The Confused Revert

['abd al-hakeem]

Salaam allikum

I'm sorry to post this but I'm a 'new' Muslim who has found that between congregational practice, online advice, hadeeth and word-of-mouth, there are many different interpretations/implementations of what Muslims refer to as salaah fard. Can somebody please help me clarify what the correct practise is and whether it differs in congregation vs. alone.

Also, is Taraweeh exempt from the rules that 'solo' salaah adhere's to or does all Salaah follow the same prerequisite structure? I've found that the timing in taraweeh is shorter in some areas than when done alone...? Is this a preference of the Imam or is solo vs. congregational always going to be this contrasting?

Very embarassed and confused,
akhi Muslim

[muslimah_B]

Salaam allikum

I'm sorry to post this but I'm a 'new' Muslim who has found that between congregational practice, online advice, hadeeth and word-of-mouth, there are many different interpretations/implementations of what Muslims refer to as salaah fard. Can somebody please help me clarify what the correct practise is and whether it differs in congregation vs. alone.

Also, is Taraweeh exempt from the rules that 'solo' salaah adhere's to or does all Salaah follow the same prerequisite structure? I've found that the timing in taraweeh is shorter in some areas than when done alone...? Is this a preference of the Imam or is solo vs. congregational always going to be this contrasting?

Very embarassed and confused,
akhi Muslim

Walaykum asalam

For men you are meant to pray in the masjid for every salah.
Jumah is very different and men MUST attend and to leave it is sinfull
For women it is better for them to pray at home (but if they choose they can pray at the masjid )
But of course not everyone does or can, so as long as you perform your salah within the times, your salah is accepted in sha Allah

Taraweeh is highly highly highly recommended, the different timings are due to certain masjids calculating their prayers using different methods,
They are all correct but once you have chosen a timing to follow, you have to stick to that timing throughout the whole of ramadan
Eg
Masjid a isha is at 10.30pm and fajr is at 2.45am
Masjid b isha is at 10.00pm and fajr is at 1.20am
You choose masjid a, so for the whole of ramdan you must use masjid A's timing for prayers
Whichever you choose you have to stick to that particular timing for the whole of ramadan you cant pick and choose different times for fajr for your likings.

['abd al-hakeem]

Walaykum asalam

For men you are meant to pray in the masjid for every salah.
Jumah is very different and men MUST attend and to leave it is sinfull
For women it is better for them to pray at home (but if they choose they can pray at the masjid )
But of course not everyone does or can, so as long as you perform your salah within the times, your salah is accepted in sha Allah

Taraweeh is highly highly highly recommended, the different timings are due to certain masjids calculating their prayers using different methods,
They are all correct but once you have chosen a timing to follow, you have to stick to that timing throughout the whole of ramadan
Eg
Masjid a isha is at 10.30pm and fajr is at 2.45am
Masjid b isha is at 10.00pm and fajr is at 1.20am
You choose masjid a, so for the whole of ramdan you must use masjid A's timing for prayers
Whichever you choose you have to stick to that particular timing for the whole of ramadan you cant pick and choose different times for fajr for your likings.

- Astaghfirullah al-atheem; So many regulations that were misunderstood until now. Jazakallah khair ukhti

Is there any advice on what to do about how the rakaat's that i've learnt for 'solo' salaah are different to what the Imam does in Taraweeh? e.g. sujood timing and dhikr, ruku timing and dhikr, tashahud and dhikr for 2 rakaat vs 4 rakaat etc. There are SOOOO many confusing resources that all seem to contradict one another as far as the correct method of rakaats, timing and dhikr. astaghfirullah, audhu billah.

May Allah subhano wa Ta'ala forgive me for my misunderstandings, short-comings, deficiencies and misconceptions. Amin
I'm really not sure how to prepare myself for hell-fire...

[eesa the kiwi]

brother firstly id like to say welcome to islam, may Allah bless you tremendously through it

taraweeh is either prayed in twenty rakats (they pray the twenty in units of two) or 8 rakats in units of two
depending on which masjid you go to is wether they will pray 8 or 20. most masjids try to recite the whole quran in ramadan so they will read a juz (1/30th) of the quran each day so it can seem quite long but alhammdulilah if you stick it out inshaallah you will feel your iman go super high insha allah
the taraweeh prayers are highly recommended but they are not compulsory so dont get them confused with five daily prayers which are obligatory

i hope ive made sense but please let me know if i have misunderstood you so inshaallah i can try clear your confusion insha allah

[Bhabha]

Welcome to Islam !!!!!!!!

['abd al-hakeem]

....

[Bhabha]

Oks.

