[ Qur'an and Suhih Sunnah - Islamic Knowledge ]

  Imam Ibn Baaz: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful An extract from my letter I sent to His Excellency Shaykh  Abu Al-A`la Al-Mawdudy  concerning  the difference between `Ibadah and obedience On 2/4//1392 A.H.,  Abu Al-A`la Al-Mawdudy  sent me a letter no. 1526, dated 2 Safar, 1392 A.H. explaining his case and  Tufayl’s,  his successor in the leadership of Islamic Group. I replied in the same year when I was the President of the Islamic University in  Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah  and the following is some of my reply: Some brothers from  Milbar  living in the country told me that Your Eminence opine that  `Ibadah is clarified by obedience and that when someone obeys another, he worships him. `Ibadah is also interpreted as enslavement and idolization. Furthermore, Shaykh  `Umar ibn Ahmad Al-Millibary,  owner of Al-Salsabil Magazine, wrote to me concerning this issue asserting what is mentioned...

Firstly:  It is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to point with his index finger and move it during the tashahhud when praying.  The scholars differed concerning that and there are several points of view.  1 – The Hanafis say that the finger should be raised when saying “Laa (no)” in the phrase “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah)” and it should be lowered when saying, “ill-Allaah (except Allaah).”   2 – The Shaafa’is say that it should be raised when saying “ill-Allaah.”  3 – The Maalikis say that it should be moved right and left until one finishes the prayer.  4 – The Hanbalis say that one should point with the finger when saying the name of Allaah, without moving it.  Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: There is no basis for any of these definitions and manners in the Sunnah. The closest of them to the correct view is the Hanbali view, were i...

" Pray as you have seen me praying”  (Sahih Bukhari: 631)   Prerequisites (Shurut) of Prayer (Salah) : Prerequisite means a condition that is required in order for something else to happen and if it is missing, the thing is invalid and unfulfilled e-g Ablution (Wuḍhu) is a prerequisite for Salah. It is obligatory for a person who wishes to perform Prayer (Salah) to make sure that he or she satisfies the following Prerequisites before entering the Prayer (Salah):   1. Intention: (an-Ni yy ah) for Prayer:   The person who is going to pray must have in his heart the intention to pray that particular Prayer. Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.) used to say: All actions are by intention ,  and every man shall have what he intended.”  (Sahih Bukhari: 54) The Prophet (S.A.W.) never instructed us to audibly or inaudibly state intentions for any act of worship, and the Companions (R.A.) did not do this either.   2. Purification (Taharah):   One must make sure that t...