470 – The first of the legal prescriptions we shall discuss is the prayer.

471 – We find it obligatory for every pubescent person who possesses full mental capacity, while it is waived for women during the days of their menstrual bleeding.

472 – Both the obligatory and the supererogatory prayers agree that one may not enter either of them without purification: ablution with water, whether resident or travelling, so long as water is available; and dry ablution (tayammum) while on a journey, or when water is unavailable at home, or when illness renders ablution harmful or aggravates the condition.

473 – They further agree that neither prayer may be performed unless the worshipper is facing the Kaʿbah, provided he is a resident and on land.

474 – When travelling, however, their rulings diverge: the person offering a voluntary prayer while mounted may face whatever direction his mount turns, indicating the movements with gestures, whereas this is never permitted in an obligatory prayer except in a single circumstance—fear for one’s safety.

475 – We also find that if a person is capable of standing, an obligatory prayer is not valid from him unless he performs it standing; by contrast, the one performing a voluntary prayer is allowed to pray seated.

476 – Whoever performs an obligatory prayer within its appointed time should do so standing; if unable, then seated; if still unable, then lying on his side, prostrating if he can and gesturing if he cannot.

477 – Zakat is an obligation that accompanies the prayer yet differs from it. It is either due or not due; once it becomes due, nothing remains but to pay it. Its obligation is uniform in every circumstance and is not modified by excuses in the way the prayer may be performed standing or sitting.

478 – We observe that if a person possesses ready assets on which zakat is due but owes a debt of equal amount, the zakat obligation is lifted and nothing is required of him in that situation.