Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

burhanbhai,
1)u must be knowing the `saf` system in bohra`s. plz tell me is it necessary that the saf should start from left to right.and if there is a space in between 2 persons the person from behind has to cover up with his `masallah` even if it is in between fard prayers.if it is not covered then do everyone have to pray fard again.

2)some muslims immediately break their fasts on `azaan`, while bohra`s pray their fard prayers first then break fast.which is right?

regards.
brother. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Bohra saff and break fast

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1A: u must be knowing the `saf` system in bohra`s. plz tell me is it necessary that the saf should start from left to right.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 666 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

The Prophet (saws) said: “Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be pliant in the hands of your brethren, and do not leave openings for the devil. If anyone joins up a row, Allah will join him up, but if anyone breaks a row, Allah will cut him off.”

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1101 Narrated by Abu Umamah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: “Verily Allah and His Angels shower blessings on the first row.” The noble companions asked: “O Allah's Messenger (saws), what about the second (row?” He (saws) said: “Allah and His Angels shower blessings on the first row.” They said: “O Allah's Messenger (saws), what about the second one?” Thereupon he (saws) said: “Verily Allah and His Angels shower blessings on the first row.” They said: “O Allah's Messenger (saws), what about the second one?” And Allah's Messenger (saws) said: “On the second (also).” Allah's Messenger (saws) said: “Straighten your rows, stand shoulder to shoulder, stand close to the end of your brothers, and close up the intervening spaces for Shaitaan penetrates what is between them.”

The Bohra system of saff, whereby they make sure that the ends of their prayer mats meet in a row, but do not stand close in rows where the shoulders and/or legs of one touches the other, is incorrect and against the guidance, teachings, and Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Q-1B: plz tell me is it necessary that the saf should start from left to right.

Jabir reports: "The Prophet (saws) stood to pray and I came and stood on his left. He (saws) took me by my hand [and led me] around him until I stood on his right. Then, Jabir ibn Sakhr came and stood on the left of the Messenger of Allah (saws). He took both of us by our hands and pushed us back until we stood behind him."

Related by Muslim and Abu Dawud.

The Sunnah of standing in a congregational prayer is that the ‘imaam’ stands in the center, and the believers fill the positions in rows starting behind the imam, to his right and to his left until the row is complete, and then start the second row in a similar fashion: behind the imam from the center and then fill the right and left positions and form a row. The saff or rows do not start from the left nor the right, but from the center behind the imam.

Q-2: if there is a space in between 2 persons the person from behind has to cover up with his `masallah` even if it is in between fard prayers.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 666 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

The Prophet (saws) said: “Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be pliant in the hands of your brethren, and do not leave openings for the devil. If anyone joins up a row, Allah will join him up, but if anyone breaks a row, Allah will cut him off.”

Not only can a believer fill the gap in the row in front of him while praying in congregation; it is highly desirable that he ‘should’ fill in the gap in the front row while praying in congregation; regardless which rakah of the prayer is being prayed.

If one notices a gap in the row ahead of him, the believer praying the prayer, should simply take a few steps forward in the prayer itself and complete the ‘saff’ (row) in front of him; and that would in no way break or invalidate his prayer.

Q-3: if it is not covered then do everyone have to pray fard again.

If there is a gap between two believers in a congregational prayer, the believers must either move sideways and fill the gap until their shoulders or feet touch each other, or if there is enough space to accommodate one more person, then the believers from the row behind must fill this gap.

In case the gap is not filled, the prayers of the believers who prayed will still be considered valid, and there is no need for them to pray the salaah again.

Q-4: some muslims immediately break their fasts on `azaan`, while bohra`s pray their fard prayers first then break fast.which is right?
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 187 (part):…and eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are limits (set by) Allah; approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth Allah make clear His signs to men that they may learn self-restraint.

Hadrat Abu Dharr al-Ghafari (r.a.) related that the Prophet (saws) said: "My nation will always retain some goodness as long as they hasten breaking the fast, and delay eating the pre-dawn meal."

Hadrat Sahl ibn Sad (r.a.) reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "The people will always be with the good as long as they hasten in breaking the fast."

Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Hadrat Anas (r.a.) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "If the food is already presented (after the breaking of the fast with dates), eat before the sunset prayer, and do not eat your meals in haste."

This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Amr ibn Maimun states: "The companions of Prophet Muhammad (saws) would be the first to break the fast, and the last to eat their pre-dawn meals."

Related by al-Baihaqi.

No man who ever walked on this planet earth, understood and implemented the Commands of Allah Subhanah in the Glorious Quran better than the noble person of the Messenger of Allah, Mohammed ar-Rasool Allah (saws); and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was that he always broke the fast first and then offered his ‘magrib’ prayers. And the believers who truly follow the Quran and Sunnah do the same.

It is not that ‘some’ muslims break the fast immediately on the announcement of ‘adhaan’; ALL the muslims break their fast on the announcement of the ‘adhaan’, except the followers of the Bohra sect for reasons best known to them. Delay in breaking the fast only after the ‘magrib’ prayers is not from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), he can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), he can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan