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:

as salam alaikumw.r.w.b!!

may god bless us all!!

question

1. if we have not performed ablution, are we denied of touching the quran( i mean we cannot move it from one place to another without ablution)

3.i have reached mosque and there imam has just started the surah after finishing the al fateha, so i  recite al fateha in my heart?? was that  right?? or i shud just listen to him??or wht shuld i do in such situation ?

even concerning any prayer behind imam!!like the zohar and asar (i always recite fateha but sum people does not advice dis??) so pls answer!!

4. is a child aged 10 cannot stand among the elders in the first row or even the second or third in the mosque? and if u find it ok, do tell me how are things with u people or how can i help if in whtsoever way it be!!and i which coutnry is all this good work going on!

i am student preparing for my engineering residing in delhi india!!!

jazakallah khair

(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:

Fatiha in prayer

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: if we have not performed ablution, are we denied of touching the quran( i mean we cannot move it from one place to another without ablution)

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 56 Surah Waqiah verses 77-79

77 That this is indeed a Qur'an, most honorable

78 In a Book well-guarded

79 Which none shall touch but those who are clean (and pure).

Although the above aayah is meant to state how the Glorious Quran is honored by the noble Angels in the heavens; the scholars have opined that just as the Glorious Quran is honored in the heavens by the Angels, so should it be honored by the believers on the earth…. And thus, one, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, should touch the Glorious Quran only when one is pure and clean, and preferably when in the state of ‘wudu’.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 6:

6 O ye who believe! When ye prepare for prayer wash your faces and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles.

The only acts in Islam whereby the wudu is absolutely obligatory and a pre-condition is when one is about to offer a prayer or while circumambulating the Holy Kaaba; if these two rites are performed without the wudu, it would nullify the rites.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 229 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

Abdullah ibn Salamah said: ‘I, accompanied by other two persons, one from us and the other from Banu Asad, called upon Ali. He sent them to a certain territory (on some mission) saying: ‘You are going to a sturdy and vigorous people; hence display your power for religion.’ He then stood and entered the toilet. He then came out and called for water and took a handful of it. Then he wiped (his hands) with it and began to recite the Qur'an. They were surprised at this (action). Thereupon he said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (saws) came out from the privy and taught us the Qur'an and took meat with us. Nothing prevented him from (reciting) the Qur'an except sexual defilement.’

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3751 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas

The Messenger of Allah (saws) came out from the privy and water was presented to him. They (the people) asked: ‘Should we bring you water for ablution?’ He (saws) replied: ‘I have been commanded to perform ablution (only) when I get up for prayer.’

Sahih Muslim Hadith 725 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas

The Messenger of Allah (saws) came out of the privy, and he was presented with some food, and the people reminded him about ablution, but he (saws) said: ‘Am I to say prayer that I should perform ablution?’

Although it would be preferred and best to touch or recite the Glorious Quran while in the state of wudu, there is no obligation, no harm, and no sin if one were to touch or recite it even when not in the state of wudu or ablution. But one should strive to abstain from touching or reciting the Quran when one is in the state of ‘janaba’ or major sexual impurity.

Your Question:i have reached mosque and there imam has just started the surah after finishing the al fateha, so i recite al fateha in my heart?? was that right?? or i shud just listen to him??or wht shuld i do in such situation? even concerning any prayer behind imam!!like the zohar and asar (i always recite fateha but sum people does not advice dis??) so pls answer!!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraf verse 204:

When the Quran is recited to you, listen to it with attention and keep silent. It may be that you also are blessed with mercy.

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 1.723 Narrated by Ubada bin As Samit

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Whoever does not recite Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid."

The best opinion of the scholars regarding the recitation of the Quran while praying in congregation is that when the Imam is praying and recites the Surah Al-Fatihah and the Quran aloud (Fajr, and the first two rakahs of Magrib and Isha), the people should listen to the Imam’s recitation; and in the rakahs when the Imam recites the Surah Al-Fatihah and/or the Quran silently (Dhuhr, Asr, the last rakah of Magrib, and the last two rakahs of Isha), the believers should recite the Surah Al-Fatihah and/or the Quran themselves.

