Sunnah prayers.
In a previous article, we read and understood, through Qur-aanic verses, what Swalah (prayer) is:

" being recited upon the Aayaatillaah - the Signs of Allaah - and falling down in prostration, weeping, on hearing them."

It logically implies that the verses of Qur-aan will be recited audibly and those stand behind will hear it. This is swalaah, which has been made obligatory (fard) for the believers. Allaah says that this obligation (fard) to pray has been the practice (sunnah) of all those who were sent (as messengers) before our prophet (peace on them).

" (This was Our) method with those whom we sent before you as messengers : you will find no change in Our methods." (17:77)

" Establish prayer at the sun's decline until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the Qur-aan at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Qur-aan at dawn is ever witnessed. " (17:78)

The above verses have been ridiculed through our current practices as follows:
Allaah says that Swalaah (the audible recital of Qur-aan upon the audience behind) has been the practice or method (sunnah) enjoined upon all messengers. We ridicule this by establishing more set of prayers, which are recited inaudibly and individually by all persons, and say that this was the sunnah of our prophet (peace upon him). More ridicule is done by varying the number of rak'ats in such so-called sunnah prayers, while Allaah says: "you will find no change in Our methods."

Allaah has provided for an additional prayer in the night:

17:79 "And some part of the night awake for it, an addition(al prayer) for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praised station."

You will find it strange that Allaah mentions tahajjud in Qur-aan which is a nafil prayer and does not mention any of the waajib, which according to the learned 'ulama, is in importance immediately next to the Faraaidh (Obligatory prayers).


The inaudible rak'ats.

It is said that our prophet Muhammad (peace upon him) did not recite the Qur-aan audibly in Zwuhr (afternoon) and 'Aswr (evening) prayers, because of the 'fear of the disbelievers', who used to follow him.

If our prophet did so because of the 'fear of the disbelievers', why he did not recite it audibly in the third and fourth rak'aths of Maghrib and 'Isha. Did the disbelievers turn up suddenly during the third and fourth rak'aths?

What about Jum'ah prayers? Why is it recited audibly, though it is the Zwuhr prayer of Friday? What about the Eid prayers?

What the muswallee is supposed to recite in the third and the fourth rak'aths? What if he has to cut short his recitation because the imaam said takbeer for ruk'u.

If the prophet recited Zuwhr and 'Aswr prayers inaudibly, for the reason cited by them, why the adzaan, iqaamat, takbeer, du'a.... in fact everything other than the recital of Qur-aan is done in loud or audible voice? Is it not clear that the real intention is only to suppress the voice of Qur-aan?

Would the prophet have feared to recite audibly in prayer, that which he proclaimed openly outside the prayer, fearlessly?

If the inaudible recital was originally done at Makkah, for 'fear of the disbelievers', what was the necessity to preserve it in Madeenah, where all had become Muslims. Then, after the conquest of Makkah, was it still done to commemorate the alleged fear of the days of ignorance. Would the prophet have feared the kuffaar or would he have feared Allaah, who enjoins us to recite the prayers in a middle tone?


A different 'tashahhud'.

While travelling, I prayed the maghrib prayer in a village called Avalur. (It could be another town 5 kilometers away, called Ocheri ; I do not remember which of the two.) I noticed a person praying next to me, who did the act of lifting the index finger while sitting, the so-called 'tashahhud', differently. His method was: He first folded in the fingers, then he lifted his index finger, then he slided forward his hand about two inches, then he withdrew the hand to the original position and then dropped the index finger. The real intention and the nearest to what they aim by the so-called 'tashahhud' became evident in this muswallee of Ocheri / Avalur. If only his teacher had told him to shake the finger (as some sects do), after sliding forward the hand, and then withdraw it, nobody would be in doubt as to what it is : a lewd sign.


Hand over mouth, in disbelief.

The following is the reaction of a translator, whom I had requested to translate the articles about prayers :

Anyway, I finished the first article easily, and it was perfect. But when I get into the second article (by thursday afternoon), the prayer, I was SHOCKED! I couldn't believe I'm reading such a thing, I couldn't ever believe that anybody can think in such a way. I told you in the early begenning that I'm a practicing muslim, and that I read a lot of relegious books, so I could easily recognize that what I was reading was completely false and rediculous!

In another letter he said:

"Well, concerning the PRAYER pages, can we talk about this for a while pls? I just hope this shouldn't look offensive for you. Now I'm wondering, how could you think in such way. As I said earlier, I was shocked to see anybody thinking like this."

This reaction is nothing new. I had quoted everything based on the verses of Qur-aan, but still people have been brain-washed to such an extent that in spite of clear evidence being provided, they refuse to accept the truth.

" Has not the story reached you, of those who (went) before you? - Of the People of Nooh, and 'Aad, and Thamood - And of those who (came) after them? None knows them but Allaah. To them came Messengers with Clear (Signs); but they put their hands into their mouths, and said: "We do deny with which you have been sent, and we are really in grave doubt as to that to which you invite us." (14:9)

" Their messengers said: 'Is there a doubt about Allaah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. It is He Who invites you, in order that He may forgive you of your sins and give you respite for a term appointed!' They said: 'You are no more than human, like ourselves! You wish to turn us away from that which our fathers used to worship: then bring us some clear authority.' "(14:10)

(A note : Finally, the pages about Prayers was translated by an Iraqi brother. Because only people in Iraq could understand well what it means to call themselves a shia or a sunni, having abandoned the beautiful name "Muslim", given by Allaah. Someone comes holding a gun and asks whether you are a shia or a sunni. The man facing the gun could answer neither. Because he does not know by saying which he could save his life. He acquired no wisdom by reading the verses of Qur-aan he has been reading or listening to daily:

“And who is better in speech than the one who invites towards Allaah, does good deeds and says : (indeed) I am from the Muslims .” (41:33)

" But he who turns away from My (book of) remembrance, his will be a narrow life, and I shall bring him blind to the assembly on the Day of Resurrection." (20:124)

"Say: He is able to send punishment upon you from above you or from beneath your feet, or to bewilder you with dissension and make you taste the tyranny one of another. See how We display the revelations so that they may understand." (6:65)


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