Is it a sin to perform the prayer at the end of the time for that prayer? Can the prayer be performed as soon as the adhan is recited?

A Brief Description of the Question: 

Is it a sin to perform the prayer at the end of the time for that prayer? Can the prayer be performed as soon as the adhan is recited?

The Answer: 

When a Companion asked the Prophet what the most virtuous deed was, he said, "It is the prayer performed on time." (Bukhari, Mawaqit 162)

"Allah’s contentment and pleasure is present for the prayer performed at the beginning of the time for that prayer and Allah’s forgiveness is present for the prayer performed at the beginning of the time for that prayer." (Tirmidhi, Mawaqit 13)

In fact, as it is understood from the hadiths above, in general, we can say that it is mustahab (recommended) to perform the prayer at the beginning of the time for that prayer. However, in the sunnah of the Prophet, it is regarded more virtuous to perform some prayers at a later time than the beginning of the time for those prayers taking into consideration the season, climate and similar causes. For instance, some of the narrations regarding the night (isha) prayer are as follows:

“The Prophet Loved to delay the night prayer to the time called atama (the time when the first one-third of the night passed) and he disliked sleeping before it and speaking after it." (Bukhari, Mawaqit 13-20,  Muslim, Masajid 218-225; Nasai, Mawaqit 20)

“Allah’s Messenger once delayed the night prayer to the half of the night. Then he came to us turning his face toward us – it is as if I see the brightness of his ring now – and said, "People performed the prayer and went to sleep. You get the reward of the prayer as long as you stay awake and wait for the prayer." (Bukhari, Mawaqit 25, 40; Muslim, Masajid 223)

"If I did not want to cause trouble for my ummah, I would order them to delay the night prayer until the first one-third of the night passed." (Tirmidhi, Mawaqit 10)

Accordingly, Hanafis regard it mustahab to delay the night prayer until the first one-third of the night passed, mubah (permissible) until half of the night passed and makruh (abominable) after half of the night passed. Some Hanafi scholars regard it makruh tahrimi while others regard it makruh tanzihi. However, it is necessary to state that delaying it is mustahab in winter. In summer, it is mustahab to perform the night prayer at an earlier time since the nights are short in summer.

As for the other issue in the question,

When the time for a prayer starts, the prayer of the previous time is missed. When that prayer is performed, it is performed as missed (qada) prayer. That is, when the time ends, the time for that prayer ends, too.

One of the fards (conditions) of prayer is the starting of the time for that prayer. For instance, we cannot perform the noon prayer before the time for the noon prayer starts. The time for performing a prayer starts with the starting time for that prayer and ends when the time for the next prayer starts. We can perform the prayer between those two times.

Suppose that you delayed the noon prayer. The time for the afternoon prayer was near. You started to perform the noon prayer. While performing the first rakah of the noon prayer, the time for the afternoon prayer started. What should you do? You should complete the prayer because the following is stated in a hadith, “A person who reaches one rakah of a prayer is regarded to have reached that prayer.” According to Hanafi and Hanbali madhhabs, if a person reaches the takbir of iftitah at the stated fixed time of a prayer, he is regarded to have reached the whole prayer. (Vehbe Zuhayli, İslam Fıkhı Ansiklopedisi, v. 1 p. 400.)

However, it is necessary t be careful when one performs the morning prayer and the afternoon prayer. It is not permissible to perform prayers while the sun is rising in the morning and when it is setting in the evening so as not to resemble those who worship the sun. Therefore, it is necessary to finish the morning prayer 1 or 2 minutes before the sun rises and the afternoon prayer before the sun sets.    

It is necessary to be careful not to delay the afternoon prayer near the sunset. It is makruh to perform the afternoon prayer when the time for the sunset is near. Although it is abominable, it is permissible.  

The time for the morning prayer starts with imsak and ends with the sunrise. However, according to Hanafis, it is better to perform it near the sunrise; according to Shafiis, it is better to perform it a little while after imsak.  

If the sun rises while performing the morning prayer and before it finishes, the prayer is invalidated according to Hanafis. It is necessary to perform it again after the time of karahah. 

