Fatwa ID: 01324

Answered by Molana Yusuf Zaman

Question:

I am in desperate need of answers. I had my civil marriage with my husband in November 2007. We planned on having nikaah and me living with him the following august. Although we didn't live together, we have spent alot of time together as husband and wife and have had sexual relations. Things went wrong between us, we tried to fix them but they continued, in April I confided in my family and told them of the problems we'd been having. My family and his had a blazing row which ended in him ringing my brother and pronouncing divorce, he said ''I divorce her, I divorce her, I divorce her.'' The mufti at the time advised that I did not have to complete iddat as I hadn't received a mahar and I had't lived with him. Since then we have had contact and wish to get married again, he has contacted a mufti who states we can marry again, without aving to perform halala. But from what I have read, I wouldn't be able to marry him, unless I marry someone else, consumate my marriage, then that doesn't work out and he divorces me. I am in a desperate situation, my family have found a good Man for me to marry, I know that he is good, but I don't feel I can be happy with him. I am supposed to get married immediately after Ramadhan, but I don't think it will be fair on the man, if I marry him with the hope that he will divorce me and I can re-marry my first husband. Also I will not be able to consummate my marriage with him, because I don't feel physically attracted to him in any way.

Answer:

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

HOW TO PERFORM SALAH ACCORDING TO THE HANAFI SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

1. BEFORE SALAH

Ensure that clothes are clean and make Wudhu. Stand respectfully on a clean place facing the Qibla. Keep feet parallel at least four fingers apart with toes pointing towards the Qibla and submit totally to Allah.

VERY IMPORTANT

FOR MALES

No garment, jubba or trousers should be allowed to overlap the ankles. It is Makrooh Tahrimi to perform Salah whilst any garment is overlapping the ankles. This means that the Fardh of Salah will be considered as performed but there is very little Sawaab or benefit in such Salah.

FOR FEMALES

WOMEN also perform their Salaat in the same way, except for a few differences. WITHOUT HANDS BEING EXPOSED WOMEN should raise their hands to the height of their shoulders when saying Takbeer Tahrimi.

NIYYAH

• Make Niyyat (Intention) of whichever Salah one wishes to perform.

EXAMPLE

• I am performing two Rak’aats Fardh Salah of Fajr (to please Allah) facing towards the Qibla.

• When performing Salah led by an IMAAM, one should also make intention that:  I am following this IMAAM.

• It is not necessary to make a verbal intention but it is better if one makes a VERBAL intention. NIYYAT can be made in any language: Arabic, Urdu, Gujarati, English, etc.

TAKBEER TAHREEMA (To say Allahu Akbar at the beginning).

After making NIYYAH, lift the two hands up to the earlobes in such a manner that both palms face towards the Qibla.

Then say ALLAHU AKBAR and fold them below the navel.

Place the hands in such a way that the palm of the right hand is placed over the back of the left hand, with the right thumb and little finger gripping the wrist of the left hand and the three middle fingers of the right hand kept straight and together.

While in Qiyaam (standing posture) the eyes should be fixed to the spot where the forehead will rest in Sajdah (prostration).

WOMEN:

When raising hands for Takbeer Tahreema do not raise hands higher than shoulders.

Place arms on the chest.

Place the right hand over the back of the left hand.

NOW READ THE  ثناء  (Thana):

سبحانك اللهم و بحمدك و تبارك اسمك و تعالى جدك و لا إله غيرك –

Then read:             

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

Then read:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

FIRST RAK'AH

SURATUL FATIHA AND ADDITIONAL SURAH.

After reciting Surah Fatiha say AAMEEN (softly).

Then recite BISMILLAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM and any Surah thereafter. It is necessary that a minimum of three short Ayahs or one long Ayah be read in proper sequence as in the Quran.

Then go into RUKU and recite at least 3 times softly SUBHANA RABBIYAL ADHEEM and keep eyes fixed onto ones toes

MEN

• In RUKU keep the BACK straight, while the HEAD should neither be LOWERED nor RAISED and hold both the KNEES with the fingers APART.

• Ensure that the ARMS do not touch the BODY.

• Eyes should be fixed on the toes

WOMEN

• When making RUKU a WOMAN should only BEND over sufficiently so that her HANDS reach her KNEES.

• The HANDS should be placed on the KNEES, with the FINGERS kept together.

• In RUKU the ELBOWS should TOUCH the sides of the BODY and the FEET kept TOGETHER.

Now stand up straight from RUKU and whilst coming up say:

سمع الله لمن حمده

Then in the upright position say:

ربنا لك الحمد

If one does NOT stand up straight after RUKU and merely lifts ones head and goes into Sajdah then the SALAH (Prayer). Will NOT be VALID, and it will be NECESSARY to repeat the SALAH.

