Praise and Petition in Prayer

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وَأَيْضًا فَنَوْعُ الثَّنَاءِ أَضَافَهُ الرَّبُّ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَنَوْعُ السُّؤَالِ أَضَافَهُ إِلَى عَبْدِهِ

And also, the type of praise is attributed by the Lord to Himself, and the type of supplication is attributed to His servant.

فَقَالَ إِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ قَالَ اللَّهُ حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي

He said: "When the servant says: 'Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds,' Allah says: 'My servant has praised Me.'

فَإِذَا قَالَ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ قَالَ أَثْنَى عَلَيَّ عَبْدِي

When he says: 'The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,' He says: 'My servant has extolled Me.'

وَإِذَا قَالَ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ قَالَ اللَّهُ مَجَّدَنِي عَبْدِي

And when he says: 'Master of the Day of Judgment,' Allah says: 'My servant has glorified Me.'

فَإِذَا قَالَ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ قَالَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ

So when he says: 'You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help,' He says: 'This verse is between Me and My servant, and for My servant is what he asked for.'

فَإِذَا قَالَ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ إِلَى آخِرِ السُّورَةِ

Then when he says: 'Guide us to the straight path,' to the end of the Surah.

قَالَ هَؤُلَاءِ لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ

He says: 'These are for My servant, and for My servant is what he asked for.'

وَأَيْضًا فَجَمَاهِيرُ الْعُلَمَاءِ عَلَى إِيجَابِ الثَّنَاءِ

And also, the majority of scholars hold the obligation of praise.

فَيُوجِبُونَ التَّشَهُّدَ الْأَخِيرَ

Thus, they obligate the final Tashahhud.

وَكَذَلِكَ التَّشَهُّدُ الْأَوَّلُ

And likewise the initial Tashahhud,

يَجِبُ مَعَ الذِّكْرِ عِنْدَ مَالِكٍ وَأَحْمَدَ

It is required along with remembrance according to Malik and Ahmad,

فَإِذَا تَرَكَهُ عَمْدًا بَطَلَتْ صَلَاتُهُ

Then if he deliberately omits it, his prayer is invalidated,

وَتَسْبِيحُ الرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ كَذَلِكَ أَيْضًا عِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ وَغَيْرِهِ

And the glorification in bowing and prostration is also required according to Ahmad and others,

وَكَذَلِكَ التَّكْبِيرُ تَكْبِيرُ الِانْتِقَالِ

And likewise the Takbeer, the transition Takbeer.

فَمَذْهَبُ مَالِكٍ مَنْ تَرَكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثًا عَمْدًا أَعَادَ الصَّلَاةَ

According to Malik's school of thought, whoever intentionally omits three of these must repeat the prayer,

وَمَذْهَبُ أَحْمَدَ مَشْهُورٌ عَنْهُ مُطْلَقًا

And Ahmad's school of thought is well-known for an absolute stance,

وَمَا يَذْكُرُهُ أَصْحَابُ أَحْمَدَ فِي مَسَائِلِ الْخِلَافِ إِنَّ إِيجَابَ هَذِهِ الْأَذْكَارِ مِنْ مُفْرَدَاتِ أَحْمَدَ عَنِ الثَّلَاثَةِ

And what the followers of Ahmad mention in matters of disagreement: the obligation of these phrases is unique to Ahmad among the three;

فَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ أَصْحَابَ مَالِكٍ يُسَمُّونَ هَذِهِ سُنَنًا

This is because the followers of Malik refer to these as recommended practices,

وَالسُّنَّةُ عِنْدَهُمْ قَدْ تَكُونُ وَاجِبَةً إِذَا تَرَكَهَا أَعَادَ

And according to them, a recommended practice may be obligatory if omitted, it must be repeated,

وَهَذِهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ

And this is among those,

فَيَظُنُّ مَنْ يَظُنُّ أَنَّ السُّنَّةَ عِنْدَهُمْ لَا تَكُونُ إِلَّا لِمَا يَجُوزُ تَرْكُهُ

Thus, some may think that according to them, a recommended practice only applies to what can be omitted;

وَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ

But it is not so.

وَأَمَّا الدُّعَاءُ فَلَمْ يَجِبْ مِنْهُ دُعَاءٌ مُفْرَدٌ أَصْلًا

As for supplication, no specific supplication is obligatory at all,

بَلْ مَا وَجَبَ مِنَ الْفَاتِحَةِ وَجَبَ بَعْدَ الثَّنَاءِ

Rather, what is obligatory from the Fatiha is required after the praise,

وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ أَوْجَبَ أَنْ يَدْعُوَ بَعْدَ التَّشَهُّدِ بِالدُّعَاءِ الْمَأْمُورِ بِهِ هُنَاكَ

And likewise for those who require supplication after the Tashahhud, with the supplication prescribed there,

وَهُوَ الِاسْتِعَاذَةُ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ وَالْقَبْرِ وَفِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ وَالدَّجَّالِ

And it is seeking refuge from the torment of Hell, the grave, the trials of life and death, and the Dajjal,

فَإِنَّمَا أَوْجَبَهُ بَعْدَ التَّشَهُّدِ الَّذِي هُوَ ثَنَاءٌ

It is made obligatory after the Tashahhud, which is a form of praise,

وَهُوَ قَوْلُ طَاوُوسَ وَوَجْهٌ فِي مَذْهَبِ أَحْمَدَ

This is the opinion of Tawoos and a position in Ahmad's school of thought.