The Islaamic Education Series - for Adults!

8/6/2019 The Islaamic Education Series - for Adults!

1/48

THE ISLAMIC EDUCATION SERIES

Introduction

Praise and thanks are due toAllah, the Lord of the Worlds. We askAllah to raise the

rank of our masterMuhammad, the Prophet who did not learn to read or write, hisAl,

and Companions, and to protect his nation from whatever he feared for it.

Allah revealed in the Quran:

Which means: O you who believed, protect yourselves and families from fire the fuel

of which will be people and stones. In charge of this fire are stern and rough angels

who do not disobeyAllah and carry out what they are ordered.

Our Prophet, may peace be upon him, said:

Which means: Seeking the [obligatory] knowledge is an obligation upon every

[accountable] Muslim. (Related by al-Bayhaqiyy.)

Protecting ones self and family from the unbearable fire is achieved by one learning

the religious knowledge thatAllah made an obligation upon every accountable personto acquire, and by teaching it to the family. One cannot be a pious Muslim when one

does not fulfill the religious obligations and does not avoid the matters thatAllahmade forbidden.

The way to knowing the obligations and prohibitions is by acquiring the religious

knowledge from those who have it. Hence, the guardian of the children must teach

them the belief thatAllah is clear of having any similarity to the creations and the

obligatory and forbidden matters, such as teaching them the essential parts oftaharah(purification) andsalah (prayer).

In the present time of social decay, the religious education and raising of the children

is not an easy matter, especially that most schools do not place such education as their

top priority. There is no doubt that such education improves the welfare of the

children and results in their well being in this life and the life after.

As a result, the Islamic Studies and Research Division (ISRD) embarked on preparing

The Islamic Education Series (T.I.E.S.) for our children at the elementary level and

for those who are at the beginner level in their Islamic education.

Each of the five (5) books in this Series consists of three (3) chapters that deal with:

the Belief, the Acts of Worship, and the Islamic Manners. In addition to this Series,

Quranic Recitation (Tajwid) and Prophetic Biography (As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah ) areneeded.

The Islamic Education Series (T.I.E.S.) is meant to prepare the beginners for the

Islamic material that makes them successful servants ofAllah. God willing, this


2/48

knowledge will help them contribute to building communities based on sound values

and will make them safe in the Hereafter.

The Publisher

Book Review by the University ofAl-Azhar

Praise and thanks are due toAllah, the Lord of the Worlds. We askAllah to raise the

rank of our MasterMuhammad, the last prophet and messenger, hisAl, Companions

and followers, and to protect his nation from whatever he feared for it.

After reviewing The Islamic Education Series (T.I.E.S.) we state that it achieves its

objective. It contains studies of the belief, acts of worship, and Islamic manners to

instill in the young people the ideals and values ofIslam. Moreover, the Series has a

captive style and easy expressions along with exact statements.

We thank the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects and its Islamic Studies and

Research Division for exerting efforts in preparing this curriculum. We askAllah tomake their work beneficial and blessed.

Dr. Abdul-Mahdiyy Abdul-Qadir Dr. Safwat Mubarak

Hadith Teacher^Aqidah Teacher

Usulud-Din College Usulud-Din College

University ofAl-AzharUniversity ofAl-Azhar

Dr. Abdul-Mun^im Najm Wakil Dr. Muhiyid-Din As-Safi, Dean

Usulud-Din College Usulud-Din College

University ofAl-AzharUniversity ofAl-Azhar

_______________________________

Signed and sealed April 30, 1997

CHAPTER ON MATTERS OF BELIEF

LESSON 1

THE TWO TESTIFICATIONS OF FAITH

The Two Testifications of Faith are:


3/48

Ashhadu alla illaha illallah, wa ashhadu anna muhammadar-rasulullah,sallallahuâlayhi wa sallam[1].

It is obligatory upon one when embracingIslam to utter these Two Testifications of

Faith immediately, believing in their meaning, with the intention to become a Muslim.

Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah means:

I know, believe in my heart, and declare with my tongue that nothing deserves to be

worshipped except Allah. That is, no one deserves the ultimate humbleness except

Allah, the Exalted.

Ashhadu anna Muhammadar-rasulullah,sallallahu âlayhi wa sallam means:

I know, believe in my heart, and declare with my tongue that our MasterMuhammad,

who is the son ofÂbdullah, the son ofÂbdul- Muttalib, the son ofHashim, the son

of Abdu-Manaf, from the tribe ofQuraysh, is the slave ofAllah and His Messengerto all the humans andjinn, the Arabs and non-Arabs.

He was from the tribe ofQuraysh, the most honorable tribe amongst all Arab tribes.He was born in Makkah, where he received the Revelation while in the cave ofHira.

Then he immigrated to al-Madinah and was buried there. Prophet Muhammadis thelast and best of all of the prophets and messengers, peace and blessings ofAllah be

upon them, and the highest in rank.

Thus, it is obligatory to believe in everything that Prophet Muhammadtold about and

conveyed fromAllah, the Exalted.

Imam Dhun-Nun Al-Misriyy said, Whatever you imagine in your mind,Allah is

different from it.

Questions:

1. What is obligatory upon one when embracingIslam?

2. What is the meaning of the first Testification?

3. What is the meaning of No one deserves to be worshipped exceptAllah?

4. What is the meaning of the second Testification?

5. Where was the Prophet born? Where did he receive the revelation?

6. To where did the Prophet migrate? Where was he buried?

7. What tribe is he from? To whom was he sent?


4/48

LESSON 2

THE FIRST OBLIGATION:

KNOWINGALLAHAND HIS PROPHET

Allah said in the Qur'an:

{Fa^lam annahu la illaha illallah} Surat Muhammad, Ayah 19.

ThisAyah means: O Muhammad, know (be steadfast) that no one is God except

Allah.

The first obligation upon mankind is to knowAllah and His Messenger,sallallahu

^alayhi wa sallam. KnowingAllah is to know what attributes befit Him and whatattributes do not befit Him; and also to know what is permissible to attribute to Him.

Allah has the Perfect Attributes that befit Him, such as Knowledge, Power, and Will.It is impossible thatAllah would be attributed with: ignorance, weakness, and every

attribute that is created, like the attributes of humans. Allah is the One Who makes

creations exist (creates all creations). He is also the One Who makes things cease to

exist (annihilates them).

The Prophet,sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:

Afdalul-a^mali imanum billahi wa Rasulih.

Which means: The best deed is to believe inAllah and His Messenger. (Narrated by

al-Bukhariyy.)

Al-Ghazaliyy said: "Deeds of worship are not accepted without knowing theworshipped.", i.e., without the proper belief inAllah.

Knowing the Prophet is by knowing what attributes must be attributed to him; and

knowing what attributes are impossible to be his, and what is permissible to attribute

to him.

One must believe that Prophet Muhammadwas truthful, trustworthy, courageous, andintelligent. Moreover, he conveyed all thatAllah ordered him to convey.

The Prophet is protected from lying, cheating, stupidity, cowardice, or committing

blasphemy, enormous sins, or small mean sins before Prophethood and after it.

It is permissible to attribute eating, drinking, sleeping, and being married or the like to

the Prophet.

This holds true for all the prophets.

The Attributes ofAllah that every accountable person must know:


5/48

1. Existence (Al-Wujud)

2. Oneness (Al-Wahdaniyyah)

3. Non-neediness of others (Al-Qiyamu-bin-Nafs)

4. Non-resemblance to the creation (Al-Mukhalafatu)

5. Eternity (Al-Qidam)

6. Everlastingness (Al-Baqa)

7. Power (Al-Qudrah)

8. Will (Al-Iradah)

9. Hearing (As-Sam^)

10. Sight (Al-Basar)

11. Speech (Al-Kalam)

12. Life (Al-Hayah)

13. Knowledge (Al-^Ilm)

Questions:

1. What is the first obligation upon mankind?

2. What does knowingAllah mean?

3. What is impossible forAllah to be attributed with?

4. What is permissible to attribute to Him?

5. What didAl-Ghazaliyy say?

6. What does knowing the Prophet mean?

7. What are attributes that every prophet must be attributed with?

8. What is impossible to attribute the Prophet with?

9. What is permissible to attribute to the prophets?

10. What are the attributes ofAllah that every accountable person must know?


6/48

LESSON 3

FAITH AND PIETY

Allah said in the Qur'an:

{Ya 'Ayyuhal-ladhina amanut-taqul-laha wal tandhur nafsum-ma qaddamat lighad.}

Ayah 18 ofSuratul-Hashrmeans: O you who believe, have piety and prepare for theHereafter.

Piety is: fulfilling the obligations and avoiding the prohibitions. The first and greatest

obligation is to believe inAllah and His Messenger,sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam,followed by the prayers, fasting, and the like.

Blasphemy is the most enormous and serious sin.Allah will not forgive the personwho dies in the state of blasphemy. However,Allah may forgive whomever He wills

among the believers for sins such as lying, stealing, drinking alcohol, and accepting

and using money earned from usurious gain.

Hence, those people who die as Muslims are divided into two groups:

1. Those who die in a state of belief and piety. They will have no torture in the grave

or the Hereafter.

