skills/sistani-guidance/references/books/jme/pages-085-096.md

# Jurisprudence Made Easy

PDF pages 85 to 96. Physical PDF numbering, not inferred printed labels.

Mechanical text extraction, not a verified transcription. Read the full rule or dialogue across page boundaries and retain its footnotes.

Source characters are preserved except corrupt control glyphs, which are marked. Blank layout lines are removed. Do not silently repair other wording.

Previous block: [pages 73 to 84](pages-073-084.md).

Next block: [pages 97 to 108](pages-097-108.md).

## PDF PAGE 85

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85
d. Pure silk garments must not be worn by men during
prayer. As for women, wearing silk clothes is allowed.
e. Pure, or adulterated, gold jewellery is not allowed for
men. However, there is no harm in wearing fake jewellery.
* Even if it was a wedding ring?
- Yes, the prayer will not be in order with such a ring worn.
Not only this, it is forbidden for men to wear gold at all
time.
* What about gold caps on teeth and gold pocket
watches?
- These are permissible and the prayer said with these
things on is in order.
* Suppose I did not know that my ring was made of gold,
or I knew but forgot to take it off before I said prayer.
Would my prayer still be valid?
- Yes, the prayer is in order.
* And women?
- They are allowed to wear gold at all time, including
prayer time.
I still have two more things on the clothes worn during
prayer. It is obligatory to cover the private parts, i.e. the
penis, testicles, and posterior.
Women have to cover their entire body including hair, but
excluding the face, hands - to the wrists, and feet - to the
ankles during prayer. They should do this even when they
are alone.
These are the preliminary steps of prayer. Prayer itself
comprises a number of parts and duties. They are, niyyah,
takbiratul ihram, standing, recitation of some chapters of
the Holy Qur’an, dhikr (remembrance), ruku’, sujood
(prostration), tashahhud, tasleem. The order, as well as
continuance, of all these series of acts and utterances
should be paramount, as you shall find out later on.
* Why didn’t you start with adhan and iqamah (a
shortened form of adhan, heralding the inauguration of
```

## PDF PAGE 86

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86
prayer)?
- Before I answer your question, I should say that some of
these acts and utterances are called the fundamental
parts; they are niyyah, takbiratul ihram, iqamah, ruku’ and
sujood. Thus, they are set aside from the other parts of
prayer in that if any of these five fundamental parts is not
properly executed or missed out either deliberately or
inadvertently, the prayer is rendered invalid.
And now to answer your question, I have this to say:
Reciting adhan and iqamah in daily prayers is a strongly
mustahab act. So, you shall be rewarded if you stick to
reciting them prior to your daily prayer.
* What should I say for adhan?
- You can say the following:
Allahu Akbar (God is Great) - four times and each of the
following phrases twice:
Ashhadu Alla Illaha Illal Lah (I bear witness that there is
no god but Allah).
Ashhadu Anna Mohammadar Rasoulul Lah (I bear witness
that Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah).
Hayya Alas Salah (Hasten to prayer)
Hayya Alal Falah (Hasten to success)
Hayya Ala Khairil Amal (Hasten to the best of good deeds)
Allahu Akar
La Illaha Illal Lah (There is no god but Allah)
* And Iqamah?
- You should say each of the following phrases twice:
Allahu Akbar
Ashhadu Alla Illaha Illal Lah
Ashhadu Anna Mohammadar Rasoulul Lah
Hayya Alas Salah
Hayya Alal Falah
Hayya Ala Khairil Amal
Qad Qametis Salah (prayer is being offered)
Allahu Akbar
```

