IN THE QURAN: SALAAT, FASTING, HAC AND ZAKAT
-
From the site I gave the link to... And this site quotes the book "Kuran'daki Din/Religion in the Qur'an" written in Turkish. The book was written with the collaboration of many people
http//istanbulyayinevi.net/portfolio-items/uydurulan-din-ve-kurandaki-din/
Peace
-
With machine translation from the book "Religion in the Quran" written in Turkish)
1 - SALAAT
Understanding the prayer in the Qur'an is of great importance for Islam based on the Qur'an. The reason for this is the sectarian mentality; “How can we pray if we understand religion only from the Qur'an? We cannot pray just by looking at the Qur'an. This means that we need sources other than the Qur'an…”. Even the way sectarians ask this question is proof that they do not understand religion. What needs to be done is to determine the method in understanding religion and to understand and apply religion accordingly. After the source of religion is clear, the method; It is taking the source of religion before us and understanding prayer, fasting, morality and everything in the name of religion from this source. In other words, prayer will be understood from the source of religion. The source of religion will not be determined by the idea of prayer in the head. If there is a difference between the Qur'an and what is known in the name of prayer, the solution is not to change the source of religion, but to correct what we know about prayer.When we take in our hands the only source of religion, the Qur'an, we see that it contains all the necessary information for prayer. The most detailed form of worship in the Qur'an is prayer. However, this does not mean that every detail described in the name of prayer today is mentioned in the Qur'an. The elaborate mentality of the sects has touched the prayer as well as every other subject, and details that do not exist in the Qur'an, that is, in religion, have been added to the prayer.
It is wrong to do things that are not mentioned in the Qur'an in a certain way. For example, as we will see later, it is not obligatory to recite Surah Fatiha in prayer. But it is of course good to read the first chapter of the Qur'an, Fatiha, this part of the Qur'an, in prayer. In other words, stating that it is not obligatory to do this in prayer is not to be against that issue. It is wrong to assume an obligation that is not only mentioned in the Qur'an. Considering our example above, the mistake is not to read Surah Fatiha, but to say that it is obligatory to read Surah Fatiha every time you stand up. While reading this part and other parts of our book, please read, “This issue is not found in the prayer described in the Qur'an.” Pay attention to this subtlety in the things we said. Prayer in the Qur'anStarting with wudu and ablution (ghusl), which are the preparatory phases, are as follows
ABDEST AND BOY ABDEST (GUSUL)
In the Qur'an, wudu is only described as a condition of prayer. Also, when entering the mosque, while reading the Qur'an, it is not necessary to make wudu for any worship other than prayer, and for a long ablution (ghusl). In the Qur'an, ablution and ablution are mentioned in two verses that we will give shortly. Apart from these two verses, there is no verse in the Qur'an about wudu' and ablution. In other words, what we need to do, when we need to do wudu and ablution, and what to do if there is no water will be understood from these two verses.
O you who believe! When you get up for prayer; Wash your face and hands up to the elbows. Stroke your head and your feet up to the heels. If you are junub, get clean. If you are sick or on a journey, or if one of you has come from the footpath, or if you have touched women, and you cannot find water Rub your face and hands with clean earth. God does not want to cause you difficulties. Allah wants to cleanse you and complete His blessing on you. It is hoped that; thank you.
5 Surah Maida 6
O you who believe! Do not approach the prayer until you know what you are saying while intoxicated, and until you wash (ghusl, ablution) while you are junub, except when traveling. If you are sick or on a journey, if one of you has come from the footpath or touched women and cannot find water, make tayammum with clean earth rub your faces and hands. God is forgiving, forgiving.
4th An-Nisa' 43
Now let's ask our questions and answer them according to these two verses
- Why is Ablution and Ablution Necessary?
It is clear from the verses that; Wudu and ablution are both necessary for a single prayer. 5 At the beginning of verse 6 of Surat al-Maida, it is said that ablution should be taken for prayer. In verse 43 of Surat an-Nisa 4, it is explained that a junub person cannot pray without washing.
- When Is Ablution Taken?
If you pay attention to the last parts of both verses, we are told what to do when we need water but we cannot find it. It is also explained what invalidates wudu as it is explained to us that water is necessary. The expression we translate as "when you come from the foot path" shows us that ablution should be taken when it comes from the foot path. The Arabic word for "foot path" is "gait". This word in Arabic means "hole" and corresponds to the words "foot way, toilet". The place meant by the word is used only for this purpose.) In other words, the wudu' must be taken after those performed on the hollow places. With nothing described other than that, neither the shedding of blood,Eating camel meat does not invalidate wudu'. It is clear from the verse what invalidates wudu. Whatever people do to the hole in the "foot way" invalidates the ablution.
- When to Take Wudu (Ghusl)?
“Abdest” and “boy ablution” are words that have passed into Turkish from Persian. They are not mentioned in the Qur'an. What we mean by "ablution of height", which is mentioned in the Qur'an, is the necessary washing when one becomes junub. Since "ghusl" already means "to bathe" in Arabic, there have been some people who have said "ghusl" or "ghusl ablution" in Turkish instead of "boy ablution". In both verses, it is said that the other state where water is necessary is "touching women". The expression "don't touch women" is also an idiom with the same meaning in Arabic.) In other words, the ablution is taken after sexual intercourse with women. We have already said that one's ablution is taken when one becomes junub. Junub is derived from the root "cenb". The root of this word has the meanings of "being close, togetherness".According to this, the term “cenabet” became the name for the result of the union, which is the most advanced level of togetherness. The meaning of the word "junub" also confirms the conclusion we reached in the verse about when to make ablution. Apart from sexual intercourse, it is not in the Qur'an that it is wajib (between fard and sunnah, close to fard) or circumcision to make ablution in the following situations. A person can make ablution whenever he wants, whenever he is comfortable, but a rule that does not come out of the Qur'an can not be imposed on anyone either by fard, obligatory, sunnah, or any other title. It is said that everything that is not explained in the 101st verse of 5 Maide Surah is forgiven. That's why no one should seek an additional answer to these unexplained questions, except that we are free in all matters that are not explained in the Qur'an.The meaning of the word "junub" also confirms the conclusion we reached in the verse about when to make ablution. Apart from sexual intercourse, it is not in the Qur'an that it is wajib (between fard and sunnah, close to fard) or circumcision to make ablution in the following situations. A person can make ablution whenever he wants, whenever he is comfortable, but a rule that does not come out of the Qur'an can not be imposed on anyone either by fard, obligatory, sunnah, or any other title. It is said that everything that is not explained in the 101st verse of 5 Maide Surah is forgiven. That's why no one should seek an additional answer to these unexplained questions, except that we are free in all matters that are not explained in the Qur'an.The meaning of the word "junub" also confirms the conclusion we reached in the verse about when to make ablution. Apart from sexual intercourse, it is not in the Qur'an that it is wajib (between fard and sunnah, close to fard) or circumcision to make ablution in the following situations. A person can make ablution whenever he wants, whenever he is comfortable, but a rule that does not come out of the Qur'an can not be imposed on anyone either by fard, obligatory, sunnah, or any other title. It is said that everything that is not explained in the 101st verse of 5 Maide Surah is forgiven. That's why no one should seek an additional answer to these unexplained questions, except that we are free in all matters that are not explained in the Qur'an.It is not in the Qur'an that it is wajib (between fard and sunnah, close to obligatory practice) or circumcision to take ablution in the following cases. A person can make ablution whenever he wants, whenever he is comfortable, but a rule that does not come out of the Qur'an can not be imposed on anyone either by fard, obligatory, sunnah, or any other title. It is said that everything that is not explained in the 101st verse of 5 Maide Surah is forgiven. That's why no one should seek an additional answer to these unexplained questions, except that we are free in all matters that are not explained in the Qur'an.It is not in the Qur'an that it is wajib (between fard and sunnah, close to obligatory practice) or circumcision to take ablution in the following cases. A person can make ablution whenever he wants, whenever he is comfortable, but a rule that does not come out of the Qur'an can not be imposed on anyone either by fard, obligatory, sunnah, or any other title. It is said that everything that is not explained in the 101st verse of 5 Maide Surah is forgiven. That's why no one should seek an additional answer to these unexplained questions, except that we are free in all matters that are not explained in the Qur'an.That's why no one should seek an additional answer to these unexplained questions, except that we are free in all matters that are not explained in the Qur'an.That's why no one should seek an additional answer to these unexplained questions, except that we are free in all matters that are not explained in the Qur'an.
- How to Make Wudu?
