Most Common Mistakes to Avoid In Offering Salah

Salah is one of the primary pillars of Islam and it is primarily in the form of Salah that Muslims praise and worship Allah Almighty. Besides being a pillar of Islam, it s also mandatory upon a Muslim five times a day. Therefore, except for the severe cases, it is an obligation of a Muslim to offer Salah regularly at their prescribed time every day.

When it comes to Salah, there is a proper way of saying it. The reason, why there is a proper way of saying it, is the fact that it brings unity among Muslims where at the time of Salah they stand united in the court of Allah Almighty. However, there are people, who because of their lack of knowledge, commit a few mistakes of which they aren’t aware. The lines below highlight such mistakes that a Muslim must avoid while offering Salah.

Delaying Salah:

One of the major mistakes that a Muslim has to avoid pertaining to offering of Salah is intentionally delaying them. Although a Muslim has enough time to offer prayer even when he or she is busy, however, there are others who intentionally delay offering of prayer and some times it happens that the prayer gets missed. Therefore, the intentional delaying of Salah must be avoided. In this regard, Quran says:

“Guard strictly (five obligatory) As-Salawat (the prayers) especially the middle Salat (i.e. Asr Prayers).” (2:238)

From this ayah of Quran it can be inferred that the guarding of Salah means protecting them by offering them at their given time. Hence, it is imperative that a Muslim does not take the offering of Salah lightly; rather he or she must do the due pertaining to offering of prayers within the prescribed time.

Fast Recitation of Quran:

The other thing that Muslims usually do without knowing during the prayers is the fast recitation of Quran. The way of reciting Quran in Sunnah is on the contrary and a Muslim is supposed to recite Quran slowly with proper recitation and pauses.

In this regard, about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) it is said:

“The Prophet (PBUH) used to pause after each verse of Surah al-Fatiha.” (Abu Dawood)

Therefore, in addition to fulfilling a Sunnah by reciting Quran slowly, a Muslim also gets to enjoy the rhythm and lyre of Quran with its slow pronunciation and recitation.

Preceding The Imam In Congregational Prayer:

Another common mistake observed among few of the Muslims pertaining to offering prayers is their being quick then the Imam in the congregational prayer. In a congregational prayer, the people in the prayer are supposed to follow the Imam and perform every gesture of Salah after the Imam has performed it. However, there are people who in a hurry go into Ruku or Sajadah before the Imam or rise up from them before the Imam, which is not allowed and should not be observed. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“Surely the imam is there to be followed.” (Muslim)

Therefore, one must not supersede the imam when in a congregational prayer.

Offering Salah Quickly:

Perhaps one of the biggest elements observed in Muslims with regards to their offering of Salah is offering it too quickly. Salah is like standing in the court of Allah Almighty, therefore, if there is any place where a person must not be hasteful, it is the the offering of Salah. Pertaining to this, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in His hadith:

“The worst thief is the one who steals from his own prayer.” People asked: “Messenger of Allah! How could one steal from his own prayer?” He said: “By not completing rukoo and sujood.” (Tabrani)

Therefore, a Muslim while offering prayer must ensure that he or she performs each and every step of Salah with proper posture and in the right form. In this regard, our Step-by-Step Salah application can help Muslims learn the right postures and way of offering Salah.

Gazing Sideways:

Gazing sideways is another mistake generally observed among Muslim pertaining to offering of Salah. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in a hadith:

“Let those who raise their gaze up during prayer stop doing so, or else their sights would not return to them (i.e. they will lose their eyesight)” (Muslim)

Therefore, in order to concentrate fully in the prayer, a Muslim must keep the gaze down at the place of Sajadah. In addition to improving concentration, it also helps represent the humility that a person must have in front of Allah Almighty.

Crossing A Person Offering Salah:

Another mistake which the people make with reference to Salah is that they intentionally or unintentionally cross I front of the person offering Salah. Pertaining to this, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in a hadith:

“Were the one who crosses in front of a praying person to know the consequences of doing so, he would have waited for forty better than to cross in front of him.” (Bukhari)

From this hadith it is clear that a Muslim should never cross a person offering prayer and wait until the Salah of the person gets finished.

Eating Food That Has Bad Odor:

Another mistake that Muslims commit is that they don’t pay attention to what they eat before offering prayer, especially in case of offering prayer with congregation. Prophet (PBUH) said:

“He who eats from the smelly plant (garlic or onion), let him come not near our mosque: the angels are bothered by that which bothers men.” (Muslim)

Therefore, when going for congregational prayer, a Muslim must refrain from eating such foods that have bad odor. These are some of the major mistakes people do while offering Salah. There can be many other as well. Therefore, if you are in search of correcting your salah.Having this app in your smartphone will help in analyzing your way of saying salat with the guide. Thus it would result in identifying and remedying all the mistakes you do.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, the aforementioned are a few of the major mistakes which Muslims commit when offering prayer because of lack of knowledge. By reading this post, Muslims can know the mistakes they commit and avoid them to make sure that Salah is offered in the right way and proper manner.