• FIRST SAJDAH

Now saying ALLAHU AKBAR and placing both hands on the knees go into Sajdah. (On completing the Takbeer one should have reached the position of Sajdah).

 When going into Sajdah first place the KNEES on the ground, then the HANDS, then the NOSE and then the FOREHEAD.

The FACE should rest between the two HANDS with FINGERS pointing towards the Qibla.

When in Sajdah the FEET should be upright with the TOES pointing towards the Qibla.

The ARMS should not touch the sides of the BODY nor the ground. The STOMACH should be away from the THIGHS.

• In Sajdah recite softly at least THREE times: subhana rabbial A’ala

When in Sajdah the feet should not be lifted from the ground. If they are lifted for duration more than three "SUBHANALLAH" the Salah will be void.

WOMEN

• In Sajdah the upper part of the leg (the thigh) should not be upright but in as flat a position as possible, with the feet spread towards the right.

• While in Sajdah the stomach and thighs must be kept together.

• The forearms should be put flat on the ground in Sajdah. Women must not raise their VOICE when reciting TASBEEH.

JALSA (To sit between two Sajdahs)

Saying ALLAHU AKBAR sit up straight, do not sit with the back crooked or stooped. It is important to sit up and pause after the first Sajdah, merely lifting the head from the ground without sitting up before the second Sajdah will nullify the Salah.

MEN

Sit resting the BACK on the LEFT LEG and having the RIGHT LEG raised, the TOES facing the QIBLA

WOMEN

NOTE : women do not sit on the LEFT LEG.

SECOND SAJDAH

The second Sajdah is performed as the first one, i.e. going into Sajdah saying ALLAHU AKBAR and reading SUBHANA RABBIYAL AA'LAA softly at least three times. One Rak'ah is now complete.

SECOND RAK'AH

Say ALLAHU AKBAR and stand up for the second Rak’ah.

When getting up from Sajdah first lift the FOREHEAD, then the NOSE and then the KNEES. Ensure that the HANDS are on the KNEES and not on the ground for support, except for a valid reason.

Once stood up say BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHEEM recite SURATUL FAATIHA and a Surah and COMPLETE THE SECOND RAK'AH IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE FIRST ONE

• FIRST QA’DAH

After completing the Second Sajdah of the second Rak’ah say ALLAHU AKBAR and sit up for Qa'dah.

• The method of sitting is placing the LEFT FOOT flat on the ground and sitting on it, with the RIGHT FOOT upright and its TOES facing towards the Qibla.

The HANDS must be placed on the THIGHS with the tips of the FINGERS near the KNEES. It is important that the fingers are kept close together and that they face the Qibla and not towards the ground. The EYES should be fixed on the LAP.

TASHAHHUD:

Once sat in the posture of Qa’dah one should recite the tashahhud: 

التحيات لله والصلوات والطيبات السلام عليك أيها النبي و رحمة الله و بركاته السلام علينا و على عباد الله الصالحين أشهد ان لا إله إلا الله و أشهد أن محمدا عبده و رسوله 

On reaching the KALIMA form a circle with the thumb and middle finger and lift the index finger of the right hand and at ILLALLAHU drop it onto the thigh.

The circle should be maintained to the end.

THIRD AND FOURTH RAK'AHS

If one wishes to perform four Rak’aats one should not read anything more than the TASHAHHUD, then say ALLAHU AKBAR stand up and perform the remaining two Rak’aats. No other Surah should be read after SURATUL FATIHA in the THIRD and FOURTH Rakaat’s of any FARDH Salah, but it is WAAJIB to do so in any SUNNAT or NAFL Salah.

• SECOND QA’DAH

In the second Qa’dah after the Tashahhud read DUROODE IBRAHIM:

اللهم صل على محمد و على آل محمد كما صليت على ابراهيم و على آل ابراهيم إنك حميد مجيد

 اللهم بارك على محمد و على آل محمد كما باركت على ابراهيم و على آل ابراهيم إنك حميد مجيد

THE DU'AS AFTER DUROOD

After the Durood recite this Du’aa:

اللهم إني ظلمت نفسي ظلما كثيرا و لا يغفر الذنوب إلا انت فاغفرلي مغفرة من عندك وارحمني إنك انت الغفور الرحيم

SALAAM

Complete the Salah by turning the face to the right saying:

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله

Then turn the face to the left, and repeat the Salaam:

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله

When making Salaam one should make intention of greeting the Angels, when making Salaam the eyes should be fixed onto the respective shoulders.

Only Allah Knows Best

Written by Molana Yusuf Zaman

Checked and Approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham