More Questions :-)

[Jeff]

Assalam o alaikum,

In the quran 5.6: Pickthall: O ye who believe! When ye rise up for prayer, wash you faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. And if ye are unclean, purify yourselves. And if ye are sick or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have had contact with women, and ye find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces and your hands with some of it. Allah would not place a burden on you, but He would purify you and would perfect His grace upon you, that ye may give thanks.

I was taught to refresh wudu after every trip to the toilet and after every fart before praying again. I was taught wudu lasts until broken or if you have slept.

1. My question is am I supposed to wash before every single prayer?

Also once I'm working again i would most likely go over break times if I have to take my boots off

2. do I have to remove my boots when washing if I am at work and about to pray duhr for example?

3. "when ye rise up for prayer" is that talking about getting up from sleep or just praying in general?

I was told that I should give up watching movies even though I loved the marvel series because of hadiths about music being haram and that Allah hates it when we waste our time and money.

4. Is music OK to listen to?

5. would movies be OK to watch?

Currently I am using an app called Athan for my prayer times.

6. Do you guys use something similar?

My hadithist friend has told me that if I pray at the mosque before the Athan app time the prayer is not accepted. For example Athan said last night prayer started 11.05pm for isha but the mosque is praying isha at 10.40-10.50pm. I'm not sure who's right to be honest.

[Zainab_M]

Walaikum As-Salaam.  Your questions are very welcomed, brother  ..

I was taught to refresh wudu after every trip to the toilet and after every fart before praying again. I was taught wudu lasts until broken or if you have slept.

1. My question is am I supposed to wash before every single prayer?

Passing wind does not invalidate the wudu in accordance with the Quran.  Therefore, as Quran alone followers, we don't accept the idea of renewing wudu for that reason.  According to Hadithists it does invalidate the wudu but that isn't from the Quran.  You will get complete info on this aspect @ Does wudu become ineffective if one passes wind?

Refreshing your wudu after every visit to the toilet isn't necessary.  Once you have performed a proper wudu and your are still clean except for a visit or two or more to the toilet, you can renew the wudu with tayamum (or dry wudu also mentioned in Verses 5:6 and 4:43).  If you need details on how to perform tayamum, do let us know.  However after using the toilet, it's necessary for Muslims to wash the private parts with water - not just dry tissue - and then you can renew the wudu with tayamum .. unless impurity splashes into other parts of the body or soils your clothes.  Then perform the wudu again.  The kind of toilets we have at present easily allow us to use it without polluting other parts of the body.  Thus, unless there's an 'accident' in the toilet polluting much of the body, tayamum would be fine.  Most hadith followers might not agree with this.  But we view it as fine.
  
No, not necessary to perform wudu before every single prayer.  You can maintain the same wudu until you feel your body is polluted with tangible impurity or dirt and needs to be re-washed which does not include passing wind.

2. do I have to remove my boots when washing if I am at work and about to pray duhr for example?

No, you don't need to remove shoes or boots while at work.  Just make sure you perform a proper wudu before leaving for work.  Then, during prayer times if you feel your wudu is invalidated for some reason such as impurity in work surroundings .. you can perform your wudu with water if that facility is available or simply do your tayamum. If you perform wudu at work with water, perform the same way as mentioned in V.5:6, and instead of taking off your shoes to wash the feet, just run the wet palms of your hands over the shoes or socks.  This method is also accepted by hadith followers.  It is only to make matters easier particularly in non-Muslim surroundings which aren't geared up for our convenience.  And as Allah Almighty says, He has not implemented any hardship in religion.  "He hath chosen you and hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship;"  22:78  Al-Hajj.

After all, wudu should not be a reason for missing salat altogether. Thus, The Almighty has granted tayamum, in case it's not possible or difficult to use water.

"when ye rise up for prayer" is that talking about getting up from sleep or just praying in general?

Praying in general including waking up from sleep.

I was told that I should give up watching movies even though I loved the marvel series because of hadiths about music being haram and that Allah hates it when we waste our time and money.

4. Is music OK to listen to?

5. would movies be OK to watch?

Well .. I wouldn't say all music and all movies are Haram.  However, as we know the kind of permissiveness, vulgarity and violence that exist in modern movies and rock music in modern times, one needs to be careful and nit-pick concerning what sort of movies or songs would be Halal or Haram in accordance with Quranic values of modesty.  If a movie has lewd scenes or a lewd theme, I would definitely avoid it and advise others to do the same.  The same approach applies to musical performances.  Moreover, sometimes the wordings of certain songs (in all cultures) might clash with Monotheistic values.  I guess that's the nature of some forms of art.  Such music should also be avoided.  As you keep reading and understanding the Noble Quran, you will, Insh'Allah, be able to discern in this sphere as to what's Halal or otherwise.
  
