Fourteen Mustaḥab-bāt of Ṣalāĥ and the Twenty-Nine Acts That Invalidate It

Fourteen Mustaḥab-bāt of Ṣalāĥ

There are fourteen Mustaḥab-bāt in Ṣalāĥ.

1.     Uttering the words of intention verbally.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 113, vol. 2)

 The presence of intention in heart is necessary; otherwise, Ṣalāĥ will not be valid even if verbal intention is made.

2.     In Qiyām, standing with a gap of four fingers between both the feet.

(Fatāwa-e-'Ālamgīrī, pp. 73, vol. 1)

3.     Focussing sight at the place of Sajdaĥ in Qiyām.

4.     Focussing sight at feet in Rukū'

5.     Focussing sight at nose in Sajdaĥ

6.     Focussing sight at lap in Qa'daĥ

7.     Focussing sight at right shoulder in the first Salām and

8.     Focussing sight at left shoulder in the second Salām.

(Tanvīr-ul-Abṣār, pp. 214, vol. 2)

9.     For a Munfarid to utter the Tasbīḥ more than three times in Rukū' and Sujūd (but in odd numbers i.e. 5, 7, 9).

(Fath-ul-Qadīr, pp. 259, vol. 1)

10. According to the narration on the part of Ḥaḍrat Sayyidunā 'Abdullāĥ bin Mubārak رَحْمَۃُاللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہ mentioned in the book "Ḥilyaĥ" etc., it is Mustaḥab for the Imām to utter Tasbīḥāt five times.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 527, vol. 1)

11. To avoid coughing as long as possible.

12. If you need to yawn, keep your mouth closed, if the yawn does not stop, press your lips with your teeth, if this does not stop yawn either, put the back of your right hand on your mouth if you are in state of Qiyām, and the back of your left hand if you are in any other unit of Ṣalāĥ.

An effective way of stifling yawn is to recall that the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and all the other Prophets عَلَیْہِمُ السَّلَام never yawned.

 (Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 538, vol. 1)

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 215, vol. 2)

(Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 215, vol. 2)

 اِنْشَآءَاللّٰہُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ yawn will stop instantly.

13. For the Imām and Muqtadīs to stand up when the Mukabbir says حَیَّ عَلَی الْفَلَاح.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 538, vol. 1)

14. Performing Sajdaĥ on earth without anything in between forehead and the ground.

(ibid)

A Practice of 'Umar Bin 'Abdul Aziz رَحْمَۃُاللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہ

Ḥujja-tul-Islām Ḥaḍrat Sayyidunā Imām Muḥammad Ghazālī عَلَیْہِ رَحْمَۃُالْوَالِی narrates that Ḥaḍrat Sayyidunā 'Umar bin 'Abdul Aziz رَحْمَۃُاللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہ would always perform Sajdaĥ on the bare ground without spreading any mat etc.

(Iḥyā-ul-'Ulūm, pp. 204, vol. 1)

Excellence of a Dusty Forehead

Ḥaḍrat Sayyidunā Wāšilaĥ bin Asqa' رَحْمَۃُاللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہ narrates that the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, "None of you should remove his forehead-dust until he finishes his Ṣalāĥ because angels keep praying for his forgiveness for as long as the mark of Sajdaĥ remains on his forehead."

(Mu'jam Kabīr, pp. 56, vol. 22, Ḥadīš 134)

Dear Islamic brothers! It is not better to remove dust from forehead during Ṣalāĥ and, Allāĥ عَزَّوَجَلَّ forbid, removing it out of arrogance is a sin. However, if the Muṣallī feels pain or his attention is diverted of not removing the dust, there is no harm in removing the dust in this case. If someone suspects the fear of show-off, he should remove the dust from his forehead after the Ṣalāĥ.

