Quranaloneislam.net

May God forgive me and guide me regarding any sign that would have been misinterpreted in this study and elsewhere. May He always guide us to a better understanding of His profound scripture so we can purify ourselves and increase our knowledge. Please be aware that this article is very detailed, and I strongly recommend that you read the "salat summary" first if you haven't already done so.

Excerpt from the definition of the verb sallâ in the Lane Lexicon, by Edward Lane

The Quran functions in a very simple way regarding the ritual prayer: God is Omnipotent, He controls everything, and He made sure that despite some substantial corruption that has affected the ritual prayer due to the deviance of hadiths and Sunnah, its basic structure has been preserved in the Muslim world to allow people to easily understand the way it is described in the Holy Quran, as it will be proven throughout this study.

2. Who teaches the salât? The Quran, Hadiths and Sunnah, or both ?

حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَوةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ

(2:238) Safeguard the ritual prayers (al salawât), and the middle prayer (salât al wustâ), and stand before God (during the salât) with reverential humility.

فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ فَرِجَالًا أَوْ رُكْبَانًا فَإِذَا أَمِنتُمْ فَاذْكُرُوا

اللَّهَ كَمَا عَلَّمَكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ

(2:239) And if you experience fear, then [pray] walking or riding, but when you are safe then remember God like He taught you (second person plural = You all Muslims) what you (all Muslims) never knew.

The answer is that it is God Himself who teaches us the salât. Muhammad initially passed down to us the correct way to perform the salât thanks to the profound knowledge he was blessed with when the Quran was revealed in his heart. After his death, it is the Quran which confirms and teaches us the salât, and if need be rectifies any alteration to God’s ritual. The Quran being the word of God, all we need to do is study the Quran in depth and follow it exclusively (17:46, 7:52, 10:37) to understand and identify the original ritual revealed by God.

3. Is the Quran fully detailed?

أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ

الْكِتَابَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مُنَزَّلٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

(6:114) Shall I seek other than God as source of law, when He is the One who revealed to you (second person plural = all Muslims) this Book (the Quran) fully detailed?! And those whom We blessed with prior revelations (lit. “the Book”) know [for a fact] that it is the truth sent down from your Lord! Therefore, do not be among those who doubt. (see also 7:52, 10:37)

Whoever dares to challenge God regarding what He Himself stated is the equivalent of disbelief. God - The One who taught us the salât - protected its basic structure so we could understand the Quran fully detailed, and if need be correct any corruption. Even between Sunnis and Shias, the famous historical enemies, the basic structure of the salât (as witnessed in the Dawn and Friday prayers) is virtually identical. The Quran is designed (1) to explain the salât, (2) and prevent or rectify any attempts to corrupt it.

4. Where is the call for prayer mentioned in the Quran?

وَإِذَا نَادَيْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَوةِ اتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَعْقِلُونَ

(5:58) And when you call for prayer, they make it an object of mockery and amusement, this is because they are a people devoid of understanding.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَوةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا

إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

(62:9) O you who believe, when the call for prayer is announced on the day of gathering (Friday), hurry to [celebrate] God’s remembrance, and cease all business. It is better for you, if (only) you knew. (62:10) When the salât is finished, then disperse through the land and seek God’s bounty. Remember God frequently, so that you may prosper.

What we learn from these two verses is that the verb used to refer to the call to prayer in the Quran is the verb “nâdâ” (نادي = “to call in a loud voice”, form III). If you want to describe the person who “calls” to prayer according to the laws of Quranic Arabic, you have to form an active participle from the verb “nâdâ” (in this case it is the word “munâdiyun” = مُنَادِيٌ, form III) and it is by applying this very simple rule that we get to the verse which mentions the person who calls to prayer and pronounces the Quranic call to prayer:

رَّبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلْإِيمَنِ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا

رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الْأَبْرَارِ

(3:193) Our Lord, verily we have heard a caller calling to faith, “Have faith in your Lord!”; So we have believed; Our Lord!, so remit our sins and expunge our evil deeds and cause us to die among the righteous.

