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:

Assalam-o-alaikum,

Its so great of you that you are doing your best to educate the muslim brothers about islam. May Almighty Allah bestow His blessings on you.

Could you kindly clarify me regarding the following:

Somewhere I heard that, during prayers we should not wear clothes in reverse manner (i.e., folding the sleeves and/or trousers). Your opinion on this one.

Secondly kindly let me know the exact way of offering Witr Prayer during/after Isha`an prayers.

Thirdly what should be the distance between both the legs during the prayers.

Hope you will be kind enough to show me real path of deen on these doubts. I might have committed grammatical mistakes for which I ask apologies.

Kindly reply to my mail.

With Kind regards.

(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:

Prayer clarifications

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 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.

Your Question: Somewhere I heard that, during prayers we should not wear clothes in reverse manner (i.e., folding the sleeves and/or trousers). Your opinion on this one.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.124a

Ibn 'Abbas narrated: "The Prophet (saws) ordered us to prostrate on seven bodily parts, and not to fold back the hair or clothing: the forehead, the hands, the knees and the feet." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) In another narration, the Prophet (saws) said, "I have been ordered to prostrate on seven bodily parts and not to fold back the hair or clothing: the forehead, the nose, the hands, the knees and the feet." (Related by Muslim and an-Nasa'i.)

The Messenger of Allah (saws) indeed guided and commanded the believers not to fold back their garments while in the state of prayer or prostration.

Your Question: Secondly kindly let me know the exact way of offering Witr Prayer during/after Isha`an prayers.
Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.13

It is permissible to perform the witr prayers by praying two rak'at combinations[and concluding each of them with a tashahud and the tasleems] and then praying one rak'ah with a tashahud and taslim. Likewise, it is allowed to pray all the rak'at with two tashahuds and one taslim. One may pray an even number of rak'ats, one after another, without making any tashahud, save in the one before the last rak'ah in which case one makes the tashahud and then stands to perform the last rak'ah wherein one will make another tashahud and end the prayer with the taslim. One may also make only one tashahud and the taslim, in the last rak'ah of witr. All of that is permissible and can be traced to the Prophet (saws).

Al-Bukhari and Muslim quote 'Aishah saying that the Prophet (saws) would perform thirteen rak'at during the night and would make the witr prayer, and he would not 'sit' except in the last rak'ah of them. In another hadith, 'Aishah reports that the Prophet (saws) would perform nine rak'at during the night and that he would not sit during them until the eighth rak'ah in which he would make remembrance of Allah, praising Him, and would make supplication. Then, he would stand without making the taslim and pray the ninth rak'ah, after which he would sit, make the tashahud and make the taslim in such a manner that we could hear him.

The Prophet (saws) said: 'The night prayer is sets of two rak'at. If one fears the coming of the dawn, he should perform one rak'ah, thereby making all of them odd [witr].'

It is reported that Hadrat Ali (r.a.) said: "The witr prayer is not required like your obligatory prayers, but the Prophet (saws) would perform the witr prayer and say: 'O you people [followers] of the Qur'an, perform the witr prayer, for Allah is One and He loves the witr.'"

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.112 Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar

The Prophet (saws) said, "Make Witr as your last prayer at night."

Since the number of rakahs of the voluntary night prayers are not specified, one may pray as many rakahs as is easy for him, either in a two rakah combination with a tashahud and tasleem for each, or all of them together with only a tashahud at the end of the prayer with no tasleem; then end these voluntary night prayers with one rakah of witr with a tashahud and tasleems thus making all of them ‘witr’ or an odd number. The Messenger of Allah (saws) prayed the night voluntary prayers in both ways, thus if one follows any one of the ways he would be in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Basically the wisdom or concept is to end both, the day and the night prayers, with a ‘witr’ or odd number of rakahs; the day prayer’s witr is fulfilled when one offers the three rakahs of the obligatory Magrib prayer, and when one concludes the final prayer at night with a one-rakah prayer, one ends the night prayer with a ‘witr’ or odd number.

Your Question: Thirdly what should be the distance between both the legs during the prayers.
One should take a natural stand whereby the legs are not so close that they touch each other, nor so much apart that the legs leave the line of the shoulders; but rather take a natural comfortable stand when performing the ‘qiyaam’ in prayers that the legs are approximately in line with the end of one’s shoulders.

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