The Importance Of Prayer In Congregation:
It is Essential (Wajib) upon every sane, adult and capable person to offer the Prayer along with the congregation. One who leaves it without a valid excuse even once, is an offender and deserves punishment. One who leaves it several times is a proclaimed sinner and disqualified from giving witness, and will be punished severely.
The Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "My heart desires that I should command some young men to gather a lot of fuel (firewood), and then I may go to those who pray in their homes without an excuse, and burn their houses." (Muslim)
The following circumstances exempt one from attending Prayer in congregation:-
A patient who faces difficulty in going to the mosque.
An invalid person whose leg is cut off, is paralyzed or blind.
One who is too old and incapable of going to the mosque.
Torrential rain, severe sludge, extreme darkness or storm on the way.
Fear of losing property or food.
A person who cannot repay his debts, fearing the creditor.
Fear of an oppressor.
A person in urgent need to relieve himself of stool, urine or to break wind.
Fear of losing conveyance.
Presence of food whilst having the dire urge to eat.
Attending a sick person, whilst fearing that going for congregation will cause difficulty for the patient or make the patient nervous.
Rules Of Congregational Prayer:
When the time for congregational Prayer approaches, the Caller (Muazzin) should announce the “Iqamah” - and the “Imaam” and the followers should get up and make proper rows, when the “Muazzin” reaches words "Hayya alas-Salaah Hayya alal-Falaah". The “Imaam” must advise the followers to maintain proper rows. If the followers keep their heels in line with each other, the row will be set straight.
It is obligatory for the follower to have the intention in his heart, that he is offering Prayer in the leadership of the particular “Imaam”. The follower must finish his "Takbeer Tahreemah" after the “Imaam” has finished saying it. All that is Obligatory (Farz) in Prayer, must be compulsorily carried out in the leadership of the “Imaam”. If a follower performs an obligatory act and finishes it before the “Imaam” has started it - and does not offer it again with or after the “Imaam” - it will render the Prayer void. For example, if a follower offers prostration before the “Imaam” and the “Imaam” has not yet come into prostration while the follower lifts up his head - and if he does not (again) offer the prostration with the “Imaam” or after the “Imaam” - it will render his Prayer void.
If the “Imaam” forgets to offer the first Qaadah, and starts getting up, the followers should remind him (give “Luqmah”) only if he is nearer to the sitting position so that the “Imaam” may revert to the Qaadah. If the “Imaam” is nearer to standing upright or has already stood up fully, the followers must not remind him, for it will invalidate the Prayer of the person who gives the reminder. If the “Imaam” pays heed to such a reminder, his Prayer will also become void, resulting in the invalidation of Prayer of all the followers too.
If there are two or more followers, they should stand behind the “Imaam”. If there is only one follower, he should stand next to the “Imaam”, on the right. Standing next to the “Imaam” implies that the follower's ankles should not be ahead of that of the “Imaam”. If only one follower was praying with the “Imaam”, and another one joins, the “Imaam” should take a step forward and the newcomer should stand next to the follower. Alternatively, the follower may step backwards by himself or the newcomer may pull him back - both ways are permitted.
It is Undesirable (Makrooh) to stand in the back rows if there is space available in the front rows. Therefore if one sees that there is space in the front rows, while the back rows are full, he should cleave through the back rows to join the front rows. It has been observed that some persons leave the front rows and purposely sit in the back rows. How good or bad is this deed of theirs? Note what the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said about this: “If people knew what is the reward for the “Azaan” and the first row, everyone would crave for it - to the extent that they would draw lots for it.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: "People will always keep going back from the first row to the extent that Allah the Supreme will drive them away from mercy, and throw them in the fire."
Rules regarding the Masbook (The One who joins the prayer late):
A person who joins the congregational Prayer after the first or more Cycles (Rakaats) have already been offered, is called Masbook. The Masbook must not end his Prayer with the Salaam said by the “Imaam” but continue and offer the “Rakaats” which he had missed out.
If the late comer finds the “Imaam” in the bowing position (Ruku), he should first offer the “Takbeer Tahreemah” while standing, and then while proclaiming another “Takbeer” proceed towards the bow. If he proceeds towards the bow while proclaiming the first “Takbeer”, his Prayer is void. If he joins with the “Imaam” in the bow, he is deemed to have attained that Cycle (Rakaat). (So if he joins the “Imaam” in the first bow, he is no longer a Masbook).
If a person joins the Prayer after the bow of the first Cycle (Rakaat), or at the beginning of the second Cycle, he should get up after the “Imaam” says the "Salaam" - and after reciting the "Sanaa", "Taawuz", “Tasmiyah”, Surah alFatehah etc, complete the first Cycle and then sit for the Qaadah to complete his Prayer. If a person joins the Prayer in the third Cycle (of a four Cycle Prayer), he should offer 2 more “Rakaats” fully, to complete his Prayer i.e. he must recite the Surah alFatehah and a small Surah (or equivalent) after it, in each Cycle.
