Chapter: Some of the Disliked Matters in the Prayer ⦗1⦘
According to the scholars of legal theory, a makruh (reprehensible act) is one whose avoidance earns reward, while its commission incurs no punishment.
The acts deemed makruh within the prayer diminish its perfection without nullifying it. They are many; the author here mentions only those indicated by the two following hadiths.
The First Hadith
ʿAʾishah — may Allah be pleased with her — reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “When the call to begin the prayer is made and the evening meal is served, start with the meal.” A similar wording is related from Ibn ʿUmar.
General Meaning
Khushūʿ (humble attentiveness) and presence of heart are sought in the prayer, for they are its very spirit; the soundness or deficiency of the prayer corresponds to the extent of that inner state.
Thus, if the prayer is about to commence while food or drink is already set out, one should begin by eating and drinking until the appetite is satisfied. In this way the worshipper’s mind will not be pre-occupied, and his heart will not be drawn away from the concentration that forms the essence of the prayer — provided, of course, that the prayer time will not expire.
If the prescribed time is so tight that delay would lead to its expiry, then the prayer takes precedence over everything else, for a recommended act may never override an obligation.
Points Derived from the Hadith:
- When food or drink is present at the time of prayer, it should be attended to first, unless the prayer time is about to lapse, in which case the prayer must be offered without delay.
- The outward wording of the hadith treats both the hungry and the sated alike; yet many scholars limit the concession to one who actually needs the food, based on the underlying reason they discern in the legislator’s intent.
- For the one who needs the meal, the presence of food constitutes a valid excuse for missing the congregational prayer — on the condition that he does not habitually schedule his meals to coincide with the prayer times.
- Khushūʿ and the avoidance of distractions are essential aims in the prayer so that the heart may be fully present in intimate discourse with its Lord.