Twenty-Nine acts that Invalidate Ṣalāĥ

1.     Talking.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 445, vol. 2)

2.     Saying Salām to someone.

3.     Replying to Salām of someone else.

(Fatāwa-e-'Ālamgīrī, pp. 98, vol. 1)

4.     Replying to someone's sneeze (if you sneeze while offering Ṣalāĥ, you should remain silent; however, if you say اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰہ, there is no harm in it. If you didn't say اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰہ during the Ṣalāĥ, say after the Ṣalāĥ).

(ibid)

5.     Uttering اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰہ on hearing good news.

(ibid, pp. 99)

6.     Saying اِنَّالِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّآاِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ on hearing a bad news (or news of someone's death).

(ibid)

7.     Replying to the Ażān.

(ibid, pp. 100)

8.     Uttering جَلَّ جَلَالُہٗ on hearing the name of Allāĥ عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

(Ghunya-tul-Mustamlī, P420)

9.     Reciting Durūd Sharīf, for example صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, as a reply on hearing the blessed name of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 460, vol. 2)

 (If صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم or جَلَّ جَلَالُہٗ were uttered without the intention of reply, the Ṣalāĥ will not become invalid.)

Crying during Ṣalāĥ

10. Due to pain or trouble, if the words 'aĥ', 'ooh', 'uff', 'tuff' are uttered or if letters are pronounced while crying during Ṣalāĥ, the Ṣalāĥ will become invalid. There is no harm if just tears welled up without the utterance of letters.

(Fatāwa-e-'Ālamgīrī, pp. 101, vol. 1, Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 455, vol. 2)

If the Muqtadī begins to cry in Ṣalāĥ due to the voice of Imām's recitation and the words "Na'am", or "yes" are uttered, the Ṣalāĥ will be valid, for this word was uttered due to Khushū' (humility). However, if he said these words due to the Imām's attractive manner of recitation, the Ṣalāĥ would become invalid.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 456, vol. 2) (Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 456, vol. 2)

Coughing in Ṣalāĥ

11. If a patient spontaneously utters words "āĥ" and "ūĥ", the Ṣalāĥ will not be invalid. Similarly, the letters uttered under compulsion whilst sneezing, yawning, coughing or burping etc. are exempted.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 456, vol. 2)

12. Blowing without making a sound is like breathing and will not invalidate Ṣalāĥ; but it is Makrūĥ to blow deliberately; however, if two letters are uttered whilst blowing, (uff, tuff etc.) Ṣalāĥ will become invalid.

(Ghunyaĥ, pp. 451)

13. Uttering two letters (e.g. "akh") while clearing throat will invalidate Ṣalāĥ; however, if there is a valid excuse or proper purpose, for example, if you naturally feel to do so or to clear voice or correct Imām's mistake or draw the attention of the one passing from your front, then there is no harm in coughing in all these cases.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 608, vol. 1) (Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 455, vol. 2)

Reading (from a written script) in Ṣalāĥ

14. Reciting the Quran seeing from its script or from any piece of paper or from writing on arch etc. during the Ṣalāĥ will invalidate the Ṣalāĥ. (However, if a Muṣallī just takes a glance at a Muṣḥaf Sharīf or arch etc. while reciting the memorized Ayaĥs, there is no harm in it. Similarly, if the Muṣallī saw and comprehended an Āyaĥ written on a piece of paper etc. but did not recite it, there is no harm in it either.)

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 463, vol. 2) (Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 463, vol. 2)

15. Deliberately seeing and comprehending an Islamic book or any Islamic topic during the Ṣalāĥ is Makrūĥ and, if a worldly topic is seen and comprehended during the Ṣalāĥ, it would be more Makrūĥ

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 609, vol. 1).

Therefore, one should keep things, such as books, packets and shopping bags, with any writing on them, mobile phone or watch etc. in such a way that their writing does not come into his sight during Ṣalāĥ. Or he should cover them with a handkerchief etc. Furthermore, avoid taking a glance at frames, stickers and leaflets etc. displayed at the pillars etc.