As a revert, I will tell you now that you need to relax and take things slowly. You don't want to be like the person that tried to swim like an olympian in one day after never having been in the water... and then drowned. You want to build up your stamina in the water, with things that people do to build up their stamina, so that you can take better challenges each time.

The first things first, the easiest and the most practical.

1. Keeping yourself clean, i.e cleaning after going to the washroom, making sure that you are a clean person. Hygiene is huge.
2. Don't eat pork, don't drink alcohol and avoid seeing movies that contain the dirty scenes.
3. Watch a video on youtube that will teach you how to pray 5 times a day, get an application on your phone that will play the Athan (I suggest Muslim Pro) when it is time to pray and will help you with Qibla.
4. Fast in Ramadan (break your fast when the sun goes down in Maghrib and start the fast in Fajr)

Start with these things and relax... you can only build up your iman like a swimmer builds up their stamina. Don't do too much at once because you will be exhausted and overwhelmed and don't do too little because you will not challenge yourself enough to build up your stamina.

[eesa the kiwi]

Jazakallahu khair brother.

A lot of my confusions are around the fact that there is more than one way to do ANYTHING in Islam. By this I mean that, alhamdulillah for what he tells us - 'Hold on the to the rope of Allah/Islam'. Aren't we all meant to hold on to the SAME rope? Aren't we all meant to be emulating what the Prophet Muhammad sullallahu alihi wa sallam, did in his lifetime - i.e. pray the way you have seen me praying? Admittedly he may not have meant the number of rakaats, but even the ruku/sujood/tashahud all differ based on preferences of people other than Rasulallah(? citation/reveiw needed... allahu alem)

Islam is universally accepted - why are it's practises so varied? it really is a depressing thing to witness given the beauty of what I have been blessed with in becoming a Muslim. I feel like I'm being pulled in multiple directions by all the different types of advices that I'm finding, all the different teachings, let alone the schools of thought... And that's before there's any mention of fatwaas in the modern era.

The praying 5 times in a masjid, for a man, I can reconcile - alhamdulillah
The option of Taraweeh and it's benefits, I can reconcile - alhamdulillah

But when advice is given that enables a Muslim to differentiate himself from other Muslims (i.e. 8 rakaat vs. 20 rakaat) I dont understand why there isn't more being done to simplifiy / streamline / standardise the practices within Islam with the sole purpose of uniting to get closer the one who made us Muslim in the first place.

One of the hardest things that I have witnessed since becoming Muslim is that there are more and more ways being shown to me, that Muslims are using to divide themselves from one another that exist in the worship of our Allah subhano wa Ta'ala.



I fear for my afterlife
I fear for my family both blood and Islamic
I fear division from Islam
I fear misguidance and deception

I fear my inabilities
I fear my misconceptions
I fear for those who are misleading others
I fear my Creator and what He will do to me because I couldn't get it right...
I fear the Fire

bismillahir rahmanir raheem

bro subhannallah you're doing good so keep it up mashaallah
i had a similar issue when i was new to islam. i couldnt understand why in some authentic hadith wudoo was mentioned as washing each limb twice whereas in others it was thrice (this is the sunnah btw). it took me a while to wrap my head around thins but i learnt that in some cases the prophet sallaho alayhi wa sallam was demonstrating the permissability of an action

islam is perfect alhamdulilah but humans are not. the only person we follow 100% is rasululah sallaho alayhi wa sallam. everyone else we take the good and leave the bad. the scholars of islam may Allah reward them and grant them jannah were only human and from time to time they did err

basically there are legitimate differences of opinion and illegitimate differences of opinion
in legitamate differces of opinion
an example of tthis would be in the hadith of bukhari
Volume 5, Book 59, Number 445:
Narrated Ibn Umar:On the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e. Clans) the Prophet said, "None of you Muslims) should offer the 'Asr prayer but at Banu Quraiza's place." The 'Asr prayer became due for some of them on the way. Some of those said, "We will not offer it till we reach it, the place of Banu Quraiza," while some others said, "No, we will pray at this spot, for the Prophet did not mean that for us." Later on It was mentioned to the Prophet and he did not berate any of the two groups.

as you can see from this hadith the companions may Allah be pleased with them differed amongst themselves yet neither side was reprimanded by rasululah sallaho alayhi was sallam showing that there is room in islam for some differences in islamic rulings


there is however illegitimate differences of opinion. basically anything that contradicts the quran or sunnah is in this category. the ulema arent our prophets rasululah sallaho alayhi wa sallam is our nabi. the ulema are human may Allah reward them and they do err from time to time. refer it back to the quran and sunnah bro and you'll be sweet inshaallah
for example some scholars said music is halal but because there are clear authentic hadith prohibiting music this view is to be rejected

bro as you learn more about islam and continue your journey on this path you will slowly but surely find navigating the differces easier inshaallah.

remember you are praying "guide us to the straight path" over 17 times a day in your salaah so put your trust in Allah and rely upon him. Subhannallah brother, Allah will never let you down

May Allah increase you in guidance and hold your heart steadfast on the deen
my pm is open if you need it bro barak allah fiq
asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

['abd al-hakeem]

....

