Chapter IV: Secrets of Prayer
FRIDAY NIGHT: The Prophet said: He who prays 12 rak'ats between Magrib and Isha with Fatiha and Ikhlas 11 times, prays as it were for 12 years for the nights and fasted for the days.The prophet said: Send many Daruds in Jumma day and night.
SATURDAY NIGHT: The Prophet said: He who prays 12 rak'ats between Magrib and Isha, a mansion is built for him in Paradise, he gets rewards of charity to each male and female, gets release from the Jews and it becomes the duty of God to forgive him.
OPTIONAL ANNUAL PRAYERS
Such, prayers are four - (1) Prayers of two I'ds or festivals, (2)
Tarawih prayers, (3) Prayer in Rajab, and (4) Prayer in Shaban.
(2) PRAYER OF TWO I'DS: They are Sunnat Muaqqadah and there are several duties in them. Take bath in the morning of I'd day, take dresses and use scents. Go by one way and return by another. The Prophet used to observe it. He used to order the servants, slaves and women to come out for prayers on these days. It is better to pray I'd prayers in open fields except Mecca and Baitul Muqaddas. The time runs from sun-rise to sun decline at noon. The time for animal sacrifice on Idul Azha runs from
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after the prayer to the end of the 13th day of Zilhaj. I'd charity is to be given before prayer.
The form of prayer runs as follows. The Imam will pray two rak'ats with six Takbirs in addition, three in the first rak'at and three in the second. The Imam will then deliver sermon and then makeMonazat,
(2) TARAWITH PRAYER: It consists of twenty rak'ats. It maybe said also in congregation. The Holy Prophet sometimes prayed it alone and sometimes in congregation. He said; I fear this prayer may be imposed on you as a compulsory duty. It was Hazrat Omar who directed the Muslims to observe it in congregation. The Prophet said: As it is more meritorious to observe compulsory prayer in mosque than in houses, so it is more meritorious to observe optional prayers in houses than in mosques. The Prophet said: The merits of one rak'at prayer in this mosque of mine is one thousand times greater than observing it in other mosques and the merits of one rak'at of prayer in the mosque of the Ka'ba is better than one thousand times than observing it in my mosque. The prayer of one who prays in a corner of his house and knows nobody than God is better than all these prayers." It is better however to pray Tarawih in congregation as Hazrat Omar did it.
(3) PRAYER IN RAJAB: The Prophet said: One who fasts five days in Rajab, prays twelve rak'ats between Magrib and Isha with a unit of two rak'ats (which certain formalities as prescribed), his invocation is accepted.
(4) PRAYER IN SHABAN: It is observed in the night of the 15th Shaban. There are one hundred rak'ats of prayer with a unit of two rak'ats. The earlier sages used to observe this prayer.
FOURTH KIND OF OPTIONAL PRAYERS