Mistakes of Salah
1. Leaving the salah altogether. This is indeed kufr (disbelief) and the evidence is found within the Qur’an the authentic Sunnah and the consensus of the ummah. Allah ta’aala states: If they repent and establish the salah and give the zakaah, they are your brothers in faith (deen). [Al-Qur’an 9:11] And Allah ta’aala says: What landed you in As-Saqar (Hell)? They said: We were not of those who made salah (almusalleen)…[Al-Qur’an 76:42-43] and so on. As far as the Sunnah: The hadeeth of Jabir that the Prophet (sallalla hu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Between a man and shirk
(What protects him from shirk) is the abandonment of salah. [Muslim] It is narrated by Abu Dawood, An-Nisaa’i, Ibn Maajah, and At-Tirmidhi on the authority of Buraidah IbnAl-Husaib from the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) who said: The covenant between us and them (i.e. the Prophet – and/or his successors -and those who claim to be Muslims) is the salah so whosoever abandons it has disbelieved. [Ahmad and others and it is saheeh] As far as consensus (al-ijmaa’): Abdullah IbnShaqeeq (radiallahu ‘anhu) stated: The Companions of Muhammad (radiallahu ‘anhum) did not view the abandonment of any other deed as kufr other than (abandoning) salah.
[At-Tirmidhi and others with an authentic chain]
2. Delaying the salah from its appointed time. This is a violation according to the word of Allah ta’aala: Verily the salah has been appointed for the believers at specific times (mawqoot). [Al-Qur’an 4:103] Al-Mawqoot indicates a specific appointed time and the postponement of salah beyond the obligatory time (fardh) is a major sin and Allah is the one upon whom we depend. On the authority of Anas who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) saying: This is the salaat of the hypocrite (munaafiq); when he sits observing the sun until it is between the horns of Shaitaan, then he stands to perform four (rak’ah) remembering Allah little. [Muslim] If this is the salah of the hypocrite then what of the salah of someone who postpones
The prayer until the complete period of the salah has passed without any excuse?
3. Abandonment of the congregational prayer in the masjid by able men either regularly or on occasion. The commandment has been given to perform the salah in congregation in the masaajid. Congregational (al-jamaa’ah) salah is a duty except for those who have a valid excuse according to the sharia’h. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Whoever hears the call (al-adhaan) and thereafter does not answer it (i.e. attend the congregational salah) there is no salah for him except for a valid excuse. [Reported by Ibn Maajah and others with a strong chain (isnaad) and Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar said “Its chain is according to the conditions of Muslim”]. Allah ta’aala also says: And bow down with those who bow down. {Al-Qur’an 2:43] In a hadeeth in Al-Bukhaari and Muslim (mutafaqun ‘alaih): …I would then leave (after the salah has
Begun) and go to those men who do not attend the salah and burn their houses down over them.
4. Lack of tranquility (at-tama’neenah) within the salah. This is generally done out of ignorance and it is an open sin because tranquility is a pillar (rukn) of the salah without which the salah is incorrect. The hadeeth about the man who performed his salah badly is a clear evidence for this. The meaning of tama’neenah (tranquility) is that the one praying is tranquil in the rukoo’ (bending), standing (‘itidaal), prostration (sujood), and sitting between the two prostrations (juloos), and he should get in position where every bone settles into place, he should not hasten between portions of the prayer until he has attained tranquility in it and gives each it’s due time. The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said to the one who was rushing through his salah without observing the proper tranquility: Go back and make salah because you have not made the salah. And in the hadeeth of Rifaa’ah on the story of the one who prayed badly it goes on: Then he makes takbeer and bows and puts his hands on his knees until each joint is settled
And relaxed. Then he says ‘sami’allahu liman hamida’ (Allah hears the one who praises Him) then stands up straight until each bone is in its place.