## PDF PAGE 87

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87
And
La Illaha Illal Lah (once)
* What about bearing witness to the vicegerency of Imam
Ali (a.s.)?
- It is mustahab, i.e. it is not an integral part of either
adhan or iqamah.
* So, the first part of prayer is niyyah.
- Yes.
* What is niyyah?
- It is your intention to offer prayer, that is you seek to be
close to Allah and gain His favour and reward by way of
submission.
* Could you explain to me what you mean by submission?
- It is the inner spiritual feeling that goes hand in hand
with all kinds of acts of worship; this can be summed up as
feeling of humility before the Creator.
* Is there a particular utterance?
- No, it is a mind set. That is why it does not have a
particular utterance; its seat is the heart. If, however, you
do not set your mind to performing prayer seeking
nearness and submission to Allah in those utterances and
movements, your prayer shall be rendered null and void
(batil).
The second fundamental part of prayer is takbiratul Ihram.
* What is takberatul Ihram?
- In a still standing posture, facing the qiblah, you say:
Allahu Akbar. You should say it in Arabic, stressing the
sound of (hamza) in the word (´Akbar). You should also
clearly utter the rest of the letters of this word and the
others. It is preferable, though, to pause between
takbiratul Ihram and the start of the recitation of the
Chapter of Al-Fatiha (Suratul Fatiha).
* You said I must say takiratul ihram while standing. How
should I go about saying prayer, if I was unable to stand
unaided due to illness, for example?
```

## PDF PAGE 88

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88
- You can say your prayer in a sitting position; if not, you
can say it lying on your right or left hand side, with your
face towards the qiblah. [Whenever possible, lying on the
right hand side must be given precedence over the left
hand side].
* If I was not in a position to do either?
- You could offer prayer while lying on your back with
your legs pointing to the qiblah.
* Suppose I could only manage takbiratul ihram in a
standing position.
- Yes, you could utter the phrase of takiratul ihram from a
standing position and perform the rest of your prayer
from a sitting one in any way possible.
The third fundamental part of prayer is the recitation.
After takbiratul ihram, you recite Surat (Chapter) of al-
Fatiha [and another full chapter after it]. The recitation
must be carried out correctly. You must also not forget to
recite the Basmalah (an acronym for Bismillahir Rahman ar
Rahim: In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the
Merciful) at the beginning of every chapter, except for
Chapter of Tawbah.
* If I have not sufficient time to recite the second chapter?
- You could leave it out. You could do so, should you be ill
and cannot recite the second chapter. The same goes for
situations of fearfulness or when you are in a hurry.
* In what manner should I recite the two chapters?
- [Men have to recite them in such a manner that
recitation is audible during Subh, Maghrib and Isha
prayers. As for reciting the two chapters during Dhuhr
and Asr, these should be done in an inaudible voice].
* What about women?
- They are not required to recite the two chapters audibly.
[They should, though, adhere to reciting inaudibly during
Dhur and Asr prayers].
* Suppose I was ignorant of the rule on reciting audibly or
```

## PDF PAGE 89

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89
inaudibly, or I made a mistake in the manner of reciting,
i.e. I got mixed up, would my prayer still be valid?
- You need not worry; your prayer should be in order.
* Now I know what I should recite during the first and
second raka’. What should I read during the third and
fourth raka’?
- You have the choice of either reciting the Chapter of al-
Fatiha only, or utter the tasbihat (or dhikr) [inaudibly in
both the cases] except the Basmalah where you can recite
it in an audible voice.
* If I choose to read the tasbihat, what should I say?
- It suffices to say, in a lowered voice, “Subhanallah, wal
Hamdu Lillah, wala Illaha Illal Lah, Wallahu Akbar”: Glory
be God, and Praise be to God; there is no god but God;
God is the Greatest. These phrases could be said either
once or three times, whichever you prefer.
* Are there any other requirements for the recitation?
- Yes, you must observe the correct pronunciation of the
Arabic words, both individually and within the context of
other words; when you stop on a word, you must always
pronounce it with an ending tone (sukoon), i.e. you
should ignore the accent on the last letter, be it fatha,
kasrah, dhamma, etc. Conversely, you must pronounce the
words with their full harakat (diacritical marks, such as
shaddah, maddah, tanween, hamzatul wasl or hamzatul
qat’, appearing above the characters or below them that
denote and aid the proper pronunciation of the words,
both independently and in relation to other words in the
sentence), usually found in the print of the Holy Qur’an.
In a word, you should master the rules of correct
recitation, in the same way, you are required to do when
reciting the verses of the Holy Qur’an, such as idgham
(amalgamation or doubling of certain letters - after noon
sakinah), qalqalah (resonating the sound of such letters
as, qaf, taa’, baa’, jeem, daal, especially when you are
```

## PDF PAGE 90

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91
stopping on them). Some of these can be found at the end
of the words of (Ahad, Assamad, Yelid, Youled in Chapter
of al-Ikhlas).
* Could you give me an example of hamzatul wasl and
hamzatul qat’?
- Words in Chapter al-Fatiha, such as (Allah, Arrahman,
Ihdina) start with hamzatul wasl which is not accentuated
when these words are used in a context of the sentence,
i.e. the way they are pronounced is determined by the
pronunciation of words immediately before them. Thus,
they are more or less silent. As for hamzatul qat’, it is the
one that should be pronounced very clearly. The way this
type of hamza is pronounced is not determined by its
proximity to other words. Examples of such a hamza are
found in the words of (Iyyaka and An’amta) in the same
Chapter.
And if I may add, to ensure that your recitation and other
utterances during prayer are perfect, you should seek the
help of those who have mastered prayer to enlighten you.
This may sound somewhat stringent; yet you must
endeavour to acquire the ability to guarantee that your
prayer is correct.
The fourth fundamental is qiyaam (standing upright).
Although this is self explanatory, yet it is the only part or
unit of prayer that carries a double message. It could be a
rukn as in the case of uttering takbiratul ihram and the
qiyaam immediately before ruku. Thus, it qualifies for the
characteristics of and is governed by the rules of any other
rukn. Or it could be a compulsory act (wajibat), not a rukn,
such as the standing while reciting the two chapters or
tasbihat, or standing up from a bowing position. Rules of
wajibat should, therefore, apply.
The fifth fundamental is ruku.
* How should I do ruku?
- You bend your body, placing the palms of your hands on
```