If a prayer is performed in the last ten minutes of that prayer time and when the next prayer time starts, the next prayer is performed, it becomes valid for the noon prayer and the evening prayer. If someone does so due to a necessity, the prayer is regarded valid. Our Prophet delayed the noon prayer and then performed the afternoon prayer just after it during a journey.  

However, it is more virtuous to perform prayers at the beginning of the fixed prayer time. One can perform the prayer even at the latest time; it is necessary to miss a prayer.

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What is the wisdom behind the acts in the prayer?

A Brief Description of the Question: 

What is the wisdom behind the acts in the prayer?

The Answer: 

The Meaning of the Acts in the Prayer: Each pillar and part of the prayer has separate wisdoms. 

One of the names of Allah is al-Hakim (the All-Wise). That is, He definitely arranges and creates many wisdoms, interests and aims in every act of His. It is certain that there are thousands of wisdoms in His order and prohibition. There are many meanings in every act of the prayer, which is the most important worshipping.

We can list some of them as follows:

The prayer is the pillar of the religion. If we think that the Kaaba is the pillar of the universe, we will understand the wisdom behind turning to the direction of the Kaaba in the prayer.

To raise our hands while saying the takbir (Allahu akbar) means we throw the worldly things behind our back and stand for the prayer for Allah.

When we stand on our feet, we represent the worshipping of trees, mountains and the angels that always worship by standing.

When we bow down, we represent the worshipping of animals like the camel, the goat and the sheep, and the angels that always worship by bowing down.

When we prostrate, we represent the worshipping of reptiles, grass and the angels that always worship by prostrating. 

When we sit, we present the worshipping of all creatures to Allah on our own behalf. In the end, when we salute the right and the left, we salute the whole universe.

Besides, when we pray, we make our body and each organ in it worship.

Standing and reading the Quran in the prayer are also meaningful. There is a wisdom behind bowing down after standing and prostrating after bowing down, being in the closest state to Allah...

Man, who is in a state of representing the general worshipping performed universally, presents the worshipping that continuously takes place in his own body together with the worshipping of the living realm and the realm that we regard as non-living to the All-Merciful Lord five times a day.

1.STANDING (QIYAM)

First, we stand, raise our hands and say Allahu akbar (Allah is the greatest). Thus, man throws everything except Allah behind his back and becomes subject to His order and will. Servitude and slavery are registered like that. Thus, the worshipping of all of the beings is represented.   

2. BOWING DOWN (RUKU)

After praising Allah as He deserves, man feels so weak in the presence of that loftiness that he bows down to show it and lowers his head as a sign of respect and says ‘Subhana Rabbiyal-Azim (Glorious is my Lord, the Great). The believer represents the worshipping of all beings that bow down by doing so.   

3. SUPPLICATION (DUA)

Then, he straightens up, and thanks and praises Allah because He guided him to the right path. For a moment, he contemplates, while standing, the loftiness and grandeur of Allah and the simplicity and meanness of his act, then, he becomes terrified and appalled.

4. PROSTRATION (SAJDAH)

He prostrates and puts his forehead down feeling the modesty and weakness fully and says,

‘Subhana Rabbiyal-Ala (Glorious is my Lord, the Highest).

5. SITTING AND SALUTATION

After repeating those acts in a series, he finds himself directly in the presence of Allah without any intermediaries and asks help from Him.

When two beings meet, a salutation takes place between them. In one part of the prayer (sitting), the person who prays repeats the same expressions of salutation that took place between Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and Allah during Miraj (ascension):

"At-Tahiyyatu lillahi, was-salawatu wattayyibatu. As-Salamu alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu, wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-Salamu alayna wa ala ibadillahissalihin”

(All kinds of Greetings, prayers and goodness belong to Allah. Peace be on you, O Prophet and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be on us and on the righteous servants of Allah!)

The acts of the body in the prayer:

There are 4 acts in the prayer. The first one is qiyam, that is, standing. The second one is ruku (bowing down). The third one is the first sajdah (prostration) and the fourth one is the second prostration. (Fususulhikam,  2/476-477)

In qiyam in praying, the head denotes the Lord and the feet denote the people. Man, who combines them in qiyam, reads the Quran (qira’ah), which is fard, in this position. He fulfils two fards: qiyam and qira’ah.

As for ruku’, it means practicing the situation of animals in prayer. In this position, the feet of animals look at the center of the earth, and the direction of their bodies is horizontal. That is, the animal stands parallel to the gravity of the earth. While standing like that, the head of the animal looks neither at the space nor at the gravity of the earth. It is a situation between them. Why do we practice it though we are human beings? A question like, ‘What is the animal to us?” may arise. The answer is as follows: the human body, which is the summary of 18 thousand animals, has an animal spirit that lives the worldly life. That spirit, which is called the soul in terms of desires, cannot be upgraded to the human spirit unless it is cleaned. He should eat a little, sleep a little and have sexual intercourse a little in order to be away from the animal side, which is close to the world. Then, he will be in the situation of being cleaned. Salah (prayer), which is a comprehensive worshipping, has to practice the animal present in it. 

The wisdom of sajdah; when a person prostrates, the head goes down to the level of the feet. Man practices the situation of the plants in prostration.

The second prostration is lifeless. It has no action in itself. That is, it has no action coming from inside. It acts as a result of external forces. The ores in the stones and the ground are included. The ore belongs to the thing that keeps it unless it is smelted since it exists in a dispersed state among non-living things. The element of each ore has a spirit in terms of its atoms.   

The second prostration is like the first one because the plants and non-living things are together; they are not in action like animals. Every globe, star and similar body in the space is non-living. The prostration is as big as their amount.

To sum up, the prayer (salah) is a kind of worshipping that contains man, animals and all creatures. However, it is understood when it is fulfilled heartily and spiritually not in appearance.

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Since Allah is everywhere, what is the reason why we turn toward the Kaaba while worshipping?

A Brief Description of the Question: 

Since Allah is everywhere, what is the reason why we turn toward the Kaaba while worshipping?

The Answer: 

"To Allah belongs the East and the West; whithersoever ye turn, there is Allah's countenance. For Allah is All-Embracing All-Knowing." (al-Baqara, 2/115)

The phrase, "Allah's countenance” is a figurative expression meaning "Allah’s mercy, consent and bounty".

When a person attempts a kind of worshipping or deed in any part of the world, he will find Allah’s grace and mercy there.

The Kaaba does not consist of the stone building only. The Kaaba is like a luminous pole extending from the underground to the sky. The intention of those who turn to the Kaaba is not worshipping the stone but obeying the order of Allah that they worship and turning to the direction that they are ordered because the one that orders us to turn to the direction of the Kaaba when we perform prayers is Allah.

Interpreters agree on the fact that the deeds of Allah cannot be attributed to a certain reason but they also argue about the existence of a certain qiblah and some wisdoms behind the change of the qiblah.

The most important wisdom about determining a certain qiblah is regarded to be the realization of the unity and harmony among Muslims. Accordingly, Allah determined a certain direction and ordered the believers to turn to that direction in order to rule out the delusion that there is a conflict among Muslims, and to enable them to worship in unity and harmony. The fact that Bayt al-Maqdis (Masjid al-Aqsa) was chosen as the qiblah in Makkah was based on the wisdom of discriminating believers from polytheists and the fact that the direction of the Kaaba was changed as it is stated in the following verse: "and We appointed the Qiblah to which thou wast used, only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels (from the faith). " (al-Baqara, 2/143) was based on the wisdom of discriminating believers from Jews.

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The Kaaba is on the earth. If we prayed in the space, how would we pray?

A Brief Description of the Question: 

The Kaaba is on the earth. If we prayed in the space, how would we pray?

The Answer: 

Questions like that had been directed at previous scholars; for instance, how to pray and fast in the poles. In general, the decree about issues like that is as follows: If the time for prayers and fasting does not occur in places where we live, we are to act in accordance with the times for the countries on the same meridian; or, if we are in the space, we are to act in accordance with the calendar of Makkah in terms of prayers and fasting.

It is enough to turn to the direction of the world while praying.

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Ablution is a problem for working women. Is it sufficient to wipe over thin socks while taking ablution, like wiping over the top of the feet without a complete wash of the feet?

A Brief Description of the Question: 

Ablution is a problem for working women. Is it sufficient to wipe over thin socks while taking ablution, like wiping over the top of the feet without a complete wash of the feet?

The Answer: 

Among the conditions of the validity of wiping over socks, the following conditions are present: the socks must be solid enough to stand without laces; they must not letting water in and must be durable enough for a normal course of walk of 5 kms. It is acceptable to wipe over socks which comply with these conditions. Those which do not have such qualifications cannot be wiped over.

Besides, if the socks worn over leather-made socks are thin enough to let the water over the leather-made socks when wiped while making ablution, they are acceptable to be wiped over. It is not permissible to wipe  if the socks worn over leather-made socks do not let the wetness under.

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What are the necessary conditions for the validity of wiping over (Leather- Made) Socks (Khuffs)?

A Brief Description of the Question: 

What are the necessary conditions for the validity of wiping over (Leather- Made) Socks (Khuffs)?

The Answer: 

1. (Leather-made) socks (khuffs) should be worn after the feet have been washed for ablution. Wiping over a bare foot or a bandage due to an excuse complies with the decree of ablution and wiping over (leather-made) socks worn afterwards is also acceptable.

2. Leather-made socks should cover the feet with the heels. Wiping over socks, boots or slippers that are shorter than the heels is not acceptable.

3. It should be possible to walk at least 3 miles (about 5 kms) with the leather-made shoes on.

4. There should be no rips or splits below the heels of leather-made socks more than three toes long according to the small toes of a foot. If rips and splits are present, each sock is regarded separately.

5. Leather-made socks should be thick enough to stand without laces.

6. Leather-made socks should not let the water outside come into and wet the feet immediately.

7. An empty space measured as at least the smallest finger of a hand should be available in the front part of each foot. For this reason, a person who does not have the front part of one foot or two feet cannot wipe their leather-made socks. However, a person who does not have one of their feet can wipe the leather-made sock they wear on the other foot. (al-Kasani, ibid, I, 7, ff; Ibn Abidin, ibid, I, 261, ff; al-Fatawa’l Hindiyya, I, 32,34; Mehmed Zihni, Nimet-i Islam, Istanbul, p. 76; O. Nasuhi Bilmen, Buyuk Islam Ilmihali, Istanbul 1985, p. 82 ff).

The Time Limit of the Validity of Wiping over Leather-made Socks:

The time limit of the validity of wiping over leather-made socks is a day and a night, that is, twenty-four hours for a settled person and three days and three nights for a travelling person who makes at least an eighteen-hour travel. And this equals to seventy-two hours. These time limits are defined in the hadiths. (Nasai, Taharah, 98; Ibn Majah, Taharah, 86). The deadline of the validity of wiping over leather-made socks begins not from the moment they are worn and onwards but when the ablution is broken. For example, if a person who has made ablution in the morning and wears leather-made socks over his feet breaks his ablution at twelve, noon, the period begins at twelve.

A settled person who becomes a travelling person acts in accordance with the period of travelling and completes that period. However, if a travelling person becomes settled after wiping over his leather-made socks for a day and night, his period ends. Now, he must wash his feet while making an ablution. The legality or illegality of the purpose of travelling does not affect the validity of wiping. According to Imam Shafii and Ahmad b. Hanbal, the time limit of the validity of wiping is twenty-four hours for a travel with illicit purposes.

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Could you please give information about the leather-made socks (Khuffs)?

A Brief Description of the Question: 

Could you please give information about the leather-made socks (Khuffs) ?

The Answer: 

A light-weight shoe with a short leg, which is worn in the house and worn in the shoes outside and made of soft leather. It can be wiped over for ablution. As a term of Islamic Law, “mast” (khuff) has the meaning of a sort of shoe which is worn on the foot covering the heel, and which has a certain length and durable for long trips and which is thick enough to stand without laces, which does not let the water in the feet immediately and which is made of substances like leather or felt.

Wiping over such shoes is permissible for any Muslim whether male or female, who may be travelling or settled. A majority of the Honored Companions and scholars of Islamic Jurispuridence are in an agreement on this. A well-known hadith “A settled person can wipe over a ‘khuff’ for a day and a night and a travelling person can do it for three days and nights”, reported by a community who narrated from the Prophet (pbuh) stands as a proof for this. Besides, the Honored companions came to an agreement on the legality of wiping over ‘khuff’ and they applied it. Moreover, Imam Karhi stated “ I am afraid that those who regard it unacceptable to wipe over leather-made socks will fall into unbeief”.  Hasan al-Basri also said, “ Some seventy of Honored Companions informed me that they saw the Prophet (pbuh) wipe over his leather-made socks”. (as-Sarakhsi, al-Mabsut, Cairo 1324, 31, I, 97-98; al-Kasani, Badayius-Sanayi, Cairo, 1327-28 / 1910, I, 7-8; Ibnu’l Humam, Fathu’l Qadir, Bulak 1319, I, 126-127; for Hadiths, see Wensinck, Muccem, Leiden 1943, II, 51-52; VI, 210-214).

