GRADUAL LEGISLATION OF SOLAH

Assalamualaikum to all my brothers and sisters^_^

Actually this article is one of my assignment for the subject,Islamic Legal History. I think it is very useful for those who wanted to know more about the history of Solah during the islamic period. Boost our knowledge, revive our iman^_^

The Legislation of Solah during the Islamic period can be divided into 4 main stages and each stages have distiguished characteristics.

Stage 1: The 2nd or 3rd year after the first revelation.

1.Two prayers, one in the morning and one in the evening

So be patient (O Muhammad saw ) Verily, the Promise of Allah is true, and ask forgiveness for your fault, and glorify the praises of your Lord In the Ashi (i.e. the time period after the midnoon till sunset) and in the Ibkar (i.e. the time period from early morning or sunrise till before midnoon). [Ghafir 40:55]

There were two special times for the Prophet saw to perform prayers without specifying the format. He saw was not told how to perform the prayer. This was the beginning during the time of the Prophet saw.

2. Qiblah was towards Jerusalem

And We made the qiblah (prayer direction towards Jerusalem) which you used to face, only to test those who followed the Messenger (Muhammad) from those who would turn on their heels. [Al Baqarah 2:143]

They were instructed to face the direction of Jerusalem in the salah. The had to pray towards the direction of Jerusalem for almost 15 years. He prayed towards Jerusalem more years than towards the Ka’bah.

3. Form of salat was same as the original

Stage 2: The Night Prayer

1.The obligatory night prayer

O You wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad saw)! 2. Stand (to pray) all night,
except a little. 3. Half of it, or a little less than that, 4. or a little more; and recite the Quran (aloud) in a slow,
(pleasant tone and) style. [Al Muzzammil 73:1-4]

Tarteel means the slow recitation of the Quran. When you stand half of the night reciting with tarteel, it is a long salah. The sahabah afterwards were also instructed to do that. For the early companions, the obligation of salah was the hardest because they had to pray qiyam al layl every single night for an entire year.

2. The abrogation of the obligation

Verily, your Lord knows that you do stand (to pray at night) a little less than two-thirds of the night, or half the night,or a third of the night, and so do a party of those with you, and Allah measures the night and the day. He knows thatyou are unable to pray the whole night, so He has turned to you (in Mercy). So, recite you of the Quran as much asmay be easy for you. He knows that there will be some among you sick, others travelling through the land, seeking of Allah’s Bounty; yet others fighting in Allah’s cause. So recite as much of the Quran as may be easy (for you), andperform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat, and lend to Allah a goodly loan, and whatever good you sendbefore you for yourselves, (i.e. Nawafil non-obligatory acts of worship: prayers, charity, fasting, Hajj and 'Umrah,etc.), you will certainly find it with Allah, better and greater in reward. And seek Forgiveness of Allah. Verily, Allahis Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful. [Al Muzzammil 73:20]

We do not know much about the salat at that time in terms of the number of rakaat, but we know that there was long recitation and standing and rukoo’ and sujood. Aisha ra explained later that they would pray two rak’at. All of the salawat were only two rak’at. The obligation was then abrogated, meaning it changed from being an obligation to a recommendation. However, after an entire year of practicing qiyamullail , the sahabah continued with the ibaadah, but it was now optional, and they began competing with this. The companions had to endure hardships on personal and community levels.

Aisha ra narrated: “Verily, Allah made standing at night (for prayer) obligatory at the beginning of this surah (Al Muzzamil 73).

 So the Messenger of Allah and his companions stood for an entire year during the night (in prayer) until their feet swelled. Allah held back the revelation of the end of this surah for twelve months. Then, Allah revealed the lightening of this burden at the end of this surah. Then, the standing for night prayer became voluntary after it used to obligatory.” [Ahmad and Muslim]

Aisha ra narrated that the obligation of salat was two rak’at.

Stage 3: 3 years before the Hijra / 5 years before the Hijra (depending on the year of Isra wa al Miraj)

The people in Makkah decided to boycott the family of the Prophet saw. The entire family of the Prophet saw was cut off from the Quraysh completely. In order to enforce this boycott, they drove the family of the Prophet saw out of Makkah into a valley. Banu Hashim was sent to a ‘concentration camp’, and they remained there for almost three years. Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqas said that he was walking at night while starving and stepped on something moist and ate it, and that until that day he had no idea what he ate. Khadija ra and his uncle Abu Talib both died during that year. When the boycott was over, the Prophet saw and his tribe went back to Makkah. His political support was gone after the death of Abu Talib.

The Prophet saw was always anxious about what was going to happen and decided to go to Ta’if to try to gain support. The Prophet saw went out with high expectations that the people there would accept the daw’ah. He invited them to Islam and remained with them for almost two weeks, and the answer he received from them after two weeks was harder than what he endured from his people for ten years. Aisha ra asked the Prophet saw if he had suffered anything worse than the defeat at Uhud, and he replied that the defeat was nothing compared to his days in Ta’if. When he was going down the mountain returning to Makkah, he was unaware of his surroundings until he arrived in the valley. Eventually, the Prophet saw went to ask for protection to enter into his own city. He went to Mu’tim ibn Adi, who was one of the non-Muslim leaders, and was given his protection with his ten sons. The Prophet saw entered Makkah and made tawaaf. The Prophet saw was feeling let down completely because Ta’if had not responded and his own people were rejecting him.

He was sleeping outside of the Ka’bah and Jibreel as came to wake him up. He went with Jibreel and saw a strange animal like a horse with wings: Al Baraa’. They both rode on the animal and began flying. For the Prophet saw, it was a low point in his mission and then he saw all of these miracles. He went to the seventh heaven and met many prophets. He was receiving emotional support. When he went all the way to the seventh heaven, it was time for him to meet with His Lord. He went to a location and Jibreel told him to go forward on his own. Jibreel told him that he could not go any further with him. The Prophet saw took the privilege of going to a station that was further than the angels could reach. Allah spoke to the Prophet saw. He saw received the instruction of the five daily prayers.

1. The five daily prayers

The Prophet saw was given 50 salawat. On his way back, he saw met Musa as who told him that fifty prayers was too much. Musa told him to return to Allah andask him for less. Allah awt told him 45 prayers. Musa told him to make them less. Then he was given 40 prayers. He saw went back and forth until he was given 5 salawat. Musa told him that five prayers were still too much. The Prophet saw said that he could no longer ask Allah swt for less because he felt shy and embarrassed. Allah swt told him that there are five prayers with the reward of fifty.Allah swt called the Prophet saw to come before him without any intermediary to give him the instruction of salah, which is why it is one of the most important obligations for Muslims to take care of and maintain regularly.

Anas reported the Messenger of Allah said: “…Then Allah revealed that which He revealed to me. He enjoined on mefifty prayers every day and night. I came down until I reached Musa, and he said, ‘What did your Lord enjoin on yourUmmah’ I said, ‘Fifty prayers every day and night.’ He said, ‘Go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce (theburden) for your Ummah, for your Ummah will not be able to do that. I tested the Children of Israel and found outhow they were.’ So I went back to my Lord and said, ‘O Lord, reduce (the burden) for my Ummah for they will neverbe able to do that.’ So He reduced it by five. I came back down until I met Musa and he asked me, ‘What did you do?’I said, ‘(My Lord) reduced (my burden) by five.’ He said, ‘Go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce (the burden)for your Ummah.’ I kept going back between my Lord and Musa, and (my Lord) reduced it by five each time, untilHe said, ‘O Muhammad, these are five prayers every day and night, and for every prayer there is (the reward of) ten,so they are (like) fifty prayers.” [Bukhari]

2. Times of the five daily prayers

Jibreel came to him at the beginning time of each salah on the first day and prayed with him. On the next day, Jibreel came at the end time of each salah except maghrib, and on each occasion, he led the Prophet saw in salah. At the end of the second day, Jibreel said that the time for each salat is between the two times he visited.