2. Those Muslims who died believing inAllah, but committed enormous sins. For

example, they have left out obligatory prayers or fasting, or have drunk alcohol or

have eaten pork.Allah will forgive some of these people. They will enter Paradisewithout torture, but they will have a rank lower than the rank of the pious people in

Paradise. Others will be punished in Hellfire for the sins they committed, then they

will enter Paradise and stay there forever.

Questions:

1. What is the meaning of piety?

2. What is the first and greatest obligation?

3. DoesAllah forgive sins other than blasphemy?

4. How many types are the people who die Muslim?

5. What is the state of those who die on belief and piety?

6. What is the state of those who die as enormous sinners?


7/48

7. Name some of the enormous sins.

LESSON 4

ISLAMIS THE RELIGION OF ALL PROPHETS

Allah said in the Quran:

Wa may-yabtaghi ghayral-Islami dinan falay-yuqbala minh.

Ayah 85 ofSurat Al Imran means: Whoever seeks a religion other thanIslam [it]

will not be accepted from him.

Allah, the Exalted, said in the Quran:

Innad-dina îndallahil-Islam.

Which means: Certainly, the only religion accepted byAllah isIslam.Islam is the

only true Religion. In followingIslam, happiness is ensured in the Hereafter.Allahchose truthful men and sent them as prophets to the people to teach them the creed of

Islam and matters that will help them to have a good life in both this world and in theHereafter.

All the prophets are Muslims, believing thatAllah is One [God] without partners to

Him. The first prophet wasAdam and the last was Muhammad, mayAllah raise therank of Prophet Muhammadand the rank of all his fellow prophets and save his nation

from that which he fears for them.

As for the Islamic Laws revealed to the different messengers, there were some

differences among them. For example, in the times ofÎsa and Musa, peace be upon

them, Muslims were ordered to pray only two times in every day and night. However,

in the laws revealed to Muhammad, sallallahu âlayhi wa sallam. Muslims areordered to pray five times in every day and night.

Questions:

1. What is the true Religion? Give an ayah that proves your answer.

2. Why didAllah send messengers?

3. Who are the prophets? Who is the first of them? Who is the last?

4. State an ayah that proves the blasphemy of those who are not Muslim.

5. What is the Religion of all the prophets? In what do all the prophets believe?


8/48

6. Did the Islamic Laws of the prophets differ? Give examples.

LESSON 5

THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE PROPHETS,

MAY PEACE BE UPON THEM ALL


Wa kullan faddalna ^alal-^alamin.

Ayah 86 ofSuratul-Ambiyameans, Allah favors every prophet over all humans,

jinn, and angels.

Thus, the prophets are the best ofAllah's creations. They are the chosen among thehumans.Allah sent them to teach the people the matters of the Religion that are goodfor them in this life and the Hereafter.

The prophets are attributed with good manners and fine qualities. Among their good

manners is that they are truthful, intelligent, trustworthy, chaste, and courageous. This

means, no prophet was a liar or stupid. None of them was dishonest, loose, or a

coward.

Prophets are not inflicted with diseases that repel people away from them. For

example, worms do not come out of their bodies. Prophets do not become insane.

In summary, prophets, peace be upon them, are attributed with:

Truthfulness; they never lie.

Intelligence; they are never stupid.

Trustworthiness; they never cheat.

Chastity; they never behave impurely or indecently.

Bravery; they are never cowards.

Questions:

1. Who are the best of the creations? Give an ayah that proves your answer.

2. List some of the good manners of the prophets.

3. What are the diseases with which the prophets are not inflicted?


9/48

4. What are the attributes of the prophets? What are the attributes that are impossible

for the prophets to have?

LESSON 6

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PROPHETS

AND THE MESSENGERS,

PEACE BE UPON THEM


Wa may-yakfur billahi wa malaikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulihi wal-Yawmil-akhiri

faqad dalla dallalam baîda.

Ayah 136 ofSuratun-Nisameans: Whoever blasphemes (disbelieves in)Allah, His

angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Day of Judgment, then certainly he has

seriously strayed.

The messengers mentioned in this ayah include the prophets who were notmessengers as well. A messenger is a prophet to whomAllah revealed a new set of

rules. A prophet did not receive a new set of rules. Rather, he was ordered to teach

and follow the same rules that were revealed to the messenger before him. The

scholars said: Every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger.

All prophets and messengers were ordered to convey the orders ofAllah to the people

and they did.

For this reason, the number of the prophets is very large. As for the messengers, they

were three-hundred-thirteen (313). The Quran mentions only twenty-five (25) of the

prophets and messengers. They are:

1)Adam 2)Idris 3)Nuh 4) Hud

5) Salih 6) Ibrahim 7)Ismaîl8)Ishaq

9) Ya^qub 10)Lut11) Yusuf12)Ayyub

13) Shuâyb 14) Musa 15)Harun

16)Dhul-kifl17)Dawud18) Sulayman 19)Ilyas 20)Ilyasa^21) Yunus 22)Zakariyya23) Yahya 24) Îsa 25) Muhammad

MayAllah raise the rank of all of the Prophets, and protect the nation ofMuhammadfrom that which he fears for it.


10/48

Questions:

1. State an ayah that proves the obligation to believe in the prophets.

2. What is meant by the messengers in the previous ayah?

3. What is a messenger?

4. What is a prophet?

5. What is the difference between prophets and messengers?

6. List some of the names of the prophets that were stated in the Quran.

LESSON 7

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

MIRACLES AND SORCERY

Allah created humans and gave them a mind, by which they distinguish between thegood and the bad. He also sent for them prophets to guide them to the true path of

success. However, many people are stubborn and refuse to accept the truth. They are

people who do not use their minds for that which they were created.

CertainlyAllah supported His honorable messengers with miracles. A miracle is an

extraordinary act. It is not a usual event that happens in everyday life or to everyone.

Miracles are only for prophets and are always in agreement with what they say. So,

none of the people can do anything which is equal or similar to a miracle to discredit a

prophet. Such miracles are: the flowing of water from between the fingers of Prophet

Muhammad; and transforming the cane of Prophet Musa into a giant snake.

Miracles are not acts of sorcery, because sorcery can be taught. Also an act of sorcery

can be outdone or imitated with another act of sorcery. Pharaohs sorcerers tricked the

eyes of people into seeing that their ropes turned into snakes (which did not reallyhappen). The sorcerers saw Prophet Musa turning his staff into a real snake thatswallowed their ropes. They knew for sure that this was not sorcery at all, but was a

true miracle given byAllah to His Messenger. Therefore, they believed in him.

Practicing sorcery is an enormous sin.

Questions:

1. Why didAllah give humans a mind? Why did He send prophets?


11/48

2. With what didAllah support His messengers? What is a miracle?

3. Who performs miracles? Is anyone able to oppose them?

4. Mention a miracle performed by Prophet Muhammadand another by Prophet

Musa.

5. What is the difference between a miracle and sorcery?

6. What is the judgment of the one who performs sorcery?

LESSON 8

BELIEVING IN WHAT OUR MASTER

MUHAMMAD (sallallahu âlayhi wa sallam) CONVEYED


Wa ma atakumur-rasulu fakhudhuhu wa ma nahakum ânhu fantahu.

Ayah 7 ofSuratul-Hashrmeans: Take whatever the Messenger orders, and refrainfrom whatever he forbids.

In theAyah,Allah, the Exalted, orders us to obey and follow the teachings of theMessenger,sallallahu âlayhi wa sallam. This means for us to obey his command in

what he told us to do and in what he told us not to do, because the Messenger is

truthful in all what he conveyed.


Wa ma yantiqu ânil-hawa. In huwa illa wahyuy-yuha.

Ayahs 3-4 ofSuratun-Najm mean: The Messenger does not speak from his ownmind. He says what is revealed to him fromAllah.

Everything that the Messenger,sallallahu âlayhi wa sallam, informed is valid and

true. This includes all matters that are permissible (halal) and forbidden (haram).Also are true the stories he told of the prophets who were before him and even matters

of the future, like what will happen in this life and the Hereafter.

Among the news that the Messenger,sallallahu âlayhi wa sallam, informed us aboutis the torture that will happen to non-Muslims and some of the Muslim sinners in the

grave. He also informed us about the enjoyments of the pious Muslims in the grave,

the Day of Judgment, the presentation of the deeds, the reward, the punishment,

Paradise, Hellfire, and other matters. So, the non-believers will be tortured in their

graves. As to the pious believers,Allah will illuminate their grave with a light similarto that of a full moon.


12/48

Questions:

1. State an ayah of the Quran that orders to follow the Prophet,sallallahu âlayhi wa

sallam.

2. State an ayah of the Quran that proves the truthfulness of what the Prophetconveyed.

3. List some of the matters that the Prophet told about.

4. Who is inflicted with the torture in the grave? Who is blessed with the enjoyment

therein?

5. Give an example of the enjoyment in the grave for the pious Muslims.

LESSON 9

REWARD AND PUNISHMENT


Innal-abrara lafi naîm. Wa innal-fujjara lafi jahim.

Ayahs 13-14 Suratul-Infitarmean: Pious Muslims will have enjoyments in Paradise.Blasphemers will have punishment in Hellfire.

