Common Errors in
Prayer That MUST Be Avoided
1. Sticking the arms to the sides
of the body, in rukoo' or sujood, and sticking the belly to
the thighs in sujood.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Let not one of you
support himself on his forearms (in sujood ) like the dog.
Let him rest on his palms and keep his elbows away from his
body." (Sahih Muslim)
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to keep his arms away from
his body during rukoo' and sujood that the whiteness of his
armpits could be seen (Sahih Muslim).
2. Gazing upward during prayer.
This may cause loss of concentration. We are commanded to
lower our gaze, and look at the point at which the head rests
during sujood.
The Prophet (SAW) warned: "Let those who raise their gaze up
during prayer stop doing so, or else their sights would not
return to them. [i.e. lose their eyesight]." (Muslim)
3.Resting only the tip of the head on the floor during
sujood.
The Prophet (SAW) said: "I am commanded to prostrate on seven
Bones the forehead and the nose, the two hands [palms], the
two knees, and the two feet." (Sahih Muslim)
Applying the above command necessitates resting the forehead
and the nose on the ground during sujood.
4. Hasty performance of prayer which does not allow
repose and calmness in rukoo' or sujood.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) saw a man who did not complete
his rukoo' [bowing], and made a very short sujood
[prostration]; he (SAW) said: "If this man dies while
praying in this manner, he would die upholding a religion
other than the religion of Muhammad."
Abu Hurairah (RA) said: "My beloved friend, Muhammad (SAW)
forbade me to perform postures of prayer copying the
picking of a rooster; (signifying fast performance of
prayer), moving eyes around like a fox and the sitting like
monkeys (i.e. to sit on thighs)." (Imam Ahmad at-Tayalisi)
5.The Messenger of Allah (SAW)
said: "The worst thief is the one who steals from his own
prayer."
People asked, 'Messenger of Allah! How could one steal from
his own prayer?' He (SAW) said: "By not completing its rukoo'
and sujood." (At-Tabarani al-Hakim).
To complete rukoo' is to stay in that posture long enough to
recite 'subhana rabbiyal Adtheem' three times, SLOWLY, and 'subhana
rabbiyal-a'ala' three times, SLOWLY, in sujood. He (SAW) also
announced: "He who does not complete his rukoo' and sujood,
his prayer is void." (Abu Dawood others)
6.Counting tasbeeh
with the left hand
The Prophet (SAW) used to count tasbeeh on the fingers of
his right hand after salah. Abdullah bin Amr (RA) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "(There are) two
good deeds, any Muslim who does them shall enter Jannah but
few are those who do them: to say, 'subhanAllah' ten times,
and 'alHamdulillah' ten times, and 'AllahuAkbar' ten times.
And I have seen the Messenger of Allah (SAW) counting them on
his hand."
lbn Qudamah (RA) said: "The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used his
right hand for tasbeeh." (Abu Dawud)
The above hadeeth indicates clearly that the Prophet (SAW)
used only one hand for counting tasbeeh. No Muslim with
sound mind would imagine that the Prophet (SAW) used his
left hand for counting tasbeeh.
Aa'ishah (RA) said that the Prophet (SAW) used his left hand
only for Istinjaa', or cleaning himself after respon.....
7. Raising hands for dua' soon as
prayer is over.
This was not the practice of the Messenger of Allah (SAW).
The Sunnah is to start with thikr soon after salah is over.
The best forms of du'a are those authentically related to the
Prophet, (SAW). For authentic du'as please visit Authentic
Supplications of the Prophet (SAW)
8. Crossing in front of a praying
person.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) warned: "Were the one who
crosses in front of a praying person to know the consequences
of doing so, he would have waited for forty better than to
cross in front of him." (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim).
The forty in the tradition may be days months or even years.
Allah knows best.
And our duty is only to proclaim the clear Message. Qur'an
36:17