The call to prayer in the Quran is therefore “آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ” (âminû bi rabbikum = “Have faith in your Lord!”). This implies that the words “adhân” (أَذَان) or “muadhin” (مُؤَذِّن = announcer, form II) that are found in hadiths and used in Sunni and Shia Islam in relation to the “call to prayer” are a corruption of the pure Arabic language found in the Quran. The words “adhân” and “mouadhin” are indeed Quranic words but have a different meaning in the Quran and simply never relate to the call to prayer.

Please read the article “The Quranic call to prayer” for extensive details proving the fact that the true Quranic call to prayer is “âminû bi rabbikum” (“آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ” = “Have faith in your Lord!”). It can be recited once or more times in a row (for instance 1 minute), as there is no Quranic prohibition to do so; the goal is obviously to make sure that believers and the human race in general are reminded that it is time to pray God. There is no call to prayer for the night prayer as it is optional (17:79), therefore there are only four of them (nightfall prayer, dawn prayer, noon prayer and mid-afternoon prayer).

The gematrical value of the call to prayer is 362 (آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ = “have faith in your Lord!”, GV 362) and we combine to it the gematrical value of « al salât » (GV 162) it is interesting that we get the following result:

362 (آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ = “Have faith in your Lord”) + 162 (الصلوة = “al salât”) = 524 = 4 × 131 (GV « salât »).

And God knows best.

5. What are the conditions and hygiene rules required to perform the ritual prayer?

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَوةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ

وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ

جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا

(4:43) O you who believe, do not observe the ritual prayer if you are intoxicated until you understand what you are saying, nor if (you are) impure, unless you are on the road - (and wait) until you have thoroughly washed. And if you are sick or on a journey, and any of you went to the restroom, or had intimate relationships with women, and you do not find water (according to God’s revelation we normally wash with water), touch clean soil and wipe your faces and hands. In truth, God is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.

4:43 teaches us the crucial importance to “understand what we say” during the ritual prayer, which should be a lesson for the countless millions of Muslims around the world who do not understand one word of what they recite, and do not even have the excuse of being intoxicated. Every Muslim should at least understand and know by heart the meaning of sura al Fatihah (sura 1) since it is mandatory to recite it in every rak’ah (as we will see later).

The above verse, even though it mentions dry ablutions, is not the one which details the ablution ritual in general. It establishes hygiene rules and contains two distinctive parts:

Firstly, it explains that you can’t pray if you are intoxicated or in a state of impurity (defined in the verse by going to the toilets or having a sexual relation) unless you wash thoroughly, except if you are on the road and you don’t have any other choice.

The verb « taghtasilu » (تَغْتَسِلُ, “to wash thoroughly” or “take a bath”, form VIII) is used in the verse and is used as a passive participle in 38:42 where it signifies “a place where to bathe” (مغتسل = mughtasalun, form VIII). It is the verse where Job receives the command to strike the ground with his foot, which reveals a spring where he can bathe and drink to heal his systemic staph infection thanks to the medicinal properties of the spring.

We must therefore thoroughly wash with water after we go to the bathroom, or if we have a sexual relation.

Unlike what Sunni Islam claims, it is not obligatory to take a bath if you have a sexual relation, even though it is obviously often better, because otherwise 4:43 would also imply that you must take a bath every time you go to the bathroom (!). A full bath or shower is not always possible, and God knows it: He designed Islam as a religion easy to practice (20:2) and all the verse says is that you simply need to wash thoroughly if you go to the bathroom or have a sexual relation, not necessarily take a bath. Sunni Islam also claims that you must redo your ablutions if you pass gas. There is no place in the Quran fully detailed where you find such a rule, it is therefore a false prohibition.

Secondly, the Quran is fully detailed and explains in 4:43 what to do if it is time to pray and you can’t find any water (dry ablutions) which is to “touch clean soil and wipe your faces and hands.”

The goal of hygiene rules and ablutions, just like cleanliness in general, is to present yourself in front of God in a state of purity to perform the salât, as well as respect the others when you perform a group prayer. Cleanliness has a positive impact on your mind, before, during and after the prayer, as well as on your health in general.

6. Where do we find ablutions?

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَوةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ

وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا وَإِن كُنتُم

مَّرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا

مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ

عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

(5:6) O you who believe, once you stand up to observe the ritual prayer then: (1) wash your faces, (2) wash your hands and up to the elbows, (3) wipe your heads and (4) your feet up to your ankles. If you are in a state of impurity, then purify yourselves. But if you are sick or traveling, or if any of you went to the restroom, or had intimate relationships with women, and you do not find water, then touch clean soil, and wipe your faces and hands with it. God does not wish to cause you any hardship but wishes to purify you and perfect His blessings upon you so that you may be grateful.

5:6 states that the ablutions only have 4 steps:

- (1) wash your faces,

- (2) wash your hands and up to the elbows,

- (3) wipe your heads and

- (4) (wipe) your feet up to your ankles.

Any steps added to the above ritual decreed by Allah are a corruption of the ritual of ablutions, which is the case if you follow the hadiths.

Regarding the necessity to redo your ablutions, 5:6 decrees that “once you stand up to observe the ritual prayer then: (1) wash your faces, (2) wash your hands and up to the elbows, (3) wipe your heads and (4) your feet up to your ankles…”

We therefore must redo our ablutions before every single prayer, which must always be performed on time, ideally right after the call to prayer (it is not for no reason that there is a call for prayer!). Islam is a religion of common sense, and if you happen for example to perform the mid-day prayer very late, right before the mid-afternoon prayer, it does not make sense to redo your ablutions since you already are in a state of purity, but in general you have to pray right after the call to prayer and redo it every time.

Remark: It is not obligatory to wash your feet every time you pray as 5:6 uses the verb “wipe” (امْسَحُوا = imsahû) is used for both the head and feet. If your feet are dirty of course it is highly preferable to wash them, but the minimum requirement is simple to “wipe” them, just like we do with our hair. Therefore, the verb “wipe” leaves both options open, but it is certainly not mandatory to wash then every time as Sunnis claim.

Sunni Islam claims that you do not need to redo your ablutions if you did not go to the bathroom, did not pass gas, or had a sexual relation: It contradicts the Quran which says that you need to do the ablutions “once you stand up to observe the ritual prayer”.

5:6 indicates that we have to wipe our feet before the prayer, which is a first indication that we have to pray barefoot, which is the topic of the next section:

7. Where is it mentioned we have to pray barefoot?

فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ يَا مُوسَىٰ

(20:11) Then when he got there, he was called: “O Moses,

إِنِّي أَنَا رَبُّكَ فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى

(20:12) In truth I am your Lord, therefore remove your sandals. In truth, you are in the sacred valley of Tuwâ,

وَأَنَا اخْتَرْتُكَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَىٰ

(20:13) And I chose you, so listen to what is revealed:

إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَوةَ لِذِكْرِي

(20:14) In truth I am God, there is no other god beside Me. Therefore, worship Me and observe the ritual prayer to remember Me.”

We wash our feet doing the ablutions, and we pray barefoot, just like God commanded it to Moses right before He ordered him to perform the salât. It is in the same spirit that we take off our shoes in a mosque, which means literally “place of prostration”, referring to the salât.

Remark: Moses was not ordered to remove his sandals because he was in the sacred valley of Tuwâ as some disingenuous Quranists have claimed, as he otherwise would have had to walk barefoot throughout the entire valley (!), but because of the presence of God and the upcoming command to perform the salât. God never commands anything absurd.

8. In which direction do we turn ourselves during the salât, where is the sacred mosque located?

8.1 In which direction do we turn our faces during the salât

قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ

الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا

الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ

(2:144) Indeed we have seen you turning your face (O Muhammad) towards heaven; We will therefore direct you towards a Qiblah you will be pleased with. So, (1) turn your face (Ô Muhammad, second person singular) towards the sacred Mosque; and wherever you (second person plural = all Muslims) may be, (2) turn your faces (second person plural = all Muslims) towards it. And those who received the book surely know that it is the truth from their Lord. And God is never unmindful of what they do.

وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِنَّهُ

لَلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

(2:149) And from wherever you come from, (3) turn your face (O Muhammad) towards the Sacred Mosque; indeed, this is the truth from your Lord. And God is not unaware of what you all do.

وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ

فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا

مِنْهُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِي وَلِأُتِمَّ نِعْمَتِي عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

(2:150) And from wherever you come from (4) turn your face (O Muhammad) towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you (second person plural) may be, then (5) turn your (second person plural) faces towards it, so that people won’t have an argument against you, except for those who have wronged [their souls] among them, so do not fear them, but fear Me, that I may complete My favors upon You and that you may be guided.

The Quranic command in the second person singular (imperative form) “Turn your face (Ô Muhammad) towards the Sacred Masjid!” (فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ) is directly addressed to the prophet Muhammad three times and we see in the above verses that there is a total of five commands to “turn your faces towards the sacred masjid”, matching five daily prayers.

8.2. Where is the Sacred Mosque located?

Some people among the Quranists have gone astray attempting to manipulate the straightforward meaning of the Quran by asserting that the sacred mosque is not located in Mecca, claiming that it is located in Jerusalem, Petra or else. Such a despicable lie is easy to expose because the city of Mecca is mentioned by name in 48:24, and is directly associated with “the sacred Masjid” and the practice of the rituals of hajj in 48:25 (as well as in 48:27):

وَهُوَ الَّذِي كَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُم بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِن

بَعْدِ أَنْ أَظْفَرَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرًا

(48:24) He is the one who restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the midst of MECCA, after having granted you victory over them, and God witnessed everything you did. (48:25) They are the ones who disbelieved and kept you away from the Sacred Mosque and prevented your offerings [alluding to the sacrifice during the hajj] from reaching their destination…. (48:27) God has assuredly fulfilled his messenger’s truthful vision: “You will indeed enter the Sacred Mosque safely, God willing, having shaved your heads, or shortened [your hair], and without experiencing any fear.” For He knew what you did not know and, in addition, laid the groundwork for an imminent victory. 

The Quran is a clear scripture, and it is undeniable that Mecca is the holy city where the Sacred Mosque and Holy Ka’bah are located and the area where the hajj and its rituals take place. Some Quranists attempt to deny such clear evidence by manipulating the straightforward meaning of Quranic words. The fact of the matter is that only people with a disease in their heart or who have been brainwashed can deny such clear and overwhelming evidence.

9. Every time we read or recite the Quran, we shall seek refuge in God from satan the outcast.

فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

(16:98) When you recite the Quran, seek refuge in God from satan, the outcast.

While in the standing position about to start the ritual prayer, and before reciting the Quran, believers respond to the above commandment by saying “I seek refuge in God from satan, the outcast” (A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytaan-ir-rajeem)

أعوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ

In other words, you pronounce this phrase right before starting the salât or any time you are about to read or recite the Quran.

10. Which tone of voice should we use during the ritual prayer? should we remain silent behind an imam or pronounce certain words?

10.1 The tone of prayer

قُلِ ادْعُوا اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُوا الرَّحْمَٰنَ أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ

وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا

(17:110) Proclaim: “Invoke God, or invoke the Most Gracious, whichever (divine attribute) you may invoke, to Him belongs the most beautiful names.” And do not raise your voice during your ritual prayer, nor should you be silent: Find a way in between.

When God issues a command, you obey. Period, end of story. This moderate tone is therefore valid at all times, day and night; otherwise the Quran fully detailed would provide additional details, which is not the case.

Hadiths and Sunnah instruct people to recite the Quran silently during the day, and aloud during the night, or a mix of the two, which is a blatant corruption of the teachings of the Quran.

I defy anyone to explain to me what the point is to perform a salât behind an imam during the day while he recites the Quran silently and when only himself can understand what he is reciting! The Quran is the Word of Allah: It must be recited so that everyone can hear it, understand it, and meditate upon it. Praying silently during the day is one of the most nonsensical hadith rule ever produced, and blatantly contradicts the Quran (17:110). Any sincere person should be appalled by such nonsense and reject it.

10.2 Should we pronounce certain words behind an imam or remain completely silent?

On the other hand, believers shall remain completely silent in a group prayer while following the imam:

وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

(7:204) And when the Quran is recited (i.e. by an imam like during the salât, or any recitation of the Quran in general), listen to it and remain silent, so that you may be blessed with mercy.

وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعًا وَخِيفَةً وَدُونَ الْجَهْرِ

مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْغَافِلِينَ

(7:205) And celebrate your Lord from the depth of your soul with humility and reverence, and without perceivable words, starting from the mornings, and the evenings and do not be among those who are heedless (inattentive of the recitation).

Not one single word is pronounced by the congregation while the imam is leading the prayer. For instance, a congregation following an imam should consistently say “Allahu Akbar” silently (God is the greatest) as well as any other word.

Neither the imam nor the congregation should say “ameen” after the recitation of sura 1, because it is not decreed in the Quran [it is in fact decreed by “hadiths other than God and His verses” (39:45) such as Bukhari book 6, vol. 60, hadith nº 2, and Muslim Book 4 hadith nº 828].

Most of all, the word “Ameen” (امين) has a completely different meaning in the Quran fully detailed and signifies “Trustworthy” (7:68, 12:54, 26:107,…), “Faithful” (26:193, 27:39), “Secure”, “safe”, (44:51, 95:3) and “ameen” never means “so be it” in the Quran, which is the meaning given in Sunni Islam and Christianity. It is clearly not part of the Quranic salât ritual and shall therefore be discarded from the Quranic salât.

11. Group prayer

وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلَوةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا

سَجَدُوا فَلْيَكُونُوا مِن وَرَائِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَىٰ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا فَلْيُصَلُّوا مَعَكَ

وَلْيَأْخُذُوا حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ وَدَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ

فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُم مَّيْلَةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن كَانَ بِكُمْ أَذًى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوْ كُنتُم

مَّرْضَىٰ أَن تَضَعُوا أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ وَخُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا

(4:102) When you (O Muhammad) are among them, and lead the ritual prayer for them, Let one party of them stand with you, armed with their weapons: then, once they prostrated, let them withdraw to the rear, and let another party which has not yet prayed move forward, and let them pray with you, being on their guards with their weapons: the unbelievers wish that you neglect your weapons and your baggage, to crack down on you in a single rush. But there is no blame on you if you lay down your weapons because of the inconvenience of the rain or because you are ill; but take your precautions. In truth, God has prepared a humiliating punishment for the unbelievers.

The group prayer is natural in Islam, even in conditions of extreme danger as witnessed in the verse. It also shows that the salât is not only mandatory, but beyond mandatory, otherwise people would not pray while risking their lives right before a battle when people who want to destroy them are watching them. According to the above, we have to interrupt the prayer if under attack, and the previous verse (4:101) explains that it is possible, not mandatory, to shorten the prayer when you travel and fear that you may be harmed while performing the salât. 4:102 makes it clear that we can perform the same ritual prayer several times, even in normal situations, since the prophet leads the salât for two or more groups in a row in the verse.

This implies that you if you make a mistake during the prayer, you obviously can redo it, and must redo it if possible.

12. The basic movement of the salât and the number of prostrations in a rak’ah

12.1 Standing, bowing and prostrating

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا

وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُود

(22:26) And we revealed to Abraham the location of the temple: “Do not associate anything beside Me and purify My temple for those who perform the Tawâf (ritual of circling the Ka’bah), and those who (1) stand, (2) bow and (3) prostrate (during the salât).”

The above specific order “stand/bow/prostrate” confirms the basic salât structure as practiced by all Muslims around the world, which is what is commonly called in Islam a rak’ah (ركعة = unit/phase of prayer). We will say more about the various salât positions and their order later in the article when it comes to define how many raka’ât there are in the ritual prayer.

Remark: Please note that when people stand for a very brief second after bowing, it is not a specific salât position per say, but a simple transition between bowing and prostrating. We do not say anything in that very brief standing position other than the takbeer (Allahu Akbar) to go towards the first prostration, which shows that the purpose is simply to allow us to operate the transition between bowing and prostrating. Standing for a brief moment between bowing and prostrating allows us to realign our back as it would otherwise be damaging (in the long run) for our backs to bow and prostrate directly afterwards. Anyone who has had even minor back issues knows exactly what I am talking about. The mathematical phenomenon which involves verses where the words “bow and prostrate” intersect which will be explained later will magnificently confirm this observation regarding the different positions during the salât.

Some Quranists claim that the root  “ raka’a” (رَكَعَ) signifies “to kneel” instead of “to bow” to claim that the basic prayer ritual which we inherited is corrupted and that we shall not bow down during the salât directly after the standing position but “kneel”. They particularly mention the word “knee” (رَكْبَة = rakbah), which is not a Quranic word, to support their argument and claim that the verb “raka’a” signifies “to kneel”. Their lie is easy to expose because the word “knee” (رَكْبَة = rakbah) comes from the root “Rakiba” (رَكِبَ = to ride, to drive, to embark [on a boat],…), and not from the root “raka’a” (رَكَعَ = to bend, to have the back bent, to bend towards the ground, …). Classical Arabic dictionaries are unanimous that the verb “raka’a” means “to bow down” (for instance the Arabic/English dictionaries of Edward Lane or Omar), which does not contradict verses of the Quran, nor the fundamental principles of the ritual prayer as practiced in the world of Islam. Finally, and to expose them even further, the Quran uses a completely different root for the verb “to kneel” (جَثَوَ = jathawa) as demonstrated in verses 19:68, 19:72 et 45:28.

From my own experience, 99% of what comes from people who call themselves “Quranists” is false, and I strongly encourage people to avoid them because they are polluted and astray. They are responsible for revisionist theories such as claiming that the hajj does not take place in Mecca, that there are only two or three daily prayers, no Friday prayer, that the seven-day week is not supported by the Quran (lies which will be exposed later), nor the lunar calendar in Islam, and many other deviant theories clearly inspired by evil forces in order to  attempt to destroy pure Islam based on the Quran alone. We expose a number of such lies in this study, as well as in other articles on Quranaloneislam.net.

12.2 Two consecutive prostrations in a single rak’ah and the takbeer (Allahu Akbar)

12.2.1 Quranic confirmation of the two prostration pattern in every rak’ah (phase of prayer)

يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

(3:43) O Mary, Obey your Lord, prostrate and bow down with those who bow down. 

The expression “prostrate and bow down” above occurs strangely in what could seem to be a reverse order, as we would expect the logical order to be to “bow down and prostrate” as seen in 22:26 and the practice of the salât that every Muslim knows. What the order in the verse means is that when you prostrate first, and then bow down, it implies that you kneel after the first prostration, then bow down for a second prostration. This thus confirms in a subtle manner the two-prostration pattern in a rak’ah (phase of prayer) that every Muslim knows.

The following verses reflect the very same observation:

(17:107) Proclaim: “Believe in it (the Quran) or not”, verily, when it is recited to those who were blessed with knowledge before this, (1st prostration:) they fall on their chins prostrating. (17:108) And they proclaim: "Praise be to our Lord! Indeed the prophecy of our Lord has assuredly been fulfilled!" (17:109) (2nd prostration:) And they fall on their chins in tears, as it increases their reverence. (17:110) Proclaim: “Invoke God, or invoke the Most Gracious, whichever (divine attribute) you may invoke, to Him belongs the most beautiful names.” And do not raise your voice during your ritual prayer, nor should you be silent: Find a way in between. (17:111) And proclaim: “Praise be to God, the one who has never granted Himself a son, He has no partner in His kingdom, and has no protector that would ever be justified due to weakness”; and magnify Him in all (His) Greatness! (wa kabbirhu Takbiran = وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا).