It is an obligation to believe thatAllah will reward the believers for their good deeds

and will punish the non-believers for their blasphemy as well as other sins they

committed. AlsoAllah will punish whomever He wills of the Muslim sinners in the

Hereafter.

The reward is whatever will please the believer in the Hereafter. Examples are:

drinking from the Basin (Hawd) of the Prophet,sallallahu âlayhi wa salam, crossing

the Bridge (as-Sirat), and entering Paradise, the place of everlasting enjoyment.

The punishment is whatever agonizes people in the Hereafter, like the subjection of

the blasphemers to the heat of the sun on the Day of Judgment, and their entrance into

Hellfire, the place of everlasting torture.

Also, some of the Muslims who died without repenting of their sins, and whomAllahdoes not forgive, will be punished in Hellfire for a period of time. Then, byAllahs

order, they will be taken out of Hellfire and admitted into Paradise, because they died

as believers.


13/48

Questions:

1. State the ayah that proves that there is reward and punishment in the Hereafter.

2. What does it mean to believe in the reward and punishment?

3. What is reward? Give an example.

4. What is punishment? Give an example.

5. What happens to the sinful Muslims on the Day of Judgment?

LESSON 10

ENJOYMENT IN THE HEREAFTER


Innal-ladhina amanu wa âmilus-salihati lahum Jannatun-naîm.

Ayah 8 ofSurat Luqman means: Certainly, those who believed and did the good

deeds will have enjoyable gardens (in Paradise).Allah has promised the believerswho performed the obligations and avoided the prohibitions the wide gardens of

Paradise, in which there is an everlasting enjoyment. Paradise has wide rivers of milk,

honey, water, and non-intoxicating wine (khamr), which is not like the wine (khamr)of this life. Paradise also contains fragrant perfumes and has beautiful trees and huge

castles.

In Paradise all the believers will be of the same age, thirty-three years old. Even those

people who died very old or very young will be at that same age. A non-accountable

blasphemer who dies will enter Paradise.

Everyone in Paradise will be beautiful and as tall as ProphetAdam, peace be upon

him. In Paradise, no one will die, become sick, be sad, grow old, or even become

tired.

Paradise is above the seventh heaven. The Grand Ârsh is its ceiling. Non-Muslims

will never enter Paradise.

Paradise will remain forever. It will never cease to exist and its residents will never

die.

Question:

1. State the ayah that proves thatAllah prepared Paradise for the Muslims.


14/48

2. What didAllah promise the pious Muslims?

3. List some of the enjoyments in Paradise.

4. How old will the people of Paradise be?

5. How tall will the people of Paradise be?

6. Where is Paradise located? What is the ceiling of Paradise?

7. Who will never enter Paradise?

8. Will the non-accountable blasphemer enter Paradise?

Chapter on

THE ACTS OF WORSHIP

LESSON 1

TYPES OF WATER

1. Water is divided into three (3) types. They are:

a.) Pure and purifying water.

b.) Pure but non-purifying water

c.)Najas-filthy water

Pure and purifying water: This is the absolute water, i.e. pure in itself and purifying

when it is used in purificatory bathing (ghusl), ablution (wudu ), and ridding of

najas-filth. Examples of such water are the rain, ocean, river, well, and spring water.

Pure but non-purifying water (used water): It includes two types: the water that

has been used for lifting off a major impurity or a minor one, and water that has been

used for ridding of the najas-filth and none of its properties has changed, i.e. color,taste, or smell. This water is still pure in itself but is not purifying. So if this used

water was collected, it cannot be used for obligatory purification like purificatory

bathing (ghusl), ablution (wudu), or to remove najas-filth, unless it is a lot of water.

However it can be used, for example, for washing clothes that do not have najas-filth

on them.

Najas-filthy water: This is a small amount of water that came into contact with an

unexempted najas-filth. Even if the waters properties did not change, i.e. color, tasteor smell, it is still najas-filthy water. A lot of water that comes into contact with a


15/48

najas-filth becomes najas-filthy water only if the najas-filth changes any of its

properties. However, if its properties do not change, then this water is still pure.

A lot of water is two qullahs, or more. Two qullahs is approximately 51 gallons

(about 191 liters) of water. A little amount of water is the amount that is under two

qullahs.

Question:

1. What are the types of water?

2. What is pure water? Give an example?

3. What is used water?

4. Can we make ablution (wudu) and purificatory bath (ghusl) using the water that ispure but non-purifying?

5. Can we use the pure but non-purifying water to wash the clothes that have najas?

The clothes that do not have najas-filth?

6. What is the judgment of the small amount of water in which an unexempted najas-

filthy material has fallen in?

7. When does a large amount of water become najas-filthy?

8. What is a large amount of water? What is the small amount of water?

LESSON 2

PURIFICATION FROMNAJAS-FILTH

Najas-Filth is of two types: detectable (^ayniyyah) and undetectable (hukmiyyah).

1. Detectable (^ayniyyah) najas-filth: This is the detectable najas-filth, i.e., whose

entity, color, taste, or smell is detectable, such as a drop of blood on clothing. This

najas-filthy area can be purified by pouring water, which is pure and purifying, on it

until the entities and properties of the najas-filth are removed.

2. Undetectable (hukmiyyah) najas-filth: This is the type ofnajas-filth that nolonger has a color, taste, or smell; such as urine that has dried on clothing without

leaving any of its properties, i.e. this dry urine no longer has a smell, color or taste.

The place that is contaminated with this najas-filth can be purified by pouring

purifying water over it.


16/48

If the najas-filth which is from a dog or a pig, such as their saliva, comes on the

hands, clothing, or utensils of a person, this najas-filthy place is purified by washingit with purifying water, seven times, one of which has to be mixed with purifying soil.

There are types ofnajas-filth that are exempted, i.e., they do not contaminate the

water by coming in contact with it. For example, if a little spray of urine that cannotbe seen by the mere naked eye falls into water, it does not make the water filthy. As

well, if an insect that does not bleed, such as a mosquito or a fly, falls into the water

and dies in it, this water does not become najas-filthy.

Questions:

1. What is the detectable (^ayniyyah) najas-filth? Give an example.

2. How do we clean the place that has detectable najas-filth on it?

3. What is the undetectable (hukmiyyah) najas-filth? Give an example.

4. How do we purify the place that has an undetectable najas-filth on it?

5. How do we purify the place that has the najas-filth of a dog or pig?

6. Give an example of a najas-filth from a dog?

7. Is there any exempted najas-filth? Give an example.

8. Does the water become najas-filthy if an exempted najas-filth fell into it?

LESSON 3

CONDITIONS OF PURIFICATION


Innallaha yahibbut-tawwabina wa yuhibbul-mutatahhirin.

Ayah 222 ofSurat Al-Baqarah means: Surely,Allah loves those who repent of their

sins and perform the purification as they should.

The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah raise his rank and protect his nation from that

which he fears for it, said:

{Attuhuru Shatrul-Iman} (Related by Muslim.) This hadith if literally translated saysPurification is half of faith. This means purification is a very important matter in

Islam.


17/48

Purification means: lifting off the states of major and minor ritual impurity and

removing najas-filth.

The conditions for ones purification to be valid are:

(a)Islam: The person purifying him/herself has to be Muslim. The purification act(wudu, ghusl) done by a non-Muslim is not valid.

(b) Mental Discrimination (Tamyiz): This means for one to be in a stage where

he/she can at least understand when spoken to and can answer properly when asked.

Moreover, the child can independently eat or drink and avoid najas-filth. In mostcases, the age of mental discrimination is when a child is around six or seven years,

but it could happen earlier.

(c) Absence of a barrier that prevents the water from reaching the part to be

washed: Barriers are like paint, grease, or nail polish.

(d) Flowing of the water: This means water must flow on the part to be washed.

Therefore, if you wet wipe your face and arms in ablution (wudu), the wuduis not

valid. However, one may use his hands to spread the water over the washed part.

(e) Using purifying water: This is water that is not najas-filthy or used water.

Questions:

1. State an ayah from the Quran that talks about purification.

2. Give a hadith of the Prophet concerning the matter of purification.

3. List the conditions of purification.

4. What is meant by the age of mental discrimination (tamyiz)?

5. Give an example of a barrier that prevents water from reaching the part being

washed.

6. Explain what the flowing of water means.

LESSON 4

ISTINJA(Cleaning oneself after

urination and defecation)

It is an obligation to make istinjafrom the wet najas-filth after it has passed from any

of the eliminatory outlets. This means if urine or the like passes out of a person, the


18/48

person must clean himself from the najas-filth before praying, otherwise the prayer

will not be valid. However, one does not have to make istinjaafter passing gas.

Istinjacan be done either by using water or using a material that is pure, solid, dry,

uprooting, and unrespected. Such materials are like rocks, tissues, or papers that do

not have any Islamic material on them.

Performing istinjausing water is done by pouring the pure water over the

contaminated place until it becomes pure.

As for performing istinja with other than water, it is done by wiping the outlet threetimes with the aforementioned described materials. If it is still not clean, more wipes

must be done until it is clean. It is not valid to have less than three wipes, even if

cleanliness is achieved with two wipes.

Benefit:

It is a rewardable deed (sunnah) before entering the toilet room to say:

Bismillah. Allahumma inni aûdhu bika minal-khubuthi wal-khabaith.