At the beginning of the 6th verse of the 5th Surah, it is explained how we should make wudu. In this expression, the phrase "hands up to the face and elbows" is followed after the verb "wash", and the phrase "feet up to the head and heels" is used after the verb "stroke". What would you understand if someone said to you, “wash the bathroom and kitchen, wipe the hall and the hall”, does the doorway need to be washed or wiped? Everyone understands that the training needs to be deleted. However, all of the Sunni sects, for some reason, argued that the "feet" after the verb "stroke" should be "washed" instead of plastered. Then why isn't this expression in the verse after the verb "wash"? It is also not possible to say in the verse that it is said to be done from the top down, that stroking is an interim explanation and that it should be patted alone.because in the verse first the face and hands are mentioned, then they are dealt with and then the feet are descended. Therefore, there is no reason to refer to the verb "wash" to pat the feet up to the heels. This idea is derived from fabricated Sunni hadiths. However, according to many hadiths in Shiites, feet are rubbed with hands. Our aim is not to refute the hadiths with hadiths, but to show that those who do not see the Qur'an as sufficient behave arbitrarily even in the hadith. After stating that many Companions were content with patting their feet, Süleyman Ateş explains what is understood from the Arabic of the verse as follows these are the face and arms. He ordered both extremities to be stroked; These are the head and feet. It brought two complements after the verb wash. These are the face and hands.This means that the face and hands will be washed. He also brought two complements after the verb "stroke", these are the head and the feet. So these are the limbs to be stroked. There is a subtle point in the verse that strengthens this meaning immensely. Every word in the Qur'an is extremely harmonious and commensurate with each other. Now, just as the first of the two complements after the verb "wash" indicates a single limb and the second indicates two limbs (i.e. both hands), the first of the two complements after the verb "stroke" indicates a single limb and the second indicates two limbs (two feet). (Süleyman Ateş, Encyclopedia of the Qur'an, volume 1, mention of Ablution).Every word in the Qur'an is extremely harmonious and commensurate with each other. Now, just as the first of the two complements after the verb "wash" indicates a single limb and the second indicates two limbs (i.e. both hands), the first of the two complements after the verb "stroke" indicates a single limb and the second indicates two limbs (two feet). (Süleyman Ateş, Encyclopedia of the Qur'an, volume 1, mention of Ablution).Every word in the Qur'an is extremely harmonious and commensurate with each other. Now, just as the first of the two complements after the verb "wash" indicates a single limb and the second indicates two limbs (i.e. both hands), the first of the two complements after the verb "stroke" indicates a single limb and the second indicates two limbs (two feet). (Süleyman Ateş, Encyclopedia of the Qur'an, volume 1, mention of Ablution).
In short, hands are washed up to the face and elbows, the feet are rubbed up to the head and heels, and nothing is required. Whoever wishes, rinses his mouth and nose, rubs his neck with three fingers, crescents in his ears with his little finger, washes his feet with his heels, and recites prayers in Arabic every time he washes his limbs. But those who do these should know that they have nothing to do with wudu. Allah has explained wudu in the Qur'an and they are not included in that explanation.
- How to Take Ablution Wudu?
We have said before that the ablution should be taken while he is junub. Two words describe what we should do when we are junub. The word "tahara" in Surah 5 Maida means "to clean", and the word "gasale" in Surah 4 Nisa means "to wash". For ablution, wash from here to there, rinse your mouth and nose three times, do not leave a place as dry as a pinhead, pour water three times starting from your right shoulder. Since there are no such restrictions, the word "gasale" means only "to bathe".
With the word "Tahara", the importance of getting rid of dirt in this washing process is understood. A person who fulfills this will have made wudu. If a mother says to her five-year-old child "Washer", that child will understand and wash. However, huge men are called "Washers", but they say, "How do I wash? What happens if there is a dry place as much as a pinhead? Which shoulder shall I pour water on first?” They do not understand the verse of Allah. moreover, they do not understand that this lack of understanding stems from their own ignorance. They also declare the book of Allah incomplete and take the books in which these strange questions are explained as a guide as if they are the complete and complete source of religion.
- What to Do If Water Is Not Found?
Normally, the probability of a person not being able to find water is very low. The Qur'an's explanation of this situation is proof of how the Qur'an gives all the details when necessary. In all these cases, the person makes up for the lack of water by tayammum to a clean soil. Face and hands that cannot be washed are rubbed by rubbing hands on clean soil. Thus, the preparation for prayer is provided even when there is no water.
Please re-read the statements at the end of both verses about that Allah does not want to cause us difficulties, that He is forgiving and that he is forgiving, and those who have made ablution and ablution a lot of unnecessary details and difficulties.
TURNING TO THE QIBL
In verses 144, 149 and 150 of Surat al-Baqara, Muslims are told to return to the Masjid al-Haram, where the Kaaba is, wherever they are. This is an application that also gives order to prayer. In this way, especially the prayers that are performed together become more regular and regular. In verse 115 of Surat al-Baqara, it is said that wherever we turn, Allah is there, and false meanings are attributed to returning to the Kaaba, and the idolatry of the Masjid al-Haram and its surroundings is prevented. Existing mosques were built towards Masjid Haram based on the verses of Surat al-Baqara. Muslims perform their prayers by turning to Masjid al-Haram. If Muslims know the qibla (Masjid Haram direction), they turn there and pray. If they cannot find the direction, they will know that Allah is everywhere and continue their worship (2 Baqara Surah 115).
CLOTHING IN PRAYER, CLEANING
There is no special clothing for prayer in the Qur'an. Whoever prays alone, prays as he wishes. It is good for a person who goes to places where prayers are held together with a well-dressed and neat dress (See 7 Araf Surah 31). In verse 26 of Surah Araf, it is said that people have a style of clothing that will cover their private parts, as well as a style of clothing that will add beauty and adornment. Five verses after that, in 7Araf Surah 31, adornment is mentioned next to the mosque (in the area where the prayer is performed). We saw in Chapter 22 of the book that there is no such thing as a headscarf, and in other parts of the book, it is not necessary for a man to cover his calf. These non-normal obligations do not exist when praying. Because the Qur'an does not describe a special dress as a prayer dress.
The importance of cleaning and keeping the area where prayer will be performed can be understood from the verses of 2Baqara Surah 125 and 22Hajj Surah 26.
PRAYER TIMES
It is mentioned in the Qur'an that prayer is an obligatory time (4 Surah an-Nisa' 103). The Qur'an, which explains how to pray even in times of fear, has no doubt fully explained the times of the obligatory prayers. What we mean by the explanation of prayer times is to explain the obligatory prayers. Prayer is a praised act of worship. It is a way of turning to Allah and remembering Allah. In this respect, prayer is an act of worship that can be performed at any time. However, not every prayer performed is an obligatory prayer. For example, an extra prayer can be performed at midnight, but this does not mean that the prayer performed at midnight is obligatory. Undoubtedly, the Prophet and his relatives also prayed many times. Forgetting that the Qur'an is the only source, the sectarian mentality declared some of these prayers obligatory and others sunnah; Instead of understanding religion from the Qur'an,They formed a religion by interpreting the actions of the relatives of the Prophet in their own way. Sunni sects have made five prayers obligatory morning, noon, afternoon, evening and night. Shiites say that they make the three daily prayers obligatory and combine the five daily prayers at these times. About what the Kharijites in earlier times did two or three timesThere are also hadiths . Apart from these obligatory prayers, there are also many prayers such as the morning prayers, Duha, Sun, Lunar eclipse, Istikhara, Kadir, Regaip, and Beraat night prayers. The witr prayer, on the other hand, is obligatory for some, close to fard, and sunnah for others.
The Qur'an, which gives information about performing prayers in times of war, undoubtedly also explains the times of obligatory prayers. It is possible that the prayers, which are not proven in the Qur'an, were performed at certain times by certain people, caliphs, or even the Prophet. Because the Qur'an praises prayer, and it is of course good to perform prayers other than obligatory prayers. From this point of view, it is possible that the prayers mentioned above and not mentioned above, but mentioned in prayer books, were performed. However, it is a grave mistake to perceive prayers that are not mentioned in the Qur'an as obligatory prayers. When we look at the event from this point of view, the problem arose from the mistakes in the way the hadiths were interpreted. Now, let's learn about the obligatory prayers, together with their names and times, from the Qur'an, which is the only source of religion.
MORNING (FECR) PRAYER
In the Qur'an, the word prayer is expressed with the word "salat". “Salat”, which has the meaning of “connecting”, is also used for the connection that the servant establishes with his creator, that is, for prayer. The word "salat" was used together with the verb "replacement" to mean "to pray". The name "Salat Fecir", that is, "Morning Prayer", is mentioned in the 58th verse of Surah 24Nur. “Fajr” refers to the emergence of the first rays of the sun in the darkness of the night. This is a process that continues until sunrise. As a matter of fact, the time of this prayer, whose existence is evident from its name, is also determined in the 114th verse of 11Hud Surah.
Pray on both sides of the day and near the night. Beauty removes ugliness.
11 Hud Surah 114
In Arabic, “nehar” means “day” and “leyl” means “night”. The expression "Tarafeyinnahari" refers to the two sides of the day. If "Party"; It means “end, adjoining part from the outside”. It is used in the same sense in other verses of the Qur'an. If we take the beginning of the day as the sunrise and the end of the day as the sunset, there are morning and evening prayers on both sides of the day. In order to fully understand these times, it is emphasized that these times are close to daytime with the expression "zülefen minelleyl".
In other words, the morning prayer is mentioned in the 58th verse of 24Nur Surah. This name also describes the time of the morning prayer. In addition, the time of the morning prayer is determined in the 114th verse of 11Hud Surah. The morning prayer begins with the first light of the day and ends with the sunrise, which is the beginning of the day, as it is evident from the name "Salatul Fecir" in the Qur'an.
EVENING (İŞA) PRAYER
The name of the Isha prayer is also mentioned in the 58th verse of the 24Nur Surah. Those who look at the meaning of the word "Isaiah" in the dictionary will see that the time from sunset to dark, that is, the time we call "evening" in Turkish is called "Isa". The same word is also used in the 16th verse of 12 Yusuf Surah and the 46th verse of 79Naziat Surah. Some translators, who translated the same word in the other two verses as "evening", translated this word as "night prayer", which is a Turkish word, because they were under the influence of sectarian explanations. This translation gives the impression that the Qur'an has made obligatory the prayer described by the sects as the "night prayer", which is wrong. However, if the word "isha", which comes from the root of "to lie down", means that the "isa prayer" is the last obligatory prayer performed before going to bed, this is true. There is also a sign for this in the verse
O you who believe! Let those under your rule, those of you who have not reached the age of puberty, ask you for leave at three times. Before Fajr (morning) prayer, when you take off your clothes at noon, after Isha (evening) prayer. These are the three times you can be naked.
24 Surah Noor 58
The person who goes to the mosque to perform the last prayer and performs the prayer collectively will probably change his clothes because he will not go to the mosque after this prayer. He will be dressed in home clothes. Therefore, if the last prayer before going to bed is considered as the Isha prayer, this is true. Otherwise, if it is said that a word that expresses evening as a time, if it is combined with the word prayer, it expresses a different time, Isha, it is obvious that this is wrong. In this verse, there is a supporting expression that the last obligatory prayer is the evening prayer. Anyone who searches for the meaning of the word "isha" in Arabic dictionaries will see that the word "isha" refers to "the time period from sunset to the darkness of night". As for,they are always advised to respect privacy and enter their parents' rooms with permission.)
The verse in which the time of the evening prayer is understood (11Hud Surah 114) is the verse we mentioned in the morning prayer. One of the prayers performed on both sides of the day is the morning prayer, and the other is the evening prayer, which is the symmetry of this prayer. The time of this prayer is likewise the time of night that is close to daytime. Apart from this verse, there is another verse that determines the time of the evening prayer
Pray from the sunset to the dark of the night. The Qur'an is witnessed at dawn (morning) and the Qur'an at dawn (morning).
17 Isra Surah 78
The darkening of the night gives the end time of the evening. With the disappearance of the signs of the light, the time of the evening prayer ends. In this case, too, the expression "sunset" determines the sun's setting on the horizon. Thus, the time between sunset and darkening of the night is indicated as prayer time. In the continuation of this verse, it is interesting to emphasize the time of the morning prayer, which is constantly accompanied by the evening prayer. However, this verse emphasizes reading the Qur'an in the morning, not the morning prayer. This means that special attention should be paid to reciting the Qur'an within or outside the time of the morning prayer. As you can see, evening and morning prayers are mentioned in the Qur'an with their names. Moreover, these names also express the time when the prayer will be performed. In addition, the time of morning and evening prayers is also explained. moreover, in the 58th verse of 24 Nur Surah, it is the first of the day in the morning,There is a sign that evening is the last prayer of the day.
VUSTA (MIDDLE, BEST) PRAYER
Verse 238 of Surat al-Baqara is shown as evidence for the Vusta prayer.
Protect the prayers. And the vusta (middle, best) prayer too.
2 Baccarat Surah 238
Apart from the verses in which we have deduced the times of morning and evening prayers and this verse, there is no verse from which prayer times can be deduced. It means that prayer times will be understood from these verses. When the prayer at one end of the day is the morning prayer and the prayer at the other end of the day is the evening prayer, it is necessary to search for the middle prayer in the middle of these two prayers. If we consider that in all cultures, the day begins with waking up, the night was created for us to rest, and that we wake up at night and pray only for our Prophet (17 Isra Surah 79), the middle prayer is the time remaining between the morning and evening prayers. Although there may be some who think that it is a prayer performed in the middle of the day, given the meaning of "middle" to the word "wusta", since there is no expression limiting this word, it is necessary to accept the entire time period between morning and evening as the time for this prayer.When the middle prayer is concluded from the word vusta prayer, the word "vusta" becomes the word that determines both the name of the prayer and the time period.
According to another view, it is said that the word "vusta" has the meaning of "the best", that this word does not indicate a prayer, and that the verse indicates that the prayers should be protected and performed in the best way. A study of the word “Vusta” will clarify this point. This word is also used in the verses of 2Baqara Surah 143, 5Maide Surah 89, 68Kalam Surah 28, 100Adiyat Sura 5. You can try to understand the word “vusta” by examining these verses.
As you can see, there is no statement in the Qur'an that prayer is five times a day. The length of the prayer, what to say in bowing and prostration are not mentioned in the Qur'an. In fact, it is not found in the hadiths whether the prayer is long or short, what to say in ruku' or prostration. It is not possible to explain the prayer described today even with fabricated hadiths. Many issues in prayer were formed entirely by the personal views of the founders of the sect. that the Prophet prayed both too long and too short; There are many hadiths about long bowing and long prostration.has. However, the sectarians defined the bows as three “Subhane rabbiyal azim” and the prostrations with three “Subhane rabbiyal ala” expressions, condemning their imitators to these expressions only, and limiting what Allah has set free unnecessarily. As it is understood from the Qur'an, it would be understandable if the hadiths were interpreted correctly, as it is understood from the Qur'an, that normally we should say certain expressions in bowing and prostration or not, that the duration of the prayer is left to one's personal opinion . Sects have frozen a free space with their own determination.
It does not follow from all the hadiths that the prayer is five times a day. It is understood from many hadiths that our Prophet performed prayers three times a day. In particular, Shiites base this on their own hadiths while performing the three daily prayers. We think that the fact that Shiites pray three times a day and combine the five prayers in these three times is due to an effort to find a middle way between the two schools. Nowhere in the Qur'an is there a mention of combining (cem). According to the Qur'an, prayer is obligatory at the times we specify. If you pray three times a day and pray five or twenty times in these three times, you will still pray three times.
Even if the person who will perform the night prayer says that he has combined the five daily prayers with the night prayer, he will have performed only one night prayer. Because the one who performs the prayer, which is obligatory, is not the number of rak'ahs performed, but the fact that it is performed at a certain time. Like the Shiites, the Shafi, Maliki and Hanbali sects of the Ahl as-Sunnah have also been very tolerant in combining prayers. Some thought for no reason, some thought that prayers could be combined even in heavy rain. That is, according to denominations; Those who say that the Prophet combined (combined) the five daily prayers in three times would be admitting that the prayer cannot be more than three times a day. The minimum of the prayer is as much as the obligatory prayers. It is quite natural to perform the prayer extra. Declaring five obligatory prayers is an interpretation of Sunni sects. If prayers were five times, their names and times would be known from the Qur'an.Is it possible that the time of a prayer that is obligatory for all Muslims is not specified in the Qur'an, while even a special, extra time for prayer is specified for the Prophet (Surah 17 Isra 79)? As seen from the previous verses, there are prayers that are clear in the Qur'an. Why should we think that prayers such as late afternoon and night prayers are obligatory? We guess that some people have made extra prayers obligatory in order to organize the rosary and dhikr activities in the verses about remembering Allah (remembering), glorifying Allah (glorifying, turning). It may be a good method to perform dhikr and rosary activities by praying, but it is unacceptable to make these times obligatory as Allah has not made them obligatory.Is it at all possible that the time of a prayer, which is obligatory for all Muslims, is not specified? As seen from the previous verses, there are prayers that are clear in the Qur'an. Why should we think that prayers such as late afternoon and night prayers are obligatory? We guess that some people have made extra prayers obligatory in order to organize the rosary and dhikr activities in the verses about remembering Allah (remembering), glorifying Allah (glorifying, turning). It can be a good method to perform dhikr and rosary activities by praying, but it is unacceptable to make these times obligatory as Allah has not made them obligatory.Is it at all possible that the time of a prayer, which is obligatory for all Muslims, is not specified? As seen from the previous verses, there are prayers that are clear in the Qur'an. Why should we think that prayers such as late afternoon and night prayers are obligatory? We guess that some people have made extra prayers obligatory in order to organize the rosary and dhikr activities in the verses about remembering Allah (remembering), glorifying Allah (glorifying, turning). It can be a good method to perform dhikr and rosary activities by praying, but it is unacceptable to make these times obligatory as Allah has not made them obligatory.The rosary in the verses related to glorifying Allah (glorifying, turning) has made extra prayers obligatory in order to organize the activities of dhikr. It can be a good method to perform dhikr and rosary activities by praying, but it is unacceptable to make these times obligatory as Allah has not made them obligatory.The rosary in the verses related to glorifying Allah (glorifying, turning) has made extra prayers obligatory in order to organize the activities of dhikr. It can be a good method to perform dhikr and rosary activities by praying, but it is unacceptable to make these times obligatory as Allah has not made them obligatory.
17 Therefore, when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning, the rosary (exaltation, turning) is for Allah.
18 praises are His. In heaven and on earth, at the end of the day, when you reach noon.
30 Rum Surah 17.18
IS THERE A QAZA PRAYER?