[muslimah_B]

- Astaghfirullah al-atheem; So many regulations that were misunderstood until now. Jazakallah khair ukhti

Is there any advice on what to do about how the rakaat's that i've learnt for 'solo' salaah are different to what the Imam does in Taraweeh? e.g. sujood timing and dhikr, ruku timing and dhikr, tashahud and dhikr for 2 rakaat vs 4 rakaat etc. There are SOOOO many confusing resources that all seem to contradict one another as far as the correct method of rakaats, timing and dhikr. astaghfirullah, audhu billah.

May Allah subhano wa Ta'ala forgive me for my misunderstandings, short-comings, deficiencies and misconceptions. Amin
I'm really not sure how to prepare myself for hell-fire...

Ameen
Brother,
Breathe in and out and calm down in sha Allah

Depending on which masjid you go for tarawee they will do either 20 or 8,
Some consist of 2 rakah by 2 then a short rest, it honeslty depends on where you go.
20 is more preferred though,

As to the differences, there are 4 imams who followed the classical teaching and learnings of prophet Mohammed s.a.w, thier stories are very emotional, in sha Allah you could take a look at their lives if you'd like.
Hanafi, Hanibali, Shaif'i and Malaiki who are all correct but differ on certain aspects of the deen such as where to put hands during prayer, joining prayer, when its acceptable to leave prayer many many other subjects.
Now if there wasnt a difference of opinion then some of the sunnahs would have been lost, but with these differences all sunnahs can be carried out.
Untill you become on the lines of a mufti or sheik, you have to choose one to stick to (a maghdab), you cant mix and match as tthis will be from your desires and what is easier for you, which can lead to sin
And it will also become confusing if you pick and mix as you learn more about islam, the different opinions can "contradict" eachother (but in their own right, they are correct, its just how they interpret the evidences of Quran and sunnah)

How you would pray at home is how you pray in the masjid.
Everytime "Allahu akbar" is said by the imam an action takes place,
The pace may be quicker than you are used to at home, but the same concept applies, if you are realli lost, follow what everyone else is doing untill you find your feet and know how to do it properly (thats what i used to do untill i got the hang of it lol)

Im sure your doing just fine, in sha Allah

(Just to add ruku & sujood are fard in every prayer and if they are missed intentionally the prayer is void, im not sure what you mean about differences of people doing ruku and sujood, do you mean the shia where their head goes on a rock ?)
Everybody in one rakah must say Allahu Akbar, stand long enough to recite a verse, recite Quran, go into ruku, sujood twice, then sitting long enough to perform tashahud, finally the salam 《《《 these are the FARD of prayer and if missed out invalidate prayer.

(Standing can be excused if the person cannot stand, they may sit on chair or floor or lie down if illness is very bad)

(Using taptalk and i cant select different quotes)

['abd al-hakeem]

....

[greenhill]

Welcome to islam and the forum.

MashaAllah, Alhamdulillah..

������ honestly, I don't think there is a way to prepare ourselves for hell fire. You cannot. But Allah is Most Forgiving. If you crawl to Him, He Runs to you.

Keep it basic. Allah does not make it difficult for you. He gives no burden heavier than you can bear. . . You get the message.

Every challenge, test, good fortune and bad are designed for you and your capacity to handle it, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. There is a path through that.

5 obligatory prayers. Best done congregational (27× the rewards to being done solo) so why would most still do it solo? That is their own to answer. Even 2 people praying together with one as the imam, is considered congregational. On that, you can join another person praying (does not matter what he is praying and if he is on his last rakaat and you are doing your first, that rakaat is considered congregational), brilliant isn't it?

If you look up sis Insaanah, you will find at the bottom of her page leaflet on islam (in pink, I think) and read it. It is nice and concise (wow, I'm rhyming) and read the stories of the prophets of islam.

They teach you everything you need to know spiritually. . The practical guide comes from the Quran and sunnah. Much more I'd like to add. But that should do for now.

Wishing you a great stay.

[Scimitar]

I find people usually make islam difficult for themselves - I call it bani Israel syndrome, I'm reminded of the story of the red heifer.

Scimi

['abd al-hakeem]

....

[Scimitar]

you're right. Ever heard of what judging others will do to you...?

I don't entertain stupidity so no

Scimi

['abd al-hakeem]

....

['abd al-hakeem]

I'm reminded of the story of the red heifer.

Scimi

What else can you tell me about this heifer...?

Astaghfirullah al-atheem.

[Scimitar]

hmmm... then is it fair to compare a muslim, who is terrified of Allah subhano wa Ta'ala, to a group of people who were enslaved for hundreds of years because of their actions and the fact that they rejected Allah subhano wa Ta'ala, more than once?

I study history with comparatives and with due consideration of the biblical and quranic accounts of such people in those respective time frames.

I already mentioned that I do not entertain stupidity, I guess I wasn't too clear.

I do not judge a people - or a person - what I do is point out that which they may not see readily.I do this by giving a comparative assessment of what plagues their inner conscious and relay this to a believing people from a previous era - the human condition does not change - our emotions are all the same since Adam pbuh.

I compared to Bani Israel when they questioned Musa Alaihis salaam about the red heifer - they made their Islam difficult for themselves.

So by this relative assessment I am able to find examples in history which align with biblical and quranic teachings to show that this nuance they suffer is nothing new... and we have already established examples of how to beat such self defeating train of thought.

I provide solutions - I do not judge. It's not game over - yet.

Scimi

['abd al-hakeem]

....

[Scimitar]

What else can you tell me about this heifer...?

Astaghfirullah al-atheem.

The story of the red heifer: Surah al Baqarah - second chapter of the Qur'an.

This is only apart of the story, and has been expanded on in the commentary of the qur'an done by the famous muslim scholar Ibn Kathir:

The Story of the murdered Israeli Man and the Cow(link is external)

Allah said, `O Children of Israel! Remember how I blessed you with miracle of the cow that was the means for discovering the identity of the murderer, when the murdered man was brought back to life.'

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded `Ubaydah As-Salmani saying, "There was a man from among the Children of Israel who was impotent. He had substantial wealth, and only a nephew who would inherit from him. So his nephew killed him and moved his body at night, placing it at the doorstep of a certain man. The next morning, the nephew cried out for revenge, and the people took up their weapons and almost fought each other. The wise men among them said, `Why would you kill each other, while the Messenger of Allah is still among you' So they went to Musa and mentioned the matter to him and Musa said,

[إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَذْبَحُواْ بَقَرَةً قَالُواْ أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًا قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَـهِلِينَ]

("Verily, Allah commands you that you slaughter a cow.'' They said, "Do you make fun of us'' He said, "I take Allah's refuge from being among Al-Jahilin (the ignorant or the foolish)).''

"Had they not disputed, it would have been sufficient for them to slaughter any cow. However, they disputed, and the matter was made more difficult for them, until they ended up looking for the specific cow that they were later ordered to slaughter. They found the designated cow with a man, only who owned that cow. He said, `By Allah! I will only sell it for its skin's fill of gold.' So they paid the cow's fill of its skin in gold, slaughtered it and touched the dead man with a part of it. He stood up, and they asked him, `Who killed you' He said, `That man,' and pointed to his nephew. He died again, and his nephew was not allowed to inherit him. Thereafter, whoever committed murder for the purpose of gaining inheritance was not allowed to inherit.'' Ibn Jarir reported something similar to that. Allah knows best.

[قَالُواْ ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنَ لَّنَا مَا هِىَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لاَّ فَارِضٌ وَلاَ بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌ بَيْنَ ذلِكَ فَافْعَلُواْ مَا تُؤْمَرونَ - قَالُواْ ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا لَوْنُهَا قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ صَفْرَآءُ فَاقِـعٌ لَّوْنُهَا تَسُرُّ النَّـظِرِينَ - قَالُواْ ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ إِنَّ البَقَرَ تَشَـبَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّآ إِن شَآءَ اللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ - قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لاَّ ذَلُولٌ تُثِيرُ الاٌّرْضَ وَلاَ تَسْقِى الْحَرْثَ مُسَلَّمَةٌ لاَّ شِيَةَ فِيهَا قَالُواْ الَـنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُواْ يَفْعَلُونَ ]

(68. They said, "Call upon your Lord for us that He may make plain to us what it is!'' He said, "He says, `Verily, it is a cow neither too old nor too young, but (it is) between the two conditions', so do what you are commanded.'') (69. They said, "Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us its colour.'' He said, "He says, `It is a yellow cow, bright in its colour, pleasing the beholders.' '') (70. They said, "Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us what it is. Verily, to us all cows are alike. And surely, if Allah wills, we will be guided.'') (71. He (Musa) said, "He says, `It is a cow neither trained to till the soil nor water the fields, sound, having no blemish in it.' '' They said, "Now you have brought the truth.'' So they slaughtered it though they were near to not doing it.)