These verses tell the story of the people of the book (Jews or Christians) who witnessed the Word of God (the Quran) being recited during a salât and joined the ritual prayer as they recognized the truth and prostrated twice in a row with the believers. The very next verse (17:1110) mentions that we shall recite the Quran using an intermediate tone in the ritual prayer which unmistakably confirms that they indeed joined the believers in a ritual prayer and prostrated twice in a row.

12.2.2 Where do we find the takbir in the Quran?

The expression “wa kabbirhu Takbiran” (وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا = magnify Him in all (His) Greatness!) in 17:110 (quotes above) relates to the “takbir” (Allahu Akbar = God is the greatest!) and is recited to start the salât and every time we change positions during the prayer without exception. “Akbar” is the elative, comparative and superlative, form of the word “Kabeer” (great), depending on the context. The superlative form of “Kabeer” (great) is seen for instance in 6:19. God is not only great, He is the greatest!

Years Ago, one of the many false messengers in the Rashad Khalifa movement claimed without any proof that “Allahu al Kabeer” (God, The Great) should be said as a takbeer instead of “Allahu Akbar” because we find “al Kabeer” in the Quran (13:9, 22:62, 31:30) used as a divine attribute, while “Akbar” is not used as divine attribute. The truth is that we never see “Allahu al Kabeer” literally written in the Quran either, but for instance “Allahu huwa al ‘aliyyu, Al Kakeer” = “God is The Most High, The Great” in 22:62 and 31:30 and “al Kabeer” refers to God in 13:9 but “Allah” is not mentioned by name. Therefore, while the statement about “al kabeer” and “akbar” is partially true, why then not say “Allahu al mutakabbeer” (God the Supreme) which is another divine attribute from the same root “Kabara” found in 59:23? And why not pick any divine attribute other than “Akbar” if it is incorrect rather than pick one very close to something that is allegedly false?

God knows the past, present and future and knew that some people would play these kinds of games. This is in my view why the following very astonishing feature is part of the “Bismillah”:

The “Bismillah” is the name given to the first verse of Al Fatihah, which is recited in every single ritual prayer. It is noteworthy that “Allahu al Kabeer” and “Allahu Akbar” have the same gematrical values as “Al Rahman” and “Al Raheem” respectively, which is extremely significant statistically. Even more astonishing, “Rahman” and “Raheem” share the same root rahima » (رحم = rahima), and “al Kabeer” and “Akbar” also share the same root “kabara” (كبر, with the verb “Kabura” meaning “to be great”).

To finish, there is an obvious “crescendo” between “Allahu Al Kabeer” (God, The Great) and “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest) and there is also a crescendo of mercy between the divine attributes “Al Rahman” and “Al Rahîm”. Edward Lane says the following in his famous dictionary:

[signifying having mercy &c.] and « Rahîm » (رحيم) has an intensive signification [i.e. having much mercy, &c.] : (Msb:) the latter is applied also to a man….

Remark : Muhammad (9:128) and the believers (48:29) are also called “merciful” in the Quran, which demonstrates the immense qualities of love and mercy that God put in the hearts of people who submit to Him, as well as the profound meaning of Islam which is, when properly understood, a religion of love and mercy. The divine attribute “Al Raheem” obviously applies to God Alone and bears witness to a mercy that is so immense that a human being cannot even fathom it.

