Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

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

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother

As salamu Alaikum

1) I have read and heared with many people that without Surha Fataha our prayer is incomplete, If someone join the prayer if Imam is in rukh, his rakat is not in count because he did not recit Surah Fatha.
2) Is cricket watching and playing is haram.
Your quick response will highly appreciated.

Jazak Allah 

(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:

Surah fatihah and cricket

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: I have read and heared with many people that without Surha Fataha our prayer is incomplete,

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 1.723 Narrated by Ubada bin As Samit

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Whoever does not recite Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid."

Indeed one amongst the absolutely obligatory acts or rites of prayer is the recitation of the Surah Al-Fatihah; for whoever does not recite the Surah Al-Fatihah in their prayer, their prayer is invalid.

Your Question: If someone join the prayer if Imam is in rukh, his rakat is not in count because he did not recit Surah Fatha.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "If you come to the salah and we are in the state of ‘sajdah’, then make sajdah with us but do not count it [as a rak'ah]. And whoever 'catches' the ruku', he catches the ‘rakah’."

Related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Khuzaimah, and al-Hakim.

The recital of the ‘Imam’ in congregational prayer is the recital of the ‘muktadi’ (those who pray behind the ‘imam’ in congregation). If the ‘Imam’ forgets or does not recite the Surah Al-Fatihah, then indeed the prayer would be invalid; but if the ‘imam’ has recited the Surah Al-Fatihah and one happens to join that congregation late and catches the ‘ruku’ with the ‘imam’, the Messenger of Allah (saws) guided that one should count that ‘rakah’.

Your Question: Is cricket watching and playing is haram.
Islam guides that the absolutely most expensive commodity one has been blessed with and will be held accountable for is the ‘time’ one has been allocated with in the short and transient life of this world, as a test and trial from their Lord.

Allah says in the Holy Quran in Chapter 67 Surah Al Mulk verse 2:

He (Allah) created death and life that He may test you, to see which of you is the best in deeds.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 51 Surah Dhariyat verse 56:

I have not created the jinn and men except for this that they should worship Me alone.

The guidance of Islam encourages those who have professed belief to utilize this allocated time in doing good wholesome deeds either for oneself or for one’s fellow mankind; deeds which will profit oneself or others spiritually, physically, materially, or even mentally so that one may further strive towards success and salvation in the test period of this short and transient life.

Islam absolutely discourages the believers from ‘wasting’ their precious and allocated time in doing useless and worthless deeds; deeds which will bring absolutely no profit to themselves or others, either in this world or the Hereafter! All such useless and worthless deeds which bring absolutely no gain or benefit to one in this world or the Hereafter, nor furthers one’s cause towards salvation and success are prohibited for the believers who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day.

Islam guides that just as a student in an exam utilizes his time to make sure he scores the maximum he can in his results, the precious time allocated by the Lord to each individual in the short and transitory life of this world as a test must be ‘utilized’ to further one’s cause of existence rather than ‘wasted’ on worthless deeds and acts.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 70 Surah Mairaj verses 42-44:

Therefore, leave them engrossed in their vain talk and play, until they encounter that Day of theirs which they are being promised; when they shall be rushing out of their graves as though they are racing towards the shrines of their deities. Their eyes shall be downcast and abasement shall be covering them. That is the Day they are being promised.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anam verse 32:

This worldly life is but a sport and an amusement. In fact, the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who desire to be safe from harm. Will you not, then, use your common sense?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 43 Surah Zukhruf verse 83:

Well, let them remain absorbed in their falsehoods and sports, till they see that Day of theirs with which they are being threatened.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verses 50-51:

(On the Day of Judgement) The inmates of Hell will cry out to the people of Paradise: “Pour upon us a little water or throw down a bit of the provisions Allah has bestowed upon you.” The people of Paradise will reply, “Allah has forbidden both these things to the disbelievers, who had made their religion a sport and a pastime, and who had been deluded by the worldly life.” Then Allah will say, “Today We will forget them just as they forgot the meeting of this Day, and rejected Our Revelations.”

Beloved brother, the deen of Islam does allow some level of amusement or entertainment which are good and wholesome like spending quality time with family and friends, or some sport which benefits one physically, etc.; thus there is no harm if one occasionally plays or watches cricket or any other sport; but if one were to play or watch sport for hours on end, where prayer times come and go and one is negligent of their prayers and the remembrance of Allah….indeed such wastage of the precious commodity of time is severely discouraged in Islam.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan