Daleel at-Taalib – Salah & Related Rulings (Review Flashcards)

A comprehensive set of question-and-answer flashcards covering key concepts, rulings, differences of opinion, and terminology from the Daleel at-Taalib Salah lessons.

What is the linguistic meaning of the word “Salah”?

Supplication (du‘ā).

According to the Sharʿī definition, what is Salah?

Worshipping Allah with specific statements and actions that begin with takbīr and end with taslīm.

Who is Salah obligatory upon?

Every Muslim who is legally accountable (bāligh and ʿāqil) except women in menses or post-natal bleeding.

At what age should parents command their children to pray and at what age may they discipline them for missing it?

Command at 7 years old; discipline at 10 years old within the limits of Islamic etiquette.

What is the ruling on someone who denies the obligation of Salah?

By consensus he is an apostate.

List the nine conditions of Salah according to the notes.

1) Islam 2) Intellect 3) Discernment (tamayyuz) 4) Ritual purification 5) Removal of tangible najāsah 6) Entry of prayer time 7) Covering ʿawrah 8) Facing the Qiblah 9) Intention.

Which four daily prayers are best prayed at their earliest times?

Fajr, Dhuhr (unless extreme heat), ʿAsr, and Maghrib.

Which obligatory prayer is recommended to be delayed?

ʿIshā’.

What are the pillars (arkān) of Salah?

Standing (for the able), opening takbīr, recitation of al-Fātiḥah, rukūʿ, rising from rukūʿ, standing after it, prostrating on seven bones, rising, sitting between the two sujūd, tranquility in every posture, final tashahhud, sitting for it, two taslīms, and performing them in order.

How is a pillar different from a condition in Salah?

A condition (shart) is an external requirement that must be met before beginning Salah, without which the prayer is invalid. Examples include wudu (ablution) and facing the qibla (direction of prayer).

A pillar (rukn) is an internal, indispensable component within Salah itself; if a pillar is omitted, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the prayer is invalidated and must be rectified by performing the missed pillar. Examples include standing (qiyam) if able, reciting Surah Al-Fatihah, bowing (ruku'), and prostrating (sujud).

What minimum bowing constitutes a valid rukūʿ?

Bending until one can touch the knees with the hands.

If a person has not memorised al-Fātiḥah, what can he do?

Repeat one verse until the length of al-Fātiḥah, read transliteration, or recite general dhikr of glorification.

What nullifies salah regarding barrier postration?

Salah is nullified if one intentionally places the forehead on a barrier—such as a hand, clothing, or any other intervening object—during prostration, thereby preventing direct contact of the forehead

Is Sajdah on one’s garment allowed?

Yes, permissible but disliked unless necessitated by extreme heat.

What are the three reasons that require Sujūd al-Sahw (prostration of forgetfulness)?

Additions, omissions, or doubt within the prayer.

When is Sujūd al-Sahw performed?

At the end of Salah, either before or after taslīm depending on the scenario.

A person is exempt from performing Sujūd al-Sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) when:

1. A long culturally-recognised time passes: This means if a significant duration has elapsed since the mistake in prayer, rendering the immediate correction impractical.

2. State of ḥadath occurs: If the person loses their ritual purity (breaks their wuḍūʾ) after the mistake and before performing Sujūd al-Sahw.

3. He leaves the mosque (or prayer area): If the person exits the designated prayer location before performing the prostration.

If the first tashahhud is missed, when must the worshipper return to it?

If he has not yet fully stood; once fully standing, it is prohibited to return.

Name two types of doubts that affect Salah.

Doubts occurring during Salah actions; doubts about the validity of prerequisites (like purity) while praying.

What is the ruling on making worldly duʿā’ during Salah?

An example of worldly duʿā’ would be supplicating for a new car or success in a business venture.

Ḥanbalī & Ḥanafī: invalidates prayer;

Mālikī & Shāfiʿī: permissible.

Does accidental speech break Salah?

Ḥanbalī & Ḥanafī: yes;

Mālikī & Shāfiʿī: excused if truly accidental and ignorant.

