The Conditions for the Prayer

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd-il-Wahhaab - Rahimahullah - says in his book, Shuroot-us-Salaat-i-wa-Arkaanuhaa-wa-Waajibaatuhaa:

The Conditions (Shuroot) for the Prayer

The conditions for the Prayer are nine:

1. Islaam;
2. Sanity;
3. Reaching the age of Maturity;
4. Lack of Ritual Impurity (i.e. Ablution);
5. Removal of Filth;
6. Covering the ‘Awrah;
7. The Entrance of the Proper Time;
8. Facing the Qiblah; and
9. The Intention.

The First Condition:

Islaam: Its opposite is Kufr (disbelief). The actions of a disbeliever are not accepted (by Allaah), regardless of what good deed he may perform. The proof for this is Allaah’s saying:

"It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allaah while they witness against their own selves of disbelief. The works of such are in vain and in Hell will they abide forever." [Soorah at-Tawbah: 17]

And Allaah’s saying:

"And We shall turn to whatever deeds they (polytheists) did and make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust." [Surah Al-Furqaan: 23]

The Second Condition:

'Aql (Sanity): Its opposite is Insanity (junoon). As for the insane person, the pen (that records his deeds) is lifted from him until he regains sanity. The proof for this is the hadeeth:

"The pen is lifted from three people: A person sleeping until he wakes up; an insane person until he regains sanity; and a child until he reaches the age of puberty." [1]

The Third Condition:

Tamyeez (Age of Maturity): Its opposite is childhood (sughr). Its extent is the age of seven years, then he is to be commanded to pray. The proof for this is the Messenger of Allaah’s saying:

"Command your children to pray by (the age of) seven. And beat them to do it by (the age of) ten. And separate them from their beds." [2]

The Fourth Condition:

Raf’-ul-Hadath (Uplifting Ritual Impurity): This refers to the ablution (wudoo) that is well known. What makes ablution mandatory is hadath (ritual impurities). Its conditions (shuroot) are ten:

1. Islaam;
2. Sanity;
3. Age of Maturity;
4. Intention;
5. Accompanying its ruling by the fact that one must intend to not stop it until he completes his ritual purity;
6. Removal of what makes ritual purity mandatory;
7. cleansing the private parts;
8. Clean Water that is permissible to use;
9. Removing all things that prevent the water from reaching the skin; and
10. it must be the proper time for it. This applies to those who have a constant state of ritual impurity (i.e. such as menstruating women), due to its obligation.

As for its obligations (furood), then they are six:

1. Washing the face, which includes Madmadah (rinsing the mouth) and Istinshaaq (inhaling water in the nose), and its boundaries are from where the hair of the head begins to the chin, lengthwise, and from the right ear to the left ear, widthwise;
2. Washing the hands up to (and including) the elbows;
3. Wiping the entire head, which includes the ears (with water);
4. Washing the feet up to (and including) the ankles;
5. Maintaining this sequence; and and
6. Muwaalaat. [3]

The proof for this is Allaah’s saying:

"O you who believe! When you rise to pray, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows. Wipe your heads (with water), and (wash) your feet up to the ankles." [Surah Al-Maa’idah: 6]

The proof for maintaining the same sequence (when performing wudoo) is the hadeeth:

"Begin with what Allaah has began with." [4]

The proof for Muwaalaat is the hadeeth of the man who left a spot unwashed. It was reported that one time the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saw a man who had left a spot on his foot the size of a dirham, which water had not touched (when performing wudoo). So he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ordered him to go back and repeat it. [5]

Its requirement (waajib) is the tasmeeyah (mentioning Allaah’s Name) along with the words of remembrance (dhikr).

The things that nullify (nawaaqid) the ablution are eight:

1. Whatever comes out from the two private parts;
2. Any foul impure substance that comes out from the body;
3. Loss of consciousness (i.e. sleep/insanity);
4. Touching a woman with sexual desire;
5. Touching one’s private part with the hand, whether it is the frontal or rear (private part);
6. Eating the meat of camels;
7. Bathing a deceased person; and
8. Apostating from Islaam, may Allaah protect us from that!