## PDF PAGE 91

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91
your knees, and saying (Subhana Rabiyal Adheemi wa
Bihamdih: Glory and praise be to my Lord) once, or you
say either (Subhanal Lah: Glory be to God), or (Allahu
Akbar: God is Great), or (Alhamdu Lillah: Praise be to God)
three times each.
You should then stand upright, saying as you do the
movement (Sami’llahu Limen Hamidah: May God accept
the words of those who praise Him), after which you
prostrate.
The sixth fundamental is sujood.
You must do two prostrations (sujoods) in each ruku.
* How should I do sujood?
- Put your forehead, the palms of the hands, the knees and
toes on the floor, forming an angle out of the torso and
thighs. It should be noted, though, that you must place
your forehead on the earth or what is grown in it, except
that which is edible or can be worn.
* Could you give me an example of what cannot be used
for sujood because it is of that which could be consumed
or worn?
- Vegetables and fruits cannot be used for sujood, nor can
cotton and flax.
* So, what are the other things that are permissible to use
for sujood?
- You may use earth, sand, stone, shingle, wood, or
inedible leaves. You may choose to do prostration on
paper made of pulp, cotton, flax, or chaff.
You should not use grains such as wheat and barley for
sujood, nor wool, tar, glass, and crystal. The best object
you can perform sujood on is the earth taken from land of
Karbala, Iraq where Imam Hussain (a.s.) is buried.
* Suppose I was unable to conduct sujood on any
permissible object or matter because it was either
unavailable or out of fear for myself?
- In the event of non-availability of any of the permissible
```

## PDF PAGE 92

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things for sujood, you may use tar or bitumen. If not, you
may prostrate on anything you deem possible, such as the
garment you are wearing or your hand. If your well-being
was threatened, you may act according to that which
would be conducive to preserving yourself.
Moreover, do not forget to observe the requirement of
symmetry and level of the places where you rest your
forehead, your knees, and the toes of both feet, i.e. none
should be higher than the other by the depth of a fist, i.e.
with four folded fingers (about ten cm.). [Nor should the
level of the spots where you stand and prostrate be].
* Having taken this posture, what should I do next?
- You should say (Subhana Rabiyal Al ‘Ala wa Bihamdih:
Glory and Praise be to my Lord, the Most High) once, or
(Subhanal Allah), or (Allahu Akbar), or (Alhamdu Lillah)
three times. Then, lift your forehead and sit down still and
composed, putting the legs under the buttocks, crossing
the right foot over the left one, and saying (Allahu Akbar).
You should do the second sujood in exactly the same way
you did the first.
* If I was unable to bend for sujood properly due to
sickness, for example, what should I do?
- Try to bow as far as you can, placing the object of sujood
on a raised place, provided that you position all other
parts of your body during the posture of sujood on their
respective spots.
* And if I was not able to do so?
- You may nod with your head to the place of sujood.
Should you not be able to do so, you may use your eyes as
a substitute; close them to denote performing sujood and
open them to express the lifting of the forehead from the
place of sujood.
The seventh fundamental part of prayer is tashahhud.
Tashahhud is compulsory to say after the second sujood of
the second ruku of every prayer and after the last ruku of
```

