In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and may blessings and peace be upon the noblest of the prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
This is a summary of what was presented in this part of the explanation of Imam al-Shafi’i’s al-Risala, focusing on the important points and clarifications.
Chapter on the obligation of prayer, in which the Book and then the Sunnah indicate from whom it is lifted and whose prayer is not recorded on account of disobedience:
- Legal capacity (ahliyyat al-taklif): Imam al-Shafi’i indicates that there is a capacity that must be present in the legally responsible person (mukallaf) before the act is required of him. It includes: puberty, sanity, knowledge, intention, absence of coercion, absence of forgetfulness, and not being asleep.
- Loss of capacity: Whoever lacks one of the conditions of capacity is not legally responsible while that condition is absent. Examples: the young child, the sleeper, and one who has lost his reason for a cause beyond his control.
- The difference between losing one’s reason through one’s own doing and otherwise: Whoever loses his reason through his own doing (such as drinking wine) is liable for what he destroys and must make up the acts of worship he missed. As for one who loses his reason through something beyond his control (such as a head injury), he is not liable for what he destroys and does not have to make up what he missed, and his blood money is borne by his paternal kin (‘aqilah).
- Prayer combined with disobedience: A person may pray while being disobedient, such as one who prays while drunk. His prayer is outwardly an act of obedience, but in reality it is not accepted, because he performed it in a manner contrary to the Shari’ah.
Using the verses on purification as evidence that purification is obligatory for prayer:
- The verses on ablution and on bathing from major ritual impurity (janabah) are cited as evidence that purification is obligatory for prayer.
- The verse on menstruation, “And they ask you about menstruation. Say, ‘It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure. And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah has ordained for you…’” (Al-Baqarah 2:222), is cited as evidence that purification is a condition for the permissibility of approaching one’s wife after menstruation has ceased and she has bathed.
- The difference between the two purifications in the verse on menstruation: The first purification is the cessation of the blood, and the second is bathing.
- The ruling on approaching one’s wife after the blood has ceased and before bathing: There are two views among the scholars on this.
- The ruling on the prayer of a menstruating woman: Her prayer is not valid while the blood is flowing, because she would be performing the prayer in a manner contrary to the Shari’ah.
- The difference between menstruation and drinking wine: Menstruation is something Allah has decreed for women, in which they have no choice, so they are not considered disobedient for leaving the prayer during menstruation, and they do not make it up. As for the wine drinker, he is the one who caused the loss of his reason, so he is considered disobedient and must make up the prayers he missed.
Using the hadith of ‘A’ishah on Hajj as evidence that purity is a condition for circumambulation:
- The hadith of ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, about her Hajj with the Prophet ﷺ, in which he commanded her to do everything the pilgrim does except that she should not circumambulate the House until she became pure, is cited as evidence that purity is a condition for circumambulation (tawaf).
The difference between sufficiency and reward:
- Sufficiency (ijza’): that the act discharges the legally responsible person’s obligation and he is not required to repeat it.
- Reward (ithabah): the attainment of reward and recompense for the act.
- An act may be sufficient without being rewarded, such as one who prays without humility, or one from whom zakah is taken by force.
The difference between prayer and fasting with regard to making up:
- The menstruating woman makes up fasting but does not make up prayer.
- The distinction: fasting is one month in the year, while prayer is five times a day, and the legally responsible person may not abandon it under any circumstances.
- The verse “Do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying” (Al-Nisa 4:43) is cited as evidence that sanity is a condition for prayer.
- Prayer consists of speech, action, and abstention, so whoever does not comprehend it has not performed it as commanded, and it does not suffice for him.
Some important benefits:
- An explanation of the conditions of legal capacity.
- The difference between losing one’s reason through one’s own doing and otherwise.
- An explanation of the ruling on the prayer of the menstruating woman and the intoxicated person.
- The difference between sufficiency and reward.
- The difference between prayer and fasting with regard to making up.
- Using verses and hadiths as evidence for the rulings of purification and prayer.
We ask Allah the Exalted for acceptance and ease.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Risala by Shaykh Dr. Ahmad al-Naqeeb