The Fifth Condition:

Izaalat-un-Najaasah (Removing Filth): This requires removing it from three things: From one’s body, from one’s garments and from the area (he is praying in). The proof for this is Allaah’s saying:

"And purify your garments." [Surah Al-Muddathir: 4]

The Sixth Condition:

Sitr-ul-‘Awrah (Covering the ‘Awrah): The People of Knowledge have unanimously agreed that the prayer of one who prays naked while having the ability (to clothe himself) is invalid. The boundaries of the ‘awrah for a man are from his navel to his knees,[6] and the same applies to a female slave. As for a free woman, all of her body is ‘awrah except for her face.[7] The proof for this is Allaah’s saying:

“O Children of Aadam, take your adornment (by covering yourselves with clean clothes) when praying. “ [Surah Al-A’raaf: 31]

meaning during every prayer.

The Seventh Condition:

Dukhool-ul-Waqt (Entrance of the Proper Time): The proof for this from the Sunnah is the hadeeth of Jibreel, peace be on him, when he lead the Prophet in one prayer during the initial times for it and during the last part of the hour of it, saying to him afterward:

"O Muhammad, the prayer is between these two times." [8]

And also Allaah’s statement:

"Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours." [Surah An-Nisaa: 103]

The proof that the prayers are in fixed times is Allaah’s saying:

"Establish the prayer from mid-day till the darkness of the night (i.e. Dhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib and ‘Ishaa), and recite the Qur’aan in the early dawn (i.e. Fajr). Verily, the recitation of the Qur’aan in the early dawn is ever witnessed (by the angels)." [Surah Al-Israa: 78]

The Eighth Condition:

Istiqbaal-ul-Qiblah (Facing the Ka’bah): The proof for this is Allaah’s statement:

"Verily, We have seen the turning of your face (O Muhammad) towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (proper direction) that will please you. So turn your face to the direction of Al-Masjid-ul-Haraam." [Surah Al- Baqarah: 144]

The Ninth Condition:

An-Niyyah (The Intention): Its place is in the heart, and as for vocalizing it, then this is an innovation. The proof for this is the hadeeth:

"Verily actions are based on intentions, and verily every man will have what he intends." [9]

See also:
The Pillars (Arkaan) of the Prayer
The Requirements (Waajibaat) of the Prayer

Footnotes:

1. Reported by Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa’ee and Ibn Maajah. al-Haakim reported it in his Mustadrak (vol. 1, pg. 251) with a similar wording, saying: “This is an authentic hadeeth based on the conditions of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.” adh-Dhahabee agreed.
2. An authentic hadeeth reported by Ahmad, Aboo Daawood and al-Haakim.
3. Translator’s Note: Muwaalat refers to when all of the acts of wudoo are done in order without any pause in between them so as to let the previous part of the body that was washed become dry.
4. An authentic hadeeth reported by Muslim and an-Nasaa’ee
5. Ibn ‘Umar reported from Abu Bakr and ‘Umar that they said: “A man who had made the ablution once came, and he had a spot the size of a thumb on the top of his feet that wasn’t washed, so the Prophet told him: ‘Go back and complete your ablution.’ So he did it.” [Reported by ad-Daaraqutnee]
6. Translator’s Note: A man must cover his shoulders in prayer as well, based on the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) in which the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “None of you should pray in a single garment with no part of it being over his shoulders.” [Reported by al- Bukhaaree and Muslim]
7. Translator’s Note: In prayer, a woman must cover her whole body, with the exception of her face and hands. Her dress must also be wide enough to cover the upper part of her feet Refer to Ibn Taymiyyah’s book on the Woman’s Dress in Prayer (Hijaab-ul-Mar’ah wa Libaasuhaa fis-Salaat), for a detailed discussion on the limits of what a man and woman must cover while in prayer.
8. Reported by Ahmad, an-Nasaa’ee, at-Tirmidhee and Ibn Hibbaan.
9. Reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim

Translated by Ismaa'eel Alacron