Some rules of Salaat
YOUR SHOULDERS
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Straighten the sufoof (Salaat rows), line up the shoulders, close the gaps and become tender in the hands of your brother. Do not leave any gaps for shaitaan. Whoever joins (i.e. makes compact) the saff, Allah will join him (i.e. have special mercy on him). And, whoever cuts the saff, Allah will cut him." (Bukhaari, Abu Dawood, etc.)
The saff (row) should be absolutely straight and compact. Lining up the shoulders means that the shoulders of the musallis should physically touch. There should be no gap whatsoever between the shoulders of two musallis, not even a gap of one finger. The shoulders must physically touch. Any gap, no matter how slight, is occupied by shaitaan. It is therefore Waajib (compulsory)for everyone to ensure that their shoulders physically touch one anotherwhen they stand in the rows for the Fardh Salaat.
Regarding this incumbent duty and command of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), Muslims are displaying extreme neglect. The thawaab (reward) of the Salaat is reduced if the shoulders do not touch, and shaitaan stands next to you in the gap you create by not touching physicallythe shoulders of the musalli standing next to you. Therefore, please ensure that your shoulder physically touches your brother musalli's shoulder standing next to you on both sides.Don't become annoyed when a brother asks you to come closer so that the shoulders touch. Not becoming annoyed is what Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) meant when he said: "and become tender in the hands of your brother".May Allah Ta'ala reward you for the co-operation you will show for your own benefit.
YOUR FEET
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) has commanded in several Ahaadith: "Make straight the saff...." Besides the compactness of the saff with shoulders touching, the saff (row) should be so absolutely straightthat not even the chest of a musalli should be out of line with the chests of the other musallis. Hadhrat Nu'maan Bin Basheer (radhiyallahu anhu) narrates: "One day Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) came (into the Musjid) and saw a man (in the saff) whose chest was a bit ahead of the chests of the community (the other musallis in the row). He therefore commented: 'Straighten your sufoof (rows) otherwise Allah will cast discord in your faces.' " (Tirmizi)
There is only one wayof ensuring that the saff is absolutely straight. That way is to ensure that the heelsare in a straight line, not the toes. The sizes of the feet differ. By lining up the toes, the saff will necessarily be crooked. If the heelsof all the musallis are on a straight line, then the saff will be beautifully straight. It is Waajibto place the heelson the line so that the saff will be straight. This straightnesshas been commanded frequently by our Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Therefore, please brother Muslim, be a bit alert and conscious when you enter into the saff. Ensure that along with your shoulders physically touchingthe musallis alongside you, your heelsare on the line, in line with the heelsof the musallis on your sides. May Allah Ta'ala reward you abundantly for answering the Call of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).
YOUR CLOTHES
Allah Ta'ala states in the Qur'aan Majeed: "O Sons of Aadam! Adopt your beauty at the time of every Salaat" (Aayat 31, Surah A'raaf).The Fuqaha of Islam have ruled that just as this aayat refers to the compulsion of concealing the body's satr, so too does it refer to the significance and importance of wearing suitable Islamic clothes for Salaat. "Suitable" in this context means clothes which are not lewd, tight-fitting and kuffaar styles. Imaam Maalik (rahmatullah alayh) said: "A man will be declared a kaafir if he wears the hat of the Nasaara (Christians)." In a decree issued by Hadhrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) to the Muslims of the conquered country, Azerbaijaan, he stated: "Beware of the luxuries and styles of the Ajam (non Muslims)." Hadhrat Maalik Bin Dinaar (rahmatullah alayh) said: "Allah revealed to one of his Nabis: 'Tell your people not to wear the garments of My enemies (the kuffaar) for then you will become My enemies like they are My enemies.' "
Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi (rahmatullah alayh) states in his Tafseer Ma-aariful Qur'aan: "Since in Salaat the requisite is not only covering the satr, but the command (of Allah Ta'ala) is to adopt zeenat as well, it is Makrooh (prohibited and sinful) for a man to perform Salaat with bared head or with his shoulders exposed or with elbows exposed whether the shirt is of short sleeves or whether the sleeves are rolled up (above the elbows). In every case it is Makrooh.
Hadhrat Umar Bin Abdul Azeez, the Khalifah of the time during the age of the Tabe-e-Tabaeen issued the following decree to the governors of the various countries in the Islamic Empire:
"Prohibit in your region the wearing of the clothes of the Nasaara. In this regard be firm and strict. Distribute this decree in written form so that it does not remain hidden from anyone." Musallis are required to ponder. When coming to the Musjid, you are visiting the House of Allah Ta'ala and you will be engaging in the highest act of worship of your Khaaliq (Creator). It is therefore, not permissible to come to Musjid and perform Salaat with the dress of kuffaar, of drug addicts and hooligans. It is haraam to perform Salaat with jeans, T-shirts, evil pants such as 'bermudas' and every other kind of ugly, lewd style of the kuffaar.
It is important to understand that Salaat performed with such haraam clothes becomes Makrooh. The Shariah orders that Salaat performed in a Makrooh manner should be compulsorily repeated. All the thawaab (reward) of the Salaat is destroyed when the musalli is dressed with jeans, T-shirt, suit, tight pants which shows the outlines of his buttocks and other shameful parts of the body, especially when in Sajdah, elbows exposed and without Islamic head-covering. It is Makrooh to perform Salaat with a pocket-handkerchief covering the head and with the trousers on or below the ankles.
Please do understand that
- It is haraamto perform Salaat with such lewd, immoral and shameless kuffaar dress.
- If you commit the kabeerah (major)sin of performing Salaat with such haraamclothes shamelessly in the Musjid, then at least have mercy on yourself by repeatingthe Salaat at home with proper dress.
Some Muslims have become so addicted to kuffaar dress-styles that they feel ashamed to be dressed Islamically in public. They should at least return home after destroying their Salaat in the Musjid, and within the privacy of their houses they should change their shaitaani clothes and repeat the Salaat dressed properly like a Muslim. Just remember, that every second that you are dressed up like a kaafir, you are under the LA'NAT (CURSE)of Allah Ta'ala in the same way as you would be under the la'nat if you clothe yourself with your wife's dress and come to Musjid in that manner. If you reflect deeply without rancour in your heart for Islamic dress, then you will understand that it is better to perform Salaat with your wife's dress than with the dress of the kuffaar. After all, your wife is Allah's friend by virtue of her Imaan while the kuffaar are Allah's enemies. The lesser of the two evils is therefore to come to Musjid clothed with your wife's dress. May Allah Ta'ala guide you and imbue in your heart the ability to understand that you are indeed committing a monstrous crime and a vile sin by coming to the Musjid dressed so ugly, so immorally, so shamelessly – with jeans, T-shirt, bared head, bermudas, etc. – that Allah's Curse and the Curse of the Malaaikah constantly descend on you. Please repeat your Salaat after changing into Islamic dress.
WAS-SALAAM
ISSUED BY
MUJLISUL ULAMA OF S.A.
PO Box 3393
Port Elizabeth 6056