The mathematical correspondence between “Al Rahman, al Raheem” and “Allahu Al Kabeer, Allahu Akbar” is in my view a deliberate intent to make sure that “Al Rahman” and “Al Raheem” directly contain in their genetic code at a hidden parallel level the word “Allah”, which is associated with two additional key divine attributes which are respectively “Al Kabeer” (263 = 56^th prime number) and “Akbar” (223 = 48^th prime number). The last word of the “Bismillah” (AL Raheem) therefore reflects mathematically the “takbeer” (Allahu Akbar), which is recited during the salât and hinted at in 17:111 (wa kabbirhu takbbiraan).

Yes, Sunnis and Shias have altered many rituals because of hadiths and Sunnah (for instance regarding the hajj, the sacred months, the Shahadah where they mention Muhammad beside God, etc…), but the above also reflects in my opinion why it is guaranteed failure to change anything in the prayer ritual unless there are clear proofs, as the Quran is infinitely deep and God is always the One who has the last word.

Juts like 16:98 which implies what to say before we recite the Quran and 17:111 which hints at the takbeer, the following verses reflect what we say  when we bow down and prostrate:

12.3 Expression recited while Bowing: 56:96, 69:52

فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ

(56:96) Therefore glorify (O Muhammad) the name of your Lord, The Sublime.

Believers respond in their salât: “Glory be to my Lord, The Sublime.” (سبحان ربي العظيم = "Subhana Rabbia al 'Azeem").

God is the one who teaches the salât (2:239) and there is no need to change the ritual we inherited when it is in line with the Quran.

Remark: It does not make sense and it is not up to us to say “God heard those who praise Him” (“sami`a allahu liman hamidah”) changing position after bowing. “Sami`a allahu liman hamidah” originates from “hadiths other than God and His verses” (39:45) such as Bukhari book 11 number 656, and not from the Quran.

Here is a quote from Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher, regarding whether it is obligatory or not to say : “Sami`a allahu liman hamidah” and “rabbana lakal hamd” after bowing down:

“In the Shafi`i school, it is recommended for the follower to say sami`a allahu liman hamidah as well as rabbana lakal hamd when following the imam. Neither of these formulas, however, are integral parts of the prayer, and omitting them would not invalidate one’s prayer.”

Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher: https://islamqa.org/shafii/qibla-shafii/34030

I have read similar statements from Sunni clerics in the past and sincere people among them admit it themselves: “Neither of these formulas, however, are integral parts of the prayer”!

The salât is about glorifying God (Allahu Akbar!), not announcing unilaterally that “God hears those who praise Him” (“sami`a allahu liman hamidah”). This is why we should say instead what we always say every time we change position during the salât: “Allahu Akbar!”.

Just like it is not necessary to wash our hands three times doing our ablutions (another baseless hadith invention), saying once “Subhana Rabbia al 'Azeem” is well enough. What matters is to understand, feel and proclaim from the depth of our souls what we say, not how many times we say it.

12.4 Expression recited while Prostrating: 87:1

سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى

(87:1) Glorify (O Muhammad) the name of your Lord, the Most High.

Believers respond in their salât: “Glory be to my lord, the Most High" (سبحان ربي العلي) = “Subhana Rabbia al 'Alaa”.

Remark: The basic positions during the salât described in 22:26 (stand/bow/prostrate) and what we say when we bow down and prostrate is in line with the fact that God is the one who teaches us the prayer (2:239). The above examples show that the prayer is a combination between what we inherited from the salât practice (2:239, God is the one who teaches the salât) and the language of the Quran. I believe that both are needed. People who reinvent everything from scratch like we see among some Quranists (some of whom deny, for example, that there is a physical prayer standing, bowing and prostrating, or denying that Mecca is the place where the hajj takes place, etc…). They are the most divided people on earth (far more than Sunnis and Shias for example) and completely disconnected from the actual message of the Quran and its rituals.

Let us also mention here that the position of our hands during the salât (which is a great deal of discussion in traditional Islam and hadiths) or while we say the takbeer is utterly irrelevant. Someone can hold the Quran and read from it during the salât, have his hands along his sides, or on his navel, etc... Who cares?! The only thing that matters is our mindset and absolute devotion and submission to God alone.