Performing Optional Salah (Prayer) before or after, Compensatory prayer for them and Salah (prayer) of al-Duha’

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about a man who becomes busy at noontime; can he perform in the beginning of the day? He (the Imam) said, ’Yes, he can do so if he knows that he becomes busy, thus he can do them all early on.’”

“On the day of conquest of Makkah a black tent, made of wool, was pitched for the Messenger of Allah in al-Abtah. Water from a bowl was poured on it to remove marks of dough. The direction of al- Qiblah (al-Ka’bah) was marked in midday. The Messenger of Allah performed eight Rak’at which he never thereafter or before had done.”

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’Perform the compensatory prayer for whatever of Salah (prayer) is missed during the day in day time and what is missed during the night in night time.’ I then asked, ’Can I perform the compensatory prayer for two al-Witr in one night?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, perform the compensatory prayer for al-Witr all the time.’”

“’Isma’il ibn Jabir once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well, there is a great deal of optional Salah (prayer) upon me. What should I do?’ He (the Imam) said, ’Perform the compensatory prayer for them.’ He said, ‘They are of a great number.’ He (the Imam) said, ’Perform the compensatory prayer for them.’ He said, ‘I cannot count them.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Try to perform them.’ Murazim has said, ‘I fell ill for four months in which I could not perform optional Salah (prayer). I said, ’I pray to Allah to keep you well, I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I fell ill for four months and I could not perform any optional Salah (prayer).’ He (the Imam) said, ‘There is no compensatory prayer for them upon you; one suffering from illness is not like one in good health. Whoever is overpowered by Allah, for him Allah is the first to pardon.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘The best compensatory prayer for a Salah (prayer) missed is the compensatory prayer during the night for what is missed during the night and what is missed during the day is made during the day.’ I then said, ’So there will be two al-Witr in one night.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, there will not be two al-Witr.’ I then said, ‘Why then do you instruct me to perform two al-Witr in one night?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘One of them is a compensatory prayer for what is missed.’”

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), once was asked about a man who has missed performing Salah (prayer) during the day. When is he required to perform the compensatory prayer for such Salah (prayer)? He (the Imam) said, ‘He can do whenever he wants. He can perform them after al-Maghrib or after al-‘Isha.”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who misses Salah (prayer) to be performed during the day. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can perform them whenever he wants. He can perform them after al-Maghrib or after al-‘Isha’.’”

“’Amir al-Mu’minin once passed by a man who was performing al-Duha’ (optional Salah (prayer) at noontime before Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime) in Masjid of al-Kufah. He (’Amir al-Mu’minin) poked his side with his whip (handle) and said, ‘You cut the throat of the Salah (prayer) of repenting people, may Allah cut your throat.’ He asked, ‘Must I omit it? He (the Imam) said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin said, “Have you seen the one who forbids a servant who performs Salah (prayer)” (96:9,10) he added.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘The denial of Amir al- Mu’minin is sufficient prohibition to perform such Salah (prayer).”’ (’Amir al-Mu’minin meant that it is not permissible to prohibit Salah (prayer) but Salah (prayer) of a prescribed time performed before its time is not a Salah (prayer). (It seems the man performed the optional Salah (prayer) soon after Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime) before its due time).

“Abu Ja‘far, and abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, have said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Salah (prayer) of al-Duha’ (optional Salah (prayer) at noontime before Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime) is heresy.”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) al-Witr after al-Dhuhr. He (the Imam) said, ‘Perform Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) al-Witr all the time just as it is missed.’ I then asked, ‘Can there be two al-Witr in one night?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, is not one of them a Qada’ (compensatory prayer)?”’

