بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum.
In Part 1, we mentioned that the ahadeeth that mentioned “the prayer is not accepted” or other similar wordings, fall into two categories – those that relate to the prayer itself and those not related to to it. We then discussed the first category, leaving the second category for this part.
Remember, when the matter being discussed does not relate to the prayer itself, it usually means (but not always) that the prayer itself is valid but its reward is either removed or reduced. A valid prayer means that one does not have to repeat it.
There’s one thing I would like to point out with regard to proofs. The explanation of these ahadeeth was from multiple shaikhs (either their videos, websites or books). Most of it was in Arabic, which is why I did not link to them. I found that people get confused when too many shaikhs are mentioned so I decided to keep it simple and just mention a summary of the opinions.
What I would advise you, the reader, to do is the following:
- Carefully read each hadeeth and its explanation.
- If you feel that this issue has occurred in your life, then call a person of knowledge to get a fatwa (ruling) for your specific situation. That is better than relying on the Internet.
So, having said that, let’s start.
Acts not related to the prayer itself
Going to a Fortune Teller or the like
One of the acts which removes the reward of the prayer for a period of 40 days is going to a fortune teller or the like.
عَنْ صَفِيَّةَ، عَنْ بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : مَنْ أَتَى عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَىْءٍ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاَةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً
Safiyyah reported from some of the wives of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) that Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) having said: He who visits a diviner (Arraf) and asks him about anything, his prayers extending to forty nights will not be accepted. [Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth No. 5540]
Remember, looking at horoscopes, palm reading, etc. all fall under this. So doing any of these – without believing in them – does not invalidate the prayer but it removes its reward for 40 days.
Think of it this way: The prayer brings about reward, whereas going to a fortune teller is sinful. The evil deed basically overshadowed the good deed in this case.
Now, if a person believes in what the fortune teller or horoscope says, then the punishment in this case is far far worse.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ : مَنْ أَتَى حَائِضًا أَوِ امْرَأَةً فِي دُبُرِهَا أَوْ كَاهِنًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُولُ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ
عن عمران بن حصين رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ليس منا من تطيَّرَ أو تُطيِّر له أو تَكَهَّن أو تُكهِّن له أو سَحَر أو سُحِر له ومَن عقد عقدةً أو قال عقدَ عقدةً ومَن أتَى كاهنًا فصدَّقه بما قال فقد كفر بما أُنزِلَ على محمدٍ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم
Imran ibn Husayn (radiallahu anhu) said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “He is not of us who seeks omens or has omens sought for him, or who practices fortune telling or has his fortune told to him, or who practices magic or has magic performed for him, and the one who ties a knot – or he said: ties a knot, and whoever goes to a fortune teller and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).” [Musnad Al-Bazzaar, Hadeeth No. 3578. Imam Abu Bakr Al-Haythami said that all its men are from the men of the Sahih except Ishaq ibn Ar-Rabee, who is trustworthy.]
Drinking alcohol
Another act that removes the reward of prayer for 40 days is drinking alcohol.
عَنْ عَبْد اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : مَنْ شَرِبَ الْخَمْرَ لَمْ يَقْبَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ صَلاَةً أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا فَإِنْ تَابَ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنْ عَادَ لَمْ يَقْبَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ صَلاَةً أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا فَإِنْ تَابَ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنْ عَادَ لَمْ يَقْبَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ صَلاَةً أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا فَإِنْ تَابَ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنْ عَادَ الرَّابِعَةَ لَمْ يَقْبَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ صَلاَةً أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا فَإِنْ تَابَ لَمْ يَتُبِ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَقَاهُ مِنْ نَهْرِ الْخَبَالِ . قِيلَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَمَا نَهْرُ الْخَبَالِ قَالَ نَهْرٌ مِنْ صَدِيدِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ
Narrated Abdullah bin Umar (radiallahu anhuma) that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Whoever drinks alcohol, salah (prayer) is not accepted from him for forty days. If he repents, then Allah will accept his repentance. If he returns to it, then Allah will not accept his salah for forty days. If he repents, then Allah will accept his repentance. If he returns to it, then Allah will not accept his salah for forty days. If he repents, then Allah will accept his repentance. If he returns to it a fourth time, Allah will not accept his salah for forty days, and if he were to repent, Allah would not accept his repentance, and he will be given to drink from the river of Al-Khabal.” They said: “O Abu Abdur-Rahman! What is the river of Al-Khabal?” He said: “A river of the pus from the inhabitants of the Fire. [Jaami At-Tirmidhi, Hadeeth No. 1862. Graded “sahih” (authentic) by Al-Albani.]