This way both the commands and guidance, to remain quiet when the Quran is being recited, and the recitation of Surah Fatihah in every rakah will be honored.

Abu Hurairah reports that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "If you come to the salah and we are in the state of ‘sajdah’, then make sajdah with us but do not count it [as a rak'ah]. And whoever 'catches' the ruku', he catches the ‘rakah’."

Related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Khuzaimah, and al-Hakim.

If for some reason one has reached the congregation late when the ‘imam’ has already finished the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah and started the recitation of another Surah in the rakah, one should listen to the recitation of the ‘imam’ with absolute attention and silence, and abstain from reciting anything; for the believers are commanded by their Lord to listen to the Quran with attention when it is being recited aloud in their presence.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraf verse 204:

When the Quran is recited to you, listen to it with attention and keep silent. It may be that you also are blessed with mercy.

But in the ‘rakahs’ where the prayers are offered in silence by the ‘imam’ ((Dhuhr, Asr, the last rakah of Magrib, and the last two rakahs of Isha), it is highly recommended that one recite the Surah Al-Fatihah silently in those rakahs.

Your Question: is a child aged 10 cannot stand among the elders in the first row or even the second or third in the mosque?

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.116 (part)

Abdullah ibn Ghanam related that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (r.a.) gathered together the people of his tribe saying, " O Tribe of Ash'ari, gather together, and gather your women and children to teach them how the Messenger of Allah (saws) prayed with us in Madinah." They all gathered to watch him perform ablution. After it, he waited until the sun had just passed the meridian and there was some shade, and then he made the adhan. He put the men in the row closest to him, the children in a row behind the men, and the women in a row behind the children.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) in setting the rows for congregational prayers was that the men formed the rows immediately behind the imam leading the prayer; then the rows of children (below the age of puberty) were formed after the rows of men; and then the rows of women after the children.

Beloved brother, although prayer in congregation is not obligatory for children until they reach the age of puberty, it would be prudent for believing parents to encourage their children to attend the congregational prayers along with them, so that this blissful habit may be formed in their children from an early age.

Although the prayer of the adults is not invalidated simply because children are standing along with the adults in prayer, if one offers prayers in a mosque where there is an arrangement made for all the children to stand in a separate row behind the adult believers, or some amongst the adult believers are uncomfortable or cannot concentrate on their prayers with the children amongst them; one must talk to their children with love and tenderness, and explain to them that it would be best if they stood in the row of children behind the adult believers in the normal congregational prayers.

Your Question: …or how can i help if in whtsoever way it be

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, there are two things which you can do which will help us tremendously in our humble efforts:

1. In all humility, we implore you to remember us in the supplications you make to your Lord, and beseech the Lord Most Merciful to accept this humble service we offer in His Cause, forgive us our innumerable sins and our severe shortcomings, and have Mercy on us and all the believers on the Day when nothing but His Mercy Alone will determine one’s salvation in the Hereafter.
2. Another thing you could do to help in the Cause of Allah brother is if you could take a couple of minutes of your time and either forward our humble articles to the brethren on your mailing list, or invite them to subscribe to our humble site so that they too may regularly receive our humble articles.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.521 Narrated by Sahl bin Sad

On the day of Khaibar, the Messenger of Allah (saws) said to Hadrat Ali (r.a.) just when Hadrat Ali (r.a.) was dispatched to enter the territory of the disbelievers: "When you enter their territory, call them to embrace Islam and inform them of Allah's Rights which they should observe, for by Allah, even if a single person is led on the Right Path (of Islam) by Allah through you, then that will be better for you than the nicest red camels (the absolute most prized possession of those times!)."

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan