A QUESTION BY; Amini

THE ELABORATION OF THE QUESTION

Have Ahl Al-Bayt (peace be upon them) performed in their own prayer the act of finishing each prayer with turning the head rightward and leftward and stating the phrase ‘’ Allah is great’’ as we do or as it has been claimed this style of praying was unique to the Qliphs and not to the sacred Aemah (Imams)?

RESPONSE

At first it should be said that this act is not among the necessities of the prayer but it is of Mostahabat (not obligatory but as proper acts) and it is better to be performed but with respect to the main issue we are going to direct your attention to the opinions of Shiite and Sunnite scholars pertaining to the finishing acts of the prayer but this issue that some have claimed that this style of the prayer was exclusive to the Qaliphs is a false claim since there is no documents which implies in this point neither in Shiite nor in the Sunnite books and if such a point has been quoted from the Qaliphs then Sunnite have to obey that tradition as a result of their own prejudice toward the Qaliphs and their traditions even they are in contrast to the tradition of the holy prophet of GOD and they would have finished their own prayers in such a manner 

The narrations of the sacred Aemah (Imams) (peace be upon them) pertaining to stating Takbir (Allah is great) after finishing the prayer

945 – قال امير المومنين : ... فإذا سلمت رفعت يديك وكبرت ثلاثا ...

The commander of the faithful (peace be upon him) stated that; when you finish the prayer then raise your hands for three times and say Takbir

-Man LaYahkhora Al-Faghih, v 1 p 320

It has been narrated from Mofazal Ibn Omar that; I said to Imam Sadeq (peace be upon him) why those who are perform the prayer have to raise their own hands for three times and say Takbir? Then His Holiness stated that; for this reason that when the holy prophet of GOD (peace and bless of GOD be upon him and his progeny) obtained the Mecca victory then performed the prayer with his own companions besides the Hajar Al-Asvad and then he finished the prayer he raised hiw own hands three times and stated Takbir and stated that;

( 8420 ) 2 - ... عن المفضل بن عمر قال قلت لأبي عبد الله ( عليه السلام ) لأي علة يكبر المصلي بعد التسليم ثلاثا يرفع بها يديه ؟ فقال لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله لما فتح مكة صلى بأصحابه الظهر عند الحجر الأسود فلما سلم رفع يديه وكبر ثلاثا وقال " لا إله إلا الله وحده وحده أنجز وعده ونصر عبده وأعز جنده وغلب الأحزاب وحده فله الملك وله الحمد يحيي ويميت ( 1 ) وهو على كل شئ قدير " ثم أقبل على أصحابه فقال لا تدعوا هذا التكبير وهذا القول في دبر كل صلاة مكتوبة فإن من فعل ذلك بعد التسليم وقال هذا القول كان قد أدى ما يجب عليه من شكر الله تعالى على تقوية الاسلام وجنده

And then His Holiness tuned to his companions and stated that do not forget this Takbir and prayer after each obligatory prayer and if someone does this act after finishing his own prayer then he has thanked Allah the Almighty for enhancement of Islam and its army 

-Vesaal Al-Shia, v 6 p 456, quoted from : Elal Al-Sharaye Sheikh Sadogh

The Shiite scholars’ standpoint pertaining to Takbir after finishing the prayer

Shiite scholars with referral to the narrations of Aemah (peace be upon them) have mentioned the act of raising the hands to ears and then put them on the legs after finishing each prayer as the Mostahabat of the prayer (say Salam of the prayer) and no pay attention to some of these cases

Ibn Zohrah Halabi says that;

وأن يعقب فيكبر بعد التسليم ثلاث مرات ، يرفع بها يديه..

And this act of finishing the prayer and say Takbir three times after the prayer Salam and raise your own hands

-Ghaniyat Al-Noso, p 85

Ibn Edris says that;

ويستحب بعد التسليم والخروج من الصلاة أن يكبر وهو جالس ثلاث تكبيرات ، يرفع بكل واحدة يديه إلى شحمتي أذنيه ، ثم يرسلهما إلى فخذيه في ترسل واحد .

And after saing Salam and finishing the Mostahab prayer say Takbir for thress times while you are sitting and in each time you should raise your two hands until your own ears and then fall them at once and put them on your legs

-Al-Saraer Ibn Edris Heli, p 232

Allamah Heli says that;

ثم ما نقل عن أهل البيت ( عليهم السلام ) بعد التكبير عقيب التسليم ثلاث مرات ، يرفع فيها يديه إلى شحمتي أذنيه ، ويضعهما على فخذيه .

Then (pertaining to the Mostahabat of the prayer) what have been quoted from Ahl Al-Bayt (peace be upon them) is that to say Takbir for three times after the Salam of the prayer and in each time raise your own two hands up to your ears and then put them of your leg

-Tahrir Al-Ahkam, v 1 p 263

Saheb Javaher states that

( ثم ) يستحب التعقيب أيضا ( بما روي من ) الأذكار ( والأدعية ) في خصوص التعقيب ، وهي كثيرة جدا ، منها التكبيرات الثلاث رافعا يديه بكل واحدة منها على هيئة الرفع في غيرها من تكبيرات الصلاة

The finishing act after the prayer in which there are some prayers and statements have been quoted as Mostahab and these acts are really too many and one of them is to say Takbir for three times and in each time raise your own two hands up to your ears just like the other Takbirs of the prayer

-Javaher Al-Kalam, v 10 p 408

The Sunnite views pertaining to the Salam of the prayer

There is no such a turning head and stating Takbir in the Sunnite prayers but they turn their own heads rightward and say’’ peace and bless of GOD be upon you’’ and then they turn their own heads leftward and say’‘ peace and bless of GOD be upon you’’

And one of the Mostahabat of the prayer is to turn the head to right to be able to see the right shoulder and then to turn the head to left in the second Salam to be able to see the left shoulder and this rule is unanimously agreed upon by the whole religions unless the religion of Maleki

Ibn Qdomah one of the Hanbali Faqih says that:

Problem; (and then he turns his head rightward and says ‘’peace and bless of GOD be upon you’’ and do the same thing leftward) and say Salam in the prayer is Vajeb (obligatory) and it cannot be replaced by anything else

Therefore the Shiite viewpoint pertaining to say Takbir after Salam of the prayer is not taken from the Qaliphs traditions at all and it is in accordance with the Shiite religious authentic rules

GOOD LUCK

THE BOARD OF ADDRESSING THE RELIGIOUS DOUBTS

  THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF HIS HOLINESS IMAM OF THE AGE

           (MAY GOD PRECIPITATE HIS BLESSING REAPPEARNCE)