We would like to state once again that which prayers are obligatory is derived from the Qur'an. Fard prayers are the prayers that Allah compels us to perform every day within a certain time period. The Qur'an tells us in verse 103 of Surat an-Nisa that prayer is obligatory in time, Surah Mearic
In verse 23, he says that this fard must be observed throughout life. There is no concept of accident prayer in the Qur'an. The one who does not perform the prayer, who misses it, repents to Allah for this, and then continues to perform his prayers meticulously. Allah has told us to fast on other days as much as the number of days we do not fast, and opened the door for this. If God wanted, he would have done the same for prayer. That's why no one should mislead those who will start the prayer by saying that you need to make up for the prayer like this in the past.
Our aim in this article is to separate the obligatory prayer from the non-fard. Every prayer performed to remember Allah is acceptable. Prayer is performed five times a day, ten times, and forty times a day. The obligatory times of prayer indicate the lower limit that we have to, the upper limit is free. Our guess is that the sects saw the Companions who prayed more because of the freedom of this upper limit; They made the afternoon prayer, the night prayer, the witr prayer obligatory, they made it obligatory. If we tried to understand the obligatory prayers from the actions of individuals instead of understanding the obligatory prayers from the Qur'an, we would encounter many additional prayers such as the awwabin prayer, the morning prayer, and the kusuf prayer. After all, religion is only what is written in the Qur'an, in prayer, as in all other matters. Allah did not leave any shortcomings in His book.
As a matter of fact, in Hajj, pilgrims are led three times in prayer. While a lot of details are given in the Qur'an for Hajj (even what to do if one's hair is shortened due to illness), why is it not mentioned in the Qur'an to reduce the prayer times for Hajj? If prayer is obligatory five times a day, on what basis are pilgrims praying less?
WHAT IS THE FIVE TIME PRAYER BASED ON?
Even in the early years of Islam, it was defended by the Kharijites and Mutezile that the prayers are not five times a day, and that the afternoon and night prayers are not obligatory. The hadith invented by those who try to prove that prayer is necessarily five times a day is terrible. According to this hadith, which we have mentioned before, our Prophet appears before Allah on the ascension and Allah makes the prayer obligatory fifty times, then Hz. Our Prophet, who came across Moses, Hz. Musa warns that there are so many prayers and that the ummah cannot afford it. Then our Prophet asks Allah for a reduction, and Allah reduces the number of prayers. On the way, Hz. Again, Moses says that there are so many prayer times. This go and go so that the prayer takes place nine times until it is reduced to five times. As a matter of fact, when the number of prayers reaches five, Hz. Although Moses recommended the discount again, our Prophet was now ashamed (!) for the prayer discount stops. According to this hadith, Allah does not know how many times people can pray, and our Prophet is a poor person who does not know anything. Hz. Moses, on the other hand, is the mentor of our Prophet, the corrector of Allah's decree, and our savior. The story of making the prayer obligatory five times a day is based on such an unacceptable hadith. It is not based on the Qur'an that prayer is five times a day, but on such explanations, especially on this hadith. The fact that there are hadiths stating that prayers are performed only two times, morning and evening, before the Miraj (See Bukhari 1/93 Tecrid Translation 2/233, Hadith no 22 is proof that the times of prayer were increased by this "ascension hadith". If the prayers were performed as two times before, why are the three prayers added later not mentioned in the Qur'an? Only Surah Al-Baqara is 238 in the Qur'an.It can be claimed that the "middle prayer" was added later as the expression in the verse is used. Well 4,5. From which verse of the Qur'an will the afternoon and night prayers, which are prayers, be deduced, why are they not named in the Qur'an? (We have explained the expression that means middle prayer or the best prayer in Salati Vusta) Instead of such hadiths that slander Allah and our Prophet, those who seek the truth in the Qur'an will gain the necessary information about prayer. Those who are not content with the Qur'an and try to base their religious practices on fabricated hadiths will remain in illogicality, slanders and contradictions, as we have seen for example.Why are their names not in the Qur'an? (We have explained the expression that means middle prayer or the best prayer in Salati Vusta) Instead of such hadiths that slander Allah and our Prophet, those who seek the truth in the Qur'an will gain the necessary information about prayer. Those who are not content with the Qur'an and try to base their religious practices on fabricated hadiths will remain in illogicality, slanders and contradictions, as we have seen for example.Why are their names not in the Qur'an? (We have explained the expression that means middle prayer or the best prayer in Salati Vusta) Instead of such hadiths that slander Allah and our Prophet, those who seek the truth in the Qur'an will gain the necessary information about prayer. Those who are not content with the Qur'an and try to base their religious practices on fabricated hadiths will remain in illogicality, slanders and contradictions, as we have seen for example.
WHAT THE PRAYER CONTAINS
Prayer is an act of worship to remember (remember) Allah (20 Surah Taha 14). However, unlike the remembrance of Allah, prayer is made obligatory at certain times, it must be performed with wudu, and it includes certain movements. Prayer is such a worship that it is performed even during war. In the 102nd verse of Surat an-Nisa, we see that one group performs prayers and the other group keeps watch in case of war. After prostrating, the other group takes the place of the first group and performs its prayer. Here, we see that even in a situation where there is a danger of war, prayers are performed including prostration (prostration is the most vulnerable state of the person), but this is done in turns, without laying down weapons and without giving the enemy a chance. If the obligatory prayer is performed like this even in war, the resurrection of the prayer at the normal time,The importance of performing ruku and prostration is better understood.
From the Qur'an (14Ibrahim Surah 40) the prayer of Hz. We understand that it is a worship that has existed since Abraham. Hz. Even the pagans, who captured the Kaaba, Abraham's house of worship, and who were partners to Allah, used to perform the prayer in a perverse way (Surat al-Anfal, 35). The Qur'an states that previous generations also abandoned their prayer habits as a result of following their lusts (Surah 19 Maryam 59). That is, in the time of our Prophet, when prayer was called "salat", people understood what the prayer was and its actions. Just as today, when prayer is mentioned, even people who do not pray understand the movements of prayer, turning to Allah and worshiping. There are three words in the Qur'an that mean moving worship. These are “qiyam (standing)”, “ruku (bending)”, “prostration (downturning)”. The position of the Prophet Abraham as a place of prayer in the Qur'an,Keeping the house clean is enough (Surat al-Baqara, 125). In the 26th verse of Surah 22-Hajj, it is ordered to keep the house clean for those who stand up, bow down and prostrate, thus showing what the three movements of prayer are all together.
The most important part and feature of the prayer is the remembrance of Allah in the prayer. As a matter of fact, we understand from the 14th verse of Surah 20Taha that the purpose of performing the prayer is to remember Allah. In the Qur'an, there is no mention of reading the Qur'an in prayer. But when the Qur'an is being introduced to us, it is said that the Qur'an is "dhikr", that is, a reminder. Thus, we realize that our guide is the Qur'an when we pray, pray and invoke Allah. For example, Allah's forgiveness, mercy, creation of everything, paradise, hell, the eternity of knowledge are all learned from the Qur'an. We know that we are in front of a merciful and forgiving God, we remember (remember) God accordingly, and we turn to God accordingly. In other words, we do not have to read the Quran in Arabic in prayer. because there is no command to read the Qur'an in prayer,How to understand that it is necessary to read the Quran in Arabic? But when we remember Allah in prayer, we use the information in the Qur'an. For example, we do not necessarily need to say "Kul huvallahu ahad" in Arabic.
"We have examined the subject of prayer(salaat) in detail in the section of our book titled Faith and Prayer. To put it briefly, the verses to be recited while praying are not specified or stereotyped. One can recite any verse from the Qur'an or pray as one feels like praying. Prayer is praised and commanded in many verses of the Qur'an. There are many details about prayer in the Qur'an. We have mentioned these details in our article on prayer. Although it is stated that prayer is obligatory with its time, there is no information about its rak'ahs. This shows us that it is not obligatory to follow a rak'ah pattern when praying. The current rak'ah pattern has been fixed by Muslims. According to the Qur'an, there is no harm in keeping it this way, but it is not in accordance with the Qur'an to say that this is the only way. If an order was necessary, Allah would have informed us of it in His verses. What is important in prayer is the sincere bowing of the heart before Allah and the expression of submission. Its duration is left to man. A prayer of 20 rak'ahs can be performed in a minute and a prayer of 2 rak'ahs can be performed in an hour. The important thing is not to complete certain numbers but to be conscious of worship. Therefore, the obligatory part of prayer is to perform it on time. Otherwise, there is no distinction between obligatory and sunnah. The verses list the actions of qiyam (standing) ruku (bowing) and sajda (prostration). However, it does not specify how often and at what intervals they are to be performed - this is left to the choice of the person praying. When standing in qiyam, you can take a copy of the Qur'an and read as much as you wish, and when you bow and prostrate, you can remember Allah and pray as you feel like it. Prayer is a worship that dates back to Hz. It dates back to Abraham and was practiced and known in previous religions before the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet. Surah Hajj, verse 26 We had once prepared for Abraham the place of his house, saying 'Do not associate anything with Me, and purify My house for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand in prayer, and those who bow down and prostrate themselves."
https//www.kurandakidin.com/2012/03/kurana-gore-namaz-nasil-kilinir/
-
The Qiblah for salaat is Mecca, not Petra
https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=K31H1OjxK3M
-
(See Bukhari 1/93 Tecrid Translation 2/233, Hadith no 22
What is the actual hadith for this? Can you link it.