The following conditions need to be complied with for the validity of wiping over leather-made socks:

1. Such socks should be worn after the feet have been washed as a part of ablution. Wiping over a foot or a bandage on the foot due to an excuse is under the decree of washing. Wiping over leather-made socks which have been worn in this way is acceptable.

2. Ablution should be broken due to a different reason than impurity (due to ejaculation etc.), menstruation and puerperium. The validity of wiping over leather-made socks is broken if impurity, menstruation or puerperium occurs and  these socks can be worn after a complete cleansing of the body.

3. These socks must cover the heels.

4. If there is a rip over a leather-made sock three toes long according to the size of the small toes smallest finger of the foot, it is not acceptable to wipe over them. The decree does not change whether the rips are under or over, whether they are on the side of a leather-made sock or not. This amount is defined not according to the total size of the rips on different socks but on either of them. For example, if there is a two-finger-sized rip on one sock and one-finger-sized on the other one, then it is acceptable to wipe over those socks. 

If one of the socks has a one-finger-sized rip in the front and, another one-finger-sized on the rear and another one on the side, it is acceptable to wipe over those pair of socks. Here is the decree of rips that hinders the validity of wiping : Rips, which open and display beneath or which stay together; however, displaying beneath while walking is deemed as hindrance to wipe over leather-made socks. Even if a rip is bigger or longer than three-fingers’ size if it does not display the foot, it is not regarded as a hindrance for wiping. If a sock is ripped but has a lining to hinder this rip to display beneath or if the hole or rip is sewn, it is not an hindrance for wiping.

5. Such wiping needs to be done over leather-made socks. Wiping underneath is not acceptable.

6. Obligatory amount of wiping over leather-made socks is there-finger-sized place in the front part of the socks as measured according to the smallest finger of a hand. Wiping from the tips of the feet upwards is appropriate to sunnah. However, it is also acceptable to pour water on such socks or wetting them with a sponge or a piece of cloth or wiping over the socks horizontally or beginning to wipe from the leg of a sock. However, such wiping is not in accordance with the sunnah.

7. Such socks need to be durable and strong enough to allow walking twelve thousand consecutive steps.

8. At least three-finger-sized space should be available in the front part of the feet.

9. These socks should stand without laces.

10. These socks should not allow the water in.

11. They should not be too transparent to display the feet. (as-Sarakhsi, ibid, I, 99-101; al-Kasani, ibid, I, 9-12; Ibnu’l-Humam, ibid, I, 128-134; Tahtawi, Hashiya Ala Maraqil Falah, Istanbul, 1095, p. 103-105; al-Fatawa’l Hindiyya, Bulaq 1315, I, 32-34).

The time limit for the validity of such wiping is one day and a night for the settled people and three days and nights for the travelling people. Intention is not necessary in wiping.  Wiping over the socks with wet hands and by putting right hand fingers over the right sock and the left fingers over the left sock and by wiping from down the tips of socks up to the ankles with fingers open is what is appropriate to the sunnah. 

This time limit commences right after the ablution is broken. For example, if a person has worn leather socks complying with the conditions of the noon prayer and his ablution is broken in the time of the afternoon prayer, the period begins after the time of the afternoon prayer. 

A person who is afraid of getting frozen by cold can continue wiping over the socks even if the deadline ends. For a person whose deadline of wiping ends and who still preserves his ablution, it is sufficient to wash his feet by putting off the socks; he does not need to make an ablution again. 

