternately, the first one in the morning prayer "Fajr",
the second in the noon prayer "Zuhr", each one by turn. in
conformity with what the Prophet used to do.
After reciting the opening supplication, the worshipper
says:

"Aouzo billahi min alshaytanirragim

Which means:

"I seek protection of Allah against the accursed Satan."

Then says:

"Bism illahiRahmani Raheem"

Which means:

"In the name of Allah, the All Merciful, the All
Compassionate."

and recites the Fatiha (The opening Sura of the glorious
Quran). Prophet Mohammed, may peace and blessings be upon
him, said:

"Prayer without reciting the Fatiha is invalid".
The worshipper should say "A'meen" after reciting the
Fatiha loudly if the prayer is said loudly, and whisper it
in inaudible prayers. To be in conformity with the
traditions of the Prophet, the worshipperis advised to
recite verses from medium size Suras of the Quran in the
Zuhr (noon), Asr (late afternoon), and Isha (night)
prayers. As for the Fajr (morning) prayer, the worshipper
is advised to recite a passage from the long Suras of the
Quran. He has the choice in Maghrib prayer (Evening prayer)
either to recite passages from the long Suras or from the
short Suras 6 of the Quran.

7. Then, the worshipper bows in "Ruku" raising his hands up
to the level of his shoulders or ears while saying "Allahu
Akbar" "Allah is Great" then bends down, making his head
and back on one level and putting his hands with the
fingers spread on his knees. The worshipper should feel
serenity and tranquillity while bowing, he should say
thrice at least:

"Subhana Rabbiayl A'zim"

Which means:

"Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty."

It is advisable to say while bowing in addition to that:

"SubhanakAllahumma Rabbana wa bi hamdika, Allahumma Ighfir
liy"

Which means:

"Glory be to Thee, O Allah, and I praise Thee, forgive me
my sins."

8. To raise one's head up from bowing, raising one's hands
to the level of his shoulders or ears, saying, in case of
being Imam or praying alone:

"Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah"

Which means:

"Allah listens to him who praises Him"

While resuming the standing position, he should say:

"Rabbana wa laka al hamdu hamdan katheera'n tayyiban
mobarakan feehiy mil'a ssamawati wa mila alardhi wa mil'a
ma baynahoma wa mil'a ma Shita min shiyin ba'ad"

This supplication means:

"Our Lord, praise be fore Thee only, praises plentiful and
blessed as to fill the heavens, the earth, what in between,
and fill that which will please Thee besides them."

But if the worshipper is a follower, and led in his prayer
by the Imam he should say when rising up "Rabbana wa lake
alhamd... etc.

It is advisable for the Imam, the follower, or who prays
alone to add also:

"You Allah who deserve all praises and all glory, your
praising is the best and most true of whatever Your servant
can say, we all are Your servants, Our Lord, no one can
ever deprive aught of what You have bestowed and no one can
ever give aught of what You have deprived."

The worshipper is advised to put his hands on his chest, as
he had done before he bowed. Both Wa'il Ibn Haggar and Sahl
Ibn Sai'yd reported that this was the manner of the Prophet
when he used to raise his head up after bowing.

9. To prostrate saying "Allahu Akbar" "Allah is Great". He
should touch the ground with his knees before touching it
with his hands, if that is possible to him. If not, he is
permitted to touch the ground by his hand before his knees.
His fingers and toes should be directed towards the Qibla
Makkah, and his hands should be stretched, and the fingers
close together and not separated. In prostration, the
worshipper should use these seven organs:

The forehead, the nose, both hands, both knees and the
internal parts of the toes.

These seven organs should touch the ground. Then the
worshipper should say thrice or more:

"Subhana Rabbiyal A'ala"

Which means:

"Glorified is my Lord, the Exalted."

It is advisable to say:

"Subhanaka Allahuma Rabbana wa bi hamdika, Allahuma Ighfir
liy."

This means:

"Glory be to Thee, Our Lord, and I praise Thee. Our Lord,
forgive me my sins."

It is recommendable for the worshipper to exceed more and
more in supplications and ask for more from his Lord,
because the Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:

Which means:

"As for bowing "Ruku" you should glorify your Lord during
performing it, as for prostration, you should do your best
to supplicate and ask for more from Him, because your
supplications during prostration are more worthy to be
accepted."

