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:

Assalaamu alaykum!

In verse 17.110, Allah instructs that the Salaat should be in a voice that is neither too loud nor too low.

Why then do we, in open and universal defiance of this divine command, say our Zuhr and Asr prayers in too low a voice?

Wassalaam,

(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:

Salat in soft voice

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.

May Allah Subhanah reward you in this world and the Hereafter, increase your quest in the knowledge of Truth and open your and our hearts to understand and comprehend the wisdom behind each command of guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 110: Say: "Call upon Allah or call upon Rahman: by whatever name ye call upon Him (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Neither speak thy Prayer aloud nor speak it in a low tone, but seek a middle course between."

Beloved brother in Islam, the above command of Allah Subhanah was revealed in the last stages of the Makkan period, when the atrocities and the oppression of the disbelievers and pagans of Makkah towards the believers were at its absolute peak. Hadrat Ibn Abbas (r.a.) relates that when the Prophet (saws) and his companions offered their prayers, they recited the Quran in a loud voice. At this the disbelievers would raise a hue and cry and often abused them and their prayers, and called them names. Therefore Allah Subhanah revealed the above Aayah and enjoined the believers that they should neither say their prayers in such a loud voice as might incite the disbelievers, nor should they say in such a low voice that their own companions might not hear them, but seek a middle course in between.

This instruction was discontinued under the changed condition when the Islamic State was established in Medina; and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was established when he recited the prayers aloud in the fajr, magrib and isha prayers, and read it in a low voice in the dhuhr and asr prayers.

Your Question: Why then do we, in open and universal defiance of this divine command, say our Zuhr and Asr prayers in too low a voice?
Beloved brother in Islam, as believers we must realize and accept that no man who ever walked on this planet earth understood and implemented the commands of Allah Subhanah better than the noble person and Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws); and it is absolutely inconceivable to the believers that the Messenger of Allah (saws) would have ever defied any command of The Majestic and Supreme Lord.

He (saws) taught the believers how to pray and commanded them to pray as they have seen him pray; and all the scholars of all the school of thoughts in Islam are absolutely unanimous in their opinion regarding the volume of each of the prayers prayed in congregation. The prayers are an act of worship which the Messenger of Allah (saws) practiced thousands of times, and thousands of believers witnessed his (saws) this Sunnah or way.

All Praise is due to Allah Subhanah Alone, that in spite of the many differences in the various matters of ‘fiqh’ amongst the various schools of thought; there is absolutely no difference in the matters and manners of the obligatory prayers.

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