944. The adhÁn and iqÁmah should be pronounced after the time of prayer has set in. Therefore, if one pronounces them prior to the prayer time deliberately or forgetfully, they shall be deemed invalid.
945. If prior to pronouncing the iqÁmah, a person doubts whether he has pronounced the adhÁn or not, he should pronounce the adhÁn. However, if his doubt sets in after he has begun to pronounce the iqÁmah, pronouncing the adhÁn will not be necessary.
1604. If a person who is fasting intentionally ascribes a false statement to God, the prophet (Peace be upon him and his progeny) or the Infallible Imams (Peace be upon them all), be it in writing, verbally or by mere gestures, his fast will be rendered void, even if he immediately confesses to lying or repents for his act. As for ascribing a lie to the rest of the prophets and their successors (may peace be upon our prophet, his progeny and upon them), it will also render the fast void based on obligatory precaution, unless the ascription reverts to God the Exalted, in which case his fast is invalid. The same will apply to ascribing false statements to Lady FÁÔimah ZahrÁ‘ (Peace be upon her), unless the ascription reverts to God the Exalted, or the prophet (Peace be upon him and his progeny (, or the Imams (Peace be upon them all), in which case the fast is invalid.
946. Prior to pronouncing a part of the adhÁn or iqÁmah, if a person doubts whether he has pronounced the part preceding right before it or not, he should pronounce it. However, if he doubts regarding the preceding sentence while pronouncing the part after it, it will not be necessary to pronounce the preceding sentence.
947. It is recommended for a person to stand facing qiblah while pronouncing the adhÁn. This recommendation is accentuated during the pronouncement of the testimonies. It is also recommended to be in a state of wuÃÙ or ghusl, place two fingers in each ear, raise and elongate the voice, pause for a short time between each sentence, and avoid talking between them.
1605. If a person wishes to narrate a statement that he does not know to be true or false, and neither does he possess any evidence for its authenticity, obligatory precaution dictates that he should narrate it from the person who stated it, or for example, from the book in which the statement was written.
948. It is recommended to maintain bodily composure while pronouncing the iqÁmah and to pronounce it in a lower voice than the adhÁn. One should not join the lines of the iqÁmah to each other (in his recitation). However, he should neither pause between each line to the extent that he pauses in the adhÁn.
1606. If a person ascribes a statement to God, the prophet (Peace be upon him and his progeny) or one of the Imams (Peace be upon them all), believing it to be true, but later finds out that it was false, his fast will not be invalidated.
949. It is recommended to keep an interval between the adhÁn and iqÁmah by sitting, offering a two rak‘ah prayer, speaking, or reciting tasbÐÎ. It is however makrÙh to speak between the adhÁn and iqÁmah of fajr prayer.
1607. If a person knows that ascribing a lie to God, the prophet (Peace be upon him and his progeny) or one of the Imams (Peace be upon them all) invalidates the fast, and goes on to ascribe a lie to them, but realizes later on that the statement was in fact true, his fast will be invalidated nonetheless. Obligatory precaution dictates that he should refrain from committing all the acts which invalidate a fast for the rest of the day.
950. It is recommended that the person appointed to pronounce the public adhÁn be just, punctual and have a loud voice. It is also recommended that he pronounce the adhÁn from an elevated place.
1608. If a person deliberately ascribes a lie which was concocted by another person to God, the prophet (Peace be upon him and his progeny) or one of the Imams (Peace be upon them all), his fast will be invalidated. However, if he narrates it as the words of the person who concocted the lie, his fast is not invalidated.
1609. If a person who is fasting is queried whether the prophet (Peace be upon him and his progeny) or one of the Imams (Peace be upon them all) has related a particular matter, and instead of responding in the negative where he needs to do so, he responds affirmatively, or vice-versa, his fast will be invalidated.
1610. If a person relates a true statement from the words of God, the prophet (Peace be upon him and his progeny) or one of the Imams (Peace be upon them all), but later claims to have lied, his fast will be invalidated. The same will apply if he ascribes a lie to them the night before a fast, and then affirms his previous statement on the day of the fast.
There are eleven obligatory components in prayer:
1. Intention
2. QiyÁm (standing)
3. TakbÐrat al-iÎrÁm
4. RukÙ‘
5. SujÙd
6. QirÁ’ah
7. Dhikr
8. Tashahhud
9. SalÁm
10. Sequence (tartÐb)
11. Succession (muwÁlÁt) between the components of prayer
1611. Based on obligatory precaution, causing dust to reach the throat will invalidate one’s fast, regardless of whether it is the dust from legally edible (halal) products such as flour, or legally inedible products such as sand.