The worshipper should ask his Lord for prosperity both in
this worldly life and in the Hereafter. Whether it is an
obligatory prayer or an optional prayer, the worshipper,
while prostrating, should neither bring his hands close to
his sides, nor stick his abdomen to his thighs, or his
thighs to his legs. The worshipper's arms should be raised
up from the ground because the Prophet, may peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, prohibited putting the arms
and stretching them on the ground, ordering that "adjust
your prostration, keep straight in it, and stretch not your
hands on the ground as dogs do."

10. He should raise his head from prostration saying:

"Allahu Akbar" and lays his left foot Jlat on the ground
and sits upon it, keeping his right foot erected, his hands
on his thighs and knees, and says:

"O my Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, provide
me with your blessings and console me."

The worshipper should feel tranquillity during this pause.

11. To prostrate again saying "Allahu Akbar" and repeating
during his prostration what he did and said in the first
prostration.

12. Then the worshipper raises his head saying "Allahu
Akbar" taking a pause similar to the pause between the two
prostration; this is called "the pause for rest." It is
recommended for the worshipper to do such a pause, but
there is no sin if he desists from it. Then the worshipper
rises up and stands supporting on his knees, or on the
ground if he cannot support himself on the knees, reads the
Fatihah (The opening Sura of the glorious Quran) and some
other verses of the Quran and do as just as he did in the
first Rakaah (unit of prayer). Those who pray behind the
Imam should not compete with him in the prayer actions as
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said:

Which means:

The Imam is to be followed, if he says: "Allahu Akbar"
which means "Allah is Great" then say the same after him.
If he bows in "Ruku" bow after him. If he
says "Samiallahu liman hamidah" which means "Allah hears
him who praises Him", then say: "Rabbana wa lakalhamd"
which means "Our Lord! All praises are for Thee"; and if he
prostrates, then prostrate after him". (Bukhari V:1 P.37)

13. If the prayer consists of two Rakaat (two units of
prayer) as the morning prayer "Fajr", Feast prayer "Eid",
or the Friday prayer "Jumu'a", the worshipper sits after
the second prostration, with his right foot erect, sitting
on his left foot laid down, putting his right hand on his
right thigh, all his fingers closefisted save the index
finger which he uses to point out as a sign for his
monotheistic belief, and his left hand is put on his left
thigh. There is nothing in the way, if the worshipper keeps
both the little and ring fingers closed, while rounding his
thumb and middle finger in a ringshape, and uses his index
finger to point out as a sign for his monotheistic belief.
It has been related that the Prophet, may peace and
blessings of A1lah be on him, had practiced both of these
ways, thus, it is advisable for the worshipper to perform
the first way once and the other on the second time.

The worshipper reads the Tashahud while sitting and says:

"Altahiyatu lilahi wasalawatu watayibatu Assalamu alayha
ayuhannabiyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Assalamu
alayina wa ala ibadillahissalalihiyn. Ashadu ala ilaha
ila lahu wa ashadu anna Muhammadan abdoho wa raswuloh.
Allahuma salliy ala Muhammad wa ala aali Muhamad, kama
salayata ala Ibrahima wa aali Ibrahim. Inaka Hamidon Majid.
Wa barik ala Mohammad wa ala aali Muhammad kama barkta ala
Ibrahima wa aali Ibrahima. Inaka Hamidon Majid."

This means:

"Greetings, prayers and the good things of life belong to
Allah. Peace, mercy and blessing of Allah be on you, O
Prophet. May peace be upon us and on the devout slaves of
Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah and I
testify that Mohammed is His slave and messenger. O Allah,
bless Mohammed and his family as You blessed Ibrahim and
his family. You are the Most Praised, The Mostglorious. O
Allah, bestow Your grace on Mohammed and his family as You
bestwoed it on lbrahim and his family. You are the
MostPraised, The Mostglorious."

After reciting the Tashahud, the worshipper asks Allah's
protection from four evils, he should say:

"My Lord, I ask your protection from torment of the Hell,
torment of the grave the trials in lifetime and after
death, and from the impostor Antichrist." The worshipper
may ask Allah for prosperity in this worldly life and in
the Hereafter, supplicate Allah to bestow His favors on his
parents and other Muslims. He could do this in both
obligatory and optional prayers. It has been reported by
Ibn Massoud that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah
be on him, taught him how to recite the Tashahud and told
him that the worshipper should invoke Allah and ask Him for
the more beloved wishes which he likes, or, as it has been
related in other wordings, the worshipper should ask Allah
for whatever he wishes. In this manner, the servant can ask
Allah for all the prosperity of this worldly life and the
life to come. The worshipper terminates his prayer by
turning his face to the right saying:

"Assalamu alai kum wa rahmatu Allah" and to the left
saying this salutation which means "Peace and mercy of
Allah be on you."

14. In case of a three Rakaat prayer (prayer consisting of
three units) as that of Maghrib prayer, (evening prayer),
or a four Rakaat prayer like that of noon prayer (Zuhr),
Asr prayer (late afternoon prayer) or, Isha prayer (night
prayer), the worshipper stands up after reciting the
Tashahud according to the manner stated before, and raises
his hands up to the level of his shoulders saying (Allahu
Akbar). The worshipper puts his hands over his chest as it
had been explained before, and recites only the Fatiha.
There is no objection if he adds to the Fatiha some other
verses of the Quran while performing the third or fourth
Rakaat (units of prayer) of noon prayer (Zuhr), because
this was stated to be one of the manners adopted by the
Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
according to the tradition reported by Abi Saied.

After the third Rakaah of Maghrib prayer (evening prayer),
and the fourth Rakaah of Zuhr (noon), Asr (afternoon) and
Isha (night) prayers, the worshipper recites the Tashahud
and terminates his prayers by saying:

"Assalamualaikum wa rahmatu Allah"

while turning first to the right, and second to the left as
it has been explained before.

It is not an obligatory duty, but it is a recommendable
prophetic tradition to invoke Allah after terminating the
prayer by asking Him forgiveness thrice and saying before
turning one's face towards his followers if he is the Imam:

"O Allah, Thou art peace and from Thee is peace, Thou art
blessed, O possessor of Glory and Honour."

It is advisable for the worshipper to say:

"There is no god but Allah. He is the One. He has no
partner. His is the dominion and to Him alone is the
praise. He has power over all things. O Lord, none may
withhold what You have given and none may give what You
have withheld and the riches cannot avail a wealthy person
with Thee. There is no might or power except by the support
of Allah, There is no god but Allah and we do not worship
but Him alone. To Him alone belong all bounties, to Him
alone belong all grace, and to Him worthy praise is
accorded. There is no god but Allah, to Whom we are sincere
in devotion, even though the unbelievers may detest it."

It is also advisable to the worshipper to extol Allah 33
times by saying (Subhana Allah). Praise Him by saying (Al
Hamdu ElAllah) 33 times also by saying "Allahu Akbar" and
the worshipper completes his supplications to be one
hundred by saying once:

"There is no god but Allah. He is the One. He has no
partner. His is the dominion and to Him alone is the
praise. He has power over all things."

The worshipper adds to that the recitation of the verse of
the Throne "Ayat Al Kursiy", Surat AlIkhlas, Surat
ElFalaq, and Surat AlNas. It is recommendable to recite
these Suras thrice after the Fajr prayer (Morning prayer),
and the Maghrib prayer (evening prayer) because this was
reported to be one of the traditions of the Prophet, peace
and blessings of Allah be on him. As it had been stated
before, all these afterprayer supplications are optional
and not obligatory.

Every Muslim, whether be male or female, is recommended to
pray 12 Rakaat of supererogatory prayers every day: four of
these Rakaat (units of prayers) are before noon prayer, two
after it, two after Maghrib prayer, two after Isha (night)
prayer and two before the morning prayer  These super
rogatory prayers are called (Rawatib) which means: "Certain
supererogatory exercises of optional prayers." The Prophet
peace and blessings of Allah be on him, preserved the
performance of these optional prayers

wherever he settled. During his travels, he used to
practice the two optional Rakaat before the morning prayer
and also the Witr prayer (after the Isha prayer). There is
no objection to perform these optional prayers in the
mosque, but it is better to perform it at home, because the
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, said "The
best of the prayers are those which are furfilled at one's
own home, with exception to obligatory prayers which should
be performed in congregation at the mosque."

Observance of fulfilling these optional prayers is a means
for gaining admission to paradise. The Prophet, may peace
and blessings of Allah be on him, said:

Which means:

"Whoever prays optionally twelve Rakoat every one day and
night, Allah will reward him by an established dwelling in
the paradise. "

It is also advisable to the Muslim to pray four optional
Rakaat before Asr prayer (afternoon prayer), two before
Maghrib prayer (evening prayer), and two before Isha prayer
(night prayer), because this manner was reported to be one
of the traditions of the Prophet. Allah, the Almighty says:

"Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent
exemplar" (33:21).

And the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said:

Which means:

"Perform your prayer in the same manner as you had seen me
doing."

Allah is He Who is Able to render us success and
prosperity, and may Allah give His blessings and peace to
our Prophet Mohammed son of Abdellah, his family, his
companions and whoever follows his way till doomsday.
 

President of
Supreme Head Office for Religious Researches, Ifta, Call
and Guidance Departments.

(Shiekh Abdul Aziz Abdullah Bin Baz)


Having intercourse with one's wife during her period

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: that is an adhaa (a
harmful thing for a husband to have
sexual intercourse with his wife while she is having her menses),
therefore keep away from women during
menses and go not unto them till they have purified (from menses and
have taken a bath) . . ."
[al-Baqarah 2:222]

So a man is not permitted to approach his wife until her period has
ended and she has taken a bath (ghusl). Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):

". . . And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as
Allaah has ordained for you . . . "
[al-Baqarah 2:222]

The repulsive nature of this sin is indicated by the words of the
Prophet (pace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
"Whoever has intercourse with a menstruating women, or with a woman in
her rectum, or goes to a
fortune-teller, has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad."
(Reported by al-Tirmidhi from Abu
Hurayrah, 1/243; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 5918).

Whoever does this by mistake, not deliberately, does not have to pay
any penalty, but the person who does it
deliberately and with full knowledge of what he is doing must pay the
penalty, which according to the scholars with
the soundest knowledge is one dinar or half a dinar. Some scholars say
that there is a choice in the amount to be paid;
others say that if a man has intercourse with his wife at the
beginning of her period, when the flow of blood is heavy,
he must pay one dinar, and if he does it at the end of her period when
the flow is light, he must pay half a dinar. In
modern terms, a dinar is equal to 25.4 grams of gold: this or the
equivalent amount of currency must be given in
charity.

Having intercourse with one's wife in her rectum

Some perverted people who have little faith do not hesitate to have
intercourse with a woman in her rectum (the
place from which excrement emerges). This is a major sin, and the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) cursed the one who does this. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "He is cursed, the
one who has intercourse with a woman in
her rectum." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 2/479; see also Saheeh
al-Jaami', 5865). Indeed, the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever has
intercourse with a menstruating women,
or with a woman in her rectum, or goes to a fortune-teller, has
disbelieved in what was revealed to
Muhammad." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi from Abu Hurayrah, 1/243; see also
Saheeh al-Jaami', 5918).

Although there are many righteous and sensible women who refuse to do
this, there are many husbands who threaten
their wives with divorce if they do not comply. Some husbands even
deceive their wives who my be too shy to ask a
scholar about this matter; they tell them that this is halaal, and
they may even misquote the Qur'aan to support their
claim (interpretation of the meaning): "You wives are a tilth for you,
so go to your tilth when or how you will . .
." [al-Baqarah 2:223]. But it is well-known that the Sunnah explains
the Qur'aan, and the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated that it is permitted to have
intercourse with one's wife in whatever way one
wishes, approaching from the front or the back, so long as intercourse
is in the place from which a child is born (the
vagina); it is obvious that the anus, from which excrement is
produced, is not the place from which a child is born.

One of the reasons for this crime is the fact that many people enter
what should be a clean and pure married life with
an inheritance of dirty, haraam, jaahili, perverted practices, or
memories filled with scenes from lewd movies for
which they have not repented to Allaah. It is also well known that
this deed is haraam even if both parties consent to
it; mutual consent to a haraam deed does not make it halaal.

AND ALLAH KNOWS BEST

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