A settled person who goes on a trip before the period of wiping ends is subject to the time limit of wiping on travel. A person who travels and finishes a day and a night and becomes settled, then his period of wiping ends. A person whose deadline ends and goes on a trip should take his socks off and make an ablution and then wear the socks. (as-Sarakhsi, ibid, I, 98-99, 103-104; al-Kasani, ibid, I, 8-9; Ibnu’l Humam, ibid, 130-131; al-Fatawa’l Hindiyya, I, 33-34,36; Mulla Khusraw, Duraru’l Hukkam, Istanbul, 1979, I, 35; Tahtawi, ibid, p.105).

Wiping over socks:

It is acceptable to wipe over thick socks which are durable and strong enough to walk with. It is also acceptable to wipe over felt-made socks. According to the general aspect, it is not acceptable to wipe over socks which are permeable to water. (as-Sarakhsi, ibid, I, 102-103; al-Kasani, a.n.b, I, 10; al-Fatawal-Hindiyya, I, 32)

Wiping over boots:

It is acceptable to wipe over boots or shoes resembling boots worn over leather-made socks after socks are worn and without having wiped over socks and if they are worn without the ablution being broken. If they are worn after the ablution is broken, it is not acceptable to wipe over them.

It is not acceptable to wipe over gloves, veils, fez, hats and turbans. (as-Sarakhsi, ibid, I, 101-103; al-Kasani, ibid, I, 10-11; Mulla Khusraw, ibid I, 36; al-Fatawal-Hindiyya, I, 32)

Things that break the validity of wiping:

Anything that breaks the ablution also breaks the validity of wiping. For this reason, if the deadline has not ended yet, one should wipe over the socks and bandages in the next ablution.

The validity of wiping breaks due to the conditions listed below:

1. Exceeding the deadline of wiping. When the deadline ends, if a person does not have ablution, he should take the socks off and put them on back again with a new ablution. If a person still preserves his ablution even if the deadline of wiping ends, then he should only take the socks off and wash his feet and wear them back on.

2.  One or both of the socks coming out of the feet. When one sock comes out, a person should take the other one off and take ablution or if he has ablution, he should wash his feet and put them back on. Feet coming out up to the leg of the socks means it has completely come out.

3. If one of the feet becomes mostly wet in the socks due to water entering in the socks.

4. The case of impurity, menstruation and puerperium, which necessitates a complete ablution (ghusl) of the body.

5. Having a three-finger-sized rip on the socks as measured according to the size of the smallest finger on a foot. (al-Kasani, ibid, I, 12-13; Ibnu’l Humam, ibid, I, 134-135; Molla Khusraw, a.n.b, I, 37; Tahtawi, ibid, p. 105-107; al-Fatawa’l-Hindiyya, I, 34-35).

Wiping over a bandage:

Wiping over bandages over body parts which have been injured or wounded or cut is acceptable if washing them is harmful. If a bandage covers more place than the wound, one should wash the extra parts and if this is harmful, though, wiping over the bandage is sufficient. If wiping over the wound is not harmful, it is not acceptable to wipe over the bandage. If wiping over the bandage is also harmful, then wiping should be quitted. It is sufficient to wipe over the most parts of the bandage while wiping.

If the bandage comes out over the wound, if it comes out while praying without the full recovery of the wound, then one can continue to pray. If it comes out when a person does not pray, then he should wrap it again and he does not need to wipe over it again. The time limit of wiping over a bandage depends on the full recovery of the wound. Also, one does not have to have ablution while wrapping the bandage. In wrapping a bandage, a person without ablution is the same as an impure person (due to ejaculation etc.) After the recovery of the wound, if the bandage comes out while praying, the prayer becomes invalid.

If something leaks through the bandage over a wound, it breaks the ablution.

It is not acceptable to wear a sock on a foot while another one has a bandage over it and to wipe over it. It is acceptable to wipe over the socks  worn after that the bandage is wiped and the other foot is washed.

Intention is not necessary while wiping over the bandages. ( al-Kasani, ibid, I, 13-15; Ibnu’l Humam, ibid, I, 140-141; Molla Kusraw, a.n.b, I, 38-39; Tahtawi, ibid, p. 107-110; al-Fatawa’l Hindiyya, I, 35-36).

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What are the necessary conditions for the validity of wiping over (Leather- Made) Socks (Khuffs)?

Ablution is a problem for working women. Is it sufficient to wipe over thin socks while taking ablution, like wiping over the top of the feet without a complete wash of the feet?

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