THE OBLIGATIONS (WAJIBAT) OF PRAYER
The distinction between fard and wajib in the Hanafi school was covered in Module 2:
● Fard is that whose evidence is ‘clear-cut established transmission’ (Qat’i al-Wurud) and ‘clear-cut established indication’ (Qat’i al-Dilala).
● Wajib is that whose evidence is either ‘proba bilistic in transmission’ (Zanni al-Wurud) or ‘probabilistic in indication,’ (Zanni al-Dilala) or both.
IMPACTS :
● Intentionally leaving a wajib element of prayer is sinful.
● If a person leaves a wajib element on purpose, they must repeat the prayer.
● If a person leaves a wajib element out of forgetfulness, it does not invalidate the prayer as long as they observe the ‘prostration of forgetfulness.’
● The wajibat of prayer are to perfect the fard pillars; the Sunnas of prayer are to perfect the wajibat; and the adab of prayer are to perfect the sunan – therefore, there are layers of actions, each layer enhancing and perfecting the one above it and making up for deficiencies.
THE OBLIGATIONS (WAJIBAT) OF PRAYER
1. To say the words Allahu Akbar to begin each prayer.
2. To recite the Fatiha as well as a chapter or three verses after it. (Allah challenges disbelievers to produce a chapter like the Quran. The smallest chapter is three verses, which indicates that the Quran is distinguished from ‘other than the Quran’ in this amount.)
3. To recite the Fatiha as well as a chapter or three verses after it in the first two rak’as of the prayer.
4. To perform prostration with most of the forehead and the hard part of the nose.
5. To perform the second prostration before moving on to other parts of the prayer.
6. To be still for at least a moment in every integral of the prayer. This is defined as the amount of time it takes to say Subhanallah once. ‘Each integral’ means: bowing, prostration, standing after bowing, and the sitting between prostrations.
● This stillness is required, and one must not be in constant movement. In the hadith of the man who prayed badly,’ the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “...place your palms on your knees, space your fingers out, and remain like that until every limb takes its proper place.” (Tirmidhi)
● Abu Hurayra: “My intimate friend [the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)] forbade me from pecking in my prayer like a rooster, from looking around like a fox, and from squatting like a monkey.” (Ahmad)
● “The worst thief among people is the one who steals from his prayer.” He was asked, “How does one steal from his prayer?” He replied: “He does not complete his bowing or prostration.” (Tabarani and Hakim)
7. The first sitting after the first two rak’as in a three or four rak’a prayer for the length of time to recite the tashahhud therein.
8. To recite the entire tashahhud in both sittings. (Omitting a part of it is like omitting all of it, which would require a prostration of forgetfulness if done by accident, or being sinful if done on purpose.)
9. To rise to the third rak’a without any delay after reciting the tashahhud. (If a person remains longer out of forgetfulness, for the amount of time it takes to perform a pillar, his must offer the two prostrations of forgetfulness for delaying the obligatory standing of the third rak’a.)
10. To recite the Quran aloud in Fajr and the first two rak’as of Maghrib and ‘Isha’, even if they are makeup prayers. (‘Aloud’ here means they are heard by others, not just to oneself.)
11. To recite the Quran in the other rak’as silently to the extent that one can hear himself. NOTE If one is praying alone, he has the option between reciting the Quran aloud or silently (where he can hear himself). This is because he is an imam for himself and there is no one behind him to listen to his recitation.
12. To say the word al-Salam twice when ending the prayer, each one being an obligation. Adding ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah’ is a Sunna.