Background
https//www.academia.edu/5878873/Morning_and_Evening_Prayers_in_Early_IslamHow many timed-salat in Quran?
https//mypercept.co.uk/articles/salat-timings-Quran.htmlProblems for "wusta"
https//mypercept.co.uk/articles/problems-5-salat-Quran.htmlWhat is qiblah?
https//mypercept.co.uk/articles/meaning-masjid-al-haram-Quran.html -
Good Ramadan
As with all other acts of worship, all the details of fasting are only in the Qur'an
2 - FASTING
In the time of our Prophet, what was meant by the word "fasting" was understood. As a matter of fact, in verse 183 of Surah 2-Baqara, it is said that "Fasting was written on you as it was written on those before you" . However, as will be seen below, all the details about fasting are explained in the four verses of Surat al-Baqara. There is nothing that the person who reads these verses will not understand about fasting. All information about fasting is given in the four verses 183, 184, 185 and 187 of Surat al-Baqara. These verses are as follows
183- O believers! Fasting has been written on you as it was written on those before you. Hope you will avoid.
184- It is in the numbered days. Whoever among you is sick or on a journey, he will keep it on other days as many as the number of days he can't keep. Those who can afford it must give a ransom to feed a poor. Whoever does good from the heart, it is better for him. Fasting is better for you if you only knew.
185- The month of Ramadan, in which the clear and distinctive Qur'an was revealed, which guides people to the straight path. So whoever of you witnesses this month, let him fast in it. Those who are sick or on a journey keep it on other days as many as the number of days they can't. God wants easier one for you, not difficult one. This is for you to complete the number, to glorify Allah for guiding you to the straight path. Hope you will be grateful.
187- It is permissible for you to approach women on the night of fasting. They are your clothes and you are their clothes. Allah knew that you were wronging your selves, accepted your repentance and forgave you. Now approach them and seek what Allah has written for you. Eat and drink until you can distinguish the white thread and the black thread at dawn, then complete the fast until the night.
2-Baqara Surah 183, 184, 185, 187
We learn fasting from these four verses. If we examine these verses, we will have learned all the information about Ramadan fasting. In the light of these verses, we can explain fasting as follows
1- Fasting is an obligation written on us, commanded by the Qur'an (2-Baqara Surah 183).
2- Fasting is observed in the month of Ramadan (2-Baqara Surah 185). Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was revealed and fasting is observed during the days of this month. Ramadan is a month of the Lunar calendar. It is determined by the movements of the moon. We can know the beginning of this month, which begins with the appearance of the moon, months or even years ago by astronomical calculations. Today, we do not need to observe the Moon, as we know the beginning of this month long ago and very easily with calendars. Today, even more critical celestial events such as lunar and solar eclipses are known years in advance, along with where they can best be observed. Like all lunar months, Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days.
3- Those who cannot fast due to illness or travel fast on other days as much as the number of days they could not fast (2-Baqara Surah 184). On the other hand, it is an explanation of fabricated hadiths and madhhabs that those who break their fast intentionally must fast for 61 consecutive days; There is no such explanation in the Qur'an. In the Qur'an, fasting as a ransom for some deficiencies related to pilgrimage (2-Baqara Surah 196), uninterrupted fasting for two months if they are unable to free a slave by mistake (Surat an-Nisa' 92), fasting as expiation for those who break an oath (5. -Maide Surah 89), fasting as expiation for those who violate the prohibition of hunting during the pilgrimage (5-Maide Surah 95),As a punishment for declaring their wives to be close relatives like their mothers, as in the traditions of ignorance, those who cannot fulfill their slavery's emancipation must fast for two uninterrupted months (58-Surah of Struggle 4). As you can see, the Qur'an tells that fasting should be kept as a punishment for some crimes in this world. Wouldn't Allah, who has given all these details, explain if there was a penalty for breaking the fast on purpose, such as fasting for two months without interruption? Since he did not explain, there is no such penalty. If we examine the crimes above, the probability of some of these crimes occurring is less than one in a thousand. Is it possible that Allah, who explains things that are so unlikely to happen in human life, should not have explained such a punishment for an event that is much more likely to happen, such as deliberately breaking the fast?Is it possible that he didn't explain it at all?Is it possible that he didn't explain it at all?If there was a penalty for intentionally breaking the fast, like fasting for two months, wouldn't he have explained that too? Since he did not explain, there is no such penalty. If we examine the crimes above, the probability of some of these crimes occurring is less than one in a thousand. Is it possible that Allah, who explains things that are so unlikely to happen in human life, should not have explained such a punishment for an event that is much more likely to happen, such as deliberately breaking the fast?If there was a penalty for intentionally breaking the fast, like fasting for two months, wouldn't he have explained that too? Since he did not explain, there is no such penalty. If we examine the crimes above, the probability of some of these crimes occurring is less than one in a thousand. Is it possible that Allah, who explains things that are so unlikely to happen in human life, should not have explained such a punishment for an event that is much more likely to happen, such as deliberately breaking the fast?If there was such a punishment for an event that is much more likely to happen, such as deliberately breaking the fast, is it possible that he would not have disclosed it?If there was such a punishment for an event that is much more likely to happen, such as deliberately breaking the fast, is it possible that he would not have disclosed it?
4- Those who do not fast despite being able to endure fasting must pay a ransom to feed a poor (2-Baqara Surah 184). Everyone should make an assessment without forgetting that Allah is close to us, as stated in verse 186 of Surah 2-Baqara. 2- Fasting should be evaluated by taking into account the statement "fasting is better for us" at the end of verse 185 of Surat al-Baqara. When determining what, how much, and how many meals to feed the poor, those who want to feed the poor are determined , the statement in the same verse, "Whoever does something wholeheartedly, it is better for him" should be taken into consideration.
5- The time of fasting begins with the breaking of dawn. At this time (at dawn), the expression of the separation of the black thread from the white thread is explained; There have been some who said that the dawn is called "hayt" (rope) because the whiteness at dawn is seen as a horizontal rope on the horizon. According to some, the verse means that the darkness of the night is dispersed in such a way that it does not prevent the black thread and the white thread to be distinguished at a distance. 2- With the expression "in your opinion" in verse 187 of Surat al-Baqara; It is understood that the start time of the fast is not the first time the signs of light begin to appear on the horizon, but the next time when the darkness is opened a little more. We can say that there is some flexibility at the beginning of the fast compared to the starting time shown in most of the current calendars. The duration of the fast continues until the night.We see that there are two parts of the day in the Qur'an night and day. The end time of fasting is the beginning of the night, that is, the end of the day (2-Baqara Surah 187).
6- It is said that we can approach women on the night of fasting (2-Baqarah 187). The word “approach” is a metaphorical word. In the same way, idioms such as "being together" are used in Turkish for male and female sexuality, and "sexual intercourse" is meant by this idiom. From the expression style in this verse, it is understood that when the word "fasting" is used in the time of our Prophet, "not approaching women on the night of fasting" is also included or there is a disagreement on this issue; With this expression in the verse, this issue is clarified.
7- In verse 187 of Surat al-Baqara, it is said that we can eat and drink until the start of the fast. Thus, the three elements that make up fasting; It is understood that 1- not eating, 2- not drinking, 3- not having sexual intercourse is fulfilled during fasting, that is, these constitute fasting. They are free after the beginning of the night, which is the end of the fast. The explanations that donating blood, vomiting, swearing and fighting invalidate the fast are fabrications. The elements that make up fasting are clear. Nothing breaks the fast except eating, drinking and sexual intercourse.
-
Please check this out for an alternate explanation about Fasting. We have to study all aspects and follow the best of it that makes sense - Quran. (Extracted from www.thequrantheuntoldtruths.com)
Does ‘saum’ mean ‘fasting’ in the Quran?
‘Saum’, which the Muslims have defined as ‘fasting’ is another contentious topic in the religion Islam, not simply because of the erroneous understanding of what ‘saum’ means, but because of the criterion and the methodology of determining when to start and when to end the month of fasting. There are many schools of thought surrounding ‘fasting’ in Sunni and Shia Islam. During this period, they abstain from eating, drinking, and intimacy with their spouses, from dawn to dusk, for a month. Some believe that they should start the month of fasting after sighting the new moon (Hilaal) according to Hadith, and end fasting after sighting the ‘Hilaal’ for the following month. Others believe that they should follow the modern scientific forecast, which determines the beginning of the month way in advance. There are others who follow the personal decision of their priest and many who follow the decision of the government of Saudi Arabia, even if they live in a different country and time zone. It always becomes a contentious topic in certain communities and creates a lot of confusion, though many feel it is not worth debating. Whatever each individual believes on this topic, the issues on contention have not disappeared even after a millennium has passed.
If an apparently simple religious ritual like this has created strife in communities that claim to believe the same scripture and messenger and want to unite mankind, what possibly could they be doing wrong? Are we to believe that the all-merciful God left room for discord among the followers of the same scripture and the messenger? What if our current understanding of ‘saum’ is erroneous and ‘fasting’ is not what God intended us to do? What if it is a simple concept to understand when we properly study the ‘fully detailed and clear’ Quran? Are we to wait until all the religious priests come to a consensus or should we use our God-given intellect and the scripture to understand what it really means? I would certainly settle for the latter. If you are with me, let’s dive in.
Most people are under the impression that saum is only prescribed during the Arabic month of Ramadan in the Quran. The fact is, saum has been mentioned in many chapters in the Quran. God has prescribed saum in the Quran for different reasons and purposes, such as to seek guidance, for social and personal reasons, and as a penalty or to discipline an individual. In order to correctly understand what saum means, we have to study the context of the verses where saum is mentioned in the Quran. So then, what is ‘saum’?
As per the context of the verses below, which contain the word ‘saum’, it can be defined as ‘Self-discipline’ to achieve something - an outcome or a higher purpose for the sake of God, for a community, or for our own selves.
For instance, in the Quran, verse 19:26 God instructs Mary (ie: Mother of Jesus) to inform the people that she had undertaken saum from speaking, and thus shall not speak to any human being that day.
Q 19:26
So indulge yourself (= kulee washrabee) and be content. And if you see from among men anyone, say, “Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful self-discipline from speech (= sauman), so I will not speak today to anyone.'If we read all the verses from 19:22 to 19:33, it will be clear that this saum was for a social reason and not to seek guidance or for punishment. Most certainly, it is not to abstain from food, drink, and intimacy. She had simply taken a ‘vow of silence’ that day – self-discipline in silence. So, saum in this verse means self-discipline in abstaining from speech. It appears that people around her understood what ‘saum’ meant in their language. It was not a new concept for them.
Verse 5:95 of the Quran also talks about ‘saum. To understand the reason for this saum (= self-discipline) and what it means, we have to know the subject matter of the verses from 5:94 to 5:98. These verses talk about wildlife conservation, hunting, and its restrictions.
I agree with Aidid Safar’s rendition of the verses concerning wildlife conservation in his book, Mental Bondage. In verse 5:95 God says that if you kill a wild animal during the restricted period intentionally, you should let two just men check the maturity (bhaligha = reach maturity = reach its strength) of the animal by means of its ankle (= ka’ba) and decide how much financial compensation is proper (to be paid to the wildlife conservation authority) or feed the poor on your own if the authorities are not present or perform saum. It does not indicate how many people are to be fed or how many days to perform saum. That depends on the amount of the compensation and the severity of the action. In this verse, saum is not to abstain from food, drink, speech, or intimacy, but self-discipline of abstention from hunting for a period, as a penalty. The reason the number of days for ‘saum’ is not specified in the verse is that it depends on the severity of the offense, which needs to be determined by 2 just individuals. As per verse 5:94, self-discipline of abstention is to be observed by the offender even if the authorities are not present, as this could be a test from God, to see whether we obey HIS commands in privacy.
The rules of hunting and their restrictions are in place in most of the developed countries even now, and they called conservation law. These restrictions are imposed and monitored by the respective wildlife conservation authorities in the region. Though they may be unaware of the Quranic injunctions, they have very similar rules and regulations as mentioned in these verses of the Quran. This is an indication that the Quranic injunctions with regard to conservation laws are commonsensical and effective. Let’s review verse 5:95.
Q 5:95
O you who have believed, do not kill game during the prohibited (= hurumun) period. And whoever of you kills it intentionally – the penalty is an equivalent of an animal to what he killed, determine its maturity (= bhaligha) by its ankle (= Ka‘bati), as judged by two just men among you or an expiation: the feeding of needy people or self-discipline in abstention from hunting (= siyaman) to bear the burden of the penalty for his deed, that he may taste the consequence of his deed. God has pardoned what is past; but whoever returns (to violation), then God will take retribution from him. And God is Exalted in Might and Owner of Retribution.Let’s look at another verse where saum is mentioned.
When you read verses 58:1-4 of the Quran, it is very clear that the saum is not abstaining from food or drink, but from an intimate relationship for 2 months as a punishment. Verse 58:2 applies to those who put away their wives by pronouncing “you are to me as my mother”. Verse 58:3 indicates that if those men want to go back to their wives after estranging them, they should free a man from bondage. The verse 58:4 clearly says if they cannot find a man in bondage to free, perform saum for 2 consecutive months before going back to his wife (metaphorical for intimate relationship). In this instance, the man is not supposed to have an intimate relationship even at night for 2 consecutive months for estranging his wife. This is prescribed as a punishment for estranging as part of family law. And if he is unable to abide by this rule, or break this saum (= self-discipline of abstention from intimacy) and have an intimate relationship with his wife within the specified period, he should feed 60 needy people. Obviously, this ‘saum’ (= self-discipline of abstention from intimacy) applies only to married men.
Q 58:4
Whoever doesn’t have the means to find a bonded person, let him observe self-discipline of abstention from intimacy (= Siyam) for two consecutive months before the couple may intimately touch each other. And if he is unable to do that, he should arrange the feeding of sixty needy ones. This is so that you may be true to your faith in God and His Messenger. These are the bounds ordained by God. For the deniers is a painful doom.Verses 4:92-93 also talk about ‘saum’. In verse 4:92, saum is prescribed as a punishment for the unintentional killing of a believer, to discipline or rehabilitate the offender who cannot afford to pay the compensation to the victim’s family and free a bonded person. Sentencing the guilty for 2 consecutive months of saum is to put him in self-discipline of isolation from freedom of movement (similar to a term for rehabilitation or imprisonment - civil/criminal law) so he can seek repentance from God, learn to amend so that he can be rehabilitated, and assimilate back into society. This is not about abstaining from food, drink, and intimacy. We can learn from the verse that it promotes compensating the victim’s family for the loss of their loved one. There is no mention of abstaining from food, drink, or intimacy.
Please note that a bonded person could be one who is in slavery, extreme poverty, crushing debt, or oppression.
In verse 5:89, three days of saum is prescribed as a punishment for breaking an oath intentionally, if the person cannot afford to feed or clothe 10 poor people or free a slave. The first part of the verse clearly states that God will not impose blame upon unintentional or meaningless oaths. It has to be an intentional oath, which has consequences for the victims if broken, and not simple promises. Examples of serious oaths could be, giving false testimony to a crime, giving false evidence to an abuse or a ‘Will’, or refusing to take responsibility for an oath which was given earlier on a ‘Will’ of a deceased, etc, which come under civil law. Here too, saum can be understood as a punishment of self-discipline of abstention from giving or witnessing an oath, for the individual to make amends. The individual can take this opportunity to seriously contemplate his act, repent the mistake, and seek guidance from God if he so will. There is no mention of abstaining from food, drink, or intimacy.
The reason why self-discipline (= saum) is recommended in these instances is to give the offender an opportunity to think of his errors, so he can correct himself. Many of the suggested penalties can be self-governed. God has made each individual responsible for their own affairs and to connect with HIM. This will make the task easier on the governing authorities, as many of the restrictions and penalties can be self-governed by each individual, giving each individual more autonomy, as long as they believe the message (i.e: the Quran).
For this reason, God has promised forgiveness and immense reward for those who wish to adopt self-discipline (= saum), as a way to rehabilitate, amend, or correct their weaknesses, adopt good habits, and follow the rule of law (= deen) as mentioned in verse 33:35.
Verse 33:35 talks about saum in general terms. It says God has prepared for those men and women who; submit (= muslim), believe (= mu’min), devoted, truthful, steadfast, humble, charitable, self-disciplining (= saum), chaste and mindful of God, forgiveness, and a great recompense. In this verse, God does not prescribe saum for anyone, but gives an indication to whoever carries out saum (= self-discipline) and other acts of righteousness on their own, that HE will reward them. No mention of abstaining from food, drink, or intimacy here as well.
Q 33:35
Surely, for men who submit and women who submit, men who believe and women who believe, men who are devoted and women who are devoted, men who are truthful and women who are truthful, men who are steadfast and women who are steadfast, men who are humble and women who are humble, men who are charitable and women who are charitable, men who self-discipline (= sa’eemeena) and women who self-discipline (= sa’eemaati), men who are chaste and women who are chaste, men who remain mindful of God and women who remain mindful of God, for them, God has readied forgiveness and an immense reward.As per this verse, we are to perform not only saum (= self-discipline), but also are advised to be devoted, truthful, steadfast, humble, charitable, chaste, and mindful of God, while being a believer and a submitter to God’s laws at all times. So in this verse, God is simply saying that for the men and the women who continuously strive in righteousness, HE will forgive and reward them.
So, we can clearly see from all the above Quranic verses that the meaning of ‘saum’ is far from what Muslims think it is - from abstaining from food, drink, and intimacy - but to empower ourselves to achieve a higher purpose in life, whether it is for self-development, self-education, self-reflection, self-obligation, or self-abstention. If we broaden our perspective beyond the above verses of the Quran, we come to realize that we all perform self-discipline (= saum) on a daily basis in different ways, whether we are aware of it or not.
For example, a person who wants to lose weight goes on a strict diet and regular exercise, which requires self-discipline (= saum). A person who wants to maintain good health may restrict certain types of food, which requires self-discipline (= saum). A person who has diabetes may abstain from taking food that has carbohydrates and sugar, and change his/her diet, which requires self-discipline (= saum). A person, who wants to get rid of an addiction such as alcohol, drugs, or smoking may require self-discipline ( = saum). Likewise, someone who seeks God’s guidance also may require self-discipline (= saum) in devoting his/her time learning/meditating in order to achieve this.
Whether it is for our own self-development, self-education, self-reflection, self-obligation, or self-abstention, we perform saum from time-to-time depending on our needs, circumstances, and obligations, as discussed in the Quranic verses above. Therefore, saum (= self-discipline) is not an alien concept for mankind, though the Muslims have given an alien meaning to it.
Finally, the most important part of this subject is the saum in ramadhan. In the Quran, Chapter 2, verses from 183 to 187 describe saum during ‘ramadhan’. The Muslims believe that God prescribed them (young and old, rich and poor) in these verses to abstain from food, drinks, and intimacy with their spouses, from dawn to dusk, for one whole month. They also practice self-restraint in their day-to-day activities by being mindful of their desires, speech, vision, and actions, and spend time in repentance. They observe a strict abstention from food and drinks, including water, from dawn to dusk during this time. They even train children as young as 7 years old to go through this special program that they call ‘fasting’. They practice generosity towards the poor during this month, as they believe that fasting is prescribed for them to feel the pain of hunger of the poor. However, the poor people are not exempt from fasting either. They also emphasize the health benefits of fasting.
Though there are health benefits in fasting for many people, prolonged fasting without water could have negative consequences for many. There are instances where children have unintentionally succumbed to death due to dehydration. For many who wish to lose weight or maintain good health, intermittent fasting is more appropriate than a strict 30-day fasting without water. Though intermittent fasting is good for our health, dehydration is bad. Our cells need to be constantly hydrated for optimum health.
If someone lives close to the equator, the duration of the fast is approximately 14 hours a day. However, this kind of strict fasting could be a health risk if we live close to the northern hemisphere during summer, where the time period of the actual fast could extend up to 23 hours with one hour to hydrate and start all over again for the next 30 days. If someone is already slim and healthy, what is there for him to achieve from this strict program? Any health plan should be carefully tailored to each individual’s needs and circumstances. A ‘one size fits all’ approach to fasting is a bad idea for most people.
But, wait! Is ‘fasting’ really the intended goal of these verses from 2:183 to 2:187? Are there any reasons mentioned for this exercise (practice) in the Quran? What are we supposed to achieve? Let’s find out.
When you take all these 5 verses in context, it is clear that saum in these verses is prescribed to seek guidance and not for abstaining from food, drink, or intimacy. Therefore, it is a mistake to look at these verses in relation to health benefits.
Verse 183 states that saum was prescribed for you as it was, for those before you, that perhaps you may become righteous (Q 2:183). The next verses state that if you do ‘saum’, it is better for you if you only knew (Q 2:184). The Quran was revealed in the period/month (= shahr) of ramadhan as guidance to mankind, consisting of guidance and criterion. God wants to bring you ease and not hardship so that you may do the exercise (practice), and glorify God because HE has guided you, that you may be thankful (Q 2:185). If My servants ask you (O! messenger) about Me, I am near answering the calls of those who call on Me. So let them respond to Me (= to the Quran) and believe in Me so that they may be led aright (Q 2:186). Indulge in learning the Quran until it is clear to you as black and white. Then perform saum (self-discipline in seeking guidance) until nightfall. And do not frown on your wives since you are devoted to them (= a’kifu-na) in the consented decree (= fil-masaaji-di) as they are your confidantes. These are the limits of God (= hudu-dul-lah) and do not violate them. Thus God makes clear His ordinances to mankind that they may become righteous (Q 2:187).
The purpose of ‘saum’ is set forth in these verses. It is hard not to notice the emphasis given in these verses for ‘divine guidance’ to achieve righteousness. Any thinking person would question how going hungry for 30 consecutive days could achieve this objective. It is also important to highlight that verse 2:185, which states that the Quran was revealed (to Mohamed) as guidance in the period of ramadhan, which indicates that it can also reveal its guidance to us during such a period if we truly seek it.
Since this Quranic guidance was revealed to Mohamed during ramadhan, it may very well be worth finding out what ‘ramadhan’ really means in the Quran. The word ramadhan is derived from the Arabic word ramidha (رَمِضَ). It means intense heat = great distress = extreme stress = nadir = lowest point in life = worst moment. This is the point in time when Mohamed was searching for truth (guidance) and received the revelation from God, which was his moment of ‘divine calling’. We recognize this experience as ‘great awakening’ = wake-up call = tap on the shoulder = spiritual calling = ‘Aha’ moment = light bulb moment.
A person who has experienced a light bulb turning on moment in their life would understand what it means to feel literal heat (= ramadhan = great distress) in them prior to that experience. Generally, people experience this moment when they fall into the lowest point of their lives searching for truth, guidance, or a solution to a problem. Sometimes, it could be the most stressful, alienating, excruciating, lonely, confusing, and frightening experience of their lives. This is the time people seriously pray and ask for guidance from the Creator. It is during such periods of great distress (= shahru ramadhan. Lit: period of distress) that we receive divine guidance (= awakening), and find our will and our inner strength to follow it. We say ‘Our prayers are answered’. Some people identify this as the light bulb moment or God’s intervention. As per the first part of verse 2:185, whoever perceives this period of great distress (= shahru ramadhan. Lit: period of distress) longing to find guidance from the Quran, let him perform saum (= self-discipline in seeking guidance from the Quran). God assures us that we may also find guidance from the Quran similar to Mohamed receiving it during such period in his life, if we truly seek it (See Q 97:1-5 – The night of enlightenment, ie: the light bulb moment). Let’s review the first part of verse 2:185
The Quran was revealed in the period of great distress (= shahru ramadhan), guidance for mankind. And it contains clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever experiences this period (= ash-shahr), let him perform saum (= self-discipline in seeking guidance)…
Please note, the verse clearly states ‘whoever among you experiences this period of great distress (= faman shahida minkumush-shahra)’, let him perform saum’. This means the ‘shahr’ or ‘this period’ will be felt (= shahida = witnessed/felt) within us. So, it is a state of mind that can be felt or experienced by someone, like distress. If it is a ‘month’ of a year, there is nothing to witness, feel, or experience, within, as we already know in advance when exactly it will be.
Shahr (= period) is mentioned twice in this verse. The second usage of ash-shahra (= this period) emphasizes the shahru ramadhana (= period of great distress) mentioned at the beginning of the verse. So, the second usage of ‘shahra’ points to the ‘great distress’ that you would experience within you’. That experience (= shahida) is the ‘period of great distress (= shahru ramadhana)’ mentioned at the beginning of the verse. Let me break the first part of the verse to better understand:
shahru ramadhana period of great distress alladhi that/the unzila was revealed fihi in al-quranu the Quran hudan guidance lin-nasi for mankind wa-bayyinatin and clear proofs minal-huda of the guidance wal-furqani and the criterion faman so whoever shahida experience minkum among you ash-shahra this period (ie: the period of great distress = shahru ramadhana) fal-yasumhu should self-disciplineWhat it simply says is that the Quran was revealed (to Mohamed) as guidance to him and for mankind, at the time period of great distress in his life when he was searching for the truth. It has clear proof of the guidance and the criterion. So, whoever experiences or goes through this period (of distress) (= shahru ramadhana) in them, he/she should self-discipline in learning the truth (seeking guidance) from God in the Quran.
It is as simple as that. As per 2:183, self-discipline in seeking guidance from God in the scripture was prescribed for people before the Quran as well. It’s nothing new.
Some Quran translators attempt to interpret ‘faman shahida minkumush-shahra’ as ‘whoever sights the month’ is really illogical. How can someone sight the month? Others have translated it as ‘whoever is present at home in the month’ – another irrational statement.
One may question whether the shahru ramadhan (= period of great distress) mentioned in this verse is similar to the ‘month of Ramadhan’ as per the Persian/Arabic Calendar. The Religionists who invented the religion Islam have named a month ‘Ramadhan’ in their calendar as they did for ‘Haj’ as well, to confuse and misguide people. As per Islamic history, the calendar that they call ‘Hijri Calendar’ was invented only after prophet Mohamed’s demise. It is clear, all of their inventions were carefully crafted using Quranic words, including the months and days of the Hijri calendar, to avoid suspicions of their inventions (The verse 6:112 comes to my mind).
Now, let’s review all these verses together to better understand how much God has stressed the importance of self-discipline in seeking guidance (= saum) from the Quran for our own benefit of being righteous.
Q 2:183O you who have believed, saum (= self-discipline) is prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you that you may become righteous.
Q 2:184A certain number of days. Whoever among you is ill or on a journey (during them), an equal number of other days (to make up). And those who can afford, a redemption (as a substitute) of feeding a poor person. And whoever volunteers excess - it is better for him. But to perform saum (= self-discipline) is better for you, if you only knew.