## PDF PAGE 93

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93
maghrib, dhuhr, asr and Isha prayers
* How should I go about uttering it?
- Say (Ashhadu Alla Illaha Illal Lah, Wahdahu La Sharika
Lah, Wa Ashhadu Anna Mohammadan Abduhu Wa
Rasuluh. Allahumma Salli Ala Mohammadiw Aali
Mohammad: I bear witness that there is no god but God,
and that Mohammad is His servant and messenger; May
peace be with Mohammad and his Pure Progeny). It is
noteworthy, however, that you sit still and that your
reading should be continuous.
The eighth fundamental is tasleem.
Saying tasleem is mandatory in the last ruku of every
prayer. It is said immediately after tashahhud, while you
are still in your sitting position.
* What should I say?
- The bare minimum is to say (Assalamu Alaikum: May
peace be with you). It is highly recommended, though,
that you add (Wa Rahmatul Lahi wa Barakatuh: and God’s
mercy and blessings), (Assalmu Alaika Ayyuhan Nabiyu
wa Rahmatul Lahi wa Barakatuh: May peace, mercy of the
Almighty and His blessings be with you, Oh Prophet), and
(Assalamu Alaina wa Ala Ibadil Lahis Saliheen: May peace
be with us and the good among Allah’s servants.
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatul Lahi wa Barakatuh:May
peace, mercy, and blessings of the Almighty be with you).
* Is there any reason why you did not mention qunoot
(the raising of both hands for supplication in prayer)?
- Qunoot is mustahab once in every prescribed prayer and
other voluntary ones [except Shefa’ prayer]. If you wish,
you can say it, with your both hands raised in
supplication, after you have finished reciting the second
surah of the second ruku, i.e. immediately before bowing.
* Is there any particular supplication I can say in qunoot?
- No, there is not. However, you could recite a verse from
the Holy Qur’an, invoking your Lord; you may ask Him for
```

## PDF PAGE 94

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anything.
* Now that you have explained to me how to say prayer, I
would like to ask you if there are any actions or otherwise
that invalidate prayer?
- Yes, there are:
1. When prayer is stripped of any of its fundamental units,
such as niyyah, takbiratul ihram, ruku, and sujood, it can
no longer be valid.
2. Whatever spoils ablution, such as breaking wind, is
bound to nullify prayer, [even if it happens,
unintentionally or out of necessity, after the last sujood].
3. The head or the torso should not be turned away fully
from the qiblah.
* And if the turn is slight so much so that it would not
spoil the actual facing of the qiblah?
- This does not invalidate prayer, although it is maqrouh.
4. Deliberate laughing nullifies prayer.
5. [Deliberate weeping or crying for worldly matters
invalidates prayer]. Weeping for any matter relating to the
Hereafter is in order.
6. Intentional speech, albeit pronouncing a single letter,
other than utterances pertaining to prayer itself, renders
prayer invalid. The only exception here is the response to
a salutation, which is compulsory, by repeating that
salutation.
7. Doing anything that spoils the movements or
utterances of prayer, such as rocking or swaying,
invalidates prayer.
```

## PDF PAGE 95

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8. Eating or drinking during prayer is not allowed, even if
this does not spoil the acts and utterances of prayer.
9. [Deliberate crossing of one’s hands, over the abdomen,
while standing in prayer, in situations other than taqiyyah
(dissimulation about one’s religious beliefs in order to
protect oneself, family or property from harm)].
10. Deliberate utterance of the word “Amen”, after the
imam has finished reciting “Al-Fatiha” [or the person who
is praying alone says it after he has recited it], if there was
no case for taqiyyah.
I should also, explain to you another important aspect
concerning prayer, i.e. doubt about the proper execution
of its acts and/or utterances.
* Does doubt render prayer invalid?
- It is not always the case. Some doubts do invalidate
prayer. Others can be rectified and the third category can
be ignored.
However, I should outline to you general principles you
may observe, should you harbour any doubt about the
proper execution of prayer.
1. Whenever you suspect the validity of any prayer after
you have finished it, you need not worry; the prayer shall
be in order.
* Could you give me an example?
- Suppose, you have just finished performing subh prayer.
Immediately afterwards, you became suspicious whether
you have done two ruku or more. In such a case, you
should deem the prayer valid.
2. Whoever doubted the validity of any part of the prayer
after he had finished it, they should deem that part valid
```

## PDF PAGE 96

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and the whole prayer too.
* For example?
- If you grew doubtful about the correctness of your
recitation, ruku, or sujood after you had performed them,
you need not pay attention, and should deem the prayer
in order.
3. Whenever you suspect that any part of prayer was not
carried out properly, after you have entered into a
subsequent part, you should deem the previous one in
order, and the prayer shall therefore stand.
* I’d very much appreciate it, if you could give me an
example.
- Suppose you were reciting the second chapter in a given
ruku and the doubt crept into your mind that maybe you
did not recite the first one, or forgot to recite it completely.
In this case, you should deem the recitation of the chapter
done. Similarly, if you were on going to bow, you should
carry on with what you were about to do. Accordingly,
your prayer shall be in order.
4. Whoever has a habit of doubting the correctness of the
prayer, need not pay attention to such suspicion. The
prayer shall, therefore, be in order.
* For example?
- Say, when you perform subh prayer, you frequently get
mixed up as to the number of ruku you have done. You
need not act on this suspicion and therefore render your
prayer in order. Or suppose you have a habit of mistaking
the number of sujood, e.g. whether you did one sujood or
two. You should assume that prayer is in order.
* How can one reach a conclusion that they are prone to
unusual level of doubt?
- He who has made a habit of being doubtful knows that
shortcoming. It suffices to say that the frequency of their
```