What is the Ḥanbalī definition of Wājib (obligatory element) in Salah?

If intentionally left, the prayer is void; if forgotten, it is rectified by Sujūd al-Sahw.

How many wajibat does the Ḥanbalī madhhab list and name any three.

The Ḥanbalī madhhab lists eight wajibat (obligatory acts) in prayer.

They are: 1. All takbīrs other than the opening takbīr.

2. Tasmiʿ (Samiʿa-llāhu liman ḥamidah) for the imam and one praying alone.

3. Taḥmīd (Rabbanā wa lakal-ḥamd) for everyone (imam, follower, and one praying alone).

4. One tasbīḥ (Bismika Rabbiyal-ʿAẓīm) in rukūʿ.

5. One tasbīḥ (Subḥāna Rabbiyal-Aʿlā) in sujūd.

6. Asking for forgiveness (Rabbighfir lī) between the two prostrations.

7. The first Tashahhud.

8. Sitting for the first Tashahhud.

Define ‘Iftirāsh’.

Sitting on the left foot with the right foot upright during tashahhud between two sujūd.

Define ‘Tawarruk’.

Leaning on the left hip, left foot under right shin, right foot upright, in final tashahhud of prayers with more than two rakʿah.

What statement is called ‘Tasmeeʿ’?

Saying ‘Samiʿa-llāhu liman ḥamidah’.

Where do the majority place their hands when standing in Salah?

Right hand over the left hand on the chest or just below.

Where do the Ḥanafīs place the hands?

Below the navel.

Which school recommends leaving arms at the sides in Qiyām?

Mālikī.

Is raising the hands beyond the opening takbīr Sunnah?

Majority: Yes during entering rukūʿ and rising; Ḥanafī: not Sunnah.

Name three actions disliked (makrūh) in Salah.

Fidgeting, placing hands on hips, spreading arms on the floor in sujūd (like a dog).

State a general principle for makrūh matters in Salah.

Anything that distracts or reduces khushūʿ is disliked.

What breaks Salah regarding excessive movement?

Continuous movements that would be considered another activity without necessity.

Does unintentionally uncovering ʿawrah nullify Salah?

Ḥanbalī & Ḥanafī: cover immediately; Salah valid.

Shāfiʿī: invalidates.

Name the three categories of people excused from Jumuʿah and Jamāʿah.

The sick,

those fearing loss of essential wealth/safety,

and those impeded by severe weather or similar hardship.

How should an ill person pray if unable to stand?

Pray sitting; if unable,

pray lying on the side, gesturing with nods;

if unable to nod, pray with heart/intent.

When may obligatory prayer be performed on a mount?

When dismounting causes harm (e.g., heavy rain, mud) while able to face Qiblah and gesture for rukūʿ and sujūd.

Which condition invalidates leading Salah?

Knowing oneself to be in a state of ḥadath while able to purify.

What is the ruling if an imam realises after prayer he lacked wudū?

Imam repeats his Salah; followers’ Salah remains valid.

How does a follower ‘catch’ a rakʿah?

By saying the opening takbīr and joining bowing before the imam rises from rukūʿ.

List five actions for which the imam carries responsibility, lifting it from followers.

The imam carries responsibility for the following five actions, lifting it from followers:

1. Loud recitation of al-Fātiḥah: In congregational prayers where recitation is audible, the imam's loud recitation of al-Fātiḥah suffices for the entire congregation, meaning followers do not need to recite it loudly themselves.
2. Sujūd as-Sahw (Prostration of Forgetfulness): If the imam makes a mistake in the prayer, his performance of sujūd as-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) corrects the error for the entire congregation, alleviating individual responsibility from the followers.
3. Sujūd of Tilāwah (Prostration of Recitation): When the imam recites a verse requiring prostration, his performance of sujūd al-tilāwah (prostration of recitation) is sufficient for all followers to fulfill this requirement.
4. Sutrah: The sutrah (an object marking the prayer space) of the imam serves as the sutrah for the entire congregation behind him, removing the need for individual followers to place their own.
5. Qunūt in Witr: When the imam leads the qunūt (a special supplication) during the Witr prayer, his performance fulfills the general requirement of qunūt for all participants in the congregation.

What is the sequence of precedence to lead Salah per ḥadīth?

Best Qur’an reciter with tajwīd,

then most versed in Sunnah,

then earliest in Hijrah,

then earliest in Islam,

then the host.

When must people behind an imam pray seated?

If the imam begins Salah while sitting.

Can women lead mixed congregations?

No; women may not lead men.

Is Jamāʿah prayer obligatory for men?

Ḥanbalī: wājib;

majority: highly recommended;

Shāfiʿī: farḍ kifāyah.

May a mumayyiz child lead obligatory Salah?

Difference: some Ḥanbalīs say invalid, others allow; general principle: whoever’s Salah is valid alone may lead, except women over men and one who cannot recite al-Fātiḥah over those who can.

Is it valid to pray a farḍ behind someone praying nafl?

Majority: invalid; Shāfiʿī: valid.

What distance makes a traveller according to stronger view?

No fixed distance; determined by customary concept of travel.

When may a traveller start shortening prayers?

After leaving the last buildings of his hometown if the journey qualifies as travel.

How many days of stay allow shortening?

Majority: up to 4 days; Ḥanafī: up to 15 days.

Is intention required at takbīrat al-iḥrām to shorten?

Shāfiʿī & Ḥanbalī: yes; Ḥanafī & Mālikī: not required.

What two prayer pairs can be combined?

Dhuhr with ʿAsr; Maghrib with ʿIshāʾ.

Name a valid reason to combine prayers while resident.

Severe illness causing hardship if not combined; extreme weather (per many scholars).

State two conditions for combining in the earlier time (jamʿ taqdīm).

Intention before first takbīr; no nāfilah between the two obligatory prayers; reason persists throughout both.

What is Ṣalāt al-Khawf (fear prayer)?

A special congregational format allowing alternating groups of fighters to pray one rakʿah each behind the imam while securing the enemy.

Who must attend Jumuʿah?

Free, adult, sane, male residents without valid excuse.

List the pillars of the Jumuʿah khutbah.

Praise Allah, send ṣalāh on the Prophet, recite at least one Qur’ān verse, and exhort taqwā.

How many attendees make Jumuʿah valid per Ḥanbalī school?

Imam plus 40 resident males.

Which surahs are Sunnah to recite in Jumuʿah Fajr?

Al-Sajdah (32) and Al-Insān (76).

Describe the takbīr counts in each rakʿah of Eid prayer.

First rakʿah: 7 takbīrs including opening; second rakʿah: 5 takbīrs after standing from first sajdah.

Is the Eid khutbah before or after Salah?

After Salah, and it is Sunnah (not obligatory).

When does the general takbīr begin for Eid al-Fiṭr?

From sunset on the last day of Ramaḍān until the imam arrives for Eid Salah.

When does the specific takbīr for Eid al-Aḍḥā end?

After ʿAṣr on the 13th of Dhul-Ḥijjah.

What is the ruling on Witr prayer in each madhhab?

Majority: Sunnah mu’akkadah; Ḥanafī: wājib.

Minimum and maximum rakʿāt of Witr according to Shāfiʿī/Ḥanbalī?

May pray 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 rakʿāt.

Is Qunūt in Witr all year?

Ḥanbalī & Ḥanafī: yes; Mālikī: no Qunūt; Shāfiʿī: only in latter half of Ramaḍān.

What is the ruling on wiping the face after duʿā’?

Narration is weak; Ibn Ḥajar judged it ḥasan due to multiple chains, so permitted but not mandatory.

Define Ṣalāt al-Duḥā and its ruling.

Forenoon prayer; majority consider it Sunnah every day, Ḥanbalī: Sunnah on some days.

Name two prohibited times for voluntary prayer.