If he joins during the third Cycle after the bow, but before the bow of the fourth Cycle, he has to offer 3 Cycles more. He should get up after the “Imaam” says the "Salaam" - and the after reciting the "Sana", "Tawuz", “Tasmiyah”, Surah alFatehah plus a small Surah (or equivalent), complete the first Cycle which is in fact his second Cycle in counting - so he must then sit for the Qaadah to complete this Cycle. In the Qaadah he should recite only the “Tahiyyaat” and “Tashahhud”, and get up for the third Cycle. In this third Cycle he should recite the “Tasmiyah”, Surah alFatehah a small Surah (or equivalent) and complete it, and without offering Qaadah get up for the fourth Cycle. In this fourth Cycle he should recite “Tasmiyah” and only Surah alFatehah in his standing position (Qiyaam) - and then complete the Prayer ending with Salaam in the Qaadah.
The Masbook should not get up immediately upon the Imaam's proclamation of the first Salaam. He should wait to listen to the second Salaam and then get up in order to be sure that the “Imaam” will not offer the Sajdah Sahv (extra prostratons upon forgetting). (If the “Imaam” has to offer the Sajdah Sahv, the Masbook should follow the “Imaam” until the next Salaam).
If the Masbook unintentionally says the Salaam along with the “Imaam”, he need not offer Sajdah Sahv for this mistake. If he offers the Salaam after the “Imaam” has, Sajdah Sahv will become Essential upon him. He must complete his Prayer and offer the Sajdah Sahv at its end.
The Witr Prayer and Qunoot Supplication:
It is reported in Saheeh Muslim by Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered 3 Cycles (Rakaats) in the Witr Prayer. It is also reported in Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi hadith collections, by Hazrat Ayesha (may Allah be well pleased with her) that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer 3 Cycles in the Witr Prayer.
The Witr Prayer is Essential (Wajib) in the Night (Isha) Prayer.
At first complete 2 Cycles as normal, and get up for the 3rd Cycle immediately after reciting the “Tashahhud” in the Qaadah. In the 3rd Cycle, do not recite the "Sana" or "Tawuz". Recite Surah alFatehah plus a small Surah (or equivalent), and then proclaiming “Allahu Akbar”, raise both hands to the ears and then fold them again below the navel. Now recite the Qunoot Supplication, as under:-
Allahuma innaa nastaeenuka wa nastaghfiruka wa numinu bika wa natawakkalu alayka wa nusnee alaykal-khayra, wa nashkuruka wa laa nakfuruka wa nakhlaoo wa natruku maiy- yafjuruk, Allaahumma iyyaka nabudu wa laka nusallee wa nasjudu wa ilayka nasaa wa nahfidu wa narjoo rahmataka wa nakhshaa azaabaka inna azaabaka bilkuffari mulhiq.
"O Allah! We seek Your help and seek Your forgiveness - and we believe in You and rely on You - and we praise You with all goodness - and we are thankful to You and not ungrateful to You - and we separate from and forsake whoever offends You. O Allah! You alone we worship and for You only we offer the Prayer and the prostration. And towards You only do we rush, and present ourselves for service. And we hope for Your mercy and fear Your punishment. Indeed Your punishment will grasp the disbelievers."
Reciting the Qunoot Supplication and proclaiming the “Takbeer” for it – both these are Essential (Wajib). If one forgets to recite the Qunoot Supplication and proceeds for the bow, he should not return to it but should offer Sajdah Sahv at the end.
Those who are unable to recite Qunoot Supplication should recite the following supplication:
Rab-banaa Aatinaa Fid-dunyaa Hasanatan Wa Fil Aakhirati Hasanatan Wa Qinaa'Azaaban Naar.
"O our Rabb! We seek of You good in this world and good in the Hereafter and safety from the torment of Hell." Or they should recite “Allahummaghfirlana” thrice.
* You dont have to memorise all the prayers immediately, you'll be pushing yourself too hard and you wont come out with any much results. I suggest you take it slowly; jot them down and take your time in memorising them. But you should keep the essentials, obligations, sunnah and makrooh of prayer in mind, and you should start to apply them. With time, memorise the Qunoot, supplications, and Qur'an verses. It took me some time to get it all too.
* I'm telling you all of this (the obligations, sunnah, makrooh and essentials) because the Mallam who started to teach me about islam (before we moved away) didn't tell me all this initially. He just gave me a guide on how to pray. I wish he had told me all about the do's and dont's from the get go, then it would have been easy for me, but I found out all I had to in the end (that's all that matters). So, don't relent; read, read, read and read again! Look for blogs and websites like these and continue to find out more about the religion Allah has guided you to. Your reversion is the best thing that has and will ever happen to you! I wish you luck on your journey....!
In the next post, I'll tell you about how to pray... The movements, the things you'll say and all.
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