Saturday 1 July 2017
Chapter of Prayer: Duties of the Imam
The Imam has a great responsibility and this position has a great station in Islam.
- It is permissible to seek to be imam Provided one is qualified
- The Imam should take into account the situation of those who pray behind him and avoid making things difficult for them
- When leading the prayer in congregation, the Imam should lighten it for the people [hadith] as some of those praying may be ill, or weak, or have needs to fullfil
- This means making the prayer light whilst still perfecting its constituent parts (its rukoo’, sujood etc..)
- The least perfection is to say subhaana rabiyal a’laa or subhaana rabiyal adheem 3 times
- The Prophet used to prolong or lighten the prayer depending on the situation
- The Imam should not shorten it so much that the people behind him can not do the Sunnah acts.
- When praying individually he can make it as long as he wishes
- It is Sunnah to recite the Qur’an in its proper manner.
- He should prolong the first rak’ah so that it is longer than the second.
In Summary, the Imam should look after those who pray behind him and give the imamate its due rights.
Chapter of Prayer: The Prayer of those having Legal Excuses
This chapter covers the sick, the traveller and the one in a state of fear.
The sick:
- The prayer can never be left
- The ill person should try to stand to prayer – if they can not, they can sit
- Sitting in the most comfortable/suitable position for him/her
- If a person can not sit down, he may lie down
- It is preferable to lie on the right side with his face towards the Qiblah
- If one cannot lie down on his/her side, then one should lie on one’s back facing up, with body longitudinally towards Qiblah so that the feet and head face the Qiblah
- If one is unable to move his/her body then they can move their eyes up and down for ruku etc
- A person may begin the prayer standing and then feel that he can not continue and then sits down
- Likewise a person may begin sitting down or lying down and then realise that he is able to stand or sit and may do so.
- Issue #1: what if one is in hospital and cannot get out of the bed, should he deley prayer until he is discharged?
- Issue #2: what if one has a problem with their back, and can stand up but cannot sit down? How should he pray?
- Issue #3: what is one is capable of performing an action (e.g. rukuu or sujuud) but a trustworthy Muslim doctor advises him to pray lying down and to avoid that action (e.g. rukuu, sujuud etc), should the person follow the doctors advise even though he can perfrom the action in that moment?
- QA:
- What if The doctor in above example is non muslim? Or what if you are unsure if he is trustworthy ?
- Who has the right to lead the prayer if the Imam is absent?