775. The nÁfilah of ‘aÒr prayer is to be prayed before ‘aÒr prayer. Based on obligatory precaution, the termination of its time is when the shadow of the stick, which is visible after the time of Ûuhr sets in, reaches 4/7th of the length of the stick itself. If a person wishes to pray the nÁfilah after their allotted time, based on obligatory precaution he should pray the nÁfilah of Ûuhr after Ûuhr and the nÁfilah of ‘aÒr after ‘aÒr and should not make the intention of adÁ or qaÃÁ.
539. Obligatory precaution dictates that a Muslim who is dying—one who is about to give his life—should be made to sleep on his back if possible, in a manner that the sole of his feet face the qiblah, be the Muslim a man or a woman, young or old. If for any reason it is not possible to make him sleep exactly in this manner, the recommended precaution is that they should act according to these instructions as closely as possible. Similarly, if it is not possible to make him lie down in any possible manner, the recommended precaution is to make him sit facing the qiblah. If this not be possible either, he should be made to sleep on his right or left side with his body facing the qiblah.
776. The time for the nÁfilah of maghrib is after one completes his maghrib prayer and extends to the end of the time of maghrib. Based on recommended precaution, one should pray it before the disappearance of the redness that appears in the western sky after sunset. If one prays it after this time, he should do so without the intention of adÁ or qaÃÁ.
540. The obligatory precaution is that as long as the body has not been taken away, it should be laid facing the qiblah. Recommended precaution dictates that the same be done during ghusl. However, once the ghusls are completed, it is recommended to lay it in the same manner as it is laid for offering prayers on it.
777. The time for the nÁfilah of ‘ishÁ is after one completes his ‘ishÁ prayer up until midnight. However it is better to offer it immediately after ‘ishÁ.
541. Based on precaution, it is obligatory upon every Muslim to make a dying person face the qiblah (in the manner described above). If possible, he should seek permission from the dying person himself. If it is not possible, or if the permission of the dying person is not legally valid, based on precaution he should seek permission from the dying person’s guardian.
542. It is recommended to instruct the shahÁdatayn, the belief in the twelve Imams (Peace be upon them) and the rest of the doctrinal truths to a dying person in a manner that he understands. In fact, it is recommended to repeat the aforementioned beliefs to him until he dies. It is also recommended to instruct du‘Á al-faraj to the dying person.
778. The time of the nÁfilah of fajr, based on obligatory precaution is after the first fajr up until the appearance of redness in the Eastern sky. If one wishes to perform it after the appearance of the redness, he should pray it after his fajr prayer. In such a case, he should not make the intention of adÁ or qaÃÁ. A person who performs the night prayer may also pray the nÁfilah of fajr immediately after the night prayer.
543. It is recommended that the following supplication be instructed to a dying person in a manner that he understands:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيَ الْكَثِيرَ مِنْ مَعَاصِيكَ وَ اقْبَلْ مِنِّي الْيَسِيرَ مِنْ طَاعَتِكْ
يَا مَنْ يَقْبَلُ الْيَسِيرَ وَ يَعْفُو عَنِ الْكَثِيرِ اقْبَلْ مِنِّي الْيَسِيرَ وَ اعْفُ عَنِّي الْكَثِيرَ
إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَفُوُّ الْغَفُوراللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي فَإِنَّكَ رَحِيم({^ O Allah, forgive me the much (that I have committed) of your sins,
And accept from me the little (that I have performed) of your obedience,
O the one who accepts the little and forgives the much,
Accept from me what is little and forgive me the much,
Surely you are the all-Excusing, the all-Forgiving.
O Allah have mercy on me, for surely you are all-Merciful.^})
Allahhummaghfir liyal kathira mim ma'asika waqbal minniyal yasira min ta'atika ya mayyaqbalul yasira wa ya'fu 'anil katheer, iqbal minniyal yasira wa'fu 'anniyal katheer. Innaka antal 'afuwwul ghafur. Allahummar hamni fa innaka Raheem.
544. If a dying person is experiencing the throes of death, it is recommended to place him in the area where he used to pray, provided it does not cause him discomfort.