Which means: I enter with the name ofAllah. OAllah, I seek refuge with You from

the harm of the male and female devils.

Also, after leaving the toilet room it issunnah to say:

Ghufranak. Al-hamdu lillahi-lladhi adhhaba ânnil-adha wa âfani.

Which means: Praise be toAllah, Who took the harm away from me, and granted me

good health.

Questions:

1. When is it an obligation to make istinja?

2. Is it obligatory to perform istinjaafter passing gas?

3. What materials can be used to perform istinja?

4. What is meant by something that uproots the najas-filth? Give an example.

5. How is istinjadone with water?

6. If one wants to perform istinjawith a rock, how many times must he wipe the

outlet?

7. Are less than three wipes enough for a valid istinja?


19/48


20/48

To sniff water.

To wet wipe the whole head.

To wet wipe the back and front of the ears with new water, i.e. with water different

from that used to wet wipe the head.

To criss-cross the fingers when washing the hands and to insert the smallest left

finger between the toes while washing the feet.

To wash the right part and before the left.

To do each washing or wiping three times.

To rub the parts when washing.

To wash or wet wipe an organ before the previous organ has dried.

Questions:

1. What is the ayah that proves the obligation of performing ablution (wudu)?

2. How many integrals of ablution are there? List them.

3. When does one make the intention to make ablution (wudu)?

4. How much of the face is obligatory to wash?

5. How much of the hands are obligatory to wash?

6. How much of the feet are obligatory to wash?

7. What does keeping the order mean?

8. List some of the recommended matters in ablution (wudu).

LESSON 6

INVALIDATORS OF ABLUTION (WUDU)

AND ITS DISLIKED MATTERS

Among the matters that invalidate the ablution (wudu ) are:

Materials exiting from the eliminatory outlets, such as urine, feces, gas, or stomachworms.


21/48

Touching the private parts of a human, i.e., the penis, vagina, or anus, with the inner

part of the hand.

Sleeping in a position where the buttocks are not tightly placed on the floor or sitting

place. However, dozing such that one can still hear the words said around one even if

one does not understand, without seeing a dream does not make the wuduinvalid.

Absence of mind. If a person faints or becomes insane, even for a little time, his

wudu is invalidated.

Among the disliked matters when performing ablution are:

To start with the left part before the right part;

To wash (or wet wipe) a part more than three times;

To waste water, i.e. to inexcusably use a lot of water in making wudu .

Questions:

1. List some of the invalidators of ablution (wudu)?

2. Does dozing invalidate ablution (wudu)? What is dozing?

3. What does the absence of the mind mean?

4. List some of the disliked matters in ablution (wudu)?

LESSON 7

THE CALL FOR PRAYER (ADHAN) AND

THE CALL TO START THE PRAYER (IQAMAH)

The call for prayer:

When the prayer time sets in, it is a rewardable deed (sunnah) for a Muslim to call for

the prayer with a raised voice. This is called theAdhan. The person who calls

Muslims for prayer (Muadhdhin) stands after performing ablution in a high placefacing the direction of theKa^bah (Qiblah) and says:

Allahu akbaru-llahu akbar; Allahu akbaru-llahu akbar.

Ash-hadu alla ilaha illallah; Ash-hadu alla ilaha illallah.

Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah;


22/48

Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah.

Hayya âlas-salah; Hayya âlas-salah.

Hayya âlal-falah; Hayya âlal-falah.

Allahu akbaru-llahu akbar.

La ilaha illallah.

In the call for the dawn prayer (Fajr), the caller adds after saying the secondHayya

âlal-falah.

:

As-Salatu khayrum-minan-nawm; As-Salatu khayrum-minan-nawm.

It is a rewardable deed (sunnah) for the Muslims hearing the call to the prayer

(adhan) to repeat after the caller the same words, except when he says Hayya âlas-salah and Hayya âlal-falah. Instead one would say La-hawla wa la quwwata illa

billah.

The call to start the prayer:

After the person calling the people for the prayer (Muadhdhin) has finished his call,

and people are gathered to do one of the obligatory prayers, one of those people

(better to be the muadhdhin himself) makes the last call before starting the prayer.This is called the iqamah. He says:

Allahu akbaru-llahu Akbar.

Ash-hadu alla ilaha illallah.

Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah.

Hayya âlas-salah. Hayya âlal-falah.

Qad qamatis-salah; Qad qamatis-salah.

Allahu akbarullahu Akbar. La ilaha illallah.

It is rewardable to perform As-Salatu âlan-Nabiyy after every call for prayer

(Adhan) and the call to start the prayer (Iqamah)

Questions:

1. If the time of prayer is in what is recommended to do before starting to pray?


23/48

2. Do you have the words of the call for prayer (adhan) memorized? Say the adhan.

3. What does the one performing adhan add for the adhan ofFajr?

4. What is it recommended for the people listening to the adhan to do?

5. Do you have the words of the call to start the prayer (iqamah) memorized? Say the

iqamah.

6. What is recommended to say afteradhan and iqamah?

LESSON 8

THE OBLIGATORY PRAYERS AND THEIR TIMES

The prayers that are obligatory for every day and night are five; they are:

1. The Noon Prayer (Dhuhr) [four (4) rakâhs]: Its time begins when the sun has

declined westward from the middle of the sky and remains until the length of the

shadow of an object becomes equal to that of the object, in addition to the length of

the shadow cast by that object when the sun was at its zenith (istiwa).

2. The Mid-afternoon Prayer (Âsr) [four (4) rakâhs]: Its time begins afterDhuhrends, and remains until sunset.

3. The Sunset Prayer (Maghrib) [three (3) rakâhs]: Its time begins after sunset, i.e.,

when Âsrends, and remains until the redness disappears in the western horizon.

4. The Nightfall Prayer (Îsha) [four (4) rakâhs]: Its time begins after the

Maghrib time ends and remains until the appearance of the true dawn (Fajr Sadiq)appears.

5. The Dawn Prayer (Subh or Fajr) [two (2) rakâhs]: Its time begins afterÎshatime ends and remains until sunrise (Shuruq).

These obligatory prayers must be performed in their due times. Without a validexcuse, it is unlawful to perform the prayers ahead of their times or to delay

performing them until after their times have passed.

Questions:

1. What are the obligatory prayers for a day and night?

2. When does the time ofFajrbegin? How does it end?

3. What is the trueFajr?


24/48

4. When does the time ofDhuhrbegin? How does it end?

5. When does the time ofÂsrbegin? How does it end?

6. When does the time ofMaghrib begin? How does it end?

7. When does the time ofÎshabegin? How does it end?

LESSON 9

CONDITIONS FOR THE VALIDITY OF PRAYER

The conditions of the prayer are the matters that must be met by the performer of the

prayer before starting it. Some of these conditions are:

Islam: This means the prayer performed by a non-Muslim is not valid.

Mental discrimination (tamyiz): This is the age at which the child can understand

when spoken to and can answer when asked.

Ablution (Wudu): It is a must for the person who wants to pray to have a valid

ablution (wudu), otherwise the prayer will not be valid.

Purity in the clothing, body, and place: The place where the person is praying

should be pure from any unexempted najas-filth.

Covering the unlawful nakedness (âwrah): This means for the male to cover

between his navel and knees. For the female it means to cover all of her body, except

her face and hands.

Knowing the prayer time has set in: This means the performer of the prayer

should know for sure that the prayer time has actually set in.

Facing the Qiblah: This means to direct ones chest toward the Qiblah, that is to

face the HolyKa^bah in the honorable Makkah.

The prayer of the one who does not satisfy any of these conditions is not valid.

Questions:

1. Define the conditions for the validity of prayer.

2. List the conditions for the validity of prayer.

3. What is the age of mental discrimination?


25/48

4. Is the prayer valid without ablution (wudu)?

5. Is the prayer valid if there is unexempted najas-filth on the clothes?

6. What is the unlawful nakedness of a man? Of a woman?

7. What does knowing that the time of the prayer has set in mean?

8. What is the Qiblah during the prayer (salah)?

9. What is the judgment of the prayer of the one who does not satisfy any of these?

LESSON 10

INTEGRALS OF PRAYER

Each prayer has integrals and recommended matters. The prayer is not valid without

its integrals. The recommended matters are rewardable matters within the prayer,

which if left out, the prayer is still valid, but the reward will be less.

The integrals of prayer are seventeen (17). They are:

1. To have the intention in the heart of performing the prayer. One has to intend that

the prayer is an obligatory prayer if it is so, and to specify the prayer that is performed

for a particular reason or time;

2. To say Allahu akbar loud enough to hear oneself;

3. To stand (qiyam) for the obligatory prayer, when able;

4. To recite theFatihah, includingBismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim and doubling the

letters that must be doubled, in order and succession without lengthy interruption,

articulating its letters properly, and avoiding any error (lahn) whether or not itbreached the meaning. An error, which does not breach the meaning, does not

invalidate the prayer unless done intentionally;

5. To bow until ones palms could reach ones knees (ruku^);

6. To remain motionless in ruku^for the duration of saying subhan Allah

(tumaninah);

7. To straighten up afterruku^(i^tidal);

8. To remain motionless (i^tidal) for the duration of saying subhan-Allah;

9. To prostrate (performsujud) twice by putting all or part of ones uncovered

forehead on ones praying ground, with ones lower body (buttocks) higher than ones

upper body, and ones hands, and the bottom of ones toes on the ground;


26/48

10. To have tumaninah in prostration (sujud);

11. To sit between the two prostrations;

12. To have tumaninah in this sitting;

13. To sit for saying the last tashahhud, the Salah âlan-Nabiyy, and the closing

salam;

14. To say the last tashahhud; the minimum of which is:

At-Tahiyyatu lillah. Salamun âlayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa

barakatuh. Salamun âlayna wa âla îbadillahis-salihin. Ash-hadu alla ilahaillallah, wa anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah.