Frankly I do hear of quite a few of our Muslim sisters and brothers who aren't too particular about this aspect despite preaching otherwise.  But I would never advise any one to follow their example.  In the entertainment world of today, it's definitely necessary for a sincere Muslim to discern what is ethically proper or otherwise, that is, Halal or Haram, and stay away from the Haram.

Currently I am using an app called Athan for my prayer times.

6. Do you guys use something similar?

That's absolutely fine.  I'm not using it, instead I have a prayer calendar with prayer time-settings of my city for the entire year.  But many Muslims use the adhan app.  Like I said it's just fine.  

My hadithist friend has told me that if I pray at the mosque before the Athan app time the prayer is not accepted. For example Athan said last night prayer started 11.05pm for isha but the mosque is praying isha at 10.40-10.50pm. I'm not sure who's right to be honest.

Adhan is basically the call for getting ready for congregational prayer inside the mosque.  For that reason if you arrive at the mosque prior to the adhan from the app, the prayer probably wouldn't have started.  But if you are praying at home, you have a much wider time bracket for each prayer.  E.g. In my prayer calendar the time mentioned for Asr (late afternoon prayer) today is 3.30 p.m. and the time for Maghrib (prayer soon after sunset) is 5.10 p.m.   Therefore, if one is offering salat at home (which is also fully permissible), one can pray any time between 3.30 p.m. to approximately 4.50 p.m. (not to get it too close to the Maghrib prayer).  But if you are attending the mosque, then probably you need to leave home shortly before the adhan so you arrive at the mosque close to adhan time, depending how far the mosque is from your home.    

[Zainab_M]

My hadithist friend has told me that if I pray at the mosque before the Athan app time the prayer is not accepted. For example Athan said last night prayer started 11.05pm for isha but the mosque is praying isha at 10.40-10.50pm. I'm not sure who's right to be honest.

Furthermore, I suppose the Isha prayer at the mosque started a little before the adhan time of the app is probably because of extreme timings in certain parts of the world in summer and winter.  11.05 p.m. for Isha is pretty late at night.  Just to make it more convenient for people, I suppose they made it a little earlier.  These slight differences and adjustments of prayer timings are okay.  Doesn't matter.

In fact some of our jurists have also okayed combining Maghrib and Isha in peak summer months when Isha timing is very late.  Isha is approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes after Maghrib.  In summer that could make Isha around 10.30 p.m. (earliest) in certain countries.  Some folks who go to work next morning or the elderly may find it hard to stay awake that long.  So, if Maghrib is at approximately 9.00 p.m. and it's difficult for you to stay awake for another 1 hour and 25 minutes for Isha, then you can offer Isha as soon as you finish Maghrib .... or maybe a few minutes or short while after Maghrib.

[Jeff]

Thanks for the replies Zainab.

I will need to learn tayamum.

I'm not sure how my hadithist freinds are going to react once they find out, I was going to the mosque as often as I could and now just pray all my prayers at home except for juma. The brother who has been most helpful to me has so much faith in the scholars and what they say. When i first became sunni I suspected really early on that there was something wrong and not quite right. But it wasn't until I found this forum that I was able to see what it was. So a big thanks for keeping this site going.

We were talking on the weekend and it was almost like they don't want me to do my own study of the quran and instead they want me to listen to scholars share their 'knowledge'.

It would be great if you have a thread on 'obey God and the messenger' that I could read. Because I think it's those words that the hadithist community uses to justify bukhari and Muslim hadiths

[Zainab_M]

Walaikum As-Salaam brother Jeff.    The problems you enumerated are no secret with our mainstream, unfortunately.   Though I'm born Muslim, I was taught everything about my beautiful Faith by my beloved parents at home based on Quran alone.  Later in life when I began interacting with our mainstream sisters and brothers, I faced the same questions as you stated.   Fortunately, it took me a very short time to discern matters and separate authenticity from inauthenticity. 

  I'm not sure how my hadithist freinds are going to react once they find out, I was going to the mosque as often as I could and now just pray all my prayers at home except for juma. 

If you have the time, by all means attend the mosque for prayers.  Otherwise offering our daily salah (except Jum'aah which has to be with the congregation) at home is just as fine. It's not mandatory in the Quran to pray in the mosque, except for Jum'aah.  The important aspect is sincerity at heart with focus on Allah Almighty alone.  Some of our brothers and sisters may prefer going to the mosque because it provides them with a group-feeling and they can focus better.  That maybe true with some.  However, I reiterate, praying at home is just as good, and regardless of how your hadithist friends may react, this is the truth if we have the Noble Quran as our Sole Criterion.   Like I said earlier, don't try to discuss such matters with them because it's a waste of time.  I know that for sure. Whenever you aren't able to attend the mosque for daily salah, offer them at home and tell your friends frankly.

 
"it was almost like they don't want me to do my own study of the quran and instead they want me to listen to scholars share their 'knowledge'. "

Yep, that's another common approach of theirs.  Don't listen to them.  Just keep reading the Noble Quran on your own which is a bounden duty for each one of us in the interest of our own soul.  For more info please read the answer to a guest recently @ Probing a scholar's view.    Every Monotheistic believer is entitled to reach out to Allah and that can be done only through the Noble Quran.  Alhumdulilah.

"And in truth We have made the Qur'an easy to remember; but is there any that remembers?"  54:17  Al-Qamar.

"It would be great if you have a thread on 'obey God and the messenger' that I could read. Because I think it's those words that the hadithist community uses to justify bukhari and Muslim hadiths"

Yes, there are quite a few Quranic Verses which say that, but these Verses do NOT refer to the hadith at all.  Certainly NOT.   That's confirmed.  It's also true that Hadithists always misinterpret these Verses as references to the man-written Hadith literature forged in the name of the beloved Final Messenger more than 150 years after his passing.  For thorough information, please read our post Does the Quran refer to follow the man-written Hadith?


Some posts here @ MV that would further help with clarifications.  I suggest do please read them in your own time, Insh'Allah.

-  Supreme authority of jurists /clerics - an idea borrowed from altered Christianity
-  Is 'perfection' or 'infallibility' inherent of humans?
-  Does the hadith explain the Quran?
-  Hadith conspiracy and the distortion of Islam
-  Ever thought what "Al-Furqan" refers to?
-  Verse 4:80 of Surah An-Nissa not an allusion to Hadith
-  The real meaning and reference to the Sunnah
-  Obedience to God means obedience to the Prophet

Would like to mention that I'm not trying to isolate you from the mainstream and from your friends.  I would never advice that.  By all means spend time with them and in a cordial atmosphere.  Only don't forget there are big problems of disinformation with the mainstream and you don't have to follow everything they say.  Keep that personal to yourself.  As long as Allah Almighty is pleased with you, you don't need to please anyone else.

[Zainab_M]

Sorry I forgot to cover tayyamum .... 

Tayamum is dry wudu.  " .. and you find not water, then go to high clean soil and rub your faces and your hands (therewith). Indeed! Allah is Benign, Forgiving."  4:43  An-Nissa.

The commonest reason for performing tayyamum is shortage of water or no water.  But certain other reasons can also be included such as shortage of time, illness, and offering salah in places or situations where wudu with water is very difficult or not possible.

The procedure is very simple.  First make an intention (niyyah) within yourself that your are performing tayyamum to offer your prayer (salah).  Then - you don't literally need to touch the earth or sand on the ground - you can also simply run the palms of your hands gently on any object such as a stone slab or brick, limestone, earthen pot or pan, the walls of our home, or any item in our homes or workplace which may have just a few particles of dust on it.   After touching whatever suitable item is available, run the palms of your hands lightly over your face, hair and wrists.  That's it.

Again, some circles of the mainstream have made tayyamum complicated by inserting some unnecessary conditions and procedures.  But the process is actually very quick and simple, exactly as I described.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

 
"it was almost like they don't want me to do my own study of the quran and instead they want me to listen to scholars share their 'knowledge'. "

"And the messenger says: O my Rab!   Indeed! mine own folk make this Qur'an of no account."  25:30 Al-Furqan (Noble Quran).

This is one of the loveliest prophecies of the Quran where Allah Almighty quotes the complaint of the Final Messenger on the Day of Judgment .. a distinctive Quranic style where Allah often refers to future events in the present tense.  Mash'Allah! 

Focus on this Verse.   Isn't this what's happening now, Muslims preventing each other from reading the Quran in preference to human writings.  Insh'Allah, the beloved final messenger will be a witness against these folks. 

One might presume V.25:30 refers to non-Muslims.  Indeed it does, but it includes much more.  It also refers to Muslims who have, for all practical purposes, left the Quran.


May The Almighty guide us all with His Light of Guidance.  Ameen.

Walaikum Salam