Topic: just a question


mmcgeorge    -- 06-10-2002 @ 12:00 AM
  asalaam alaykum:

my question is just a short one and it is in regards to prayer.

Question:  i was told that i am to learn arabic as soon as i can does that mean that the prayers i am now praying are not heard from Allah because they are in english?

also, am not sure i am praying correctly and would like some information in regards to how to pray correctly etc?

thank u.

Assalam alaykum

with warm wishes, Mary


MSbN.Ahmad    -- 06-10-2002 @ 12:00 AM
  wa'alaykissalaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh

You can access the book written by Shaykh Al Albaanee 'The Prophet's Prayer Described' on website address removed under 'Ibaadah'.  There is an abridged version of this book and both the book and the abridgment can be purchased from www.salafibookstore.com .  Regarding your prayers, ofcourse Allaah can hear them, He is As Samee, All Hearing.  About the obligatory prayer in English, then some one else can answer that insha'Allaah,

Wassalaamu'alayki wa rahmatullaah

This message was edited by Admin on 10-7-02 @ 12:46 AM


Moosaa    -- 06-10-2002 @ 12:00 AM
  wa 'alaykumus-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh

Our Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "Paradise is surrounded by hardships..."

We have a duty, honored sister in Islaam, as Muslims to worship him with the actions that He, the Most Wise and Exalted, has legislated for us.  Every act of worship that He asks us for is of GREAT benefit to us, both in this life and the Next, even though there may some things that are difficult on us.

And indeed our Creator, the All-Knowing, knows our abilities; and He has requested from us actions which are within our abilities, and He, the Most Generous and Merciful, has promised us great rewards for obeying His Commands.  For example, the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) informed us that the first thing we will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgement is our prayers; if they are sound and complete, then the rest of our actions will be sound and complete.

So aside from being the honored residents of Paradise as our reward, another benefit of paying proper attention to our prayers is that, as a result, all of our deeds will be complete and accepted by Allaah, so long as we give our prayers the right priority.

And as Allaah has said, "Verily the prayer prevents (people) from (falling into) lewd and evil actions"  So another benefit we get from praying properly is that our hearts will be more inclinded to obedience to Allaah, and less and less inclined towards disobedience, so much so that praying properly will act as a shield between us and disobedience to Allaah, Most High.

So then we have been commanded to pray as the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) prayed.  His prayer began with facing the ka'bah, in a state of wudhoo', saying "Allaahu Akbar" in arabic whilst raising his hands.

It is a natural question that one asks "Do we have to pray in Arabic or is it OK to replace the Arabic phrases with their equivilents in another language," especially for people who do not know 'Arabic.

Shaykh Wasee Allaah 'Abbaas, a teacher at the Ka'bah, was asked about making takbeer, saying, "Allaahu akbar" in another language, and replied that it is not allowed.  And of course it is agreed upon amongst the scholars that the integral part of each "rak'ah" (unit of prayer), Soorah Al-Faatihah, must be recited letter-for-letter in 'Arabic.    

So the early Muslims who accepted Islaam had to learn some 'Arabic so as to pray properly, and they did not have any technology to help them.  We are blessed to have books, CD's, tapes, and many other ways available to us to help us learn a basic level of 'Arabic.  We thank Allaah for that.

So try your best to learn the required phrases in 'arabic from a Salafee 'Arabic teacher if at all possible.  

You are not the first person that Allaah has guided from the darkness of disbelief to the light of faith.

You are not the first woman to be honored by Islaam.

And you are not the first new Muslim who will, in shaa' Allaah, earn Allaah's Pleasure by learning to pray in the proper way, using the appropriate 'arabic phrases.

It is in the 'Arabic Language that Allaah has preserved his Qur'aan.  It is by studying the 'Arabic language that Muslims begin to have practical and useful knowledge of their religion.  Learning 'Arabic is an honor to every Muslim, a religious affair that one takes seriously.

In high school, as a kaafir, I dreaded studying another language.  I took German and studied it since it was required to get a high school diploma.  I hated each and every lesson!  I never would have imagined that one day I would be living in a non-English speaking land, studying full-time in a "foreign" university, every class in a "foreign" language!  If you would have told me that this was going to be my future, I never would have believed you!

But of course things change.  A person who used to wake up every day and just go to school, no wudhoo', no salaah, NO PURPOSE, now he (she) wakes up in obedience to Allaah, upon guidance from Allaah, worshipping Him, doing things for His Sake, knowing with certainty that the Day of Judgement will expose every single deed.  This is a whole different person now.  We thank Allaah for His Guidance, for surely we were heading for the Hellfire.

I ask Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted, to assist you and grant you ease in this affair, and in the rest of your affairs.  May He strengthen you and all of us.

Your brother

Moosaa Richardson

********************
سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك
أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت
أستغفرك وأتوب إليك


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