The full tashahhudis:

At-Tahiyyatul-mubarakat, as-Salawatut-tayyibatu lillah. As-salamu âlayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-salamu âlayna wa âla îbadillahis-

salihin. As-hadu alla ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasulallah.

15. To say the Salah âlan-Nabiyy. The minimum of which is:Allahumma salli âlaMuhammad;

16. To say the closingsalam. The minimum isAs-Salamu âlaykum;

17. To observe the order as mentioned above. To intentionally perform the integralsof action of the prayer out of order invalidates the prayer. An example is if one

intentionally prostrates before ones ruku^.

THE MEANING OF SOME OF THE WORDS SAID IN PRAYER

Allahu Akbar:Allah is the greatest in status, not in size.Allah is clear of having a

size.

At-Tahiyyat: the greetings with which people greet each other.

Al-Mubarakat: the deeds that grow with blessings.

As-Salawat: the five obligatory prayers.

At-Tayyibat: the good deeds

Lillah: are all owned byAllah, the Exalted.

As-Salamu âlayka Ayyuhan-Nabiyyu: askingAllah to protect the Prophet from any

harm.


27/48

Questions:

1. Is the prayer valid without its integrals?

2. How many integrals of prayer are there?

3. List the integrals of prayer without the explanations.

4. What is the intention and when is it made?

5. What is the openingAllahu Akbar?

6. Is the intention made in the heart or with the tongue?

7. Is the firstAllahu Akbarsaid in the heart or with the tongue?

8. What does standing up for the one who is able mean?

9. What is the ruku^?

10. What is tumaninah and how long must it be?

11. What is i^tidal?

12. How issujudperformed?

13. What is the minimum of the last tashahhud?

14. What is the complete tashahhud?

15. What is the least ofas-Salah ^alan-Nabiyy?

16. What is the least of the Salam?

17. What does keeping the order mean?

LESSON 11

THE RECOMMENDED DEEDS OF PRAYER (SUNNAHS)

The recommended deeds in the prayer are many. If a person leaves them out, his

prayer is still valid. However, if a person does the recommended deeds in the prayer,

he will have reward for doing them. That is why the Muslim should do them in the

prayer. Some of the recommended deeds are:

To place the right hand over the left hand, placing both over the navel and under the

chest.


28/48

To recite the opening duâ(supplication) in the first rakâh before saying the

Fatihah.

To recite from the Quran, even if it is a short Surah or even one ayah after saying

theFatihah, in the first two rakâhs. This is for a person who is praying alone or

following the imam but does not hear the imams recitation.

To say Allahu-Akbar when moving from one integral of action to another in the

prayer, except when standing up after bowing. In this action one says: Samiâllahu

liman hamidah. So all the takbirs in the prayer are optional except for the first takbirwhen starting the prayer. This is Takbiratul-Ihram and saying it is an integral

(rukn).

To say Subhana-Rabbiyal-âdhim three times in the ruku^. This means: Our

exalted Lord is clear of any imperfection

To say Samiâllahu liman hamidah when straightening the back after bowing.Then to say Rabana-lakal-hamd when straight.

To say Subhana Rabbiyal-A^la[2] three times in thesujud.

To say Allahumma-ghfir-li war-hamni wahdini wa âfini warzuqni , when sittingbetween the two prostrations. This phrase means: OAllah, forgive me, have mercy on

me, keep me guided, make me well, and give me good things.

To say the first tashahhudafter finishing the first two rakâhs in the Noon (Dhuhr),

Mid-afternoon (Âsr), Sunset (Maghrib), and Nightfall (Îsha) prayers.

To say the full version of the Salatul-Ibrahimiyyah[3]after the final tashahhud.

To add wa rahmatullah after sayingAs-salamu âlaykum at the end of the prayer.That is to say:As-salamu Alaykum wa rahmatullah.

To perform the secondsalam when ending the prayer.

To turn the head to the right side when saying the first Salam and then to the leftwhen saying the second Salam.

Questions:

1. Where is it recommended to place ones right hand after the first takbir?

2. What is recommended to recite before theFatihah?

3. What is recommended to recite after theFatihah? In what rakâhs?

4. What is recommended to do when moving from one integral to another?


29/48

5. What is recommended to say in ruku^? Insujud?

6. What is it recommended to say when lifting from ruku^? When standing after

ruku^?

7. What is it recommended to say in the sitting between the twosujuds?

8. What is recommended to add to thesalam?

9. Which of the twosalams issunnah? Which of the two tashahhuds issunnah?

10. Where is it recommended to turn the head during the first and secondsalam?

LESSON 12

INVALIDATORS OF PRAYER

There are matters that invalidate the prayer. These matters should be known to avoid

them. Some of these invalidators are:

To speak on purpose: This means if a person who is praying says other than the

prayers statements, even two letters or one meaningful letter (unless one forgets and

speaks a little), ones prayer becomes invalid. However, mentioningAllah does not

invalidate the prayer.

To eat or drink: This means if a person, while remembering that he is praying, eatsor drinks on purpose, the prayer becomes invalid, even if he ate something as tiny as a

sesame seed.

To move a lot: This means if a person who is praying moves a lot in his prayer, such

as if he does three consecutive moves, the prayer becomes invalid.

To make an excessive move: This means if a person praying makes a big jump, the

prayer becomes invalid.

To move once to play: Even one small move, such as moving the tongue or moving

the eyebrow for the purpose of playing, makes the prayer invalid.

To do an extra integral: Like if a person prostates three times in one rak^ahintentionally, then his prayer becomes invalid.

To change intention: This means if a person while praying intends to interrupt the

prayer before finishing it, or hesitates whether or not to interrupt it, or makes

interrupting it contingent on the occurrence of something, this makes his prayer

invalid. An example is if one intends (thinks in ones heart), I will stop my prayer if

someone knocks at the door, then the prayer becomes invalid immediately.

To exit the state oftaharah: This means if a persons wudubecomes invalid whenpraying by passing gas or the like, his prayer becomes invalid.


30/48

Questions:

1. List some of the invalidators of prayer.

2. What does speaking on purpose mean?

3. Does mentioningAllah invalidate the prayer?

4. What is the judgment of the one who eats or drinks even if a little intentionally

while remembering that he is in prayer?

5. Give an example of a lot of moves that would invalidate the prayer?

6. Give an example of an excessive move?

7. Give an example of one action that is intended for play?

8. Give an example of adding an integral?

9. What does changing the intention mean?

10. What does exiting the state oftaharah mean?

LESSON 13

THE SOFT-RECITATION PRAYER

AND THE LOUD-RECITATION PRAYER

The prayers with the loud recitation are the Dawn (Subh), Sunset (Maghrib), andNightfall (Îsha)prayers. In these prayers the person praying alone says theFatihah,

the wordAmin after it and the verses afterwards in the first two rakâhs in a loudvoice.

The two prayers with the soft recitation are the Noon (Dhuhr) and Mid-afternoon

(Âsr)prayers. In these prayers the person does not say anything in a loud voice.

If a prayer was not done in its due time, the person has to make it up. If a person

missed one of the loud-recitation prayers like the Dawn prayer, and prayed it at the

time of a soft-recitation prayer, like the Noon prayer, he does it with a low voice

before praying the Noon prayer. But if a person who missed a loud-recitation prayer

like the Sunset prayer and prayed it at the time of another loud-recitation prayer, like

the Nightfall prayer, then he does it loudly.


31/48

Also if the person missed one of the soft-recitation prayers like the Mid-afternoon

prayer and made it up in the time of a loud-recitation prayer like the Sunset prayer,

then he prays it loudly as well.

BENEFITS

If a person following the imam in one of the loud prayers heard the imam say the

Quranic verse:

Alaysal-Lahu biahkamil-hakimin.

(Suratut-Tin, Ayah 8), he says, Bala wa ana ala dhalika minash-shahidin. (Which

means: of courseAllah is, I bear witness to it). Which means: Is notAllah has all thewisdom. The follower can say, Bala after hearing theAyah even if he is saying the

Fatihah, then he continues.

When the imam finishes theFatihah, the follower says Amin with the imam.

If the follower in the prayer hears the name of the Prophet in a verse from the

Quran, the follower says Allahumma salli ^Alayh, meaning: OAllah raise the rankof Prophet Muhammad.

However, if someone greets with Salam the one who is praying, the latter must not

address him by answering with Wa ^alaykumus-salam, because the prayer becomesinvalid if he does.