5. Lack of proper reverence and humility (khushoo’) in the salah and excess movement therein. The place of khushoo’ is in the heart and it is evident in the tranquility of the limbs and humility before Allah. Allah has indeed praised His slave by His statement: Those who offer their salah with all solemnity and full submissiveness. [Al-Qur’an 23:2] As well [He has praised] the prophets by his statement: Verily they used to hasten on to do good deeds and they used to call upon us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before us. [Al-Qur’an 21:90] It is incumbent. The limbs of the slave in prayer should be still and his heart should be solemn until he may be rewarded for his salah. It is narrated on the authority of ‘Ammaar Ibn Yaasir (radiallahu ‘anhu) he said: I heard the messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) saying: Verily a man
leaves after completing his prayer and nothing has been written for him except a tenth of his salah, a ninth, an eighth, a sixth, a fifth, a fourth, a third, or half of it. [Abu Dawood, An-Nisaa’i, and others and it is an authentic hadeeth] The reason for the shortcoming in its reward is the lack of khushoo’ in the heart of the one who prays or in the limbs.
6. Intentionally preceding the imam in the movements of the prayer or not following his movements. This nullifies the salah or rak’ah for whoever bows before his imam ruins his own rak’ah unless he follows it later with another bowing. Such is likewise with the rest of the arcane (pillars) of the salah. It is obligatory for the praying person to follow the imam completely without preceding him or lagging behind him in any rukn (pillar) or more. Abu Dawood and others transmit with an authentic chain from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Verily the imam is to be completely followed, so if he makes takbeer then you make takbeer and don’t make takbeer until he does so, and if he bows then bow and don’t bow until he does so… Its origin is in the two saheeh and Al-Bukhaari has another like it narrated by Anas. The one who forgets or the one who is ignorant is excused.
7. Standing to complete a missed rak’ah before the imaam has completely finished making the second tasleem (i.e closing the prayer by saying ‘As-salaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullahi to the right and left). It is reported in Saheeh Muslim that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Do not precede me in the rukoo’ (bowing) not in the sujood (prostration) nor in going out of the prayer (al-insiraaf). The scholars have said that the meaning of al-insiraaf is at-tasleem and it is named such because the praying person may leave afterwards and he leaves only after the second tasleem. The one who precedes the imaam should stay in his place until the imaam has completed his salah, then he should stand and complete whatever he missed, and Allah knows best.
8. Making the intention for prayer aloud. This is a bid’ah (innovation), and we have previously mention the prohibition against bid’ah. The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) never made the intention for salah aloud. Ibn Al-Qayyim, rahimahullah, stated in “Zaad Al-Ma’aad” or in “Al-Hudaa An-Nabawiyy”: “When the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would stand for salah he said: ‘Allahu Akbar’ and said nothing else before it nor did he pronounce his intention aloud. Nor did he say: ‘I will pray for Allah salah such and such while facing the Qiblah four raka’aat as imaam or follower’. Nor did he say: ‘Fulfilling it on time, not making it up, nor the time of fardh’ all ten of which are bid’ah for which no one has reported that he did with an authentic chain, nor even a weak one, nor musnad, nor mursal, nor a single word. Indeed not one narration of the sahaabah or the best of the following generation (taabi’een), nor the four imaams.”
9. Not reciting Al-Faatihah in the salah; The recitation of Al-Faatihah is a pillar (rukn) and the salah of whoever does not recite it is void. This is according to the Prophet’s (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) saying: Whoever makes a salah wherein Al-Faatihah is not recited then it is khidaaj (miscarried) – and he repeated it three times – incomplete. [Muslim from Abu Hurairah] Also reported in the two saheehs is the hadeeth from ‘Ubaadah Ibn Saamit (radiallahu ‘anhu) marfoo’an (attributable to the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam): The salah is null for whoever has not recited the Opening of the Book. In another wording from ‘Ubaadah: Could it be that you recite
behind your imaam? We said: Yes. He said: Don’t do so except with the Opening of the Book (Al-Faatihah) for the salah is null of whoever does not recite it. [Ahmed, Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibbaan. This is evidence of its obligation for the follower. Recitation of the follower is absolute or in the aloud prayers as opposed to what is long known. Whether the recitation of Al-Faatihah is absolute or just in the prayers recited aloud is an old difference of opinion among the scholars. Is it waajib or dropped? The majority of scholars (al-jumhoor) say it is dropped however doing so is clearer from possible error and more precaution for deen. Most of those who have the opinion of it being dropped say that it is nevertheless desirable to recite it.
10. Recitation of the Qur’aan in rukoo’ (bowing position) or during sujood (prostration). This is prohibited based on a narration from ibn Abbaas (radiallahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: I have been prevented from reciting the Qur’aan while bowing or in prostration… [Muslim] Ali (radiallahu ‘anu) narrates he said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam prevented me from reciting the Qur’aan while bowing or prostrating. [Muslim and others]
11. Raising the eyes to the sky during salaat or looking to the right and left without due cause. As far as raising the eyes, it is forbidden and bears the threat of punishment. It is narrated by Jabir Ibn Samurah (radiallahu ‘anhu) who said: The Messenger of allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Let the people stop raising their eyes to the sky in the salah or let their sight not return to them. [Muslim]
12. As far as looking around unnecessarily, it is a deficiency in the salah of the worshipper as long as he has not turned his entire body in another direction [i.e. away from the Qiblah]. If however the entire body is turned then the salah is invalidated. It is narrated by ‘Aisha (radiallahu ‘anhaa) who said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) about looking around in the salah. He said: It is misappropriation pilfered by Shaitaan from the salah of the worshipper. [Al-Bukhaari]. At-Tirmidhi also collected an authentic hadeeth: Be warned of turning or looking around in the salah because it is destruction. And there are other ahadeeth on looking around in the salah.
13. Sitting on one’s haunches (Al-Iq’aa) during the salah and prostrating with the elbows (Al-Iftiraash) on the ground. Al-Iqaa’ is forbidden as related by Abu Hurairah (radiallahu ‘anhu) who said: My dear friend forbade me three things: He forbade me from pecking like a rooster [just touching the head in prostration – Trans], sitting on the haunches like a dog, and looking around like a fox. Transmitted by Ahmed and others and its isnaad (chain) has by graded hasan (good) by Al-Mundhiri and Al-Haithami. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) forbade a man from spreading his arms on the ground like a beast of prey. Summarizing a hadeeth collected by Muslim from ‘Aisha (radiallahu ‘anhaa) as well as by At-Tirmidhi, Ahmed and others from Jaabir
(radiallahu ‘anhu) marfoo’an (attributable to the Prophet): If any of you prostrates (sajdah) then keep straight and not spread his arms like the sitting of a dog.
14. Wearing a thin (see-through) garment that does not sufficiently cover the ‘auwrah (private area). This is an invalidator of the salah because covering one’s ‘auwrah is a condition for a sound salah. The man’s ‘aurah is – according to what is most authentic – from the navel to the knee. Likewise he must cover his shoulders or one of them1 in accordance with the statement of Allah: O children of Aadam wear you adornments to every masjid. [Al-‘Araaf 31] It is sufficient to wear a single garment to cover the ‘auwrah according to what is narrated from ‘Umar Ibn Salamah (radiallahu ‘anhu): He saw the Messenger of allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam praying in a single garment (thowub) in the house of Umm Salamah, he had cast both ends over himself. [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] Ibn Qudaamah (rahimahullah) stated: It is obligatory to cover sufficiently to hide the color of the skin, for if it is thin enough that the color of the skin may be seen from behind to the extent that the whiteness or redness of the skin is percieved thane salah in it is not allowed in that covering has not been achieved.
15. A woman not covering her head with the khimaar in salah and not covering her feet. The ‘aurah of the swoman in the sallah is her entire body with the exception of her face. Nor is there any harm if she covers her face due to the passing by of men or the like. It is obligatory for her to wear a khimaar which is a head covering that also covers the bosom. This according to his (slallahu ‘aliahi wa sallam) statement: Allah does not accept the salah of the menstruating female unless she is wearing a khimaar. [Collected by Ahmed and the collectors of the six most authentic books except An-Nisaa’i and it have been authenticated by Ibn Khuzaimah and others. It is also obligatory that she cover the tops of her feet in compliance with the hadeeth “The entire woman is ‘auwrah” Collected by At-Tirmidhee with an authentic isnaad. Along this same meaning is what is transmitted by Malik and abu Dawood and others from Muhammad Ibn Said Inb Qunfudh from his mother who asked Umm Salamah (radiallahu ‘anhaa), the wife of the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), about what garment a woman should pray in. She answered: She 1 The evidence for covering the shoulders is found in an authentic hadeeth in the collection of Abu Dawood, however we were unable to determine why the shaykh exempts one shoulder. Should pray in a khimaar and a full, loose-fitting chemise that conceals the tops of her feet. Also with this meaning is the hadeeth of Umm Salamah: Lower it by an arm’s length.
