Question
In one of your earlier response1, you wrote that even the Shia version of Salah is acceptable and should be seen as within the allowable limits of Islam.
I would like to list below some of the observation made regarding the various methods, acts that Muslims do during Prayer. There is no consensus among the Muslim communities in the points listed below and they are greatly divided in their opinion.
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Shiites don’t give salaam by turning the face on either side marking the end of the Salah. They just wave both hands thrice.
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Shiites recite Qunoot in the second Rakat of almost every Salah before doing ruku. Sunni Muslim scholars are agreed that Qunoot should be recited only after doing ruku.
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Shiite Imam recite Surah Fathihah and Darood aloud in all parts of the Salah including Zohar, Asar. In one of your response, you mentioned that the Imam recite Quran inaudibly for Zohar, Asar.
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Shiites regularly combine the Zohar, Asar and Maghrib, Isha prayers. Sunni Muslim scholars are agreed that such an act of combining prayer regularly was not a practice of Prophet (pbuh). Many Muslims regard it to be a deviant practice.
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Shiites rise their hand till the ear in all the parts of the prayer. E.g., before doing Sajdah, in between the two sajdahs. Many Muslims are not agreed to this point.
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A group of Shiites in India believes that the number of rakats for Zohar, Isha prayer is three. When the evidence is asked, they would easily bring a hadith narrated by Ali (ra).
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A group named JAQH (Jamatul Ahlul Quran wal-Hadees) in India believes that reciting Adan in the ears of new-born is a Bid`ah since they consider that such a practice is based on unreliable hadith.
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Many Muslims don’t pray Fajr prayer even if the Jama’ah started. A vast majority of the Muslims consider praying two rakats before the Fajr Prayer is compulsory and more important than to join the jamaat once the Iqamah is given.
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Many Arab Muslims rise their hand up to the ear while still sitting in the Tashahud position of the second rakat before standing for the third rakat of the Salah. Muslims are not agreed to this point.
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Many Muslims don’t raise their hand up to the ear for Takbeer to begin the Salah. In fact many Muslims directly fold their hand without even rising their hand and Shiites leave their hand unfolded.
With all these different practices existing among the various Muslim communities relating to Salah, I would like to know how could one know the Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him)?
Thanks & Regards
Answer
In my referred response, I have not stated that each one of the various practices among the Muslims relating to Sala’h is ‘correct’. In fact, I have not even stated that all of the various deviations in the practices relating to Sala’h are ‘acceptable’. I am reproducing my complete referred response below with the request that you should kindly take a close look at it and not ascribe words to others so carelessly:
The sources of the various kinds of practices in the Muslim sects is the various kinds of information reported in narratives ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) and his various companions or any actions ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) and his various companions in these narratives. As for the Shiites, the sources of their actions, besides those mentioned above, are also the practices ascribed to their various Imams (including Ali). In most of the cases, the ascribed variations should have been interpreted as allowable variations in the prescribed practices. However, unfortunately, the Muslim sects generally interpreted their preferred variation as the only correct method of carrying out a particular practice. This, somewhat strict interpretation of the ascribed variations resulted in the tragic formation of the Muslim sects and sub-sects.
Thus, even though I agree with you that the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) – including Ali (ra) – must indeed have adhered to the practices of the Prophet (pbuh), in letter and spirit, yet because there are certain variations ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) and his various companions, these variations have provided the basis of the variations that exist in the practices of the various Muslim sects.
It is not that I consider all of the various deviations in prayers among the various Muslim groups to be ‘acceptable’ or ‘correct’, it is only that I would like each person and group to be given the right to offer his prayers as he has understood to be the method taught and followed by the Prophet (pbuh). The Muslim state or any Muslim community does not, in my opinion, have the right to impose restrictions upon other Muslims insofar as how they should offer their prayers.
It is indeed my prerogative to agree or disagree with a particular understanding regarding prayers and also to present my academic criticism on it, yet I would strongly defend the right of every individual to pray in the particular manner in which he understands it to be correct.
I would further like to reiterate that in view of the fact that I do not agree with the Shiite concept of Imamah, and in view of the fact that the Shiite understanding that does not hold the collectivity of the companions to be a reliable source of transmission of the teachings of the Prophet (pbuh), I do not consider their opinion to be of any value in determining the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), which, in my opinion, by its very definition relies heavily on the consensus and practical perpetuation of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). Nevertheless, as I have stated in a few of my earlier responses, there is still a significant agreement, in general, among the Shiite and the Sunni Schools in most matters which fall under the category of Sunnah.
As for the second part of your question in which you have asked how can we determine the Sunnah of the Prophet in each of your referred case of deviations, I have written in one of my earlier responses:
The Prophet (pbuh) determined and uniformly taught all his followers a few parts of the sala’h. While other parts were left on the understanding and practice of individuals. There is and always has been a considerable level of practical uniformity in the ummah2 in the parts of sala’h belonging to the first category, while there can and do exist some variances in the ummah in the parts of sala’h belonging to the second category3.
In another response, I had written:
the Prophet (pbuh) determined and uniformly taught all his followers a few parts of sala’h. While other parts were left on the understanding and practice of the individuals. The supplications during the Tashahhud – the position of sitting after every two rak`ah or at the end of all the rak`ah to be offered – belong to the second category where the Prophet (pbuh) did not strictly determine and teach all the followers to recite some specific words. A close look at all the narratives shows that initially the Prophet (pbuh) did not even suggest any words for recitation during the Tashahhud. It was later when he heard some people commit mistakes in their supplications during the Tashahhud that the Prophet (pbuh) suggested a variety of words for recitation. Some people, while showing reverence to Allah, used to say: “Peace be on Allah”, the Prophet (pbuh) corrected them and told them that it is not right to say peace be on Allah, as Allah is an embodiment of peace Himself. Then he suggested that if reverence is to be shown to Allah, it should be shown in some other words. It was at this time that the Prophet (pbuh) taught the words that we normally recite now, starting from “al-tahiyyatulillahiwassalawaatu” to witnessing the oneness of God and the prophethood of Mohammad (pbuh)4.
The foregoing explanations clarify that even though prayer itself has been transmitted through the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), there are certain parts of Sala’h which are essential and which cannot be altered, while there are other parts of Sala’h, in which an individual has been provided some leverage and, therefore, some variation can exist in these parts of prayers.
Furthermore, as a corollary of the foregoing explanation, it should be kept in mind that the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) is not affected by the deviations of a later group of Muslims. In all such cases of apparent deviations, we have to determine:
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whether or not there existed a difference of opinion among the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) in the referred case, which is reported by an authentic source. In case there is a lack of consensus among the companions of the Prophet (pbuh), then it is most likely that the referred issue does not fall within the scope of the Sunnah of the Prophet and that the Prophet (pbuh) himself allowed variations to exist in it;
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in case there is no authentically reported difference among the companions of the Prophet (pbuh), then what is the basis upon which a deviation found its way in the practices of some of the Muslims. If the issue is of an interpretive nature, then, obviously, a difference of opinion, in such a case, can exist on the basis of a difference in understanding. On the other hand, if the issue is not of an interpretive nature but is based solely on ascribing an action to the Prophet, then no deviation – in case of a consensus of the companions – can be considered as correct;
Keeping the foregoing clarification in perspective, let us now take a look at each of your referred deviations:
You write:
Shiites don’t give salaam by turning the face on either side marking the end of the Salah. They just wave both hands thrice.
It is true that the Shiites do not offer Salam. However, because even the Shiites neither ascribe their practice to the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) nor can refute the practice of offering Salam as one that was not performed by the companions, therefore, the variation in their practice does not qualify as a Sunnah, according to our definition and understanding.
You write:
Shiites recite Qunoot in the second Rakat of almost every Salah before doing ruku. Sunni Muslim scholars are agreed that Qunoot should be recited only after doing ruku.
Reciting Qunoot is not a mandatory part of Sala’h. Qunoot may be recited before or after Ruku, as variations may be derived from the narratives reported in this respect5.
You write:
Shiite Imam recite Surah Fathihah and Darood aloud in all parts of the Salah including Zohar, Asar. In one of your response, you mentioned that the Imam recite Quran inaudibly for Zohar, Asar.
Please take a look at my comments to the first point.
You write:
Shiites regularly combine the Zohar, Asar and Maghrib, Isha prayers. Sunni Muslim scholars are agreed that such an act of combining prayer regularly was not a practice of Prophet (pbuh). Many Muslims regard it to be a deviant practice.
According to my understanding, this is clearly an unsubstantiated deviation from the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh). Please take a look at my comments to the first point.
You write:
Shiites rise their hand till the ear in all the parts of the prayer. e.g., before doing Sajdah, in between the two sajdahs. Many Muslims are not agreed to this point.
Raising of hands at the various times of Takbeer is an allowable practice as is substantiated by some narratives ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh). In view of the reported action of the Prophet (pbuh), one may raise his hands at the times of Takbeer.
You write:
A group of Shiites in India believes that the number of rakats for Zohar, Isha prayer is three. When the evidence is asked, they would easily bring a hadith narrated by Ali (ra).
Please refer to my comments to the first point.
You write:
A group named JAQH (Jamatul Ahlul Quran wal-Hadees) in India believes that reciting Adan in the ears of new-born is a Bid`ah since they consider that such a practice is based on unreliable hadith.
Irrespective of the strength or weakness of the referred Hadith, the group should try to explain the basis of the general agreement of the Muslim scholars in history. The basis in our opinion is not the weak Hadith, but is, in fact, the general consensus and the practical perpetuation of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) and the later generations. The practice, thus, qualifies as a Sunnah, according to our understanding.
You write:
Many Muslims don’t pray Fajr prayer even if the Jama’ah started. A vast majority of the Muslims consider praying two rakats before the Fajr Prayer is compulsory and more important than to join the jamaat once the Iqamah is given.
This practice is incorrect and deserves to be corrected.
You write:
Many Arab Muslims rise their hand up to the ear while still sitting in the Tashahud position of the second rakat before standing for the third rakat of the Salah. Muslims are not agreed to this point.
This practice is one of the allowable practices in Sala’h but cannot be considered among the obligatory practices of Sala’h.
You write:
Many Muslims don’t raise their hand up to the ear for Takbeer to begin the Salah. In fact many Muslims directly fold their hand without even rising their hand and Shiites leave their hand unfolded.
According to my understanding, raising the hands at the time of the first Takbeer is an essential part of Sala’h. Nevertheless, I would be in a position to give a more definite statement about it after having undertaken a more thorough study of the Muslim literature on the topic. However, the extent to which the hands should be raised at the time of Takbeer has not been strictly fixed by the Prophet (pbuh) and, therefore, variations can exist in it.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Moiz Amjad
April 26, 2003
- Refer to ‘The Shiite Practices of Islam‘. [↩]
- The word is generally used to refer to the whole Muslim community. [↩]
- See the response titled ‘Women’s Way of Prostration‘. [↩]
- See the response titled ‘Regarding the Tashahhud in Sala’h‘. [↩]
- See, for instance, Ibn Maajah, narrative no. 1183. [↩]