Once again, as with the case of going to a fortune teller without believing in him, the prayer is still valid but there is no reward for any of the prayers prayed in this 40-day time period.
A person must ensure that they do not miss any prayer in this time just because there is no reward. If they miss a prayer, then they become deserving of Allah’s punishment for doing so. Also, according to some Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), missing even one prayer deliberately expels a person from the fold of Islam! So one needs to be very cautious with regards to the prayer.
A slave running away from his master
Another act which causes the prayer not to be accepted is if a slave runs away from his master.
عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : إِذَا أَبَقَ الْعَبْدُ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاَةٌ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إِلَى مَوَالِيهِ
It was narrated that Jareer (radiallahu anhu) said: “The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: ‘If a slave runs away, no salah (prayer) will be accepted from him until he goes back to his masters. [Sunan An-Nasai, Hadeeth No. 4054. Graded “sahih” (authentic) by Al-Albani.]
This refers to a slave (which we don’t have in the current era as far as I know) who has run away for no reason (if his master was oppressive, then that is another issue). His prayers are valid but he will get no reward for them for the time that he was away from his master. Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen said that this was for obligatory prayers but his voluntary prayers would be invalid. Allah knows better.
A woman who goes out wearing perfume
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ لَقِيَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ وَجَدَ مِنْهَا رِيحَ الطِّيبِ يُنْفَحُ وَلِذَيْلِهَا إِعْصَارٌ فَقَالَ يَا أَمَةَ الْجَبَّارِ جِئْتِ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ . قَالَ وَلَهُ تَطَيَّبْتِ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ . قَالَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ حِبِّي أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ : لاَ تُقْبَلُ صَلاَةٌ لاِمْرَأَةٍ تَطَيَّبَتْ لِهَذَا الْمَسْجِدِ حَتَّى تَرْجِعَ فَتَغْتَسِلَ غُسْلَهَا مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ
Narrated Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anhu): A woman met him and he found the odor of perfume in her. Her clothes were fluttering in the air. He said: O maid-servant of Al-Jabbar (the Almighty), are you coming from the mosque? She replied: Yes. He said: For it did you use perfume? She replied: Yes. He said: I heard my beloved Abul Qasim (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) say: The prayer of a woman who uses perfume for this mosque is not accepted until she returns and takes a bath like that of sexual defilement (perfectly). [Sunan Abee Dawood, Hadeeth No. 4174. Graded “sahih” (authentic) by Al-Albani.]
There is some difference of opinion over the authenticity of this hadeeth but it has some backing in the following narration (which is definitely authentic):
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : أَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ أَصَابَتْ بَخُورًا فَلاَ تَشْهَدْ مَعَنَا الْعِشَاءَ الآخِرَةَ
Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anhu) said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: Any woman who has been perfumed with incense should not attend the later Isha with us. [Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth No. 894]
[Note: The later Isha refers to the Isha prayer. This is due to the fact that, in the past, the Maghrib prayer was also referred to as the first Isha.]
The scholars also differed over what “not accepted” means in the first hadeeth. The first group said that the prayer was invalid whereas the second group said it was valid but that she did not get the reward for that prayer. Shaikh Aziz Farhan said the latter opinion is the more correct one.
What about ghusl (bathing)? Shaikh Abdul Azeez Ar-Rahijee was of the opinion that bathing in this scenario is not incumbent upon her – as it is not one of the reasons for ghusl mentioned in the Shariah.
However, Shaikh Azeez Farhan stated that she should do ghusl and pointed out it was from the completeness of her repentance. The reason for bathing in this case is because perfume is a means to fornication (as it attracts the opposite gender) so bathing from sexual impurity was mentioned as an example.
Now, many women push back and say that “But we hop into the car from our homes and then get dropped off at the women’s entrance. Only our mahrams are in the car with us.”
Well, that might be the case but you cannot guarantee that the car will not break down or that something might happen. We need to focus on pleasing Allah – not try to come up with excuses to disobey Him.
One more thing worth pointing out – this hadeeth talks about the masjid. If this is the command given regarding going to the masjid perfumed, then imagine the amount of fitnah (trial) there would be in going to other than it, i.e. malls, etc.?
One last note: A woman can wear perfume at home but this is under the assumption that there are no non-mahrams at home. Brothers-in-law, aunts’ husbands, cousins, male servants and drivers all fall under the “non-mahram” category. Also, there might be no one at home but what about the delivery guys? If a woman is perfumed and goes to take the items from them, they will be able to smell her fragrance. So she will sin in this instance as well.
I’d advise all my sisters to please be very, very careful regarding this. Shaytan (the devil) will make you think you stink and then tell you to put on some perfume to cover your stench. Just take care of your daily hygiene and you won’t need to depend on perfume. Also, it is better to smell like rotten fish than to displease Allah.
An Imam who leads people in prayer whilst they dislike him and two brothers who have severed contact with each other
عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ثلاثةٌ لا يقبَلُ اللهُ لهم صلاةً : إمامُ قومٍ وهم له كارِهونَ وامرأةٌ باتَتْ وزوجُها عليها غَضبانُ وأخوانِ مُتصارِمانِ
It was narrated from Ibn Abbas (radiallahu anhuma) that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “There are three whose prayer Allah will not accept: an imam (leader in prayer) of a people while they dislike him; a woman who has spent the night while her husband is angry with her; and two brothers who have severed contact with one another.” [Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadeeth No. 1757. Shuaib Al-Arnaut said that its isnaad (chain of narrators) was “hasan” (good). There seems to be some weakness in this hadeeth, particularly the part about the brothers.]
If a handful of people dislike the Imam, then this is not an issue. It only becomes an issue when the majority dislike him. Now, there are two cases as to why the people might dislike the Imam:
This hadeeth is referring to the first category, not the second one. In the second case, it is the people themselves who are blameworthy, not the Imam.
It might be better for the Imam who is disliked (whether for the right or wrong reasons) to leave off leading that congregation as the purpose of congregating is not being fulfilled. Congregations are meant to increase love between believers but this is not what is happening in this case.
What about the prayers itself? Are they valid? Yes, they are valid because there is no order to repeat the prayer. “Not accepted” means the Imam would not get the reward for those prayers he led the people in.
As for the brothers, it could mean siblings or brothers in religion. It refers to women as well.
Remember, severing ties between family members is not allowed. As for forsaking a Muslim more than 3 days, that is also not allowed but there are some exceptions (such as if the person was an innovator).
Please note that if you have specific circumstances where the family member or Muslim in question is psychotic, does magic on people, is a danger to you, etc. then please refer this matter to a shaikh to get a fatwa.
A woman who disobeys her husband
From here on, the ahadeeth mentioned no longer say “The prayer is not accepted”, rather they use different wordings.
عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : اثنانِ لاتُجَاوِزُ صلاتُهما رؤوسَهُما : عَبدٌ أبَقَمنمَواليه حتَّى يرجعَ،وامرأةٌ عصَت زوجَها حتَّى ترجِعَ
Ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “There are two whose prayer does not go beyond their heads; a slave who runs away from his masters until he returns to them and a woman who disobeys her husband until she returns back (to obeying him).” [Sahih At-Targheeb Wat-Tarheeb, Hadeeth No. 1948]
There is another narration with a slightly different wording. This one mentions her spending a night whilst her husband is angry with her.
عن أَبي أُمَامَة، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : ثَلاَثَةٌ لاَ تُجَاوِزُ صَلاَتُهُمْ آذَانَهُمُ الْعَبْدُ الآبِقُ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ وَامْرَأَةٌ بَاتَتْ وَزَوْجُهَا عَلَيْهَا سَاخِطٌ وَإِمَامُ قَوْمٍ وَهُمْ لَهُ كَارِهُونَ
Abu Umamah (radiallahu anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “There are three whose prayer would not rise up beyond their ears: The runaway slave until he returns, a woman who spends a night while her husband is angry with her, and a people’s Imam whom they dislike.” [Jaami At-Tirmidhi, Hadeeth No. 360. Graded “hasan” (good) by Al-Albani. There is some weakness in this hadeeth.]
This means that her prayers are not fully accepted, meaning her prayers are valid but she gets no reward for those prayers. Another opinion (by Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen) states that the Sunnah prayers she does during this time (instead of answering her husband’s call) are invalid but not the obligatory ones. Allah knows better.