Similarly, if a person sneezes it is not permissible for someone who is praying toaddress him by saying yarhamukallah (mayAllah have mercy on you). Saying thatwhile remembering that one is praying invalidate ones prayer.

Questions:

1. Which of the five obligatory prayers are said with loud-recitation?

2. What does theImam say loudly in these prayers?

3. Which of the five obligatory prayers are said with soft-recitation?

4. What should the one who misses one of the five prayers?

5. How would a person making up a loud-recitation prayer in the time of a soft-

recitation prayer perform the prayer? Give an example.

6. How would a person making up a soft-recitation prayer in the time of a loud-

recitation prayer perform the prayer? Give an example.


32/48

LESSON 14

THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER (JAMA^AH)

Every day Muslims pray five prayers in congregation in the mosques. Here are some

rules of the congregational prayer that should be observed:

The follower must stand behind the leader (imam) in prayer and must not sayAllahu

Akbarexcept after the imam says it.

The follower should make the intention to pray in congregation by saying in the

heart, I now intend to pray the obligatory Noon prayer in congregation or the like.

If praying a soft-recitation prayer, the follower and the imam recite with a low voice

in their prayer. In the loud-recitation prayer (after the imam finishes reciting the

Fatihah) the follower recites theFatihah with a low voice, and then he listens to the

remaining loud recitation of the imam. As for the imam says loudly theFatihah,Amin, thesurah in the first two rak^ahs; all Allahu Akbar statements, and Sami^

Allahu liman hamidah.

The follower says Amin with the imam after the imam has finished reciting the

Fatihah.

The followers actions should be after the imams and not before him. The follower

bows after the imam has bowed; he straightens his back again after the imam has done

so; and he prostrates after the imams forehead reaches the floor.

If there is only one person following the imam in prayer, then the follower stands a

little behind the right side of the imam. However, if another person comes to pray

following the imam, then both followers stand in one line further behind the imam.

The follower must not say the closingsalam As-Salamu alaykum before the

imam, because if he does so his prayer becomes invalid.

Questions:

1. Where does the person praying following the imam stand? When does he say the

takbir?

2. What intention does the one who intends to follow the imam make?

3. When does the follower sayAmin?

4. When does the follower make ruku^? When does he lift up from it?

5. When does the follower say thesalam? What is the judgment of his prayer if he

says thesalam intentionally before the imam?


33/48

LESSON 15

FRIDAY PRAYER (JUMUÂH)

The Friday prayer (jumuâh) is a personal obligation upon the free, residing,

pubescent, sane, and unexcused Muslim males if they are forty or more in number and

living in buildings, and not in tents. This means that if the number of these Muslim

men was under forty or they live in tents, like the Bedouins, then performing the

Friday prayer (jumuâh) is not an obligation upon them. An Islamically acceptableexcuse for missing the Friday prayer is like if the person is very sick and finds it very

hard to get to the place where the Friday prayer is performed.

The Friday prayer is two rakâhs prayed instead of theDhuhrprayer, but loudly. Itsconditions are:

1. To be prayed after the Noon prayer time has set in and within its time.

2. Two Speeches have to be given before the prayer duringDhuhrtime and all theforty men must be present to listen to them.

3. The forty men have to pray in congregation, otherwise if they are less than forty

they pray the Noon prayer (four [4] rakâhs), not the Friday Prayer.

4. All Muslims should gather in one place to do one Friday Prayer in one town.

However, if it is hard for the Muslims to meet in one place, then they can conduct

Friday prayers in more than one place, but only as much as needed.

Integrals of the Two Speeches:

1. To praiseAllah, by saying Al-hamdu-lillah or the like;

2. To perform the Salah âlan-Nabiyy, such as,Allahumma salli ala Muhammad;

3. To command the audience to be God-fearing (to have taqwa), such as to say: I urge

you to obeyAllah;

The speaker should include all three of these integrals in both the first and second

speech.

4. To say a verse of the Quran which carries a complete meaning in one of the two

speeches. The verse could be as short as Qul Huwa-llahu Ahad meaning: Say, O

Muhammad,Allah is One without a partner to Him. It is better to say the verse in the

first speech;

5. To say a supplication (duâ) for the Muslims in the second speech, such asAllahumma-ghfirlil-muminin , which means: OhAllah, forgive the believers;


34/48

If a person misses doing the Friday prayer in congregation, then he must pray the

Noon prayer, because the Friday Prayer is made up only by praying the Noon prayer.

Questions:

1. Upon whom is theJumuâh obligatory?

2. How many rakâhs is thejumuâh prayer?

3. List some of the conditions of thejumuâh.

4. What are the integrals of the two speeches?

5. What should the one who misses thejumuâh do? Why?

LESSON 16

THE PRAYER OF THEMASBUQ (late follower)

The Prophet, mayAllah raise his rank and protect his nation from that which he fears

for them, urged us to do our prayers in congregation and showed its merit over

praying individually. In his hadith he said,

Salatul-Jamaâti afdalu min salatil-fadhdhi bi-subîw wa îshrina darajah.

This hadith means, The reward of the prayer conducted in congregation is equivalent

to twenty-seven (27) times the reward of praying alone. (Narrated by al-Bukhariyyand Muslim.)

Who is the masbuq?

The masbuq is the person who joined the congregational prayer while the imam is stillstanding for the recitation but at a time that is not enough for this person to finish

reciting theFatihah before the imam bows in the standing position. Also he is the one

who caught up with the imam after the first standing position, such as ruku^,sujudortashahhud.

The follower can still get the extra reward of praying in congregation if he or she

catches a part of the prayer before the imam finishes the prayer, i.e., before he says

As-Salamu alaykum .

What should the masbuq do?

The masbuq enters the prayer by saying Allahu Akbar and then follows the imam in

his moves:


35/48

If the imam is at the end of saying theFatihah when the follower enters the prayer,

the follower starts saying theFatihah. When the imam bows to ruku^, the followershould follow the imam even if he or she has not finished saying theFatihah. In this

case the follower is excused from finishing theFatihah.

If the imam is bowing when the late follower enters the prayer, after saying: Allahu-Akbar, the follower bows. If the follower bows with the imam as long as is needed to

say Subhanallah then this rakâh is counted and the follower does not have to makeit up. However, if the follower does not bow that long before the imam starts

straightening his back up, then the follower has to make up one rakâh after the imam

has said the closing Salam.

If the masbuq enters the prayer after theImam has finished the ruku^, this rakâh is

not counted for the follower. However, the masbuq should follow the imam inwhatever he is doing at that time; such as standing up after bowing, prostrating, and

sitting between the two prostrations. Moreover, the follower should make up the

missed rakâh after the imam says the closing Salam.

Also if the late follower starts the prayer when the imam is sitting doing the last

tashahhud, the follower should sit down after sayingAllahu akbarand follow the

imam. When the imam says the closing Salam, the follower does not make the closing

salam. Instead, he stands up and makes up all the missed rakâhs.

Note: Saying AllahuAkbar to enter into the prayer must always be done whilestanding up, even if the imam is bowing, prostrating, or sitting.

Questions:

1. State a hadith in which the Prophet talks about the merit of the congregationalprayer.

2. Who is the masbuq?

3. How does one get the extra reward of the congregational prayer?

4. What does the latecomer (masbuq) do if he enters the prayer and the imam is at theend of theFatihah?

5. What does the latecomer (masbuq) do if he enters the prayer and the imam was inthe ruku^?

6. What does the latecomer (masbuq) do if he enters the prayer and the imam is

standing afterrukuôr insujud?

7. What does the latecomer (masbuq) do if he enters the prayer and the imam is in the

last tashahhud?


36/48

LESSON 17

MAKING UP PRAYERS

The Messenger ofAllah said:

Man nama ^an salatin aw nasiyaha fal-yusalliha idha dhakaraha la kaffarata laha

illa dhalik.

This hadith means, Whoever misses a prayer due to sleep or forgetting, let him prayit when he remembers it. Nothing else can be done to make up for it. (Narrated by al-

Bukhariyy.)

So if a person slept through the whole time of a prayer, he still has to do the prayer

when he wakes up. Also, if a Muslim forgets to do a prayer and remembers after the

time of that prayer has passed, then the Muslim must still make up that missed prayer.However, if a Muslim misses many prayers the number of which he does not know

exactly, he is obligated to make up the missed prayers until he is almost sure that

there are no more prayers that are due on him.

The good (pious) Muslim does not neglect making up the prayers he has missed. He

hastens to make them up. He does not delay making them up while involving himself

in what is not obligatory.

It is better (sunnah) to make up the missed prayer while observing the order of the

prayers. So if one misses the Dawn prayer, for example then he makes it up before

praying the Noon prayer.

If a Muslim starts making up the missed prayers with a firm intention to finish them

all and was not lazy in making them, then he dies before finishing making them all up,

Allah will not punish him for the ones which he does not finish.

A Muslim female must not pray when she is in the menstrual cycle or when she is

bleeding after having a baby. She does not have to make up the prayers missed during

that time.

Questions:

1. What is the proof that the one who missed prayers has to make them up? Mention a

hadith.

2. What does the one who was asleep during the time of the prayer do upon waking

up?

