Fundamentals of Purity and Prayer

1. Fundamentals of Purity and Prayer Lecture 12 April 20, 2014

2. Invalidators of Prayer

3. Invalidators The following actions invalidate the prayer: • To utter a word or sound of human speech, other than words of prayer • Even if out of forgetfulness, from crying, laughing, clearing one’s throat, returning a salam, etc. • Unless uncontrollable (cough, sneeze, yawn, etc.), or crying from remembrance of Heaven or Hell • Any speech interacting with another person, even if Qur’anic verses • Excessive movement • Movement to the extent where an outside observer would think the person is not praying • To eat/drink at all • Unless a piece of food less than the size of a chickpea was already inside the mouth and one were to swallow it

4. Invalidators • Loss of a pre-condition of prayer (recall Lecture 10): • Losing one’s ritual purity • An unexcused amount of physical impurity coming onto one’s garments/body for longer than 3 “SubhanAllah’s” • Turning away from direction of Qibla intentionally • If unintentional, must turn back within time of 3 “SubhanAllah’s” • Exposing any part of one’s ‘awrah intentionally, even if for a moment • If unintentional, must re-cover within time of 3 “SubhanAllah’s” • Less than ¼ of a limb becoming exposed unintentionally is excused

5. Invalidators • To make a du’a using words resembling human speech • To elongate the letter hamza in the takbir • To read off of anything and verbalize it • Missing any integral of the prayer (recall Lecture 10) • For a man to pray in the same row as a woman • Would invalidate the man’s prayer • For the follower to surpass the imam, such that the two do not meet in an action All of the above invalidate the prayer if done before one has sat in the final sitting for the length of tashahhud

6. Disliked Actions of Prayer

7. Makruhat It becomes wajib (necessary) to repeat a prayer if a makruhtahrim action is performed within it The following actions are disliked: • To intentionally omit any wajib or sunnah action • To perform any unnecessary non-prayer action (non-excessive) • Ex. Fidgeting with one’s clothes • Unless a reason or need (ex. wiping away sweat or dirt from one’s face that is distracting), as long as not excessive

8. Makruhat • To make one’s posture contrary to the sunnah without excuse • Sitting cross-legged or on one’s bottom, for men to rest one’s forearms on ground, to turn one’s neck, place hands in position other than the sunnah, etc. • For men to not cover their upper body, even if they have means to • To roll up one’s sleeves, or to gather one’s garments closely before prostrating • To close one’s eyes or look around • To yawn or stretch • To wear a garment one one’s head or shoulders which hangs below

9. Makruhat • To wipe away pebbles or similar things on ground • Can wipe once to allow prostration • Cracking fingers or knuckles • To cover one’s mouth and/or nose without reason • For men to expose the head, unless out of humility • To prostrate with the forehead covered • Wearing undignified clothes that one would be ashamed to wear in front of distinguished personalities • Wearing something which has an image, praying toward in image, or in a room with an image • Of animate object

10. Makruhat • To pray while one has urge to relive oneself • To pray when food is present which will distract one from prayer • To pray around that which would be distracting • To not place a barrier in front of one where people are likely to pass • To pray along a road/path, in a bathroom or near filth, or in a graveyard • To pray on stolen property, in a stolen garment, or after having made wudu from stolen water

11. Makruhat • To pray in congregation standing alone in a row • Standing behind a row in which a gap exists • Should move up to fill gap with minimal steps • For fard or wajib prayers: • Deliberately reciting surahs out of order • Deliberately skipping a short surah between two surahs • Repeating a surah if one has memorized others

12. Breaking Prayer

13. Breaking the Prayer Necessary to break any prayer: • To respond to a call from someone in an emergency or distress, to prevent an injury to someone, if someone is in imminent danger, to save a life Permissible to break any prayer: • To prevent the theft or loss of anything worth at least 1 dirham, regardless of who the item belongs to • For a shepherd to protect his sheep from a wolf or any threat • For a midwife if she fears the death of the child in birth • For a traveler if fear of highway robbery

14. Questions?