779. Based on the opinion of a great number of renowned scholars, the time of the night prayer is from midnight up until the adhÁn of fajr prayer. However, it is not implausible that its time is from the commencement of the night until the adhÁn of the fajr prayer and that it’s prime time is between midnight and the adhÁn of the fajr prayer. It is better to offer it in the last third of the night.
545. It is recommended to recite the following selections from the Qur’an at the bedside of a dying person: YÁsin, al-ÑÁffÁt and al-AÎzÁb, Àyat al-KursÐ, and the last three verses of sÙrat al-Baqarah. In fact, one should recite whatever he can from the Qur’an for the dying person.
780. Even though according to a great number of renowned scholars, the time of the night prayer is from midnight. However, a traveler or one for whom it is difficult to pray at midnight, can pray it from the commencement of the night. It is not implausible that it is permissible for other than these two to pray it at that time as stated in the previous ruling.
546. It is makrÙh (reprehensible) to leave a dying person alone, to place something over his stomach, to talk excessively or to cry in his presence, and to leave womenfolk alone with him. It is also makrÙh for someone in the state of janÁbah or Îayà to be in his presence.
547. It is recommended to close the eyes and lips, and tie the chin of a person after his death. It is also recommended to straighten his hands and legs and to place a cloth over his body. Believers should be informed of his death so that they may attend his funeral.
If he dies at night, the area in which the body is placed should be lighted. It is also recommended to hasten his burial. However, if his death is not certain, the believers should wait until it becomes known to them.
If the deceased is a pregnant woman, and the baby in her womb is alive, the burial should be delayed for a period that allows for the baby to be delivered from the womb through a caesarean section. The stomach should then be stitched prior to giving ghusl to the body. It is better to deliver the baby by making the incision on the left side of the mother.
548. The ghusl, ÎunÙÔ, shrouding, prayer and burial of a deceased believer is obligatory upon every Muslim. If some of the Muslims undertake these tasks, others will be relieved of it. However, if no one undertakes the responsibility, all of them will have sinned.
549. If a person engages himself in performing the rites for a dead person, it is not obligatory upon others to proceed towards the same. However, if the person does not complete the rites, others should do so.
550. If a person attains certainty that others are engaged in performing the rites of a dead person, or obtains a proof authorized by the sharia to that effect, it will not be obligatory upon him to proceed towards it. However if he is doubtful of it, or speculates that they may be engaged in it, it will be obligatory for him to proceed towards fulfilling the rites.
551. If a person knows that the ghusl, ÎunÙÔ, shrouding, prayers or burial of a deceased was performed incorrectly, he should perform it again. However if he speculates that it was invalid, or doubts whether it was performed incorrectly or not, it will not be necessary for him to perform it again.
552. The permission of the guardian of the deceased must be sought for performing the ghusl, ÎunÙÔ, shrouding, prayer and burial for the deceased.
553. The guardian of a woman is her husband. As for others, the men who inherit from the deceased have precedence over the women, and precedence is subject to their precedence in inheritance.
In the event that one who is closer in blood-relationship and one who has precedence in inheritance are both present—for example, if the paternal grandfather of the deceased and the son of the deceased’s grandson are both present—the obligatory precaution is that the one who has precedence in inheritance should take the permission of the one who is closer in blood-relationship.
781. The ghufaylah prayer is amongst the well known recommended prayers, and it is prayed between the maghrib and ‘ishÁ prayers.
In the first rak‘ah after sÙrah al-FÁtiÎah, instead of the second sÙrah, the following verses should be recited:
وَذَا النُّونِ إِذْ ذَهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَنْ لَنْ نَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُنْجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ . ({^ 21:87-88.
And the Man of the Fish, when he left in a rage, thinking that We would not put him to hardship. Then he cried out in the darkness," There is no god except You! You are immaculate! I have indeed been among the wrongdoers! So We answered his prayer and delivered him from the agony; and thus do We deliver the faithful.^})
Wa dhannuni idh dhahaba mughadhiban fadhanna allan naqdira 'alaihi fanaada fidh dhulumati alla ilaaha illa anta subhaanaka inni kuntu minadh dhalimeen fastajabna lahu wa najjainaahu minal ghammi wa kadhalika nunjil mu'mineen
In the second rak‘ah after sÙrah al-FÁtiÎah, instead of the second sÙrah, the following verse should be recited:
وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ.({^ .59 : 6
With Him are the treasures of the Unseen; no one knows them except Him. He knows whatever there is in land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowing it, nor is there a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything fresh or withered but it is in a manifest Book.^})
Wa 'indahu mafaatihul ghaybi la ya'lamuha illa huwa wa ya'lamu ma fil barri wal bahri wa ma tasqutu miw waraqatin illa ya'lamuha wa la habbatin fi dhulumatil ardhi wa la ratbiw wa la yaabisin illa fee kitaabim mubeen.
Then in QunÙt, the following supplication should be recited:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِمَفَاتِحِ الْغَيْبِ الَّتِي لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ بِي كَذَا وَ كَذَا ({^O Allah! I beseech You with the keys of the unseen, which no one knows but You, to send Your blessings on Muhammad(Ò) and the progeny of Muhammad, and that You fulfill for me…^})
Alla humma inni as aluka bi mafaatihli ghaybil lati la ya'lamuha illa anta an tusalliya 'alaa Muhammadin wa Aali Muhammadiw wa an taf'al bi kadha wa kadha…
Instead of the expression كَذَا وَ كَذَا (kadha wa kadha), one should express his needs, followed by the following supplication:
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ وَلِيُّ نِعْمَتِي وَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى طَلِبَتِي تَعْلَمُ حَاجَتِي فَأَسْأَلُكَ بِحَقِّ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَیهِ و عَلَيْهِم السَّلامُ لَمَّا قَضَيْتَهَا لِي ({^O Allah! You are the Guardian of my bounties, and you are able to fulfill my wishes. You know of my need, and therefore I will not cease to beseech you for the sake of Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad—upon them be peace—until you fulfill it for me.^})
Alla humma anta waliyyu ni'mati wal qaadiru 'ala talibati ta'lamu haajati fa as aluka bihaqqi Muhammadiw wa Aali Muhammadin 'alayhi wa 'alay himussalaamu lamma qadhaytaha lee.
782. The location where the Kaaba is situated is the qiblah. Prayers must be offered facing the qiblah. If a person who is at a great distance stands in such a way that it is said he is facing the qiblah, it is sufficient. Similar is the case for other issues which must be performed facing the qiblah, such as the slaughtering of an animal.
783. A person who prays while standing must have his face, chest and stomach facing the qiblah. The recommended precaution is that the toes should also point towards the qiblah.
784. A person who has to pray while sitting should have his face, chest and stomach facing the qiblah.
785. A person who is unable to offer his prayer in a sitting position should lay on his right in such a manner that the front of his body faces the qiblah. If that is not possible, he should lay on his left in such a manner that the front of his body facing the qiblah. If he is unable to do to that, he must pray lying on his back with the sole of his feet facing the qiblah.
786. The iÎtiyÁÔ prayer, the forgotten tashahhud, the forgotten sajdah, and the sajdah al-sahw that is performed for the forgotten tashahhud, should all be performed while facing the qiblah. Based on recommended precaution, other instances of sajdah al-sahw should also be performed while facing the qiblah.
787. The recommended prayer that is prayed in a stationary position must be prayed facing the qiblah. However, it is not necessary to face the qiblah for the prayers that are performed while walking or riding, even though they may be for an obligatory nadhr.
788. One who wishes to pray must endeavor to determine the direction of the qiblah until he attains certainty or satisfaction, or is informed by the testimony of two just persons, or one trustworthy person, provided one does not have a reasonable doubt contrary to his statement. Similarly, one may use the qiblah used in Muslim cities for prayers or positioning the graves. If one finds himself devoid of these, he must endeavor to determine the qiblah, and act upon the information he attains though it be conjectural. He must act according to it even if the conjecture is obtained through the statement of a disbeliever or a corrupt person, who determined it based on scientific principles.
789. A person who merely has conjectural knowledge regarding the direction of the qiblah, cannot act on his knowledge if he is able to obtain more accurate information regarding its direction. For example, if a guest obtains conjectural knowledge regarding the direction of the qiblah through the statement of the host and is able to obtain more accurate information regarding it, he must not act based on the host’s statement.
