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.
790. It is sufficient for a person to pray in any direction if he does not possess any means to determine the direction of the qiblah, or despite his efforts, he was not even able to obtain conjectural knowledge regarding it. The recommended precaution is that he prays in all four directions if there is sufficient time.
791. If a person attains certainty, or that which has the ruling of certainty, or conjectural knowledge, that the direction of qiblah is in one of two directions, he must pray in both directions.
792. If a person intends to pray in more than one direction and wishes to offer two prayers which should be prayed in sequence, like the Ûuhr and ‘aÒr prayers, the recommended precaution is that he pray the first prayer in all the intended directions, and then commence with the second prayer.
793. If a person is unable to attain certainty or that which has the ruling of certainty about the direction of the qiblah, and wishes to perform an act, besides prayer, that requires him to face the qiblah, such as slaughtering an animal, based on obligatory precaution he must delay performing the act in the event that he is able to do so, so that he may locate the qiblah. If he is unable to do so or if delaying it will cause him hardship, he may act according to conjectural knowledge. If he is unable to attain conjectural knowledge, in the case where slaughtering the animal is necessary—for example, if he delays, he will lose his life—facing any direction shall be valid.
794. A man must cover his private parts during prayer even if no one is able to see him. The recommended precaution is that he should also cover the area between his navel and his knees during prayer.
795. A woman must cover her entire body during prayer, including her head and hair. The recommended precaution is that she should also cover the soles of her feet. It is not however necessary for her to cover the part of her face which is washed in wuÃÙ’, or her hands up to the wrist, or her feet up to the ankles. Nevertheless, in order to ensure that the parts of the body which have to be covered are actually covered, she should cover a portion of the sides of her face and a portion that is lower than her wrists and ankles.
796. A person who intends to offer the qaÃÁ for a forgotten sajdah or a forgotten tashahhud or a sajdah al-sahw for the qaÃÁ of a forgotten tashahhud, should cover his body as he would do so while praying. The recommended precaution is that he must do the same while offering sajdah al-sahw for other than the aforementioned case.
797. The prayers of a person who deliberately or on account of not knowing—in the case where he is culpable for falling short in his efforts to learn the ruling—did not cover his private parts while praying, are invalid.
798. A person who realizes in the midst of his prayer that his private parts are visible should cover them immediately. Based on obligatory precaution, he should complete his prayer and then repeat it. However, if he realizes after the completion of his prayer, that his private parts were visible during the prayer, his prayer is valid. Similarly his prayer is valid if while praying he realizes that his private parts were previously visible, but are covered at the time of his realization.
799. If the clothes of a person cover his private parts while he is standing, but may not do so in another position, such as rukÙ‘ or sujÙd, his prayer is valid if he is able to conceal them by some other means. However, the recommended precaution is that he should not pray with such clothes.