The second hadeeth might make it seem that her disobedience is only linked to the bed but it is more general than that. The disobedience is with regards to halal (permissible things) where she has no excuse. If she was ill and did not answer his call, this is a different matter altogether!
عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُصْطَلِقِ، قَالَ كَانَ يُقَالُ أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ عَذَابًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ اثْنَانِ امْرَأَةٌ عَصَتْ زَوْجَهَا وَإِمَامُ قَوْمٍ وَهُمْ لَهُ كَارِهُونَ
Amr bin Al-Harith* bin Al-Mustaliq said: “It used to be said that the people with the worst punishment [on the Day of Judgment] are two: A woman who disobeyed her husband, and a people’s Imam whom they dislike.” [Jaami At-Tirmidhi, Hadeeth No. 359. Graded “sahihul isnaad” (authentic chain of narrators) by Al-Albani.]
[*Amr ibn Al-Harith is the brother of Juwayriyah (radiallahu anha), the wife of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).]
It used to be said by whom? It could mean by the Sahabaah or the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Either way, it is something for every married woman to pay attention to and try to fulfill their husband’s rights.
Married men should also try to fulfill their wife’s rights. Neither party should hold up a hadeeth to put the other side down (which happens very frequently in many homes).
When food has been served or whilst needing to answer the call of nature
The ahadeeth from now on use the wording “There is no prayer for..”
عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عَتِيقٍ، قَالَ تَحَدَّثْتُ أَنَا وَالْقَاسِمُ، عِنْدَ عَائِشَةَ – رضى الله عنها – حَدِيثًا وَكَانَ الْقَاسِمُ رَجُلاً لَحَّانَةً وَكَانَ لأُمِّ وَلَدٍ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ عَائِشَةُ مَا لَكَ لاَ تَحَدَّثُ كَمَا يَتَحَدَّثُ ابْنُ أَخِي هَذَا أَمَا إِنِّي قَدْ عَلِمْتُ مِنْ أَيْنَ أُتِيتَ . هَذَا أَدَّبَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَأَنْتَ أَدَّبَتْكَ أُمُّكَ – قَالَ – فَغَضِبَ الْقَاسِمُ وَأَضَبَّ عَلَيْهَا فَلَمَّا رَأَى مَائِدَةَ عَائِشَةَ قَدْ أُتِيَ بِهَا قَامَ . قَالَتْ أَيْنَ قَالَ أُصَلِّي . قَالَتِ اجْلِسْ . قَالَ إِنِّي أُصَلِّي . قَالَتِ اجْلِسْ غُدَرُ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ : لاَ صَلاَةَ بِحَضْرَةِ الطَّعَامِ وَلاَ وَهُوَ يُدَافِعُهُ الأَخْبَثَانِ
Ibn Abee Atiq reported: Qasim* was in the presence of Aishah (radiallahu anha) that I narrated a hadith and Qasim was a man who committed errors in (pronouncing words) and his mother was a freed slave-girl. Aishah said to him: What is the matter with you that you do not narrate as this son of my brother narrated (the ahadeeth)? Well I know from where you picked it up. This is how his mother brought him up and how your mother brought you up. Qasim felt angry (on this remark of Aishah) and showed bitterness towards her. When he saw that the table had been spread for Aishah, he stood up. Aishah, said: Where are you going? He said: (I am going) to pray. She said: Sit down (to take the food). He said: I must pray. She said: Sit down, faithless, for I have heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) say: No prayer can be (rightly said) when the food is there (before the worshipper), or when he is prompted by the call of nature. [Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth No. 1139]
[Qasim was the son of Muhammad bin Abee Bakr, the half-brother of Aishah (radiallahu anha).]
With regards to the food served, if a person is very hungry and they hear the iqaamah (the second call to prayer), they should eat first, even if they miss part or all of the congregational prayer. [Many of the scholars considered praying in congregation to be obligatory – and there are many proofs that show it might well be.]
عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : إِذَا وُضِعَ عَشَاءُ أَحَدِكُمْ وَأُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَابْدَءُوا بِالْعَشَاءِ، وَلاَ يَعْجَلْ حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ مِنْهُ . وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يُوضَعُ لَهُ الطَّعَامُ وَتُقَامُ الصَّلاَةُ فَلاَ يَأْتِيهَا حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسْمَعُ قِرَاءَةَ الإِمَامِ.
Narrated Nafi: Ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) said, “Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, ‘If the supper is served for anyone of you and the Iqaamah is pronounced, start with the supper and don’t be in haste (and carry on eating) till you finish it.” If food was served for Ibn Umar and Iqaamah was pronounced, he never came to the prayer till he finished it (i.e. food) in spite of the fact that he heard the recitation (of the Quran) by the Imam (in the prayer). [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Hadeeth No. 642]
The reason for this is to preserve one’s khushoo (humility in prayer). A hungry person would not focus on his prayer – he would just think of the food. His mind is distracted and his heart is occupied so what kind of prayer will he pray?
Now, a person should not do this on purpose i.e. have the food served at this time just to avoid the congregation!
What about Maghrib prayer in Ramadan? Well, a person can have some dates and water and then go for prayer. I’ve noticed that many masjids (in the UAE, at least) give a few more minutes between the adhan and the iqaamah just for this purpose.
Does this only refer to the fard (obligatory) prayers? No, it refers to both fard (whether in congregation or alone) and sunnah prayers.
What if the time of that prayer is ending? In that case, the person prays hungry as there is a danger of missing the prayer.
With regards to answering the call of nature, it is the same thing. He should go to the toilet even if means missing the congregational prayer. If he prays in that state, his mind will definitely not focus on prayer.
Both hunger and wanting to answer the call of nature take away from the completeness of prayer (which is what “no prayer” refers to in this case.) Prayer in these two situations is makrooh (disliked).
Another case where a person should not pray at that time (assuming the time of prayer is not ending) is when they are very sleepy. This too takes away from one’s khushoo in prayer.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : إِذَا نَعَسَ أَحَدُكُمْ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَلْيَرْقُدْ حَتَّى يَذْهَبَ عَنْهُ النَّوْمُ، فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا صَلَّى وَهُوَ نَاعِسٌ لاَ يَدْرِي لَعَلَّهُ يَسْتَغْفِرُ فَيَسُبَّ نَفْسَهُ
Narrated Aishah (radiallahu anha): Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “If anyone of you feels drowsy while praying he should go to bed (sleep) till his slumber is over because in praying while drowsy one does not know whether one is asking for forgiveness or for a bad thing for oneself.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume No. 1, Hadeeth No. 211]
The one prays alone behind the row
عَنْ عَبْد الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ شَيْبَانَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَلِيِّ بْنِ شَيْبَانَ – وَكَانَ مِنَ الْوَفْدِ – قَالَ خَرَجْنَا حَتَّى قَدِمْنَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَبَايَعْنَاهُ وَصَلَّيْنَا خَلْفَهُ ثُمَّ صَلَّيْنَا وَرَاءَهُ صَلاَةً أُخْرَى فَقَضَى الصَّلاَةَ فَرَأَى رَجُلاً فَرْدًا يُصَلِّي خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ . قَالَ فَوَقَفَ عَلَيْهِ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ حِينَ انْصَرَفَ قَالَ : اسْتَقْبِلْ صَلاَتَكَ، لاَ صَلاَةَ لِلَّذِي خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ
Abdur-Rahman bin Ali bin Shaiban narrated that his father, Ali bin Shaiban, who was part of the delegation, said: “We set out until we came to the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). We gave him our oath of allegiance and performed prayer behind him. Then we offered another prayer behind him. He finished the prayer and saw a man on his own, praying behind the row.” He said: “The Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) stood beside him and when he finished he said: ‘Repeat your prayer; there is no prayer for the one who is behind the row.’” [Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadeeth No. 1003. Graded “sahih” (authentic) by Al-Albani.]
According to 3 of the 4 Imams, the prayer of the person who prays alone is valid but it is not complete (i.e. the reward is not complete). Imam Ahmad has two sayings – one that agrees with the other three, and another stating that the prayer is invalid.
Other scholars like Ibn Taimiyyah offered some more detail: if there was space in the rows ahead, his prayer is invalid. If not, then the obligation is waived.
Yet other scholars insisted that he should wait for someone to come so he could pray with them. Others said also he should repeat the prayer if he prays alone behind the row (the proof being this hadeeth itself).
What about pulling someone from the row in front of him? That hadeeth is not authentic, it would appear, and doing this would result in gaps in the row, and that is not permitted.
Can a woman pray alone behind a row? Yes, this seems to be allowed.
As this is a very important issue for men, I would advise them to read this book on the congregational prayer.
The one who hears the adhan (call to prayer) but does not come to the masjid
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ : مَنْ سَمِعَ النِّدَاءَ فَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ فَلاَ صَلاَةَ لَهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ عُذْرٍ
It was narrated from Ibn Abbas (radiallahu anhuma) that: The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Whoever hears the call and does not come, his prayer is not valid, except for those who have an excuse.” [Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadeeth No. 793. Graded “sahih” (authentic) by Al-Albani.]
This hadeeth might be a statement of Ibn Abbas (radiallahu anhuma) according to some. However, there are other hadeeth (and Quranic ayaat) showing that men must pray in congregation. The book linked to in the previous section has all the proofs.
The person’s prayer on his own is valid but not complete, and they are sinful for missing the congregation without an excuse (according to those who view congregational prayer to be obligatory).
What excuse is being referred to this hadeeth? Well, wind, rain, extreme cold, fear, etc. are all valid excuses.
Praying after the adhan of Fajr (until the Fajr prayer)
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : لاَ صَلاَةَ بَعْدَ الْفَجْرِ إِلاَّ سَجْدَتَيْنِ
Ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “There is no salah after Al-Fajr (begins) except two prostrations.” [Jaami At-Tirmidhi, Hadeeth No. 419. Graded “sahih” (authentic) by Al-Albani.]
The meaning of this hadeeth is that there is no prayer after the adhan of Fajr until the Fajr prayer except the Sunnah of Fajr. Continuously doing voluntary prayers in this time is not sanctioned.
If a person prayed the sunnah prayer at home, they are allowed to pray Tahiyyatul masjid (greeting the masjid) when they enter the masjid.
A person could also pray just 2 rakahs with 3 intentions – the sunnah of Fajr, tahiyyatul masjid and the 2 rakahs after wudhu (ablution).
After the iqaamah (call to prayer) is called
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ : إِذَا أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَلاَ صَلاَةَ إِلاَّ الْمَكْتُوبَةُ
Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anhu) reported the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) as saying: When the prayer commences, there is no prayer but the obligatory one. [Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth No. 1532]
This means that one should not start an optional prayer after the iqaamah is called. What should a person do if the iqaamah is called whilst they are in prayer? One opinion is that if they are in the first rakah, they should end the prayer. If they are in the second rakah, they should hasten to finish. This article goes into more detail about the various opinions.
After Fajr prayer until the sun rises and after Asr prayer until the sun sets
Sometimes the wording “there is no prayer” is used to show the prohibited times of prayer.
عن أبي سَعِيد الْخُدْرِيَّ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ : لاَ صَلاَةَ بَعْدَ الصُّبْحِ حَتَّى تَرْتَفِعَ الشَّمْسُ، وَلاَ صَلاَةَ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ حَتَّى تَغِيبَ الشَّمْسُ
Narrated Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (radiallahu anhu): I heard Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) saying, “There is no prayer after the morning prayer till the sun rises, and there is no prayer after the Asr prayer till the sun sets.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Hadeeth No. 560]
[There is an addition to this hadeeth which says “except in Makkah”. That is not authentic.]
There are people who worship the sun and they prostrate to the sun when it rises and sets. So we were forbidden to pray at these times.
These times begin after the person has prayed that prayer. So if a person prayed Fajr at its earliest time, he should not pray voluntary prayers until after sunrise. If a person prays Fajr towards the end of its time, he should not pray voluntary prayers until after sunrise as well. Remember to wait about 15 minutes after sunrise to pray.
What if someone missed the sunnah of Fajr and wants to pray after the Fajr prayer congregation? He can pray it right after that or wait until after sunrise.
عَنْ قَيْس قَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَصَلَّيْتُ مَعَهُ الصُّبْحَ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَوَجَدَنِي أُصَلِّي فَقَالَ : مَهْلاً يَا قَيْسُ أَصَلاَتَانِ مَعًا . قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ رَكَعْتُ رَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ . قَالَ : فَلاَ إِذًا
Qais (radiallahu anhu) narrated: “Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) went out and the iqaamah was called for the salah (prayer) so I prayed As-Subh (Fajr) with him. Then the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) turned and found me performing salah so he said: ‘Easy O Qais! Are there two prayers together?’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! I did not perform the two Rakah (before) Fajr.’ He said: ‘Then there is no harm.'” [Jaami At-Tirmidhi, Hadeeth No. 422. Graded “sahih” (authentic) by Al-Albani.]