3. What must the one who forgot to pray do?

4. What should the one who missed prayers and does not know their number do?


37/48

5. With which prayer does the one who has to make up theDhuhrand theFajrstart?

6. In what case does the woman not pray? Does she have to make up those prayers

that she missed?

LESSON 18

FASTING THE BLESSED MONTH OFRAMADAN


Shahru Ramadan-alladhi unzila fihil-Quranu huda-llinnasi wa bayyinatim-minal-

huda wal-furqan(i), faman shahida minkumu-shshahra falyasumh.

Ayah 185 ofSuratul-Baqarah means, The month ofRamadan is the month in whichthe Quran with all the clear guidance which it contains was sent down in full [fromthe Guarded Tablet to the first sky, and then to the Prophet little by little]. So whoever

among you is alive in the month ofRamadan must fast it.

The month of Fasting: Fasting is a great act of worship thatAllah ordained onMuslims to do in the month ofRamadan of every year. FastingRamadan will be

rewarded greatly byAllah, the Exalted.

The Meaning of Fasting: Fasting is refraining from eating, drinking and all other

things that may invalidate the fast in the time between dawn and sunset. The intentionto fast has to be made before dawn. One says in the heart, I intend to fast tomorrow

the obligatory fast ofRamadan of this year in obedience toAllah and seeking His

reward.

Invalidators of Fasting: There are matters that invalidate the fast, some of which are:

Eating or drinking, even if it is a tiny amount, while remembering about fasting.

However, if the person eats or drinks forgetting that he is fasting, this does not

invalidate his fast neither inRamadan nor in any other day of the year. The Prophetsaid: Whoever forgets that he is fasting, so he eats or drinks, let him continue his fast

becauseAllah sustained him with food and drink., i.e., without his fast beinginvalidated. (Related byAl-Bukhariyy.)

If a person induces vomiting on purpose, such as putting his finger down his throat,

then he invalidates his fast. However, if he vomits unintentionally, then his fasting is

not invalidated.

Ear and nose drops invalidate the fast if the drops reach the head and throat. Using

drops in the eyes does not invalidate the fast.

Some cases in which a person is allowed to break his fast:

If a person is very sick and fears harm by fasting.


38/48

If a person is traveling a long distance of about 100 kilometers.

It is sinful for the female to fast when she is in her menstrual cycle or bleeding after

having a baby, but she has to make up the days ofRamadan she missed before the

nextRamadan comes.

Questions:

1. Mention an ayah from the Quran that orders fasting inRamadan.

2. What is fasting?

3. What is the time of fasting?

4. What is the complete intention for fasting?

5. List some of the invalidators of the fast.

6. Does the one who eats or drink while forgetting that he is fasting invalidate his

fast? Why?

7. What is the judgment if someone is overcome with vomit?

8. What is the judgment of the drops in the ear, nose, or eye?

9. Who is allowed not to fast duringRamadan?

10. What does the menstruating and post-partum bleeding woman do during fasting?

What is obligated on them?

LESSON 19

ZAKAH


Wa aqimus-salata wa atuz-Zakah.

Ayah 56 ofSuratAn-Nurmeans, Perform the prayers and payZakah.

Allah has ordered the Muslim who has money on whichZakah is due to pay a smallamount from that money to the poor Muslims and others whomAllah has mentioned

in the blessedAyah:

Innamas-sadaqatu lil-fuqarai wal-masakini wal-^amilina ^alayha wal-muallafatiqulubuhum wa-fir-riqabi wal-gharimina wa fi sabilillahi wabnis-sabil.


39/48

Ayah 60 ofSurat at-Tawbah means, Zakah is to be paid to thefaqirs, miskins, the

Zakah workers, the Muslims whose hearts need reconciliation, slaves who made

mukatabah contract for their freedom, Muslims who cannot pay their debts, the

volunteer fighters, and the Muslim traveler who does not have enough money to

return to his home town.

1. The Faqirs: They are the Muslims who have less than half of their basic needs.

2. TheMiskins: They are the Muslims who have more than half but not all of their

basic needs.

3. TheZakah workers (âmiluna alyha): They are the Muslims appointed by the

Caliph to collect theZakah and distribute it without them being paid a salary for thatjob.

4. The Muslims whose hearts need reconciliation (al-muallafatu qulubuhum):

They are Muslims such as the new Muslims who did not yet get used to the otherMuslims.

5. Slaves who made contracts to buy their freedom (ar-riqab): They are the

Muslim slaves who made contracts with their masters to sell them their freedom, but

they were not able to pay the amount of money upon which the agreements were

made.

6. Muslims who cannot pay their debts (gharimun): They are Muslims who have

lawful debts to pay, but do not have enough money to pay it.

7. The volunteer fighters (fi sabilillah): They are the Muslim fighters who volunteer

to fight the enemy, for the sake ofAllah, without being paid for that from the treasury.

8. The Muslim traveler who does not have enough money to return to his

hometown (ibnus-sabil): This is the Muslim who passes by the town ofZakahwithout having the means to get to his destination or return to his hometown.

Zakah ofFitris an obligation on the one who has enough on the day of the Îdand

the night after it to meet his debts, clothing, lodging, sustenance and the sustenance,

of those whom he must support, such as his Muslim wife, non-pubescent children, and

parents if they are poor. It is valid to pay the zakah offitrduringRamadan and it isprohibited to delay it without an excuse until after the sunset of the day ofÎd. Once

paying thiszakah is due on someone then one must pay it for oneself, his wife, young

children, slaves, and poor parents.

He pays for each person asaôf the dominant staple crop of his area. Asaîs the fill

of two pairs of medium-sized hands cupped together.Zakah ofFitrcan only be paid

to a poor Muslim or any of the others who deserveZakah.

Questions:


40/48

1. State an ayah from the Quran that orders us to pay theZakah?

2. State an ayah from the Quran that shows the types of those who deserve the

Zakah.

3. What is meant by thefaqirs?

4. What is meant by the miskin?

5. What is meant by the âmiluna âlyha?

6. What is meant by the muallafatu qulubuhum?

7. What is meant by the riqab?

8. What is meant thegharimun?

9. What is meant byfi sabilillah?

10. What is meant by ibnus-sabil?

11. What is the amount ofZakah ofFitr?

12. What is asa^?

CHAPTER ON ISLAMIC MANNERS

LESSON 1

INSINCERITY


for it, said:

Inna akhwafa ma akhafu âlaykum ash-shirkul-asghar.

This hadith means: Certainly, I fear most for you to commit the smaller shirk. The

Companions asked, What is the smaller shirk, O Messenger ofAllah? TheMessenger ofAllah answered, Insincerity. (Related byAhmad Ibn Hanbal.)

Insincerity (Riya) is doing the good deed to gain praise from the people. This is the

opposite of sincerity (ikhlas) in obeyingAllah. Sincerity is to do acts of worship andobeyAllah to gain His reward alone. The Prophet, mayAllah raise his rank and

protect his nation from that which he fears for it, said:


41/48

Innamal-a^malu binniyyat.

This hadith means, The good deeds are accepted when done with proper intentions.(Related by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim.)

So, if the pubescent Muslim does the prayers so that the people will say good thingsabout him such as this person prays a lot or this person is a very good Muslim, he

will not be rewarded for his prayers even though he does them all. Instead he has

fallen into the sin ofRiya, because he did an act of worship to please the people.

Similarly, if a person fasts so that people say about him he is detached from worldly

matters and is a good worshipper he is insincere in his fasting. His fasting is valid,

however, he is sinful and has no reward for his fasting.

Similarly every act of obedience done for the praise of people is an enormous sin and

not rewardable. The Muslim must do the obedience such as praying and fasting for

the sake ofAllah only.

Questions:

1. State a hadith that warns against insincerity (riya).

2. What is insincerity (riya)?

3. What is sincerity (ikhlas)?

4. State a hadith that urges the Muslims to be sincere. Who narrated it?

5. Give the meaning of the hadith:

Innamal-a^malu binniyyat.

6. When the accountable Muslim prays and fasts to get the praise of the people, will

he have a reward? Is this permissible? What is this called? Is his deed valid?

7. What should one intend with his good deeds?

LESSON 2

GOSSIP AND FABRICATION

The Prophet, mayAllah raise his rank and protect his nation from that which he fearsfor it, said:

Dhikruka akhaka bima yakrah.


42/48

In a hadith, the Prophet,sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, asked what means, Do you

know what gossip is? The Companions answered, Allah and His Messenger knowbest. The Prophet said, Your mentioning about you Muslim brother whatever he

does not like. The Companions asked, Is it still gossip even if what I mention about

my brother is true? The Prophet answered, If you mention about him what is true of

him, then you did gossip; but if you mention about him what is not true of him, thenyou have done fabrication (buhtan). (Related by Muslim.)

In this hadith, the Prophet, mayAllah raise his rank and protect his nation from that

which he fears for it, defined two kinds of sins of the tongue. They are: gossiping

(ghibah) and fabrication (buhtan).

So, gossip is to talk about your Muslim brother, behind his back, about things that are

true of him that he does not like to be said about him. For example, if one Muslim

said about another Muslim, So-and-so is one-eyed, and that person does not like

any one to say this about him then the speaker has done the sin of gossip (ghibah).

On the other hand, buhtan is to talk about ones Muslim brother behind his back thatwhich he does not like and is not true of him. For example, if a Muslim said about his

Muslim brother, behind his back, So-and-so is a liar, which is not true of that

person, then the speaker has done fabrication (buhtan). This is a bigger sin thangossiping.

A Muslim must not hurt other Muslims. A Muslim should also have good manners.

Also, if he sees a defect in his Muslim brother, he should cover it up and not expose it

to other people.

Gossip and fabrication make Muslims angry with each other and may result in hatred

between family members and friends. For these reasons it is important that no one

falls into gossip or fabrication.

Questions:

1. State a hadith of the Prophet,sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, that warns against

gossiping.

2. What is gossip (ghibah)? Give an example.

3. What is fabrication (buhtan)? Give an example.

4. Which of these two sins is bigger?

LESSON 3

HONESTY AND LYING


43/48


for it, said:

Innas-sidqa yahdi ilal-birr(i), wa innal-birra yahdi ilal-Jannah. Wa innar-rajulalayasduqu hatta yuktaba ^indal-lahi siddiqa. Wa innal-kadhiba yahdi ilal-fujur wa

innal-fujura yahdi ilan-nar. Wa innar-rajula layakdhibu hatta yuktaba ^indal-lahikadhdhaba.

This hadith means, Truthfulness leads to piety and piety leads to Paradise. TheMuslim who continues to be truthful will then be recorded as a truthful person. Lying

leads to bad deeds and bad deeds lead to Hellfire. The Muslim who continues to lie

will be then recorded in the bad books ofAllah as a liar. (Related by al-Bukhariyyand Muslim.)

In this honorable saying, the Prophet, mayAllah raise his rank and protect his nation

from that which he fears for it, urged us to speak the truth and warned us against

lying. Lying is saying what is different from the truth. This act is forbidden in seriousand joking matters.

If a Muslim says what is different from the truth, knowing this, then he has fallen into

the sin of lying. An example of a lie is for a person to say, I hit that person when the

truth is he did not do it.

If a lie causes harm to another Muslim, then this is a great sin.

So, it is important to train your tongue to speak the truth and to avoid lying. Lying is

an ugly habit. There are many people who have the habit of lying a lot, making otherscall them liars and unable to trust them.

Remember that our Prophet, mayAllah raise his rank and protect his nation from that

which he fears for it, never said a lie in his life, making his people call him truthful

and trustworthy (as-Sadiq, al-Amin).

Questions:

1. State a hadith of the Prophet that urges people to tell the truth and warns againstlying.

2. What is lying? What is its judgment?

3. What is the judgment of lying if it involves harming a Muslim?

4. What was the Prophet known and called among his people?

LESSON 4


44/48

STEALING AND TRUSTWORTHINESS


Was-sariqu was-sariqatu faqta^u aydiyahuma jazaam bima kasaba nakalam min

Allah.

Ayah 38 ofSuratul-Maidah means, Cut the hands of the male and female thief as a

punishment fromAllah to what they did.

Stealing is to take another persons belongings or money stealthily and without the

owners approval. This is a sin and a harmful illness in the society.

When a person has a weak faith and sees someone elses belongings or money, he

may be tempted to take of it. For example, this person may say to himself, I will take

only a small amount of it. The owner is rich and he will not miss the small amount Ihave taken. Or he may say to himself, If the money box is open in front of me then I

will take from it what I want and no one will know about it. He may also say, My

friends wear new clothes, why shouldnt I take some money to buy for myself clothes

like theirs and shoes like theirs.

A person must watch himself closely and beware of the whispers of the devil. The

devil wants people to do sins and to wrong others and to take their money

unrightfully. This may lead to a scandal for the person who steals and may lead him to

prison and to other consequences. This is besides the punishment that he deserves in

the Hereafter.

Questions:

1. State an ayah from the Quran that forbids stealing.

2. What is stealing?

3. Is it permissible to take another persons money without his approval?

4. What would the person that has weak faith say to himself if he sees someone elses

belongings?

5. What are the consequences of taking others belongings unrightfully?

LESSON 5

IMMENSE HARMING OF THE PARENTS (^UQUQ)


45/48

The Prophet, mayAllah raise his rank and protect his nation for that which he fears

for it, said:

La yadkhulul-Jannata aqq.

This hadith means, The person who commits ûquq against his parents will not beamong the first to enter Paradise. (Related by al-Bukhariyy.)

Ûquq against ones parents means to hurt the parents immensely in any way, causing

them a lot of pain. For example, to hit them or swear at them or curse them is one of

the enormous sins.

Among ûquq against ones parents is for one to help the father wrong the mother or

to help the mother wrong the father. This is also forbidden and is among the greatest

of sins.

Ones ûquq against the mother is a worse sin than ones ûquq against the father. Onthe other hand, kind treatment of the mother is more rewarding than kind treatment of

the father.

Kind treatment of both parents is an Islamic obligation. If the child obeys both parents

in everything except what is forbidden byAllah, the child will be rewarded greatly by

Allah, the Exalted.

It has been related byIbn Umarthat once he saw a man carrying his mother on his

back. This man askedIbn UmarI have helped my mother doHajj carrying her on

my back the whole time. Have I repaid her everything I owe her? Âdbullah IbnÛmarreplied, You have not even repaid one of the birth pains when she was givingbirth to you."

So be careful to always obey both of your parents and stay away from the ugly sin of

ûqua against them.

Questions:

1. State a hadith of the Prophet that forbids immense harming to the parents (ûquq).

2. Give the meaning of the hadith:

La yadkhulul-jannata aqq.

3. What is ûquq against ones mother or father?

4. Which is a worse and bigger sin: ûquq against ones mother or ones father?

5. Which is more rewarding the kind treatment of ones mother or ones father?


46/48

LESSON 6

KEEPING TIES WITH KINSHIP

In asking Prophet Muhammad, mayAllah raise his rank and protect his nation fromthat which he fears for it, a question, a companion of the Prophet, said, O Messenger

ofAllah, guide me to a deed that will grant me Paradise if I do it. The Prophet

replied,

Atîmit-taâma, wa-sili-larhama, wa salli bil-layli wan-nasu niyamun tadkhuli-

jannata bisalam.

This hadith means: Feed the poor, keep ties with your kinship and pray at nightwhile people are asleep, you shall enter Paradise in peace. (Related by Ibn Hibban.)

This hadith tells us that if the Muslim does these deeds he shall enter Paradise withoutbeing punished. One of these deeds is to keep ties with his kinship.

Kinship is every relative from the fathers side or the mothers side of the family. The

Prophet,sallallahu âlayhi wa sallam, said:

La yadkhulul-jannata qati^. (Related by al-Bukhariyy.)

The person who breaks ties with his or her kinship will not be among the first to enter

Paradise.

Keeping ties with kinship means for the person to visit relatives and to write to those

whom he could not visit and to help the needy among them. It is forbidden to remain

disconnected from your relatives for a long time, like failing to visit them in

Ramadan or both Îds or in happy or sad occasions or any other occasions. A Muslimwho distances himself from relatives for a long time, making them feel alienated is

not keeping ties with them.

Visiting relatives who do not visit you is not a demeaning or low act on your part. It

is, in fact, an act of goodness and obedience toAllah, the Exalted. So be sure to visit

your relatives, to be close to them, to show them love and kindness, and to help them

to do good deeds.

Questions:

1. State a hadith of the Prophet,sallallahu âlayhi wa sallam, that urges keeping theties with kinship.

2. Who is the kinship?

3. Mention a hadith in which the Prophet mentioned about the one who breaks the tieswith kinship. Who narrated it?


47/48

4. Give the meaning of this hadith:

La yadkhulul-Jannata qati^.

5. What is the meaning of keeping the ties with the kinship?

LESSON 7

LOVING ONE ANOTHER FOR THE SAKE OFALLAH

Prophet Muhammad, mayAllah raise his rank and protect his nation from that whichhe fears for it, said:

Allah, the Exalted, said: Al-mutahabbuna bijalali lahum manabiru min nuriy-yawmal-qiyamah.

Which means: Allah, the Exalted, says: The ones who love each other for My sake

will have illuminated platforms in the Hereafter.

Another authentic hadith relates:

Sabâtuy yudhilluhum-ullahu yawmal-Qiamati fi dhilli-lârshi yawma la dhilla illadhilluh.

Which means: Allah will protect seven kinds of people from the strong heat of thesun on the Day of Judgment, by placing them under the shade of the Grand Ârsh.

One of the seven is Two people who love one another for the sake ofAllah.

To love another for the sake ofAllah is for the Muslim to love for his brother Muslimthe goodness that he loves for himself. This means he does not cheat him by deeds or

words. If he finds his brother Muslim in a good state, he is happy for him. However, if

he finds him doing bad things he does not encourage him to continue and does not

stay silent, when able to advise him. He advises him to fix his situation. For example,

if he knows he is not doing his prayers, he advises him to do them and reminds him of

the punishment for leaving out prayers. Also if he sees him having an ugly

characteristic he advises him and helps him to quit it. If he sees he is not learned in

Islam, he guides him or directs him to someone who can teach him the correct

Documents

The Islaamic Education Series - for Adults!