Q 2:185
The Quran was revealed in the period of great distress (= shahru ramadhan), guidance for mankind. And it contains clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever experiences (= shahida) this period, let him perform saum (= self-discipline in seeking guidance); and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. God intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship. The postponement is for you to complete the period with ease. And glorify God for that He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful.Q 2:186
And when My servants ask you (Mohamed), about Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the caller when they call unto Me. So let them respond to My call (ie: the Quran) and believe in Me that they may be led aright.The above 4 verses clearly state without any ambiguity that the purpose of saum (= self-discipline) is to seek guidance from God in the Quran. Nowhere does it state that it is a yearly program. Verse 2:185 indicates that whoever experiences this period of great distress (= shahru ramadhan), should find out the truth by performing saum, or making up time later if they are ill or traveling. That is how important it is.
The verse 2:186 states that God is responsive to our call as long as we respond to His call (i.e: the Quran). Seeking the truth from the Quran is highlighted in this verse as well.
Then, verse 2:187 states that you can have regular relationships with your wives during the nights of this exercise. Do not completely avoid them (because of this new research of yours), as they are your confidantes. Therefore, maintain regular relationships with them during night, and seek that which God has prescribed for you. ‘What God has prescribed for you (= kathabal-lahu lakum)’ here (also mentioned in verse 2:183) is to self-discipline in searching the truth in the Quran as guidance. ‘Seeking guidance’ in the Quran is emphasized again in this verse. It’s all about seeking the truth in the Quran.
Then it continue stating that to indulge yourself in learning (= kuluu washrabuu) until it (ie: the guidance of the Quran) is clear to you as black and white. Then, perform saum (= self-discipline in seeking guidance) till evening (ie: nightfall). And do not frown on them as you have devoted to them (= a’kifu-na) in the consented decrees (= fil-masaaji-di) - ie, your marital vow. Those are the limits of God (= hudu-dul-lah).
Let’s review the verse.
Q 2:187
It is permissible for you on the nights of siyam (= plural of saum) to mingle with your wives. They are your confidantes, and you are their confidant. God knows that you would have deprived yourselves, feeling guilty, so He turns towards you and pardons you. So, mingle with them and seek that which God has prescribed for you (ie: seeking guidance in the Quran). And enjoy God’s bounty (= kuluu washrabuu) until it is clear to you as black and white. Then perform saum (= self-discipline in seeking guidance) until nightfall. And do not frown on them as you are devoted to them (= a’kifu-na) in the consented decrees (= fil-masaajidi). These are the limits of God (= hudu-dul-lah). So, do not violate them. Thus does God makes clear His ordinances to mankind that they may become righteous.It is important to note that there are no mentions of abstaining from food or drink anywhere in the above verse. The literal meaning of kuluu washrabuu is ‘eat and drink’. The figurative meaning is, ‘to indulge’ or ‘enjoy God’s bounty’. The Quran has used the figurative meaning every time it mentioned ‘kuluu washrabuu’. For example, in verse 2:60, when Moses asked for water and God told him to strike the rock with his staff and water gushed forth, Moses said to his people, “kuluu washrabuu” (= indulge yourselves of God’s bounty). Another example of kuluu washrabuu is mentioned at the beginning of this chapter in verse 19:26 with regards to Mary (mother of Jesus), at the time of childbirth to shake the date palm for some ripe dates. God directs Moses to water and Moses says to his people, kuluu washrabuu (= indulge in satisfying your thirst or enjoy God’s bounty). God directs Mary to a date palm and says kulee washrabee (= indulge in satisfying your hunger or enjoy God’s bounty). Similarly, HE directs us to the Quran and says kuluu washrabuu (= indulge in satisfying your learning or enjoy God’s bounty), ie: quench your hunger with the truth in the Quran. Therefore, this phrase should not be taken literally, as it has always been used in the Quran figuratively.
People often claim to have hunger for Truth,
but seldom likes the taste when it’s served up.A’kifu-na in the verse simply means devoted or dedicated, and not retreat, secluded, or i’tikaf, as most Quran translators have interpreted. The word i’tikaf is not even found anywhere in the Quran. In verse 21:52 of the Quran, prophet Abraham said to his father, “What are these statues to which you are devoted (= a’kifu-na)”. In response, his father replies in verse 26:71: “We serve these idols and are ever devoted (= a’kifi-na) to them”. Same derivative, ‘a’kifu-na’, in verses 21:52 and 2:187, but the Quran translators have invented a new meaning for it in 2:187. Is this an oversight or a blind following the narrative of i'tikaf?
So, what God states in verse 2:187 is to enjoy God’s bounty (ie: the Quran) until the guidance becomes clear to you as black and white. The next part of the verse states to perform saum (= self-discipline in seeking guidance) until evening, and not to frown on your wives as you are devoted to them (= a’kifu-na) in the consented decrees (= fil-masaaji-di). There is no mention of abstaining from food and drink here either. (The Quranic meaning of ‘masjid’ is discussed in detail in Chapter 26.)
As I mentioned earlier, if we take saum mentioned in these verses in context, it is clear that the main purpose of this saum is not to abstain from food, drink, and intimacy as it was made to believe, but to seek guidance from God in the Quran, to become righteous (2:183), as it is better for you (2:184). The Quran is a book of guidance, and God has intended ease for you to learn it, to seek guidance (2:185). He advises us to call on Him, as HE awaits our calls, and for us to respond to HIS call in the Quran (2:186). God has given everyone a chance (believers or not, without prejudice) during a period of their lifetime to connect with Him to be guided. HE says that HE awaits our calls. It is up to each individual to call on Him if they truly seek God’s guidance. As per these verses, God assures that whoever seeks guidance will find it.
Isn’t it ironic that instead of calling on God for guidance, Muslims waste their time and efforts yearly, in self-inflicting punishments on themselves by abstaining from food and water from dawn to dusk for 30 consecutive days?
-
Emre thank you for sharing this detailed post. I genuinely found it very helpful and thought-provoking and I appreciate to kindly address the below queries: [Please note that I use chatgpt to record my voice and it only translates to text which I posted below]
If I imagine myself receiving only the Qur’an, with no historical memory of what happened during the Prophet’s time—and for me, hadith literature is also a form of history—then naturally I would rely only on the Qur’an. In that scenario, I would probably arrive at something very similar to what you have described: the core movements of standing, bowing, and prostrating, and the limited number of clearly indicated prayer times.
However, this is where an interesting area appears for me.
You mentioned that Sunnis pray five times and Shias three times, but if we look closely, there is actually a strong conceptual consensus between them. For example, Shias combine Dhuhr with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha, but the total number of rak‘ahs and the structure of the prayers are essentially the same. So despite the difference in counting the times, the overall format of the prayer remains remarkably consistent.
More importantly, across both traditions, there is a very similar procedural pattern: the way people stand, say the takbir, go into ruku, perform sujood, sit, and complete the prayer. I am not talking about declaring Surah Fatiha obligatory or specific phrases as binding, but about the overall structure and flow of the prayer itself. This basic procedure is strikingly consistent across communities that have been historically separate for centuries.
In fact, even the number of rak‘ahs shows a kind of universal pattern. Both Sunnis and Shias agree on two rak‘ahs for the morning prayer, four rak‘ahs for the middle prayer, and four rak‘ahs for the night prayer, even if the grouping of times differs. So the physical structure of the prayer—the rak‘ah counts, the sequence of movements, and even the commonly recited phrases in ruku and sujood—shows a broad and long-standing consensus.
So my question is this: doesn’t such a long-standing and widespread consensus suggest that there may be something more than just later hadith formulations? Even if we put hadith aside completely, we still see a living, shared practice preserved across major groups of Muslims.
If we imagine the Prophet’s time, it is hard to picture people praying in completely different ways according to personal preference. The Prophet was a real, visible person in the community, leading prayers daily. People in Makkah and Madinah would naturally observe him and follow the same physical procedure. So there must have been a practical, observable method of prayer that people learned directly from him. [where Quran acts as a policy and Prophets actions act as a Procedure]
So I’m not arguing from hadith authority here, but from historical continuity and communal practice. Wouldn’t such a consistent, cross-sect practice at least suggest the possibility that this procedure traces back to the Prophet’s actual example?
And in that case, if someone follows the way Sunnis or Shias pray in terms of the number of rak‘ahs, the physical movements, and the commonly used phrases—without claiming these as divinely mandated obligations beyond the Qur’an—is there really any harm in doing so?
-
Hi Fusion. Yes, as you mentioned, the Salah performed by sectarians today is largely in harmony with the Salah in the Quran. Therefore, it is not a problem to apply their number of rak'ahs etc. exactly. Perhaps a revision might be needed regarding some of the words they utter and the supplications they make. By referring to the Quran, of course... Also, sectarians tend to perform Salah usually with an inner voice, meaning silently or in a very low voice. In contrast, the verses require Salah to be performed with a moderate voice. This needs to be corrected in their practice. That is, Salah should be performed audibly, at least at a conversational volume.
And also, the Salam given to the right and left at the end of the Salah is not required in the verses. It would be more appropriate to finish it without doing this..
-
For the German of the book ‘The Religion in the Quran’:
