1

Explanation of Umdat-ul-Akm and Umdat-ul-Fiqh

7
Book of Prayer 7

Chapter of the Prerequisites of the Prayer

Definition:
Shur ( )can be translated as: conditions, preconditions, necessary
elements. Shur is the plural form of shar ( )which can be literally
translated as signs. In technical terminology utilized in Fiqh, it means an
element that is essential, without which, the related worship is
unacceptable.
Therefore, the shar for alh being valid refers to those essentials
elements upon which the validity of alh depends. If any of these Shur
are not present, then the alh is invalidated.
Shaikh-ul-Islm Ibn Qudmah begins this chapter with:

:"
:



"



:

These (Shur) are six. The first is: ahrah from adath,
based upon the saying of Raslullh Allh does not
accept the prayers of the one who is in a state of ritual
impurity until they perform wu.

The proof for this ruling has been cited by Imm Ibn Qudmah
himself in the matn of al-Umdah. This is from the writing style of the great
scholar Imm Ibn Qudmah to include proofs for rulings even in
his summarized works. In fact the first proof for this ruling can be found in
the book of Allh :

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Lesson # 52


O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform]
prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows
and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the
ankles. [ 1 ]

The second proof can be found in the authentic adth that this chapter is
initiated with. This a adth is recorded by both Imm al-Bukhr

and Imm Muslim on the authority of Ab Hurayrah



who said: Raslullh said:

"



"

Allh does not accept the prayers of the one who is in a

state of ritual impurity until they perform wu. [ 2 ]
In addition according to Imm Ibn Mundhir there is Ijm
(consensus) of the scholars of Islm on this issue. This Ijm was also
documented by Shaikh-ul-Islm Taq-ud-Dn Ibn Taymiyyah [ 3 ],
Imm Ibn azm [ 4 ] and Imm an-Nawaw commented
on this adth stating:

"This adth is a proof for the obligation of a-ahrah (purification)

for a-alh (prayer). And verily the Ummah has reached consensus
stipulating ahrah as a precondition for the alh." [ 5 ]

Shaikh-ul-Islm Ibn Qudmah continues:

"
".
:

The second condition is the time (for that prayer)

A prayer cannot be prayed before the time for that prayer has entered
except in certain conditions. The fact that the time for the prayer is a

1
2

Qurn [5:6] Srah al-M'idah yah # 6

a al-Bukhr adth # 135 a Muslim adth # 225

3

Naqd Mara tib al-ijma Page # 47.

Martib al-ijm Page # 35.

Shar a Muslim Volume # 3 Page # 102.

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Lesson # 52

Explanation of Umdat-ul-Akm and Umdat-ul-Fiqh

prerequisite for the validity of the prayer is a ruling established by the
words of Allh in the Qurn:

Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a

decree of specified times. [ 6 ]
This ruling is also established by the Qurn, a Adth and Ijm
(consensus) of the scholars of Islm. This Ijm was recorded by Imm Ibn
Qudmah in his famous book al-Mughn:
There is an Ijm of the Ummah on that fact that alh before
its time is invalid. [ 7 ]
Then Imm Ibn Qudmah discusses the timings for each prayer,
stating:

"

- -

.



".

And the time of the noon prayer (adh-Dhur) is from

when the sun reaching its zenith until the shadow of
everything becomes equal to it. Then time for al-Asr begins
and it is the middle (prayer), is from when adh-Dhur ends
and lasts until the sun turns yellow. Then there is the time
of necessity, which last until the sun begins to set. The time
for al-Maghrib is from when the sun begins to set and lasts
until the twilight has faded. The time for al-Ish starts
from the end of al-Maghrib and lasts until midnight. Then
6
7

Qurn [4:103] Srah an-Nis yah # 103

Al-Mughn Volume # 1 Page # 45

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Lesson # 52

there is the time of necessity until the second Fajr. The

time for the alh of ub (Fajr) lasts from the beginning of
the pre-dawn until the sunrise.
The proof for this is a adth reported in a Muslim, Raslullh
said:

"

"

The time of the noon prayer is from when the sun passes the
zenith until a man's shadow is the same (length) as him until
the time for the afternoon prayer has not come; the time for
the afternoon prayer is as long as the sun has not become pale;
the time of the evening prayer is as long as the twilight has not
ended; the time of the night prayer is up to the middle of the
average night and the time of the morning prayer is from the
appearance of dawn, as long as the sun has not risen; but when
the sun rises, refrain from prayer for it rises between the horns
of the devil. [ 8 ]

