Salat al-Khawf: the prayer of fear
How an obligatory prayer is split between two groups when an enemy is present, so a congregation can still pray together without leaving itself undefended.
Salat al-Khawf is a special way of praying together when there is a real enemy nearby (a person, a dangerous animal, or something like a snake) and people are afraid that if everyone prays at the same time, no one will be keeping watch.
وَاِذَا كُنْتَ فِيْهِمْ فَاَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلٰوةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَا࢜ىِٕفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ مَّعَكَ وَلْيَاْخُذُوْٓا اَسْلِحَتَهُمْࣞ فَاِذَا سَجَدُوْا فَلْيَكُوْنُوْا مِنْ وَّرَا࢜ىِٕكُمْࣕ وَلْتَاْتِ طَا࢜ىِٕفَةٌ اُخْرٰي لَمْ يُصَلُّوْا فَلْيُصَلُّوْا مَعَكَ وَلْيَاْخُذُوْا حِذْرَهُمْ وَاَسْلِحَتَهُمْۚ وَدَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لَوْ تَغْفُلُوْنَ عَنْ اَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَاَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيْلُوْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَّيْلَةً وَّاحِدَةًؕ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ اِنْ كَانَ بِكُمْ اَذًي مِّنْ مَّطَرٍ اَوْ كُنْتُمْ مَّرْضٰٓي اَنْ تَضَعُوْٓا اَسْلِحَتَكُمْۚ وَخُذُوْا حِذْرَكُمْؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اَعَدَّ لِلْكٰفِرِيْنَ عَذَابًا مُّهِيْنًا ١٠٢
Wa idhā kunta fīhim fa-aqamta lahumu aṣ-ṣalāta faltaqum ṭāʾifatun minhum maʿaka wa'l-yaʾkhudhū asliḥatahum, fa-idhā sajadū fal-yakūnū min warāʾikum wa'l-taʾti ṭāʾifatun ukhrā lam yuṣallū fal-yuṣallū maʿaka wa'l-yaʾkhudhū ḥidhrahum wa asliḥatahum
And O beloved! (Prophet) when you are amidst them, then lead them in prayer, then let a party of them be with you and let them take their arms, then when they have finished their prostrations, then moving from there they should go to your rear; and now let other party who had not participated in the prayer at that time, come and be your follower in the prayer and let them also take their means of protection and weapons; the infidels wish that in case you become negligent of your arms and your baggage, then once they may fall upon you. And there is no fault upon you, if you are in trouble due to rain or you are sick that you put aside your arms, but you carry your means of protection with you. Undoubtedly, Allah has prepared for the infidels a degrading torment.
Qurʼan 4:102, An-Nisa, from Zujajah.org
How it works, in simple terms
- The imam splits everyone into two groups. One group keeps watch for the enemy, and the other group starts praying with the imam.
- The imam prays part of the prayer with the first group, then that group goes to keep watch while the group that was watching comes and finishes the prayer with the imam.
- The imam finishes his own prayer and says salam, but the two groups still owe some rak'ahs. Each group takes a turn coming back, while the other one is watching, to finish their own missed part on their own.
Salat al-Khawf was prescribed during the time of the Prophet ﷺ so that no one would be deprived of the honour and reward of praying behind him even in the presence of danger. There is a difference of opinion on whether it continues after his time: Imam Abu Yusuf holds that it does not, while Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad hold that it remains valid, since the Companions continued to pray it after the Prophet's passing. The majority of jurists follow Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad's view.
On this view, Salat al-Khawf is permitted whenever the presence of an enemy is confirmed, whether the enemy is a person, a wild animal, or a dangerous creature such as a snake. "Confirmed presence" means the enemy is visible, with a real fear that a normal congregational prayer would leave the group open to attack. If the prayer was performed on a mistaken suspicion that later turns out to be wrong, only the followers need to repeat their prayer; the imam's prayer remains valid.
وَاِذَا كُنْتَ فِيْهِمْ فَاَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلٰوةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَا࢜ىِٕفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ مَّعَكَ وَلْيَاْخُذُوْٓا اَسْلِحَتَهُمْࣞ فَاِذَا سَجَدُوْا فَلْيَكُوْنُوْا مِنْ وَّرَا࢜ىِٕكُمْࣕ وَلْتَاْتِ طَا࢜ىِٕفَةٌ اُخْرٰي لَمْ يُصَلُّوْا فَلْيُصَلُّوْا مَعَكَ وَلْيَاْخُذُوْا حِذْرَهُمْ وَاَسْلِحَتَهُمْۚ وَدَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لَوْ تَغْفُلُوْنَ عَنْ اَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَاَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيْلُوْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَّيْلَةً وَّاحِدَةًؕ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ اِنْ كَانَ بِكُمْ اَذًي مِّنْ مَّطَرٍ اَوْ كُنْتُمْ مَّرْضٰٓي اَنْ تَضَعُوْٓا اَسْلِحَتَكُمْۚ وَخُذُوْا حِذْرَكُمْؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اَعَدَّ لِلْكٰفِرِيْنَ عَذَابًا مُّهِيْنًا ١٠٢
Wa idhā kunta fīhim fa-aqamta lahumu aṣ-ṣalāta faltaqum ṭāʾifatun minhum maʿaka wa'l-yaʾkhudhū asliḥatahum, fa-idhā sajadū fal-yakūnū min warāʾikum wa'l-taʾti ṭāʾifatun ukhrā lam yuṣallū fal-yuṣallū maʿaka wa'l-yaʾkhudhū ḥidhrahum wa asliḥatahum
And O beloved! (Prophet) when you are amidst them, then lead them in prayer, then let a party of them be with you and let them take their arms, then when they have finished their prostrations, then moving from there they should go to your rear; and now let other party who had not participated in the prayer at that time, come and be your follower in the prayer and let them also take their means of protection and weapons; the infidels wish that in case you become negligent of your arms and your baggage, then once they may fall upon you. And there is no fault upon you, if you are in trouble due to rain or you are sick that you put aside your arms, but you carry your means of protection with you. Undoubtedly, Allah has prepared for the infidels a degrading torment.
