Description of the Prayer From Its Beginning to Its End

Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 46

Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

Book 1, Chapter 46

Description of the Prayer From Its Beginning to Its End

Hadith #924

924 - وَ سَأَلَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ: لِأَيِّ عِلَّةٍ يُجْهَرُ فِي صَلاَةِ اَلْجُمُعَةِ وَ صَلاَةِ اَلْمَغْرِبِ وَ صَلاَةِ اَلْعِشَاءِ اَلْآخِرَةِ وَ صَلاَةِ اَلْغَدَاةِ وَ سَائِرُ اَلصَّلَوَاتِ اَلظُّهْرُ وَ اَلْعَصْرُ لاَ يُجْهَرُ فِيهِمَا وَ لِأَيِّ عِلَّةٍ صَارَ اَلتَّسْبِيحُ فِي اَلرَّكْعَتَيْنِ اَلْأَخِيرَتَيْنِ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ اَلْقِرَاءَةِ قَالَ «لِأَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ لَمَّا أُسْرِيَ بِهِ إِلَى اَلسَّمَاءِ كَانَ أَوَّلَ صَلاَةٍ فَرَضَ اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ اَلظُّهْرُ يَوْمَ اَلْجُمُعَةِ فَأَضَافَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَيْهِ اَلْمَلاَئِكَةَ تُصَلِّي خَلْفَهُ وَ أَمَرَ نَبِيَّهُ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ أَنْ يَجْهَرَ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ فَضْلَهُ ثُمَّ فَرَضَ اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ اَلْعَصْرَ وَ لَمْ يُضِفْ إِلَيْهِ أَحَداً مِنَ اَلْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يُخْفِيَ اَلْقِرَاءَةَ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ وَرَاءَهُ أَحَدٌ ثُمَّ فَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ اَلْمَغْرِبَ وَ أَضَافَ إِلَيْهِ اَلْمَلاَئِكَةَ وَ أَمَرَهُ بِالْإِجْهَارِ وَ كَذَلِكَ اَلْعِشَاءُ اَلْآخِرَةُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ قُرْبَ اَلْفَجْرِ نَزَلَ فَفَرَضَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَيْهِ اَلْفَجْرَ وَ أَمَرَهُ بِالْإِجْهَارِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ فَضْلَهُ كَمَا بَيَّنَ لِلْمَلاَئِكَةِ فَلِهَذِهِ اَلْعِلَّةِ يُجْهَرُ فِيهَا وَ صَارَ اَلتَّسْبِيحُ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ اَلْقِرَاءَةِ فِي اَلْأَخِيرَتَيْنِ لِأَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ لَمَّا كَانَ فِي اَلْأَخِيرَتَيْنِ ذَكَرَ مَا رَأَى مِنْ عَظَمَةِ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَدَهِشَ فَقَالَ « سُبْحَانَ اَللَّهِ وَ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اَللَّهُ وَ اَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ » فَلِذَلِكَ صَارَ اَلتَّسْبِيحُ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ اَلْقِرَاءَةِ.

Hadith.924 - Muhammad ibn Imran asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq : "For what reason is the recitation done aloud in the Jumu’ah prayer, the Maghrib prayer, the Isha prayer, and the Fajr prayer, while it is not done aloud in the Dhuhr and Asr prayers? And why is glorification (tasbih) in the last two rak‘ahs preferred over recitation?" Imam replied: "When The Prophet was taken on the Night Journey to the heavens, the first prayer that Allah , the Exalted, ordained upon him was the Dhuhr prayer on the day of Jumu‘ah (Jumu’ah). Allah added angels to pray behind him and commanded His Prophet to recite aloud so that they would realize his excellence. Then, Allah ordained the Asr prayer without adding any angels behind him, and He commanded him to recite quietly because there was no one behind him. Next, Allah ordained the Maghrib prayer and added the angels to pray with him and commanded him to recite aloud, and the same applies to the Isha prayer. Near the time of Fajr, he descended, and Allah , the Exalted, ordained the Fajr prayer and commanded him to recite aloud so that people would know its excellence, just as He had shown it to the angels. This is why it is recited aloud in these prayers. Tasbih became preferable to recitation in the last two rak‘ahs because, in those rak‘ahs, The Prophet , upon recalling the greatness of Allah , glorified Him, saying: Subhana Allah, wal-hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha illa Allah, wa Allahu Akbar “Glory be to Allah, and all praise is for Allah, and there is no deity except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest” Therefore, tasbih became superior to recitation."