Various masaail of Salaah

Judging people performing salaah

Q: I pray in the female prayer room in the university I go to, so there’s usually a lot of people around me praying with me. Unfortunately, my brain keeps focusing on their salah and judging how they pray, instead of focusing on my own salah and my own mistakes. It’s a terrible habit I have and I’m really disappointed in myself for having these thoughts. Please, any tips to stop this from happening? Should I pray on my own next time, just to avoid passing judgements on others?

Salatul Faatih

Q: Some Tijaniyya, not the entire group says:

Salat al-Fatih: "This prayer is 'equivalent to the recitation of all prayers of glorification to God (tasbih) that have ever been said in the universe, all Sufi prayers or remembrance of God (dhikr), every invocation (du’a) long or short . (Jawahir, p. 57.)

What is the fazaa'il of that, is it correct?

Instilling respect for salaah within the child

Q: My husband insists that my 9 year old son cannot offer salaah in loose shorts which are below the knee. He insists upon trousers quite recklessly and even makes him wear a thobe on top of his T-shirt and shorts. I am concerned that he is overcomplicating simple guidelines on which he can create lots of confusion in a developing childs brain.

Isn't this an innovation? It's not a precaution, but more of an obsession as people all over the world offer salaah in loose shorts below the knee.

Performing salaah in the Hateem

Q: I have a question regarding the Hateem. Please assist.

The following riwayats come in Musnad-e-Ahmad, Abu Dawood and a few other famous Hadith books

روي عمرو بن حزم قال: رآني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم متكئا على قبر. فقال: «لا تؤذ صاحب هذا القبر.» أو «لاتؤذه» رواه أحمد بإسناد صحيح. وعن أبي هريرة قال، قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «لأن يجلس أحدكم على جمرة فتحرق ثيابه فتخلص إلى جلده خير له من أن يجلس على قبر

From the above Ahaadith we understand that it is disrespectful to sit or stand on a grave. There are also many Tareekhi narrations that I have come across regarding the burial place of Hazrat Ismaaeel and Hazrat Haajar (alaimhimas salaam) that it is in the Hateem of the Ka'bah Shareef (albiet I am unsure of the strength of the narrations). There is also the narration of Hazrat Ummul Mumineen

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كُنْتُ أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَدْخُلَ الْبَيْتَ فَأُصَلِّيَ فِيهِ فَأَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِيَدِي فَأَدْخَلَنِي فِي الْحِجْرِ فَقَالَ : صَلِّي فِي الْحِجْرِ إِذَا أَرَدْتِ دُخُولَ الْبَيْتِ فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ قَطْعَةٌ مِنْ الْبَيْتِ فَإِنَّ قَوْمَكِ اقْتَصَرُوا حِينَ بَنَوْا الْكَعْبَةَ فَأَخْرَجُوهُ مِنْ الْبَيْتِ

How do we reconcile between these narrations and will performing salaah in the Hateem be tantamount to disrespecting the graves of Hazrat Ismaeel (alaihis salaam) and his respected Mother?

Mispronouncing letters in salaah

Q: In sanna, instead of saying "Wata Baarakas mooka" I recited "Wata baarakas buka".

In Surah Ikhlaas instead of saying "QulhuwAllah" I recited "QulhuAllah".

In attahiyyaat I didn't pronounce the ha sound from throat.

Instead of pronouncing مُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةِ I pronounced "muqeemus salati".

In the tasbeeh of rukoo and sajdah I said "rabbial" instead of "rabbiyal" (I added yal instead of al) and I didn't pronounce the ha sound of these tasbeehaat from the throat.

I made all these mistakes without knowing it and I have made these mistakes in all my previous prayer since I started. Do I have to repeat all those prayers?