The Stubbornness of the Jews regarding the Cow; Allah made the Matter difficult for Them(link is external)

Allah mentioned the stubbornness of the Children of Israel and the many unnecessary questions they asked their Messengers. This is why when they were stubborn, Allah made the decisions difficult for them. Had they slaughtered a cow, any cow, it would have been sufficient for them, as Ibn `Abbas and `Ubaydah have said. Instead, they made the matter difficult, and this is why Allah made it even more difficult for them. They said,

[ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنَ لَّنَا مَا هِىَ]

(Call upon your Lord for us that He may make plain to us what it is!), meaning, "What is this cow and what is its description'' Musa said,

[إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لاَّ فَارِضٌ وَلاَ بِكْرٌ]

(He says, `Verily, it is a cow neither too old nor too young'), meaning, that it is neither old nor below the age of breeding. This is the opinion of Abu Al-`Aliyah, As-Suddi, Mujahid,
`Ikrimah, `Atiyah Al-`Awfi, `Ata', Al-Khurasani, Wahb bin Munabbih, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ibn `Abbas. Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas said that,

[عَوَانٌ بَيْنَ ذلِكَ]

(But (it is) between the two conditions) means, "Neither old nor young. Rather, she was at the age when the cow is strongest and fittest.'' In his Tafsir Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that,

[فَاقِـعٌ لَّوْنُهَا]

(bright in its colour) "A deep yellowish white.''

As-Suddi said,
[تَسُرُّ النَّـظِرِينَ]
(pleasing the beholder) meaning, that it pleases those who see it. This is also the opinion of Abu Al-`Aliyah, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Furthermore, Wahb bin Munabbih said, "If you look at the cow's skin, you will think that the sun's rays radiate through its skin.'' The modern version of the Tawrah mentions that the cow in the Ayah was red, but this is an error. Or, it might be that the cow was so yellow that it appeared blackish or reddish in color. Allah's knows best.

[إِنَّ البَقَرَ تَشَـبَهَ عَلَيْنَا]

(Verily, to us all cows are alike) this means, that since cows are plentiful, then describe this cow for us further,

[وَإِنَّآ إِن شَآءَ اللَّهُ]

(And surely, if Allah wills) and if you further describe it to us,

[لَمُهْتَدُونَ]

(we will be guided.)

[قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لاَّ ذَلُولٌ تُثِيرُ الاٌّرْضَ وَلاَ تَسْقِى الْحَرْثَ]

(He says, `It is a cow neither trained to till the soil nor water the fields') meaning, it is not used in farming, or for watering purposes. Rather, it is honorable and fair looking. `Abdur-Razzaq said that Ma`mar said that Qatadah said that,

[مُّسَلَّمَةٌ]
(sound) means, "The cow does not suffer from any defects.'' This is also the opinion of Abu Al-`Aliyah and Ar-Rabi`. Mujahid also said that the Ayah means the cow is free from defects. Further, `Ata' Al-Khurasani said that the Ayah means that its legs and body are free of physical defects.

Also, Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah,

[فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُواْ يَفْعَلُونَ]

(So they slaughtered it though they were near to not doing it) means, "They did not want to slaughter it.''

This means that even after all the questions and answers about the cow's description, the Jews were still reluctant to slaughter the cow. This part of the Qur'an criticized the Jews for their behavior, because their only goal was to be stubborn, and this is why they nearly did not slaughter the cow. Also, `Ubaydah, Mujahid, Wahb bin Munabbih, Abu Al-`Aliyah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "The Jews bought the cow with a large amount of money.'' There is a difference of opinion over this.

[وَإِذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْسًا فَادَرَأْتُمْ فِيهَا وَاللَّهُ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ - فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا كَذَلِكَ يُحْىِ اللَّهُ الْمَوْتَى وَيُرِيكُمْ آيَـتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ]

(72. And (remember) when you killed a man and disagreed among yourselves as to the crime. But Allah brought forth that which you were Taktumun.) (73. So We said: "Strike him (the dead man) with a piece of it (the cow).'' Thus Allah brings the dead to life and shows you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, etc.) so that you may understand.)

______________

As you can see bro Challenged, the children of Israel were prone to make things difficult for themselves - when Allah made it easy for them. These people wronged themselves by over thinking things and over acting on instruction.

Islam is simple.

Beautifully simple.

Scimi