951. Some of the obligatory components of prayer are its pillars and some are not. If a person omits the pillars deliberately or accidentally, his prayer is deemed invalid. However, if he accidentally omits those which are not its pillars, his prayer shall not be deemed invalid.
The pillars of prayer are five. They include the intention, takbÐrat al-iÎrÁm, the qiyÁm that is conjoined with rukÙ, i.e. standing before going to rukÙ, rukÙ‘ and two sujÙd for every rak‘ah.
If any of the components are deliberately performed in excess of the prescribed limit, the prayer will be deemed absolutely invalid. However, if an excusable ignorant person deliberately recites takbÐrat al-iÎrÁm in excess, then to claim that his prayer is invalid is problematic. If he accidentally performs an extra rukÙ‘ or two sujÙd in one rak‘ah, his prayer is invalid. Otherwise it is not.
1612. If dust is whipped up by the wind, and a person does not take care despite being aware of it, allowing the dust to reach his throat, his fast will be invalidated based on obligatory precaution.
1613. Obligatory precaution dictates that person should not allow thick vapor, smoke from cigarettes and tobacco products, or similar items to reach his throat.
1614. If a person does not observe care, and dust, smoke, thick vapor or anything similar enters the throat, it will not harm his fast as long as he was initially certain or satisfied that it would not enter his throat. However, if he had speculated that it would not reach his throat, based on recommended precaution he should fast its qaÃÁ.
1615. If a person forgets that he is fasting, and does not exercise care, allowing dust or something similar to reach his throat, or if it reaches his throat unwillingly, his fast is not invalidated.
952. Prayer should be offered with the intention of attaining proximity to God, as previously mentioned in the section on wuÃÙ, and it should be offered with sincerity. It is not however necessary to pass the intention through the mind, nor is it necessary to verbalize it. For example, it is not necessary to say: “I am offering four rak‘ah Ûuhr prayer in obedience to the Lord’s command.” In fact, it is not permissible to verbalize the intention for the iÎtiyÁÔ prayer.
953. If a person makes the intention to offer a four rak‘ah prayer, either Ûuhr or ‘aÒr, without vaguely or distinctly specifying whether it is Ûuhr or ‘aÒr, his prayer is invalid. An example of vaguely specifying the intention is while intending to offer Ûuhr prayer, a person commences with the intention of that which was made obligatory on him first, rather than make the intention of Ûuhr prayer itself. Another example is when the qaÃÁ of Ûuhr prayer is obligatory on a person, and he wishes to offer the qaÃÁ prayer or the Ûuhr prayer during the time of Ûuhr prayer, he should specify in his intention the prayer he is offering, albeit in a vague manner. For example, in the case of the qaÃÁ prayer of Ûuhr, he should make the intention that he is offering the prayer that was first to be made his responsibility.
954. A person should hold on to his intention from the beginning to the end of his prayer. If therefore, a person becomes negligent during prayer to such a degree that if one were to ask him what he is doing, he would not know what to reply, his prayer is invalid.
1616. If a person who is fasting intentionally immerses his entire head under water, his fast will be invalidated even if the rest of his body remains outside the water. However, if the entire body is immersed, but a part of the head remains outside, his fast will not be invalidated.
1617. If a person immerses a part of his head under the water in an instance, and then immerses another part of his head in another instance, his fast will not be invalidated.
955. Prayer should be offered solely for the Lord of the worlds. Therefore, if a person ostentatiously offers prayer—that is, prays to show off to people—his prayer is invalid, regardless of whether he offered prayer solely for the people, or whether he offered it for God and the people.
1618. If a person doubts whether his entire head was immersed or not, his fast will remain in order. However, if he immerses his head under water with the intention of immersing his entire head, but later doubts whether he immersed it entirely or not, his fast will be invalidated. However he will not have to pay its kaffÁrah.
956. Even if a part of a person’s prayer is offered ostentatiously, his prayer is invalid. Rather, if a person offers his prayer for God, but ostentatiously offers it in a particular place, such as a mosque, or a particular time, such as its prime time, or in a particular mode, such as in congregation, his prayer is invalid. Obligatory precaution dictates that even if the recommended components of prayer, such as the qunÙt, are offered ostentatiously, the prayer is invalid.
1619. If the entire head is immersed under water, but a part of the hair remains outside the water, the fast is invalidated.