After ʿAṣr until sunset, and after Fajr until sunrise.

Is sajdah at-tilāwah (hearing a specific verse in the Quran prompting Muslims to prostrate) obligatory?

Majority: Sunnah;

Ḥanafī: wājib.

Is sajdah at-tilāwah considered a Salah?

Yes; takbīr for down and up, sitting, and taslīm without tashahhud.

Can a voluntary prayer be one rakʿah only?

Ḥanbalī & Shāfiʿī: permissible;

Ḥanafī & Mālikī: must be prayed in twos.

When can someone other than the appointed imam lead in a mosque?

Only with the imam’s permission or when prayer time will expire and imam is absent.

What is the ruling on leading Salah without the resident imam’s permission per Ḥanbalīs?

Ḥarām and invalid unless time is about to end.

Does a sighted person have more right to lead than a blind person?

Majority: yes;

Shāfiʿī: no difference if both know fiqh.

Can a declared fāsiq (someone who violates Islamic law, often described as an evildoer or a sinner) lead Salah?

Ḥanbalī: only Jumuʿah/Eid if no one else;

majority:prayer valid but disliked.

Explain catching Jumuʿah for the latecomer.

Majority: catching one rakʿah with imam suffices;

Mālikī: must catch full rakʿah including rukūʿ.

What is the ruling on eclipse prayer (Ṣalāt al-Kusūf)?

Sunnah mu’akkadah.

How many rukūʿ per rakʿah in the most authentic eclipse prayer description?

Two rukūʿ in each rakʿah.

When does the eclipse prayer time start and end?

Starts with the eclipse onset and ends when it clears.

List two etiquettes of Ṣalāt al-Istisqāʾ (rain prayer).

Khutbah with raised hands palms outward, abundant istighfār, and two-rakʿah prayer similar to Eid.

Is it permissible to long for death?

Disliked unless fearing fitnah in religion.

Define the age of tamyīz according to majority.

Around 7 years old—when a child understands speech and can respond sensibly.

What are the five prayers’ beginning times per majority?

Fajr dawn; Dhuhr after zenith when shadow shortens then lengthens; ʿAsr when shadow equals object; Maghrib after sunset; ʿIshā when red twilight disappears.

Which school uses 19 phrases in the adhān including tarjīʿ?

Shāfiʿī.

What is the ruling of adhān and iqāmah?

Farḍ kifāyah.

List three personal conditions for a valid adhān caller.

Muslim, male, sane, and of discerning age.

Name two Sunnah qualities for the muʾadhdhin.

Strong voice and trustworthiness.

What should one say upon hearing “Ḥayya ʿalaṣ-Ṣalāh” in the adhān?

‘Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh.’

When is it allowed to leave the mosque after adhān?

With valid excuse, intending to return, or to catch another jamāʿah.

Give an example of a place where Salah is invalid or makrūh.

Graveyards, slaughterhouses, rubbish dumps, toilets, camel pens.

When is facing Qiblah waived?

Severe illness, inability, extreme fear, or voluntary prayers on a moving mount while travelling.

State the male ʿawrah in Salah by majority.

Between navel and knees (navel and knees excluded).

What should cover the men’s shoulders according to Ḥanbalīs?

At least one shoulder should be covered; otherwise Salah invalid.

Must a woman cover hands and feet in Salah?

Ḥanbalī: yes;

Ḥanafī: recommended;

Mālikī & Shāfiʿī: feet must be covered, hands may be uncovered.

What is the ruling on praying in stolen clothes?

Majority: prayer valid but sinful; Ḥanbalī: invalid.

Is Salah inside the Kaʿbah valid?

Ḥanafī & Shāfiʿī: valid; Ḥanbalī & Mālikī: invalid.

What invalidates Salah concerning sequence?

Performing pillars out of order intentionally, e.g., prostrating before rukūʿ.

Name one Sunnah statement between two sujūd.

‘Rabbi ighfir lī.’

How many taslīms are pillars per Ḥanbalī school?

Two taslīms (right and left).