The Prophet saw learned the salat from Jibreel as.

Ibn Abbas narrated that the Angel Jibreel led the Prophet, to teach him the prayer times. On the first day he prayed all the prayers at the beginning of their respective times and on the second day he delayed the prayers until just before the end of their times for all prayers except Maghrib where he instead prayed it on both days at the same time,
and then said: “…the time of each Salat is between these two times.” [Tirmidhi]

3. Prayers were two rak’ah only
 

The Prophet saw and his companions would regularly pray two rak’at.
 

Aisha narrated: “The prayer was prescribed as consisting of two rak'ahs both when one was resident and when traveling.The prayer while traveling was left according to the original prescription and the prayer of one who was resident was enhanced.” [Abu Dawood]

4. They were allowed to speak during salah.

If someone came late in salah, they could talk to the person next to them in salah to ask them which rak’ah it was. Later, this was prohibited.

Stage 4: 2nd year after the Hijra

1. Qiblah was changed towards Makkah

The Prophet saw prepared the sahabah for immigration and sent Musab ibn Umair to Madinah to make preparations. The Prophet saw for almost two years in Madinah prayed in the direction of Jerusalem. The Prophet saw was longing to pray towards Makkah. Allah swt knew his desire. The Prophet saw received the instruction in Surah Al Baqarah to change the direction of the qiblah towards Makkah.

What is the significance of the change in direction of the qiblah? Some of the ulema say that this is a symbol to indicate the shift of the spiritual guidance from Bani Isra’il to Bani Isma’il. Allah swt promised Ibrahim as that he would have many generations that would worship Him. After 500 years from the time of ‘Eesa as, Allah swt sent the final message through Isma’il from his son Muhammad.

Al-Bara bin ‘Azib narrated: “Allah's Messenger offered his prayers facing Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) for sixteen or seventeen months, but he wished that he could pray facing the Ka’bah (at Makkah). The first prayer which he offered (facing the Ka’bah) was the Asr (Afternoon) prayer in the company of some people. Then one of those who had offered that prayer with him, went out and passed by some people in a mosque who were in the bowing position (in Ruku’) during their prayers (facing Jerusalem).

He addressed them saying, ‘By Allah, I bear witness that I have offered prayer with the Prophet facing Makkah (Ka’bah).’ Hearing that, those people immediately changed their direction towards the House (Ka’bah) while still as they were (i.e., in the same bowing position). Some Muslims who offered prayer towards the previous Qiblah (Jerusalem) before it was changed towards the House (the Ka’bah in Makkah) had died or had been martyred, and we did not know what to say about them (regarding their prayers towards Jerusalem). 

Allah then revealed: (And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i.e., the prayers of those Muslims were valid)) (2:143).” [Bukhari and Muslim]

2. Salat was enhanced and number of rak’ahs increased

Four rak’at for dhuhr, asr, and isha. Three rak’at for maghrib. Speaking became prohibited in the salah.

A man who was known for his long hands joined the salah late. He did not know of the prohibition of speaking in salah, and someone sneezed and said alhamdulilah and he replied, “Yarhamuk Allah.” When the salah was finished, the Prophet saw turned to them and said, “Regular speech is not befitting the salah.” The Prophet saw showed such tolerance to his ignorance.

Aisha narrated: “The prayer was prescribed as consisting of two rak'ahs both when one was resident and when traveling. The prayer while travelling was left according to the original prescription and the prayer of one who was resident was enhanced.” [Abu Dawood]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/17215328/Fiqh-of-Salah-Rulings-of-Prayer-Divine-Link 

author Qabeelat Husna

Barakallahu fikum.