Praise and Supplication in Prayer

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لِأَنَّ الِاعْتِدَالَ مَشْرُوعٌ

Because moderation is prescribed.

فِيهِ التَّحْمِيدُ بِالسُّنَّةِ الْمُتَوَاتِرَةِ وَإِجْمَاعُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

It includes praise with the continuous Sunnah and the consensus of Muslims.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَفْعَلُهُ فِي كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ

Which the Prophet ﷺ used to practice in every prayer.

وَكَانَ أَحْيَانًا يَدْعُو بَعْدَ التَّحْمِيدِ بِقَوْلِهِ اللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَايَ

And sometimes he would supplicate after the praise by saying: 'Oh Allah, distance me from my sins.'

فَأَخَّرَ السُّؤَالَ عَنِ الْحَمْدِ وَالثَّنَاءِ وَالْمَجْدِ

So he placed the request after the praise, glorification, and exaltation.

وَأَمَرَ أَيْضًا بِالْحَمْدِ بِقَوْلِهِ فَإِذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ

And he also commanded the praise by saying: 'When he says: Allah hears the one who praises Him, say: Our Lord, to You is the praise.'

وَمَا دَاوَمَ عَلَيْهِ وَقَدَّمَهُ وَأَمَرَ بِهِ أَفْضَلُ مِمَّا كَانَ يَفْعَلُهُ أَحْيَانًا وَيُؤَخِّرُهُ وَلَمْ يَأْمُرْ بِهِ

And what he persisted in and ordered is better than what he occasionally did, delayed, and did not order.

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

Also, the type of praise was attributed by the Lord to Himself, and the type of request was attributed to His servant.

فَقَالَ إِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ قَالَ اللَّهُ حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي فَإِذَا قَالَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ قَالَ أَثْنَىٰ عَلَيَّ عَبْدِي

He said: When the servant says, "Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds," God says, "My servant has praised Me." And when he says, "The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful," God says, "My servant has praised Me."

وإذا قال ﴿مالك يوم الدين﴾ قال الله مجدني عبدي، فإذا قال ﴿إياك نعبد،

And when he says, "Master of the Day of Recompense," Allah says, "My servant has glorified Me." And when he says, "You alone we worship,"

وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ قَالَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ بَيِّنِي وَبَيِّنَ عَبْدَيْ نِصْفَيْنِ وَلِعَبْدَيْ مَا سَأَلَ فَإِذَا قَالَ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ إِلَى آخرِ السُّورَةِ قَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدَيْ مَا سَأَلَ١١

And You alone we ask for help. He said: This verse divides, between Me and My servant, into two parts; to My servant belongs what he asked. So when he says "Guide us to the Straight Path" until the end of the surah, He said: These belong to My servant, and to My servant belongs what he asked.

وَأَيْضًا فَجَمَاهِيرُ الْعُلَمَاءِ عَلَى إِيجَابِ الثَّنَاءِ فَيُوجِبُونَ التَّشَهُّدَ الْأَخِيرَ

Also, the majority of scholars require praise, making the final Tashahhud obligatory.

وَكَذَلِكَ التَّشَهُّدُ الْأَوَّلُ يَجِبُ مَعَ الذِّكْرِ عِنْدَ مَالِكٍ وَأَحْمَدَ

Similarly, the first Tashahhud is obligatory with remembrance according to Malik and Ahmad.

فَإِذَا تَرَكَهُ عَمْدًا بَطَلَتْ صَلَاتُهُ

If he leaves it intentionally, his prayer is invalid.

وَتَسْبِيحُ الرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ كَذَلِكَ أَيْضًا عِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ وَغَيْرِهِ

The glorification of bowing and prostration is likewise, according to Ahmad and others.

وَكَذَلِكَ التَّكْبِيرُ تَكْبِيرُ الاِنْتِقَالِ

Similarly, the Takbir, the Takbir of transition.

فَمَذْهَبُ مَالِكٍ مَنْ تَرَكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثًا عَمْدًا أَعَادَ الصَّلَاةَ

Malik's view is that if three of those actions are left intentionally, the prayer must be repeated.

وَمَذْهَبُ أَحْمَدَ مَشْهُورٌ عَنْهُ مُطْلَقًا

Ahmad's opinion is widely known.

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

And what the followers of Ahmad mention in issues of disagreement: making these remembrances obligatory is unique to Ahmad, apart from the three others.

فذلك لأن أصحاب مالك يسمون هذه سنناً، والسنة عندهم قد تكون واجبة إذا تركها أعاد،

This is because Malik's followers call these practices Sunnah, and a Sunnah in their view can be obligatory; if it is left, it must be repeated.

وَهَذِهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ

And this is among those.

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

Some may think that Sunnah for them is only what can be left; but it is not so.