Mu'meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salaam Aleykum,

I have a couple of questions concerning salaah;

1) Is saying iqamah when starting praying (at home) exactly the same as what the muaddin says in the mosque? I have been taught the following sentences before making takbier:

Allahu Akbar (x4)

Ashadu an la ilaha illallah (x2)

Ashadu anna mohamad rasulallah (x2)

Haya hla salaah (x2)

Haya hla falaah (x2)

Qadqamati salaat (x2)

Allahu akbar (x2)

La ilaha Ilallah

2)Do you have to move your finger from tashahoed untill tasliem?

3)The fact of reciting out loud the morning-prayer and the first two rakaat of maghreb and isha is that obligated for both men and women?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Iqamah and prayer questions

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1) Is saying iqamah when starting praying (at home) exactly the same as what the muaddin says in the mosque?

There are two references while pronouncing the ‘iqamah’ in the authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and both are deemed correct methods of pronouncing the ‘iqamah’.

One is the repetition of the exact ‘adhaan’ as pronounced by the ‘muaddin’ of the mosque as quoted by you.

The other is as follows:

Allahu Akbar (x2)

Ashadu an la ilaha illallah (x1)

Ashadu anna mohamad ar rasulallah (x1)

Haya alas-salaah (x1)

Haya alal falaah (x1)

Qadqamati salaat (x2)

Allahu Akbar (x2)

La ilaha Ilallah (x1)

Q-2) Do you have to move your finger from tashahoed untill tasliem?

It is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) to only point the index finger when pronouncing the witness to: ‘Ash-Hado ann Laa Ilaaha illalaah, Wahdahu Laa Sharika Lahu”, and not during the whole supplication during the tashahud until the tasleem.

Q-3) The fact of reciting out loud the morning-prayer and the first two rakaat of maghreb and isha is that obligated for both men and women?

When one praying alone at home, it is the choice of the person whether one wishes to pray his prayers aloud, or in a silent manner. If the non-mehram men can hear her, it is best for the believing woman to offer her prayers silently; but if there are no non-mehram men who can hear her, there is no harm if the woman prefers to offer her prayers aloud.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan