There are many similarities between Sunni and Shi'a methods of Salah.
However, despite these similarities there are a few noticable and
important differences. The first noticable difference is that the
Shi'a Adhan and iqamah include the phrase, which we consider to
be a MANDATORY component of the Adhan: "Haya `ala Khair al-'amal"
(Rise Up For The Best of Works). It comes right after the
line: "Haya `ala al-Falah" (Rise Up For Salvation).
Another addition which is NOT a mandatory part of the Adhan, is the
affirmation: "Ashadu ann `Aliyan Wali Allah" or ("i bear
Witness that `Ali is the Vicegerent of Allah" ) twice in
the Adhan and once in iqamah (depending on who you ask, some
Mujtahidin say that it is twice in both).
The origin of this assertion and addition goes back to the days of
the Ummayads and the political environment during those days. The
Ummayads attempted wholeheartedly to eliminate the memory of Imam
Ali (as) from among his party ("Shi'a"). This effort
reached astronomical proportions, that during and after the days of
Mu'awiyah's ruling, it became customary to curse Imam Ali (as)
whenever his name was mentioned. As such, the Shi'a of Imam Ali (as)
chose to oppose the corrupt Ummayad government, and assert that Ali
(as) was truly the Vicegerent of Allah. That served as both an
annoyment to the authorities, and a reminder to the posterity that
Imam Ali (as) was indeed the Agent and Vicegerent of Allah.
Also there are a few other differences. Prayer times can be the
spread out times more or less the same as non-Shi'a Muslimin
follow. Of course i say non-Shi'a rather than "Sunni" because
ALL Muslimin are "Sunni" or at least strive to be "of
the Sunnah" so it is important for non-Shi'a to be
referred to as non-Shi'a rather than Sunni, as Shi'a also
unanimously claim to be Ahl'us-Sunnah. In Jafari fiqh the time
for Fajr prayer is from dawn to time of sunrise. The time for Zhuhr
and Asr prayer is from noon to sunset, and the time for Maghrib and
Isha prayer is from sunset to midnight.
This means that the Salawat can be spaced out or if necessary the
two afternoon and the two even Salawat can be performed
sequentially, "back to back." They are still 5 separate
Salawat, with a new Iqamah every time. It is only the times that are
more flexible in Jafari fiqh, as this was also occasionally the
practice of Muhammad (sal) to combine Salawat.
"Establish regular prayers at the Sun's decline till
the darkness of the night, and the recital of the Quran in the
morning prayer; for the recital of the dawn is Witnessed." Al-Qur'an,
Sura 17:78
أَقِمِ
الصَّلاَةَ
لِدُلُوكِ
الشَّمْسِ
إِلَى
غَسَقِ
اللَّيْلِ
وَقُرْآنَ
الْفَجْرِ
إِنَّ
قُرْآنَ
الْفَجْرِ
كَانَ
مَشْهُودًا
Clearly there are three times of Salah mentioned in the Qur'an. Five
separate prayers, but there are three "openings" of time
in which they are performed; literally, "the Sun's Decline,
Darkness of the Night, and the Morning Prayer."
Ibn Abbas, one of the most famous narrators, says according to the
Musnad of Ibn Hanbal (One of the books of Hadith):
"An-Nabi (sal) prayed in Madina, while residing
there, NOT TRAVELING, seven and eight (this is an indication to the
seven Raka't of Maghrib and Isha combined, and the eight Raka't of
Zuhr and `Asr combined)."
Musnad al-Imam Ibn Hanbal, vol. 1, page 221.
Also, in the Muwatta' of Malik (Imam of Maliki fiqh), vol. 1, page
161, Ibn Abbas says:
"An-Nabi (sal) prayed Zuhr and `Asr in
combination and Maghrib and Isha in combination WITHOUT a reason for
fear or travel."
As for Sahih Muslim, see the following under the chapter of "Combination
of prayers, when one is resident"
"Ibn Abbas reported: RasulAllah (sal) observed the noon
and the afternoon prayers together, and the sunset and Isha prayers
together without being in a state of fear or in a state of
journey"
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1515
"Ibn Abbas reported that Rasul Allah (sal) combined the
noon prayer with the afternoon prayer and the sunset prayer with the
Isha prayer in Madinah without being in a state of danger or
rainfall. And in the hadith transmitted by Waki (the words are):
"I said to Ibn Abbas: What prompted him to do that? He said: So
that his (Prophet's) Ummah should not be put to (unnecessary)
hardship."
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1520
"Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: Ibn Abbas one day
addressed us in the afternoon (after the afternoon prayer) till the
sun disappeared, and the stars appeared, and the people began to
say: Prayer, prayer. A person from Banu Tamim came there. He neither
slackened nor turned away, but (continued crying): Prayer, prayer.
Ibn Abbas said: May you be deprived of your mother, do you teach me
sunnah? And then he said: I saw the Rasul Allah (sal) combining
the noon and afternoon prayers and the sunset and Isha prayers.
Abdullah ibn Shaqiq said: Some doubt was created in my mind about
it. So I came to Abu Huraira and asked him(about it) and he
testified his assertion."
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1523
"Abdullah b. Shaqiq al-Uqaili reported: A person said
to Ibn Abbas (as he delayed the prayer): Prayer. He kept silent. He
again said: Prayer. He again kept silent, and he cried: Prayer. He
again kept silent and said: May you be deprived of your mother, do
you teach us about prayer? We used to combine two prayers during the
lifetime of the Rasul Allah (sal)."
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1524
"Ibn Abbas reported: Rasul Allah (sal) observed the
noon and afternoon prayers together in Madinah without being in a
state of fear or in a state of journey. Abu Zubair said: I asked
Sa'id[one of the narrators] why he did that. He said: I asked Ibn
Abbas as you have asked me, and he replied that he [the Prophet]
wanted that no one among his Ummah should be put to [unnecessary]
hardship."
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1516
"Ibn Abbas reported that the Rasul Allah (sal) observed
in Madinah seven (Raka't) and eight (Raka't), i.e., (he combined)
the noon and afternoon prayers (eight Raka't) and the sunset and
Isha prayers (seven Raka't)."
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #152
As well it was also Sunnah to prostrate on earth or non-man-made
materials out of reverence to Allah, not to prostrate on the
handiwork of man, and also to be aware of our connection to the
earth which we were created from and are symbiotically linked with.
As well, the man-made materials may contain haraam things that we do
not know about, which would be disrespectful and wrong to prostrate
to Allah upon. Dies could contain animal products that are haraam,
concrete might have haraam materials as well. There are non-Shi'a
Ahadith that speak clearly of Muhammad (sal) prostrating with his
face in the mud, dirt, etc.
Sahih Muslim, volume 1, p168, under the chapter of "A
Menstruating Woman's Eligibility to Wash Her Husband's Head"
narrates that Muhammad (sal) had a special rug made of palm tree
leaves that he used to pray on.
Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 2, p256, under the chapter of
"Retreating to Prayer in the last ten days (of Ramadan)"
narrates at the end of a long tradition that when Muhammad (sal)
raised his head from prayer, the companions saw the marks of mud and
water on his forehead. This indicates that he prayed on the ground.
Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 1, p86, under the chapter of "Tayammum"
narrates that Muhammad (sal) said: "The
GROUND has been cleansed and made a Masjid for me."
So we use either a reed mat, or "Turbah" meaning
"clay" or earth to place out forehead on. Often times this
is clay from Karbalah, as this is not only clay symbolically mixed
with the blood of the Amir Al-Shuhadah, Imam Al-Hussayn (as), but
according to Sufi teachings it is also the region where `Izra'il the
"Malak al-Mawt," or "Angel of Death" gathered a
handfull of clay from which Adam was molded.
We also do not cross out hands, we hang them straight to the side.
Crossing the hands was invented by some non-Shi'a's, but Maliki fiqh
for instance does not cross them either. It is simply that Muhammad
(sal) never told anyone to cross their hands so we see no logical
reason to do it.
Also, the Shia don't say "Amin" after the recitation of
Sura Al-Fatihah is completed. The reason is that there is no
proof to support the notion that this kind of behavior was performed
by Muhammad (sal). As well, the Sura is NOT being performed as one
would perform a du'a. If that were the case then why not say "Amin"
at the end of Sura al-Ikhlas following it? This was merely an
innovation of custom under the non-Shi'a leaders. Shi'a believe only
in following what was specifical stated by the Anbiyah (as) - namely
Muhammad (sal), the Khatam Al-Anbiyah - and the A'immah (as).
If he didn't say "say Amin after Al-Fatihah in Salah"
then we don't do it. If he didn't say "cross your
hands" then we don't do it. It's not to create differences,
but actually to follow the Sunnah in every possible (and important), detail.
Beyond that there is also Qunut which is the part of Salah
where you raise your hands in front of you and ask Allah for
what you need. This can be said in any language or it
can be a short du'a in `Arabic. i think that is about it for
the differences, but of course there are differences between
each of the four non-Shi'a Madhahib. It is important to realize and for
me to point out that all of these Shi'a differences from the various non-Shi'a
Madhahib are based one what non-Shi'a Ahadith also claim
about how Rasul Allah (sal) himself made Salah.
By the way Mikhah,
Who are you? Shia or Sunni? Why do you CHOOSE ahadith which you like
and ignore those which you don't?
The Qur'anic Basis For Salat in the Fiqh al-Ja'fari
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