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Abu Ja‘far would perform the Qada’ (compensatory prayer) twenty al-Witr in one night.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘If there, upon you, is Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) two al-Witr or more, perform them as they were missed with an interval of a Salah (prayer) between each two al-Witr. It is because al-Witr is the last. You cannot perform something before its beginning. The first is what commences first, when you perform Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) Salah (prayer) of the current night then is al-Witr.’ He (the narrator) has said that abu Ja‘far (a.s.), said, ‘Two al-Witr cannot be performed in one night except that one is a Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) what is missed.’ Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), said, ‘If you perform al-Witr in the beginning of night and get up in the end of the night, then your first al-Witr is a Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) what is missed. All Salah (prayer) that you perform in a given night must be intended to be Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) what is missed. The last Salah (prayer) in a given night is Salah (prayer) for that night and not a Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) what is missed. In the same way the last al-Witr that you perform in a given night is al-Witr for that night and not a Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) what is missed.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man on whom there is Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) optional Salah (prayer), so much that he does not know how many because of its great number. What is he required to do?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He performs so many that cannot say how many is performed. In this way he has performed Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) what is missed according to his knowledge.’ I then said, ‘He is not able to perform all the Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) what is missed because of his business.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If his business is for his living which is necessary or it is for the needs of his brother in belief, then he is not obligated for anything in this matter. If his business is for the worldly matters which keeps him away from his Salah (prayer), then it is necessary for him to perform the Qada’ (compensatory prayer), otherwise, he will meet Allah as one considered neglectful, humiliated and destroying the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.’ I then said, ‘He is not able to perform the Qada’ (compensatory prayer). Can he pay charity?’ He (the Imam) remained quiet for a while then said, ‘Yes, he can give charity.’ I then asked, ‘How much charity he must pay?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘As much as he can afford. The minimum is one handful of food to a destitute for every Salah (prayer).’ I then asked, ‘For how many Salah (prayer) one handful of food to a destitute is sufficient?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is for every two Rak‘at of nightly Salah (prayer) and every two Rak‘at of Salah (prayer) during the day.’ I then said, ‘He is not able to do so.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is one handful for four Rak‘at.’ I said, ‘He cannot give that much.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is one handful for Salah (prayer) of every night and one handful for Salah (prayer) of every day but Salah (prayer) is better, Salah (prayer) is better.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Optional Salah (prayer) is like present; whenever given is accepted.’”

“Abu al-Hassan, the first (a.s.), whenever distressed would not perform optional Salah (prayer).”

16. It is a narration from him (narrator of previous Hadith) by ibn Ma’bad or someone other than him who has said the following: “One of the two Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said that the Holy prophet has said, ‘Hearts work with interest or with abhorrence. When they are interested, perform optional Salah (prayer) but when they have abhorrence then hold to obligatory Salah (prayer).’”

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), asking, ‘There is optional Salah (prayer) on me, when should I perform Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) such missed Salah (prayer)?’ He (the Imam) wrote to me in answer, ‘You can perform them whenever you like, during the day or night.’”

“Once, abu Kahmas asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Should a man perform his optional Salah (prayer) in one or in different places?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, one should perform them here and there because they testify in one’s favor on the Day of Judgment.’”

“I once, wrote to abu Ja’far (a.s.), and asked about a man who performs Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) certain Salah (prayer). It is of the fifty Rak‘at and he performs it in Masjid al-Haram or Masjid of the Messenger of Allah or Masjid of al-Kufah. Are such Salah (prayer) counted in multiples as is narrated from your ancestors, ‘Alayhim al-Salam ? Because of being performed in these Masjids, are they counted to compensate for what is on him like the ten thousand Rak‘at as reward, for which he can perform only one hundred Rak‘at, in these Masjids, or less or more and how it works for him?’ He (the Imam) (wrote) with his signature, ‘It is counted in his favor in multiples. However, the case of reduced Salah (prayer) and its condition toward increase is more than toward decrease.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a man who is in a hurry. What is sufficient for him in optional Salah (prayer) for recitation?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Three Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) for recitation, one for Ruku‘ (bowing down on one’s knees), and one for Sujud (prostrations).”’