Lesson 9 : Conditions for the Validity of Prayer

The conditions of prayer are the matters that are not part of the prayer, but must be satisfied before starting the prayer. They are:

1- Islam: Prayer is not valid from a blasphemer.

2- To be at the age of mental discrimination (mumayyiz), i.e., the age at which the child understands when addressed and answers when asked.

3- To be pure from both ritual impurities. One must have wudu‘, and clear of the states of minor and major ritual impurity.

4- The clothes, body, place, and what one is carrying must be pure (tahir). If one prays while carrying in one’s pocket a piece of cloth that had najas-filth on it, one’s prayer is invalid.

5- To cover one’s unlawful nakedness. For the man this is from his belly button to his knees. The woman has to cover her entire body except for her face and hands.

6- To be certain that the prayer time has set in.

7- Not to deem any of its integrals recommended.

8- To direct one’s chest toward the Qiblah, which is in Makkah.

If one leaves out any one of these conditions, one’s prayer is invalid.

Questions:

1. List some of the conditions of prayer.

2. What is mental discrimination (tamyiz)?

3. How is one clear of the ritual impurities?

4. Is the prayer of one who carries a najas-filth in one’s pocket valid?

5. What is the unlawful nakedness for a man during prayer? For a woman?

6. What is the Qiblah in prayer?

7. What is the judgment of the prayer of one who leaves out any of these conditions?