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.
Continuing the chapter on the summaries of obligations (jumal al-fara’id):
- The meaning of “jumal al-fara’id”:
- “Jumal” is the plural of “jumla,” which is a portion or a condensed number of anything.
- “Al-fara’id” here does not refer only to inheritance shares, but to whatever Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has made obligatory in general.
- Mention of some obligations from the Qur’an:
- Prayer: evidence is drawn from the verse: “Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times” (An-Nisa 4:103), and the verse: “And establish prayer and give zakah” (Al-Baqarah 2:43).
- Zakah: evidence is drawn from the verse: “Take, [O Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase” (At-Tawbah 9:103).
- Hajj: evidence is drawn from the verse: “And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way” (Al Imran 3:97). The two readings “hijj” and “hajj” are mentioned.
- The Sunnah’s explanation of how the obligations are performed:
- The Qur’an mentioned the basis of the obligations (prayer, zakah, and Hajj), and the Sunnah explained how they are performed and their details.
- Examples of the Sunnah explaining how prayer is performed: the number of prayers, the number of units (rak’at) in each prayer, reciting aloud and silently, the takbir on entering the prayer and the taslim on leaving it, bowing and prostration, and shortening the prayer while traveling (according to al-Shafi’i, shortening is permissible, not obligatory).
- Voluntary prayers are like obligatory ones in requiring ritual purity, recitation, and facing the qiblah, whether at home or traveling, except that a rider may pray a voluntary prayer in whatever direction his mount takes him.
- The hadith of Jabir is mentioned about the Prophet ﷺ praying on his mount while traveling.
- The Sunnah’s explanation of the two Eid prayers, the prayer for rain, and the eclipse prayer:
- The Sunnah explained how the two Eid prayers and the prayer for rain (istisqa’) are performed, and that they are like the other prayers in the number of bowings and prostrations.
- The eclipse prayer: the Sunnah explained that it adds a bowing in each unit (that is, two bowings in each unit). The hadith of Jabir on this is mentioned. The scholars’ disagreement is mentioned over whether the second bowing and the second recitation in the eclipse prayer are obligatory or Sunnah, and it is mentioned that some Hanbalis championed the view that they are Sunnah.
- Evidence is drawn from the verse: “Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times” (An-Nisa 4:103), with the explanation that the Sunnah clarified the times of the prayers.
- Delaying the prayer because of an excuse:
- The account is mentioned of the Prophet ﷺ delaying the prayers on the day of the Trench (al-Khandaq) because of an excuse (intense fear).
- The difference between an excuse (‘udhr) and a necessity (darura): an excuse is what a person is unable to ward off (such as fainting), while a necessity is something whose omission would lead to harm (such as the work of a physician or a baker).
- The hadith of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri is mentioned about delaying the prayers on the day of the Trench, as is the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “May Allah fill their graves and their houses with fire; they kept us busy from the middle prayer, the ‘Asr prayer.”
- It is explained that whoever combines prayers because of an excuse or a necessity is not required to perform the voluntary prayers.
- Explanation of how the fear prayer is performed:
- It is indicated that the next lesson will be devoted to explaining how the fear prayer (salat al-khawf) is performed through practical demonstration.
Some important benefits:
- The meaning of “jumal al-fara’id.”
- The Sunnah’s explanation of how the obligations are performed.
- The ruling on a rider praying a voluntary prayer.
- How the two Eid prayers, the prayer for rain, and the eclipse prayer are performed.
- The difference between an excuse and a necessity in delaying the prayer.
- Explanation of how the fear prayer is performed (its details will come in the next lesson).
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