The scholars of Islm are in agreement about just about almost all of these
prayer times as mentioned by al-fidh Ibn Mundhir and al-fidh
Ibn azm . Yet there are points of some disagreement. The first is
the ending of the time of adh-Dhur (which is the beginning of the time of alAsr). According to one of the opinions attributed to Imm Ab anfah
the time for adh-Dhur ends when the shadow of everything doubles
excluding its shadow. While according to the majority of the scholars of Islm,
including the two major students of Imm Ab anfah , Imm
Muammad ash-Shaybn and al-Q Ab Ysuf , adh-Dhur and alAsr begins when the shadow or everything is equal to its own height, as clearly
stated in the wording of the a adth. This is the opinion of the majority of
the scholars of Islm; amongst them is Imm Mlik , Imm ash-Shfi
, and Imm Amad Ibn anbal . This is also the relied upon
opinion of the Mlikyah, the Shawfi, and the anbilah. It is also an opinion
8

a Muslim adth # 612

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Lesson # 52

Explanation of Umdat-ul-Akm and Umdat-ul-Fiqh

within the anaf madh-hab as it was the opinion of Imm Muammad ashShaybn and al-Q Ab Ysuf the two greatest students of Imm
Ab anfah and according to some reports this was also the final
opinion attributed to Imm Ab anfah himself. Looking at the
clear wording of the a adth, it is clearly the stronger opinion and the
opinion of the vast majority.

The Asr prayer is what is called the middle alh, since it is in the middle of
the five daily prayers. The preferred time for the Asr prayer is from when adhDhur ends until the sun turns yellowish. If someone prays after the sun turns
yellow, yet it is before al-Maghrib, it will still be accepted but this is disliked.
The proof to show that it is the preferred time and it is disliked after it is
the ah adth quoted above where Raslullh said:

"


"

the time for the afternoon prayer is as long as the sun has not
become pale. [ 9 ]
Yet, there is another a adth that shows that the one who prays
during this disliked time, has still caught the alh. It is reported by both
Imm al-Bukhr and Imm Muslim that Raslullh
said:
Whoever catches up with one rakah of Asr before the sun sets
has caught up with Asr. [ 10 ]
Therefore, it is understood that there is a preferred time and a disliked time
for the Asr prayer. One may pray in the disliked time due to a necessity; this is
what is meant by the time of necessity. Yet this is disliked and it has been
called the prayer of the hypocrite.
The time for the maghrib prayer is from when the sun sets to the time that the
redness in the sky totally disappears (meaning that it is completely dark). This
is clear from the wording of the above quoted adth:

a Muslim adth # 612

a al-Bukhr adth # 579 a Muslim adth # 608

10

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Lesson # 52


"

"

The time of the evening prayer is as long as the twilight has

not ended. [ 11 ]
The other point of disagreement is regarding when the time from
Another issue concerning which there is some disagreement, is when the time
for al-Ish ends.
Some of the scholars held the view that the time for al-Ish ends in the middle
of the night while others held that it lasts until Fajr. Others held a more
balanced view, which is the view preferred by Imm Ibn Qudmah
here, that the true and preferred time for al-Ish is from when the sun
completely sets (meaning the end of the time of al-Maghrib) until the middle of
the night; yet if someone prays al-Ish before the time of al-Fajr, then their
alh will still be valid, but disliked. This is a similar example to that of Asr
after the sun has turned yellow.
The proof for this is the first of all the wording of the above quoted
a adth:

"

"

The time of the night prayer is up to the middle of the average

night. [ 12 ]
Hence, that is the preferred time for al-Ish is up till the middle of
the night and it is disliked to delay it past it. Yet if someone does
pray due to some necessity before al-Fajr, his or her alh is still
valid. The proof for this is the a adth reported by Imm
Muslim in his a that Raslullh said:
Negligence (regarding the prayer) is not from
oversleeping, but negligence is found in the one who does
not pray (while conscious and aware) until the time of the
next prayer comes.

11
12

a Muslim adth # 612

a Muslim adth # 612

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Lesson # 52

Explanation of Umdat-ul-Akm and Umdat-ul-Fiqh

This was reported by Imm Muslim in his a, and based on this it

is clear that the time for each alh lasts until the next even al-Fajr since its
time ends when the time for the Ishrq prayer comes in.
This is the opinion of the vast majority of the scholars of Islm including all
four of the well-known scholars of tought. It is stated in Mukhtaar al-Qudr:
The beginning of the time of al-Ish is when the
twilight has disappeared. The end of its time is as long as
the dawn has not yet risen.
Imm an-Nawaw is recorded to have said in al-Majm:
What is preferred is to pray by the first third of the night.
If this preferred time passes, we are left with the
permissible time, which is till the time of the second (true)
Fajr.
Imm Ibn Qudmah writes in al-Mughn:
What is more befitting Insh Allh is that one does not
delay it (al-Ish) past the first third of the night. If he
delays it past the middle of the night, this is permissible.
What is beyond this is allowed only for necessity, and its
ruling is the same as praying al-Asr in the time of
necessity (in the last portion of its allotted time) . . .
beyond this, the time of al-Ish extends till the
emergence of the second (true) al-Fajr.

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Lesson # 52