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : مَنْ لَمْ يُصَلِّ رَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ فَلْيُصَلِّهِمَا بَعْدَ مَا تَطْلُعُ الشَّمْسُ
Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Whoever did not pray the two Rakah (before) Fajr then let him pray them after the sun has risen.” [Jaami At-Tirmidhi, Hadeeth No. 433. Graded “sahih” (authentic) by Al-Albani.]
Now, this prohibition does not refer to prayers like the two rakahs after Tawaf, the funeral prayer (so it does not get delayed) and the eclipse prayer (as it has a fixed time). What about tahiyyatul masjid? There is a dispute amongst the scholars over this. One group said that it could be prayed at this time whereas the second group said no. The important thing is not to tell off a person for following either opinion.
When a black dog, a woman or a donkey pass in front of a praying person
This hadeeth has yet another wording “the prayer is severed (or cut off)”.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : إِذَا صَلَّى الرَّجُلُ وَلَيْسَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ كَآخِرَةِ الرَّحْلِ أَوْ كَوَاسِطَةِ الرَّحْلِ قَطَعَ صَلاَتَهُ الْكَلْبُ الأَسْوَدُ وَالْمَرْأَةُ وَالْحِمَارُ . فَقُلْتُ لأَبِي ذَرٍّ مَا بَالُ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الأَحْمَرِ مِنَ الأَبْيَضِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي سَأَلْتَنِي كَمَا سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ : الْكَلْبُ الأَسْوَدُ شَيْطَانٌ.
Abu Dharr (radiallahu anhu) said that Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “When a man performs salah, and there is nothing in front of him like the post of a saddle, or a camel saddle, then his salah is severed by (passing of) a black dog, a woman, and a donkey.” It was said to Abu Dharr: “What is the problem with the black dog rather than the red or white one?” He said: “O my nephew! I asked Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) just as you have asked me. He said: ‘The black dog is a Shaitan (devil).'” [Jaami At-Tirmidhi, Hadeeth No. 338]. Graded “sahih” (authentic) by Al-Albani.]
There is a difference of opinion over whether the prayer is valid or not. The majority said the prayer is valid but the khushoo is affected as the person got distracted.
Regardless of the opinion followed, one should put something before them during prayer (this is called a sutrah). Also, if someone tries to pass through the place between them and the sutrah, they should try to stop them.
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم : إِذَا مَرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ أَحَدِكُمْ شَىْءٌ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَلْيَمْنَعْهُ، فَإِنْ أَبَى فَلْيَمْنَعْهُ، فَإِنْ أَبَى فَلْيُقَاتِلْهُ، فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ شَيْطَانٌ
Narrated Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (radiallahu anhu) : The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “If while you are praying, somebody intends to pass in front of you, prevent him; and should he insist, prevent him again; and if he insists again, fight with him (i.e. prevent him violently), because such a person is (like) a devil.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadeeth No. 495]
Sometimes, a person might get confused about being pushed away so you can try to explain it to them after the prayer ends.
The neighbour of the masjid and the one who lowers his garments below his ankles
Now, there are two more hadeeth which mention the wording used in this article. One states that “there is no prayer for the neighbour of the masjid except the masjid”. This is weak and might be a statement of Ali (radiallahu anhu). The second hadeeth states that “Allah does not accept the prayer of the one who lowers his garment”. Some scholars authenticated this hadeeth but many others did not. Either way, it is sinful for a man to lower his garments below his ankles whether in prayer or outside of it.
Closing words
Ultimately, we need to remember that prayer is an act of worship and that we need to do it properly, otherwise the reward is affected.
عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ الْبَاهِلِيِّ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلاً غَزَا يَلْتَمِسُ الأَجْرَ وَالذِّكْرَ مَا لَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : لاَ شَىْءَ لَهُ . فَأَعَادَهَا ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ يَقُولُ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : لاَ شَىْءَ لَهُ . ثُمَّ قَالَ : إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَقْبَلُ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ إِلاَّ مَا كَانَ لَهُ خَالِصًا وَابْتُغِيَ بِهِ وَجْهُهُ
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