16. Walking in front of the praying person whether they be the imaam or praying alone and stepping over the people during the Jumua’h khutbah. It is a sin upon the person who passes in front of someone who is praying. If the one praying has no sutrah then it shold be estimated to be at the place of prostration so the passerby should can pass beyond that point. As narrated in the collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim by Abu Juhaim Ibn Haarith (radiallahu ‘anhu), who said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: If the one who passes in front of the praying person knew how serious a sin it was for him to do so it would have been better for him to wait for forty than walk in front of him. [Forty may refer to forty days, months or years, and Allah knows best – Trans.] The one who pushes between the people during the Jumua’h khutbah harms people
through his being late for the salah according to the statement of Al-Mustafah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam): Sit for you have caused harm and come late. [Ahmed and others. Cutting between the people is forbidden. One who enters the masjid should sit where there is space unless he sees a genuinely open area where he should then go to it and sit.
17. Not saying the takbeeratul-ihraam (opening takbeer) when entering upon the congregation while the imaam is in rukoo’. This is a major mistake in that the takbeeratulihraam is a pillar (rukn) of the salah that must be done by the one praying when standing for the salah and then afterwards join the imam in the bowing position (rukoo’). To make the takbeer (al-ihraam) and then another takbeer before giong into rukoo’ is more complete and thorough. Abu Hurairah (radiallahu ‘anhu) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would make takbeer when he stood for the sallah and would then make takbeer upon bowing.
18. Not following the imaam (by getting in the same position) when coming late and the imaam is sitting or in sujood (prostrating). It is most preferred and most sure for the one who enters the masjid that he join the imaam in whatever position he may be in, whether he be in sajdah or otherwise. It is reported by abu Dawood and others with a saheeh isnaad that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: If you come to the salah and we are making sujood then you also make sujood. For a worshipper to delay making sajdah is to have in effect prevented himself from an act of worship which Allah loves. Ali Ibn Abi Talib and Mua’dh ibn Jabal (radiallahu ‘anhumaa) both stated: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: If one of you comes to the salah and the imaam is in a position then do what the imaam is doing. This is collected by At-Tirmidhi with a weak isnaad however it is in agreement with the preceeding hadeeth. It is also strengthened by a narration collected by Abu Dawood from Mua’dh (radiallahu
‘anhu): I never saw him (the imaam) in a position except I was also upon it. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Verily Mua’dh has performed an act that is good for you too, so do likewise.
19. Busying one with matters that take one away from the salah. This is evidence of preference of the wordly life over that of the Hereafter, following vain desires and being too busy to obey Allah. This is indeed ruination and of evil consequence to whoever does it. Allah ta’aala says: O you who believe, let not yuor wealth or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah for whyosoever does that will be among the losers. [Al-Munafiqoon 9] And He says in praise of the believers: Men who are not diverted by business or trade from the remembrance of Allah and performance of salah. [An-Noor 37] Preoccupation with any act over the salah or that leads to being negligant or lazy toward it such as staying up too lateand the like, is not permissible. This
is because anything that leads to what is haraam is itself haraam, and Allah is the One who guides to the right path.
20. Playing with one’s clothing or watch or the like. This is an act that negates khushoo’. The evidence for khushoo’ has been presented previously in point 5 [see August Issue – Ed.]. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) forbade rubbing pebbles during the salah due to its negative effect on khushoo’ when he said: If any of you performs the prayer let him not rub pebbles for mercy is turned towards him. [Ahmed and the six collections of hadeeth with an authentic isnaad] A person might increase playing around to the point of excessive movement that is outside of the salah and thereby nullify it.
