The Prayer of The Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wa Sallam)

Videos on the topic explaining in detail the exact way to pray according to the Sunnah: Part 1: Part 2: Part 3: Part 4: Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SutaW6RUknQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjqwAXbkHaE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP90uIDEOrg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k35O4T4zq6M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxUWrHLBhxI

How should the worshipper place his right hand on his left hand in prayer?.

Praise be to Allaah. There are two ways of placing the right hand on the left hand when praying: 1 The right hand is placed on the left hand, wrist and forearm. Abu Dawood (726) and al-Nasaai (889) narrated that Waail ibn Hujr said: I said: I am going to watch how the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prays. So I watched him, and he stood and said takbeer, raising his hands until they were level with his ears. Then he placed his right hand on his left hand, wrist and forearm Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. Al-Sindi said in Haashiyat al-Nasaai: Then he placed his right hand on the back of his left hand, wrist and forearm. The wrist is the joint between the hand and forearm. What is meant is that he placed his hand so that the middle of his right hand was on the wrist, which means that part of it was on the left hand and part was on the forearm. End quote. 2 The right hand is clasped over the left.

Al-Nasaai (88) narrated that Waail ibn Hujr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was standing in prayer; he clasped his right hand over his left. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaai. Al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (The Prophets Prayer Described) p. 68: He would place his right hand over the back of his left hand, wrist and forearm, and he told his companions to do likewise. Sometimes he would clasp his right hand over his left, and place them on his chest. End quote.
http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/41675/

Raising the hands in prayer (Rafa yadain)

Praise be to Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to raise his hands for takbeerat alihram (the takbeer at the beginning of the prayer), sometimes whilst saying the takbeer, sometimes after it and sometimes before. (al-Bukhaari and al-Nisaai) When he had finished reciting Quraan, he would pause for a moment then raise his hands, say takbeer and do rukoo. (Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 128). He used to raise his hands when he stood up from rukoo (reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim), and this raising of the hands is mutawaatir (reported by so many to so many that it is inconceivable that they could all have agreed on a lie). It is the opinion of the majority of scholars and of some of the Hanafis. (Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by al-Albaani, p. 136). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say takbeer when he got up for the third rakah (reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim), and he would raise his hands sometimes when he said this takbeer. (al-Bukhaari and Abu Dawood). (Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 177). Raising the hands in prayer was a well-known practice among the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Imaam al-Bukhaari said: Al-Hasan and Humayd

ibn Hilaal said: The Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) all used to raise their hands, without exception. (Juz raf al-yadayn, p. 26, maa jila al-aynayn). Ibn al-Qayyim said: Look at the practice at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the Sahaabah after him. They used to raise their hands in prayer when doing rukoo, and when standing up again. And in the time of the Sahaabah, if Abd-Allaah ibn Umar saw someone not raising his hands in prayer, he would throw a stone at him. [next phrase is unclear]. (Ilaam al-Muwaqqieen, 2/376). So what is proven in the Sunnah with regard to raising the hands in prayer is that they should be raised at four points in the prayer: when pronouncing takbeerat al-ihraam, when doing rukoo, when standing up from rukoo, and after standing up from the first tashahhud. And Allaah knows best.
http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/1765/

Where should one place ones hands when standing up from rukoo?

Praise be to Allaah. This is one of the issues on which the scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) have differed. Some of them think that placing the right hand on the left forearm when standing up from rukoo is sunnah mustahabbah (preferable) because of the general meaning of the hadeeth of Sahl ibn Sad al-Saaidi (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: The people were told that a man should place his right hand on his left forearm in prayer. They said: the general meaning of the phrase in prayer makes it clear that when standing up from rukoo, one should place ones hands thus, because the qiyaam (standing) includes the standing both before rukoo and after, so a person should place his right hand on his left forearm in both qiyaams. They said that during rukoo, the hands should be on the knees, in sujood they should be on the ground, in juloos (sitting) they should be on the thighs, and in qiyaam (standing) they should be on the chest. This is where the hands should be during the qiyaam before rukoo and after. The attitude of humility and proper conduct before the Lord requires this in both qiyaams, and this position is the furthest away from fidgeting. Other scholars think that the right hand does not have to be placed on the left forearm after standing up from rukoo, and their evidence is the fact that no specific report on this matter has been narrated, as well as the fact that the general meaning of qiyaam does not include standing up from rukoo, because this is a straightening of the back, not a standing (qiyaam), so the person should let his hands drop to his sides.

