Etiquette of Walking to the Prayer
Etiquette of Walking to the Prayer
- to say Bismillâh, then recite from {Who created me, and He [it is] Who guides me;} to {…but only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.} (ash-Shu‘arâ’ 26: 78-89)230
-ويقول:" بِسْمِ اللَّهِ: الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ - الآيات إلى قوله: إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ." ويقول: "اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ
228 The Prophet (SA) said:
“When the iqâmah is called, do not run to the prayer, but proceed to it with tranquility and grace. Pray what you catch [with the congregation], and make up what you miss.” (Ag – from Abu Hurayrah)
إذا أُقِيمَتْ الصَّلَاةُ فلا تَأْتُوهَا تَسْعَوْنَ وَأْتُوهَا تَمْشُونَ وَعَلَيْكُمْ السَّكِينَةُ والوَقَارُ فما أَدْرَكْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا وما فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا
229 The Messenger of Allah (SA) said:
“When one of you makes wuḍoo’ and then heads towards the mosque, he should not interlace his fingers, for he is (as if) in prayer.” (A, D, T – from Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah. T:S)
إذا تَوَضَّأ أَحَدُكم ثم خَرَجَ إلى المَسْجِدِ فَلا يُشَبِّكْ بين أصَابِعِه فإنَّه فِي صَلاة
230 I could find no proof for this supplication, but one of the authentic supplications that has been reported was that the Prophet (SA) went out of his home to the mosque and said:
To say, “O Allah, I ask You by the right of the petitioners on You, and the right of this walk of mine, for I did not come out of boasting, arrogance, showing off or seeking fame; I came out of fear from Your anger and to seek Your pleasure. I ask you to save me from the fire and forgive my sins, for no one but You forgives sins.”231
بِحَقِّ السَّائِلِينَ عَلَيْكَ، وَبِحَقِّ مَمْشَايَ هذا، فَإِنِّي لَمْ أَخْرُجْ أَشَرًا، وَلا بَطَرًا، وَلا رِيَاءً، وَلا سُمْعَةً خَرَجْتُ اتِّقَاءَ سَخَطِكَ، وَابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تُنْقِذَنِيَ مِنَ النَّارِ، وَأَنْ تَغْفِرَ لِي ذُنُوبِي، إِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ
If he hears the iqâmah, he should not walk hurriedly to it because of the statement of the Messenger of Allah (SA), “When the iqâmah is called, do not come to it [the prayer] hurriedly; come to it with tranquility. Whatever you can catch [with
فَإِذَا سَمِعَ الإِقَامَةَ، لَمْ يَسْعَ إِلَيْهَا؛ لِقَوْلِ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ "إذا أُقِيمَتْ الصَّلَاةُ فلا تَأْتُوهَا وأنتم تَسْعَوْنَ وَأْتُوهَا وأنتُم عَلَيْكُمْ السَّكِينَةُ فما أَدْرَكْتُمْ
“O Allah, make light in my heart and light on my tongue, and make light in my hearing and light in my sight, and make light above me and light below me, and make light on my right and make light on my left, and make light in front of me and make light behind me, and make light in my soul and make greater my light.” (Ag – from Ibn ‘Abbâs)
اللهم اجْعَلْ لي في قَلْبِي نُورًا وفي لِسَانِي نُورًا وفي سَمْعِي نُورًا وفي بَصَرِي نُورًا وَمِنْ فَوْقِي نُورًا وَمِنْ تَحْتِي نُورًا وَعَنْ يَمِينِي نُورًا وَعَنْ شِمَالِي نُورًا وَمِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيَّ نُورًا وَمِنْ خَلْفِي نُورًا وَاجْعَلْ في نَفْسِي نُورًا وَأَعْظِمْ لي نُورًا
231 This hadith has a controversial chain of narrators, but assuming that it is sound, it does not mean, as indicated by (t), that you ask Allah (ST) by the right of any particular person, but rather by Allah’s attributes. Among His attributes are: responding to the petitioner and rewarding the one walking to obedience. (A): allowed asking Allah (tawassul) by His Messenger (SA). This matter is a controversial one. The position of (t), which he reported from Abu Ḥaneefah as well, is safer.
the congregation], pray it, and whatever you miss, complete it [after finishing with them].” When the iqâmah is called, there should be no prayer except the obligatory one. 232
فَصَلُّوا وما فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا." وَإِذَا أُقِيْمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ، فَلاَ صَلاَةَ إِلاَّ الْمَكْتُوْبَةُ
When he arrives at the masjid, he should enter with his right foot first and say: Bismillâh waṣ-ṣalâtu was-salâmu 'alâ Rasoolillâh. Allâhumma ighfir li dhunoobi, waftaḥ li abwâba raḥmatik. (In the name of Allah, and peace and blessings be on the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, forgive my sins and open for me the gates of Your mercy). When he leaves, he should step out with his left foot first, and say the same, except that he should say: …waftaḥ li abwâba faḍlik (…and open for me the gates of Your graciousness).
وَإِذَا أَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ، قَدَّمَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُمْنَى فِي الدُّخُوْلِ وقال: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، والصَّلاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذُنُوبِي، وَافْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ" وَإِذَا خَرَجَ قَدَّمَ رِجْلَهُ اليُسْرى وَقَالَ مِثْلَ ذٰلِكَ، إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ يَقُوْلُ: "وَافْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ فَضْلِكَ."
232 This is the exact phrasing of a hadith reported by (M) from the Prophet (SA). However, the people of knowledge indicate that if one can quickly finish a supererogatory prayer and then join the congregation from the beginning of their obligatory prayer, he may do so.
233(M)