It starts when we all stand up and go to pray. We make nice straights rows, shoulder to shoulder, and while most are content and ready to start salaat...
I usually have one little issue.
No one is putting their feet next to mine. It usually looks something like this:
Notice how their feet are to themselves?
Now don't think I'm getting all high and mighty here ok. Lol. I didn't know that the feet were suppose to touch either until I got married and my husband told me. I was like WHAT NUH-UH! Because HELLO I've learned how to pray and not ONCE did it say in any of those how-to's say to make sure your feet touch.
The reason I didn't know, though, is because you only do that when you pray in congregation (of course) and another reason is because the imam tells the men, not the women, since he is in the men section (again, of course) and there fore the women are left out on that little tid-bit.
But I promise, its true. Look at the following hadith:
It was narrated that al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer said:
“The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned to face the people and said, ‘Straighten your rows,’ three times, ‘for by Allaah either you straighten your rows or Allaah will create division among your hearts.’ And I saw men standing shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee, ankle to ankle.”
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 662; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 616.
So when praying, it is suppose to look like this (and also NOT like this):
So, maybe I am the only one who was oblivious to the foot rule, and maybe it just so happens that the women at my masjid are too. BUT if you are too, now you know! yay! lol.
And I know its really awkward telling someone you do not know "hey, touch my foot with yours" because then they might be like OHMAHGAWD who am I praying next to, but inshallah you will be rewarded for letting them know :). And also, don't let anyone make you do the splits, pull the people closer to you so that your shoulders are touching in order to do this. I am often caught in the splits situation and am determined to stop it! loll.
24 comments:
This happened tome the first time I went to Regent's Park mosque in London,UK..I was a new revert and it was only my 2nd time of praying in congregation. I had on a trouser suit and when we lined up an Asian lady who didn't speak english came over and pulled the bottom of my trouser leg until my foot moved next to my neighbour..
When I met up with my Algerian husband outside afterwards he laughed and explained why..it hadn't occured to him that I didn't know this !
@Anonymous: LOL! I have had women yank me next to them and i was like wut the eff? lol! But Mashallah I am glad your husband (laughed) and explained things!! :)
I didn't know it :-O
And there is strict rules to follow for us Christans too it appears.I expressed my own self on Throne of Glory Like Page and they deleted my Like of them on my own Facebook page.So I gather from that that we as Christians are not allowed to be who God made us to be.Live and learn I always say.
Yes this happens to me a lot too... not sure what the protocol is? Do you keep trying to put your foot next to theirs and do a Russian split or just stand normally and let the sin fall on them?
look at the 4th from the end she's really gettin into it haha her face is nearly touching her knees haha. oh wow i was never taught to place my hands on my knees in ruku i was taught to keep my elbows in in that position not lengthened out like that and i thought the women had to keep their feet together so if our feet our together then we woulnd't be able to keep ours next to eachother interesting
It depends on which school of thought you follow as well doesnt it?
I've seen people who like to step on my feet but I prefer to have my feet kept close together and pray shoulder to shoulder cause I believe that you're supposed to keep it closed so that there's no room for shaytan to come in. wallahu allam.
@Love & Sugar: salaamu alaikum sis, I just wanted to comment on that...it really doesn't depend on school of thought, since it is in hadith, and the Prophet sws himself commaned this to be done. You are suppose to keep your feet and shoulders touching others so that shaitaan does not pass through...not allowing yourself to touch others is actually what lets shaitaan through. Those are the Prophet's sws meaning of words, not mine. Just thought I'd explain it. But yeah, no one should be stepping on each other's feet. lol
Like Love and Sugar, that's what I was taught as well.
Men are supposed to keep their feet apart but women are meant to have their feet close together. One of the reasons is due to modesty.
Now I'm really curious, is this not accurate?
@Shahirah Elaiza: Salaamu Alaikum sister, from what I know it applies to women also. I haven't been told that it is different for women, I can only find evidence that implies it is for both men and women.
Can you possibly find any evidence stating otherwise?
This is from sunnipath.com, http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=11096&CATE=239 stating that women must do it also...But please if you do have proof that women do not have to, let me know! I also asked the wife of an imam and she agreed with me...however that does not mean we could not be wrong. I am open to any daleel that is truthful!
Sha: I dont think that the way we do it is not accurate, if it was then lots of people wouldn't be doing it. My teacher who told me the reasons for keeping our feet together follows right down to the sunnah so I think it would be best to ask a scholar on this issue as there are differences of opinion.
@Love and Sugar: Again, please show proof of this if you have any. It would be appreciated since all the hadith point to the opposite of what you are saying.
my parenst alwys told us not have gap between when we pray while i was little. so since we like to ask why?? ahaha my mum will just say this " it's bcoz the satan will stand between those gap " we were like " owh ok " n did what she tell us.
Silla
@IamSilla: lol mashallah sister you are so cute!! Thanks for sharing :)
Salam sis,
I found a thorough explanation alhamdulilah
http://www.croydonmosque.com/?page=articles&id=54
I don't mean to have a debate on this issue, I just wanted to clarify my position as what I've been told (as many others as well). I think the important thing is to just keep a close gap in congregation.
Thank you so much for sharing this, sister!! Now I understand why some of the sisters in the masjid keep their feet so far apart. Hehe. Next time I'll also been one of those ;), insha'Allah.
@Love and Sugar: Jazackallahu Khairn for giving me that link. I still disagree (lol) since some of the things they said were not correct, like why those who spread their feet do not do this while prostrating...this is because there are other rulings while prostrating. But I respect your decision, and understand how you come to that conclusion. May Allah swt guide us all, ameen. :D
Assalaam Alaikum Alabaster,
Er, my first comment didn't go through (at least I don't think so), so I'm going to try again.
First off, JazakAllah khair for bringing this matter to attention. I think that it's awesome if one is trying to gain as much knowledge as they can, and one should continue striving towards becoming the best Muslim/Mu'min/Muhsin as they can, Isha'Allah.I just wanted to make a few comment/share a few scholarly articles (with evidence) on the matter of joining the feet vs. not joining the feet/ankles.
From my knowledge and what I understand there is no 'correct' position. The proper position will, as Love & Sugar said, differ according to school of thought. Sometimes it's best to rely on scholarly interpretations of Ahadith rather than trying to interpret them ourselves (not that I'm saying you were trying to do that but just a reminder for all).
I understand you respect Sunnipath as a credible source for Islamic guidance, as do I, so I thought I'd pass along a few articles specific to placement of one's feet in Salah.
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=1814&CATE=113
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=997&CATE=4
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=8624&CATE=1244
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=7&ID=3772&CATE=1
I'd like to pull out a small excerpt:
"(1) The words which actually describe the joining of the feet are not the words of the Messenger of Allah (saw), but are rather the words of the narrator. Hence, this portion of the hadith is not a direct statement from the Messenger (saw) himself [marfu'], but rather the narrator's description of the reaction of the Companions to the Messenger's (saw) warning. Hence, it becomes quite clear that the Messenger (saw) did not command the joining of the feet together."
And here are a few other articles/scholarly discourses on the matter:
http://deoband.org/2009/07/fiqh/salah-fiqh/must-we-join-our-shoulders-and-feet-when-standing-in-the-prayer-row/
http://www.zamzamacademy.com/2010/09/feet-to-feet-toe-to-toe/
http://www.muftisays.com/blog/Seifeddine-M/440_12-10-2010/the-distance-of-the-feet-in-salah-(prayer).html
K, after all that I just want to say I'm sooo sorry for writing a novel on the topic! Totally was not intended. I just wanted to make sure everyone had as many resources/as much information on the topic possible.
Sorry again. =\
@Sara سارة : Asalaamu Alaikum, Thank you for writing this, Jazackallahu Khairn! I posted this comment, though i did get all of them :). I felt sooo bad deleting the other ones, sorry :(.
Ok so i guess it really does depend on the school of thought that you go with. I also trust islamqa.com , to a certain degree, if they post evidences. They also agree with the foot-to-foot. It has also been reported by Anas (R.A.). Anyway, again I respect anyone who chooses to not put their feet to feet, however I do believe for sure it is a fardh to be shoulder to shoulder.
And again THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT! lol i know it was well thought out and you had to write it more than once.
The idea that women pray differently from men is an old and misguided one. Have you seen women who put their whole forearm down on the floor hen in sajood? They say that this is to be modest, but when the Prophet said 'Pray as you see me Pray' he was talking to everyone, not just the men. There is also a hadith that tells us not to pray like a dog, which means don't put your forearms down on the floor. As for keeping your feet together for modesty, that just does not make sense. Who is in any position to see if that is modest or not? Not to be crude, but that would mean that someone would have to be lying on the floor looking up to find that immodest.
@Jamilah: Agree :) Also, when we prostrate our butts are up in the air, which is much more 'immodest' than having our feet touching other feet. Alhamdullilah, I really don't think any of it is really immodest though. And if your shoulders are touching, then having your feet touch will hardly make a difference when you stand.
OMG YESSSS i posted a post just like this during ramadan! http://lifesbalancebeam.blogspot.com/2010/07/salaat-prayer-lines.html its a pet peeeeev
@Life's Balance Beam : You know you are my true sister in Islam, mashallah, and I love you dearly!! hehe. And I love your blog post. Can't lie, MUCH NICER THAN MINE lolll. Alhamdullilah, glad you agree with me. Follow the salaf man, anyone who doesn't isn't following islam correctly!!
yes, yes!! thank you! erm....*sorry* I just get so stir crazy at the gaps, and I do Mean GAPS and ppl praying all crazy.I mean I'm not the weirdo who wants your foot and hand one TOP of mine, just you know, shoulder to shoulder, foot to foot Thank you
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