Some scholars say that a person has the choice of placing his hands on his chest or not, because nothing clear has been reported in the Sunnah on this point. This is the opinion of Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him. The first opinion is more likely to be correct, in sha Allaah, but in any case, either way is valid. Differences in such matters should not lead to reprehensible disputes and conflict, or accusations of bidah if someone does this, or of neglecting the Sunnah if he does not. Such comments can only be made in cases where there is a clear saheeh text and definite evidence. For more information on this matter, see: Al-Furoo by Ibn Muflih, 1/433; al-Insaaf by al-Mirdaawi, 2/63; Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat, 1/185; al-Sharh al-Mumti by Ibn Uthaymeen, 3/146. The hadeeth scholar Shaykh Badee alDeen al-Sindi wrote a paper specifically on this topic in which he supported the opinion that it is sunnah to place the right hand on the left forearm after standing up from rukoo: Ziyaadat alKhushoo bi wad al-Yumna alal-Yusra bad al-Rukoo. Shaykh Abd al-Azeez ibn AbdAllaah ibn Baaz also wrote a paper on this topic, in which he supported the idea of putting the hands on the chest after standing up from rukoo. And Allaah knows best.
http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/2427/

Hands first or knees first in sujood?

Praise be to Allaah. The scholars have differed as to how one should go down in sujood, whether one should go hands first or knees first. According to the Hanafis, Shaafais and one opinion narrated from Ahmad, the person who is praying should go down on his knees first, then on his hands. AlTirmidhi thought that this was the opinion of the majority of scholars, and said in his Sunan (2/57): This is how it is done according to the majority of scholars: they think that a man should go down on his knees before he puts his hands down, and when he gets up he should raise his hands before his knees. Those who express this opinion take as evidence the hadeeth of Waail ibn Hajar, who said: I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), when he did sujood, putting his knees down before his hands, and when he got up he raised his hands before his knees. (Reported by Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaai, Ibn Maajah and al-Daaraqutni (1/345). He said: The only one who narrated it was Yazeed ibn Haaroon from Shurayk. Nobody reported from Aasim ibn Kulayb except Shurayk, and Shurayk is not qawiy (strong). Al-Bayhaqi said in al-Sunan (2/101): its isnaad is daeef (weak). Al-Albaani classed it as daeef in al-Mishkaat (898) and al-Irwa (2/75). Other scholars classed it as saheeh, such as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Zaad al-Maaad). Among those who thought that one should go down into sujood knees first were Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and his

student Ibn al-Qayyim; contemporary scholars who favour this view include Shaykh Abd alAzeez ibn Baaz and Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen. Maalik, al-Awzaai and the scholars of hadeeth thought that one should go into sujood hands first, based on the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, When any one of you prostrates, let him not go down as the camel does; let him put his hands down before his knees. (Reported by Ahmad (2/381), Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nisaai. Al-Nawawi said in alMajmoo (3/421): it was reported by Abu Dawood and al-Nisaai with a jayyid isnaad. It was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Irwa (2/78), who said: This is a saheeh isnaad, all of whose men are thiqaat, the men of Muslim, apart from Muhammad ibn Abd-Allaah ibn alHasan, also known as al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah al-Alawi, who is thiqah) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah made a valuable comment on this matter in al-Fataawa (22/449): Praying in both ways is permissible, according to the consensus of the scholars. If a person wants to go down knees first or hands first, his prayer is valid in either case, according to the consensus of the scholars, but they disputed as to which is preferable. The scholar should act upon whichever opinion he believes is more likely to be correct, and the ordinary Muslim should follow the opinion of a scholar whom he trusts. And Allaah knows best.

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/2108/

Wording of the tashahhud and sending blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)

Praise be to Allaah. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged us to learn the rulings on prayer and how he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed, so that we would follow his example in that. He said: Pray as you have seen me praying. Narrated by alBukhaari (631). Based on this, we must pay attention to learning this. The wordings for the tashahhud and the blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that have been narrated in reports are many and various. It is best for the Muslim to recite all of them, saying it in one form on one occasion and in another form on another occasion, and so on, so that he will have done all the sunnahs. He should not limit himself only to some of

them. But if that is too hard for him, then he should stick to what he is able to do, and there is no sin on him in sha Allaah. There follow some of the versions of the tashahhud and blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that have been narrated in proven reports from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the prayer. Ibn Masood (may Allaah be pleased with him) recited the tashahhud as follows: At-tahiyyaatu Lillaahi was-salawaatu wat-tayyibaat, as-salaamu alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllaahi wa barakaatuhu. As-salaamu alayna wa alaa ibaad-Illaah is-saaliheen. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasooluhu (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings. Peace be upon us, and on the righteous slaves of Allaah. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger). Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6265) and Muslim (402). Ibn Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) recited the tashahhud as follows: At-tahiyyaatu Lillaahi was-salawaatu wat-tayyibaat, as-salaamu alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllaahi wa barakaatuhu. As-salaamu alayna wa alaa ibaad-Illaah is-saaliheen. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasooluhu (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings. Peace be upon us, and on the righteous slaves of Allaah. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger). Narrated by Abu Dawood (971) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. The tashahhud of Umar was recited by him on the minbar in order to teach the people: Attahiyyaatu Lillaahi, az-zaakiyaatu Lillaahi, al-tayyibaatu Lillaahi, al-salawaatu Lillaahi. Assalaamu alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu. As-salaamu alayna wa alaa ibaad-Illaah is-saaliheen. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasooluhu (All compliments are due to Allaah, all pure things are due to Allaah, all pure words are due to Allaah, all prayers are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings. Peace be upon us, and on the righteous slaves of Allaah. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger). Narrated by Maalik (204) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. As for the wording of the blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), it is as follows: Allaahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala aali Muhammad kama salayta ala Ibraaheem wa ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed. Allaahumma baarik ala Muhammad wa ala aali

Muhammad kama baarakta ala Ibraaheem wa ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory). Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3370). Allaahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala aali Muhammad kama salayta ala aali Ibraaheem, wa baarik ala Muhammad wa ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ala aali Ibraaheem filaalameen, innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers and blessings upon Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem among the nations; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).
http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/98031

Duaa in the final Tashahhud

Praise be to Allaah. It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: When any one of you recites the Tashahhud [according to one report: when any one of you finishes the final Tashuhhud], let him seek refuge with Allaah from four things, let him say: Allaahumma inni aoodhu bika min adhaab Jahannam wa min adhaab al-qabri wa min fitnat il-mahyaa wal-mamaat wa min sharri fitnat il-maseekh id-dajjaal (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hell and the punishment of the grave, and from the trials of life and death and from the worst of the turmoil of the Dajjaal (antichrist)). Saheeh Muslim, 588. It was also narrated that in addition to seeking refuge from these four, one should also seek refuge from sin and heavy debt. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from Aaishah the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say during his prayer: Allaahumma inni aoodhu bika min adhaab al-qabri wa aoodhi bika min fitnat il-maseekh id-dajjaal wa aoodhi bika min fitnat il-mahyaa wa fitnat il-mamaat. Allaahumma inni aoodhi bika min al-matham wal-maghram (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave and I seek refuge with You from the turmoil of the Dajjaal and I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and the trials of death. O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from sin and heavy debt). Someone said to him: How

often you seek refuge from heavy debt! He said: When a man gets into debt, he speak and tells lies, and he makes a promise and breaks it. (al-Bukhaari, 833) It was also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq a duaa which he could recite during his Salaah, as was narrated by alBukhaari. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) said to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Teach me a duaa that I can recite during my salaah. He said: Say: Allaahumma inni zalamtu nafsi zulman katheeran wa laa yaghfir uldhunoob illa anta, faghfir li maghfiratan min indaka warhamni, innaka anta al-Ghafoor alRaheem (O Allaah, indeed I have wronged myself greatly, and there is none who forgives sins besides You. So grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for you are the AllForgiving, Most Merciful). (790). This duaa may be recited in the final Tashahhud, after the prayers seeking refuge referred to above. It was also narrated that after reciting the prayers seeking refuge, a person may recite any good duaa he wishes, and may ask Allaah for anything he wishes of the good things of this world and the next. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: When any one of you recites the Tashahhud, let him seek refuge with Allaah from four things from the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the evils of the Dajjaal, then let him pray for himself for whatever he wants. (Narrated by al-Nasaai, 1293). And Allaah knows best.

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/5236/

He wants to learn the Tashahhud

Praise be to Allaah. These are some of the versions of the Tashahhud which are narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 1 Ibn Masood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught me the Tashahhud, holding my hand between his hands, just as he would teach me a Soorah from the Quraan:

At-tahiyyaatu Lillaahi was-salawaatu wat-tayyibaat, as-salaamu alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu. As-salaamu alayna wa alaa ibaad-Illaah is-saaliheen. Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasooluhu (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings. Peace be upon us, and on the righteous slaves of Allaah. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger). This was whilst he was among us, but after he was taken, we would say as-salaam alan-Nabi (peace be upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Istidhaan, 6265) This is the soundest version of the wording of the Tashahhud according to the scholars. This should be said in the first Tashahhud, and in the second Tashahhud there should be added to it alSalaah alan-Nabi (sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). Ibn al-Qayyim said: It is prescribed for his ummah to send blessings upon him in the last Tashahhud. (al-Salaah wa Hukm Taarikihaa, 1/284) 2 The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Say: Allaahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala aali Muhammadin kamaa salayta ala aali Ibraaheem, wa baarik ala Muhammadin wa ala aali Muhammadin kamaa baarakta ala aali Ibraaheem fil-aalameen innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allaah, send prayer upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon the family of Ibraaheem. And send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibraaheem among the nations; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory) and the salaam is as you know. (Narrated by Muslim, al-Salaah, 405) http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/11417

Moving the finger during Tashahhud

Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: It is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to point with his index finger and move it during the tashahhud when praying.

The scholars differed concerning that and there are several points of view. 1 The Hanafis say that the finger should be raised when saying Laa (no) in the phrase Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah) and it should be lowered when saying, ill-Allaah (except Allaah). 2 The Shaafais say that it should be raised when saying ill-Allaah. 3 The Maalikis say that it should be moved right and left until one finishes the prayer. 4 The Hanbalis say that one should point with the finger when saying the name of Allaah, without moving it. Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: There is no basis for any of these definitions and manners in the Sunnah. The closest of them to the correct view is the Hanbali view, were it not that they limited raising the finger to when saying the name of Allaah. Tamaam al-Minnah, p. 223. Secondly: With regard to the evidence concerning this issue: (a) It was narrated that Abd-Allaah ibn al-Zubayr said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat during the prayer, he would place his left foot between his thigh and calf, and tuck his right foot underneath him, and place his left hand on his left knee, and place his right hand on his right thigh, and point with his finger.

Narrated by Muslim, 579. In al-Nasaai (1270) and Abu Dawood (989) it says: He used to point with his finger when making duaa but he did not move it. This addition but he did not move it was classed as daeef by Ibn al-Qayyim in Zaad alMaaad, 1/238. It was also classed as daeef by al-Albaani in Tamaam al-Minnah, p. 218. (b) It was narrated that Waail ibn Hajar said: I said: I will certainly watch how the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prays. So I watched him and he stood up and said takbeer (Allaahu akbar), and raised his hands until they were level with his ears. Then he placed his right hand on his left hand, wrist and lower forearm. When he wanted to bow, he raised his hands likewise, and put his hands on his knees, and when he raised his head he raised his hands likewise. Then he prostrated and put his hands level with his ears, then he sat with his left foot tucked underneath him and put his left hand on his left thigh and knee, and he put the edge of

his right elbow on his right thigh. Then he held two of his fingers and made a circle, then he raised his forefinger and moved it, making duaa with it. Narrated by al-Nasaai, 889; classed as saheeh by Ibn Khuzaymah, 1/354; Ibn Maajah, 5/170; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa al-Ghaleel, 367. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen quoted this hadeeth moving it, making duaa with it as evidence that moving the forefinger during the tashahhud should be done with every phrase of the duaa. He said in al-Sharh al-Mumti: The Sunnah indicates that he should point with it when making duaa, because the wording of the hadeeth is moving it, making duaa with it. So every time you make duaa, move your finger thus indicating the exalted nature of the One to Whom you are addressing your duaas. So we say: Al-salaamu alayka ayyuhal-Nabiyyu (peace be upon you, O Prophet) you should point your finger because this salaam is a kind of duaa. Al-salaamu alayna (peace be upon us) you should point your finger. Allaahumma salli ala Muhammad (O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad) you should point your finger. Allaahumma baarik ala Muhammad) O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad) you should point your finger. Aoodhu Billaahi min adhaab jahannam (I seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of Hell) you should point your finger. Wa min adhaab al-qabr (and from the torment of the grave) you should point your finger. Wa min fitnat il-mahya wal-mamaat (and from the trials of life and death) you should point your finger. Wa min fitnat il-maseeh il-dajjaal (and from the tribulation of the Dajjaal) you should point your finger. Every time you make duaa you should point your finger, indicating the greatness of the One to Whom you are making duaa. This is closer to the Sunnah. End quote. Thirdly: It is Sunnah when pointing to look at your finger. Al-Nawawi said: The Sunnah is not to let your gaze go beyond the pointing finger. There is a saheeh hadeeth concerning this in Sunan Abi Dawood. You should point in the direction of the qiblah and intend when pointing to affirm the Oneness of Allaah and exclusive devotion to Him. Sharh Muslim, 5/81. The hadeeth to which al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) referred is the hadeeth of Abd-Allaah ibn al-Zubayr quoted above. The version narrated by Abu Dawood is (989): And he should not let his gaze go beyond his pointing finger. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. Fourthly:

It is Sunnah to point with it towards the qiblah. It was narrated from Abd-Allaah ibn Umar that he saw a man moving pebbles with his hand whilst he was praying. When he finished, Abd-Allaah said to him: Do not move pebbles whilst you are praying, for that comes from the Shaytaan. Rather do what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do. He put his right hand on his thigh and pointed with the finger that is next to the thumb towards the qiblah, and he fixed his gaze on it. Then he said: This is what I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) doing. Narrated by al-Nasaai, 1160; Ibn Khuzaymah, 1/355; Ibn Hibbaan, 5/273. classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaai. Fifthly: Bending the finger slightly when pointing was mentioned in the hadeeth of Numayr al-Khuzaai, narrated by A u Dawood, 991, and al-Nasaai, 1275. But this is a daeef (weak) hadeeth. See Tamaam al-Minnah by al-Albaani p. 222. And Allaah knows best.

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/7570/

Differences in Prayer for Men and Women

Praise be to Allaah. The general principle is that women are equal to men in all religious rulings, because of the hadeeth "Women are the twin halves of men" (Reported by Imaam Ahmad and classified as saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami 1983), except when there is evidence (daleel) of a specific ruling which applies only to women. One of the cases in which the scholars mention specific rules for women is prayer, where there are differences as follows: Women do not have to give adhaan or iqaamah, because adhaan requires raising the voice, which women are not permitted to do. Ibn Qudaamah, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: "We know of no difference between the scholars (on this point)." (Al-Mughni maa al-Sharh al-Kabeer, 1/438). All of the womans body is awrah and must be covered during prayer, except for her face, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "No prayer will be

accepted from an adult woman unless she wears a khimaar (head-cover). (Reported by the five Muhadditheen) There is some dispute as to whether her heels and feet should be covered. The author of al-Mughni (2/328) said: "As for the rest of the free womans body, it must be covered during prayer. If any part becomes uncovered, it renders her prayer invalid, except if only a little bit is uncovered. Maalik, al-Oozaai and al-Shaafii said the same. The woman should keep her limbs close to her body during rukoo and sujood, and not spread them out, because this is more modest and covering. (Al-Mughni 2/258). Al-Nawawi said: "Al-Shaafii said, in al-Mukhtasar: there is no difference between men and women in prayer, except that women should keep the parts of their bodies close to one another, and they should make their stomachs touch their thighs during sujood. This is more covering and preferable, in rukoo and the rest of the prayer too." (See al-Majmoo 3/429). It is preferable for women to pray in congregation, led by one of their number, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told Umm Waraqah to lead the women of her household in prayer. There is some difference among scholars on this matter. (See al-Mughni, 2/202 and al-Majmoo al-Nawawi, 4/84-85). The woman leading the prayer should read aloud as long as no non-mahram man can hear her. It is permissible for women to go out and pray in the mosque with men, although their prayer at home is better for them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do not prevent the women from going out to the mosques, even though their homes are better for them." (For more details on this matter, see Question#973). Imaam al-Nawawi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said (al-Majmoo 3/455): "Women differ from men in congregational prayer in a number of ways: (1) Congregational prayer is not required of them in the same way as it is of men. (2) The imam of a group of women stands in the middle of the (first) row. (3) (If one woman and one man are praying), she should stand behind him, not next to him. (4) If women are praying in rows behind men, the back rows are better for them than the front rows. What we can learn from the above is that women and men are forbidden to mix. Allaah is our Helper and Support.

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