Fiqh of Prayer-2 Part Seven Taught by: Hacene Chebbani

Eid Prayer Tilawah Prostration Shukr Prostration

Eid Prayer. Its Ruling: Three Opinions: First Opinion: It is a highly recommended sunnah prayer. (The choice of Malik and Shafie’) Proof: “A Bedouin asked Allah’s Messenger about his religious obligations, then when he (pbuh) mentioned the five daily prayers. The Bedouin said: “Is there any other obligatory prayer?. He (pbuh) replied: “No, unless you volunteer.” (B/M)

Continued Second Opinion: It is a communal obligation. Proof: Umm Attiyah ® said: “We were commanded to go out for Eid prayer with the single and menstruating women to witness the good and the supplications of the Muslims. The menstruating women were ordered to stay away from the Mussalah.” (B/M) Analysis: The Prophet always performed them and he ordered people to got out to pray them. Second Proof: Analogy: “They are similar to the other visible symbols of religion like athaan and Iqamah. These two are communal obligations.”

Continued Third Opinion: This prayer is an individual Obligation (Fard Ayain). (The choice of Abu Haneefa and Ibn Taymiyah.) Proof: the same hadith of Umm Attiyah ®. Analysis: It is an individual obligation, because if it was a communal obligation, then women should not be commanded to pray it, because men would have fulfilled this obligation. (Ibn Uthaimeen believes that this opinion is stronger.) Allah knows best.

Time and Place Its Time: “Abdullah ibn Busr ®, the companion of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) went out with the people on the day of Eid ul-Fitr or Eid ul-Adha, and was not happy about delaying the prayer, saying: “We would have left by this time. And that was at the early time of ad-Duha prayer.” (Abu Dawood/Ibn Majah/others.) Note: Ad-Duha prayer can be prayed 15min after sunrise. The time of this prayer ends when the sun reaches its meridian. (Zawaal Time).

Continued Place of Prayer: Eid Prayer can be prayed in the Masjid, but it is preferred to do it out in the open, because the Prophet (pbuh) used to go out to pray it, and so did those who came after him. Note: Eid Prayer has no athaan or Iqamah.

Description of the Prayer. Eid Prayer consists of two raka’hs in which there are twelve takbeers. Proof: Aisha ® reported that: “Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) made the takbeer in al-Fitr and al-Adha seven times and five times, excluding the two takbeers of ruku’.” Note: There are other numbers of takbeers attributed to several sahabis. We should raise our hands when reciting Takbeer. Umar ® and his son Abdullah ® used to do it in Janaza Prayer and Eid Prayer.

Continued Recitation of Dhikr after every Takbeera Some scholars said that we should say: ” الله أكبر كبيرا و الحمد لله كثيرا و سبحان الله بكرة و أصيلا و صلّى الله على محمد النبي و آله و سلم تسليما كثيرا.“ Proof: Abdullah ibn Masoud ® used to do it and he used to advise people to do it. There is no proof that Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) used to do it.

Continued The khutbah is After the Prayer. Ibn Abbas ® said: “I attended the Eid with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and with Abu Bakr; Umar and Uthmaan, and they all used to pray before the khutbah.” (B/M) The Recitation of Eid Prayer. Allah’s Messenger recited al-A’lah and al- Ghaashiyah. (M/others) He (pbuh) also used to recite Qaaf and al- Qamar. (M/others)

Sujood at-Tilaawah Prostration during Quran Recitation Its Virtue: Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “When the son of Adam recites as-sajdah and then prostrates, shaytan departs from him and cries: ‘O, woe! He was ordered to prostrate and he did, so for him is paradise. I was ordered to prostrate and I refused, so for me is the Fire.” (Muslim)

Continued Its Ruling: Is it a Prayer or not? The majority of scholars believe that sujood at- tilawah is a prayer that requires some conditions to be accepted, like ritual purity, facing the qiblah and all the other conditions of Salah. A group of scholars believe that this sujood is not a prayer. It does not start with takbeer or ends with Tasleem. (This is the choice of Ibn Hazm and Ibn Taymiyah.) Therefore, it can be done without tahara and we do not have to face the qiblah.

Continued At times Ibn Umar ® would do sujood at- tilawah without having tahara. (Ibn Abee Shaybah with an authentic chain) Ibn Uthaiymeen believes that the second opinion is stronger.

continued Is it an obligation to perform sujood at-Tilawah? Two Opinions: First: it is an obligation to make this sujood (Abu Haneefa/Ibn Taymiyah/others.) Proofs: Ayah: “O You who have believed, bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good- that you may succeed. (sajdah)” 22/77 Ayah: “And when the Quran is recited to them, they do not prostrate. (sajdah)” 84/21

continued Second: This sujood is not wajib, it is only recommended. (The three Imams.) Proofs: Hadith: “Zayd ibn Thaabit ® recited surah an-Najm to the Prophet (pbuh) and did not perform sujood.” (B) Analysis: If sujood was wajib, the Prophet would not have kept quiet about Zayd missing the sujood.

Continued 2 nd Proof: “Umar ® recited surah an-Nahl on the minbar. When he reached the verse of sujood, he went down, performed sujood and people did the same thing. Next Friday, he recited the same surah but he did not prostrate. He explained that Allah did not make it compulsory to prostrate unless we wish to do so.” (B) Analysis: Umar ® did not prostrate in front of a big group of sahaba and no one said anything which means that this sujood is not wajib. Conclusion: The second opinion is very strong.

Notes 1- There are 14 places of sujood at-tilawah in the Quran. 2- The one who is listening to the reciter is supposed to make sujood with him, but not the one who hears him without intending to listen. 3- This sujood has no takbeer or tasleem except in the salah where we have to recite the takbir before and after. (One opinion in the Hanafi school of thought.)

What do we Say in this Sujood? The regular tasbeeh (سبحان ربي الأعلى) Second Option: (سبحانك اللهم ربنا و بحمدك، اللهم اغفر لي) Third Option: (سجد وجهي للذي خلقه و شق سمعه و بصره بحوله و قوته) Which means: “My face is prostrated to the One Who created it and brought forth its hearing and its sight by His Might and Power.” (Abu Dawood/Tirmithi/others)

Do we Recite Sajdah in a Silent Prayer? A group of scholars believe that it is Makrouh (disliked) to recite a surah that requires sujood at-tilawat in a silent prayer. The Second Opinion: It is not disliked to recite it in a silent prayer, but if the Imam thinks that people will be confused about his sujood, then he should avoid making sujood. (This opinion is stronger).

Sujood ash-Shukr (The Prostration of Gratefulness) It is preferred for Muslims to perform sujood, whenever they receive blessings, or they are saved from some trials, or they receive some good news. This is called Sujood ash-Shukr. Hadith: “When anything came to the Prophet (pbuh) which pleased him or he received good news, he would prostrate thanking Allah, The Most Blessed, The Most High.” (Ibn Majah/Abu Dawood)

Notes. 1- Sujood ash-Shukr has the same rulings of Sujood at-Tilawah. 2- Sujood ash-Shukr can not be performed during the regular prayer. Allah Knows Best.