Bahaar-e-Shariat Volume 4 (Book on Salaah)

This volume provides a comprehensive legal framework for the performance of Salaah (prayer) and related rites within the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It details the requirements for obligatory and optional prayers, the specific conditions for valid worship under varying circumstances—such as illness, travel, or fear—and the protocols governing the transition from life to death, including the final rites for the deceased. The text emphasizes the necessity of adhering to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, ﷺ, and provides guidance on the rectification of errors in prayer through Sajdah-e-Sahw and the fulfillment of missed prayers (Qaza).

The work establishes the legal status of various prayers, distinguishing between Fard (obligatory), Waajib (compulsory), Sunnat-e-Mu’akkadah (emphasized tradition), and Nafil (optional) acts. It outlines the specific conditions for congregational prayer, the rules for the Musafir (traveller), and the requirements for the Jummah and Eid prayers. Furthermore, it addresses the sanctity of the deceased, detailing the procedures for Ghusl (ritual bathing), Kafan (shrouding), Janaazah (funeral prayer), and burial, while strictly forbidding practices associated with Jaahiliyat (pre-Islamic ignorance), such as loud lamentation or wailing.

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Key topics & takeaways

Witr and Sunan

• Status of Witr — the work holds that Witr is Waajib, and if missed, its Qaza is mandatory ▸page 6.
• Qa’da-e-Ula in Witr — the first sitting in Witr is Waajib, requiring the recitation of At-Tahiyat only, without Durood or Salaam ▸page 6.
• Dua-e-Qunoot — it is Waajib to recite this in the third Raka’at of Witr before the Ruku; if forgotten, one should not return to it after entering Ruku (▸page 7, ▸page 10).
• Sunnat-e-Mu’akkadah — these include two Raka’ats before Fajr, four before and two after Zuhr, two after Maghrib, two after Esha, and four before and after Jummah ▸page 19.
• Sunnat of Fajr — this is the most powerful of all Sunnats; it cannot be performed while sitting or on a vehicle without a valid reason ▸page 20.

Prayer Rulings

• Sajdah-e-Sahw — this is mandatory for unintentional errors, such as omitting a Waajib or delaying a Rukn, and is performed via two prostrations after the final Tashahud ▸page 7.
• Prayer of the sick — if unable to stand, one may pray sitting; if unable to sit, one may pray lying down using gestures (Ishaara) for Ruku and Sajdah ▸page 118.
• Sajdah-e-Tilaawat — there are 14 verses in the Qur’an that necessitate a prostration; this becomes Waajib upon reciting or hearing the verse ▸page 127.
• Qasr (Shortening) — a Musafir (traveller) must shorten four-unit Fard prayers to two units; this applies once the traveller leaves the populated area of their city ▸page 155.
• Watan-e-Asli — a person’s original home is invalidated only by establishing a new permanent residence and abandoning the intention to return to the former ▸page 168.

Jummah and Eid

• Conditions for Jummah — it is Waajib only under specific conditions, including being in a city (Misr), the presence of a Sultan or his representative, and the Khutbah ▸page 171.
• Eidain — the Eid prayer consists of two Raka’ats with additional Takbeers; Takbeer-e-Tashreeq is Waajib from the Fajr of the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah to the Asr of the 13th ▸page 209.

Death and Burial

• Talqeen — it is recommended to prompt the dying person to recite the Kalimah ▸page 262.
• Ghusl of the deceased — this is Fard-e-Kifaayah; the body must be washed in a specific sequence, ensuring the removal of impurities ▸page 249.
• Kafan (Shrouding) — for males, three pieces are Sunnat; for females, five pieces are Sunnat ▸page 278.
• Janaazah Namaaz — this consists of four Takbeers and is performed standing; it is Fard-e-Kifaayah ▸page 292.
• Burial etiquette — the grave should be dug to a depth suitable for the deceased, and the body must be placed facing the Qibla ▸page 319.
• Prohibition of Noha — loud wailing, tearing clothes, or beating the chest in grief is strictly forbidden as an act of Jaahiliyat ▸page 249.
• Shaheed (Martyr) — those who die in specific circumstances, such as plague, drowning, or childbirth, receive the reward of a Shaheed; a battlefield Shaheed is buried without Ghusl ▸page 353.