Qurʼan 4:102, An-Nisa, from Zujajah.org
The method for a two-rak'ah prayer (Fajr, Jumu'ah, Eid, or a four-rak'ah prayer shortened by travel)
- With the enemy in front of them, the imam divides the congregation into two groups: one stands facing the enemy on guard, and the other stands behind the imam to begin the prayer.
- The imam prays the first rak'ah with this second group. After they finish the second sajdah, this group moves off to take up the guard position, and the imam waits for the first group to arrive.
- The group that was guarding comes forward and prays the second rak'ah with the imam.
- The imam then finishes his own prayer with tashahhud and salam. The group praying with him at that point has not finished, however; they go back to guard duty without completing their prayer.
- The first group then returns and completes its remaining rak'ah without reciting (as latecomers do), then finishes with tashahhud and salam, and goes back to guard.
- The second group then comes and completes its remaining rak'ah, this time reciting, and finishes with salam.
Salat al-Khawf was prescribed in the time of the Prophet ﷺ so that no one would be deprived of the merit and reward of praying behind him even where danger was present. Its continuation after his time is a matter of scholarly difference: Imam Abu Yusuf holds it is no longer valid, while Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad hold that it remains valid, on the ground that the Companions continued to perform it after the Prophet's passing. The majority of jurists follow the position of Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad, affirming its continuing validity.
On this view, Salat al-Khawf is permitted wherever the presence of an enemy is confirmed, human, a wild animal, or a dangerous creature such as a snake. Although the prayer is unconventional, involving numerous actions and not requiring the qiblah to be faced, this is tolerated under necessity, on the analogy of the Qur'an and hadith permitting a worshipper to walk to the place of wudu mid-prayer when the need arises. "Confirmed presence" means the enemy is visible and there is a real fear that an ordinary congregational prayer would leave the group exposed to attack. Where the prayer is offered on mere suspicion that later proves mistaken, only the followers (muqtadis) must repeat their prayer; the imam's prayer remains valid, since excessive action taken without genuine necessity is what invalidates a prayer, and here the necessity was reasonably believed to exist.
وَاِذَا كُنْتَ فِيْهِمْ فَاَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلٰوةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَا࢜ىِٕفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ مَّعَكَ وَلْيَاْخُذُوْٓا اَسْلِحَتَهُمْࣞ فَاِذَا سَجَدُوْا فَلْيَكُوْنُوْا مِنْ وَّرَا࢜ىِٕكُمْࣕ وَلْتَاْتِ طَا࢜ىِٕفَةٌ اُخْرٰي لَمْ يُصَلُّوْا فَلْيُصَلُّوْا مَعَكَ وَلْيَاْخُذُوْا حِذْرَهُمْ وَاَسْلِحَتَهُمْۚ وَدَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لَوْ تَغْفُلُوْنَ عَنْ اَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَاَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيْلُوْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَّيْلَةً وَّاحِدَةًؕ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ اِنْ كَانَ بِكُمْ اَذًي مِّنْ مَّطَرٍ اَوْ كُنْتُمْ مَّرْضٰٓي اَنْ تَضَعُوْٓا اَسْلِحَتَكُمْۚ وَخُذُوْا حِذْرَكُمْؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اَعَدَّ لِلْكٰفِرِيْنَ عَذَابًا مُّهِيْنًا ١٠٢
Wa idhā kunta fīhim fa-aqamta lahumu aṣ-ṣalāta faltaqum ṭāʾifatun minhum maʿaka wa'l-yaʾkhudhū asliḥatahum, fa-idhā sajadū fal-yakūnū min warāʾikum wa'l-taʾti ṭāʾifatun ukhrā lam yuṣallū fal-yuṣallū maʿaka wa'l-yaʾkhudhū ḥidhrahum wa asliḥatahum
And O beloved! (Prophet) when you are amidst them, then lead them in prayer, then let a party of them be with you and let them take their arms, then when they have finished their prostrations, then moving from there they should go to your rear; and now let other party who had not participated in the prayer at that time, come and be your follower in the prayer and let them also take their means of protection and weapons; the infidels wish that in case you become negligent of your arms and your baggage, then once they may fall upon you. And there is no fault upon you, if you are in trouble due to rain or you are sick that you put aside your arms, but you carry your means of protection with you. Undoubtedly, Allah has prepared for the infidels a degrading torment.
Qurʼan 4:102, An-Nisa, from Zujajah.org
The method for a two-rak'ah prayer (Fajr, Jumu'ah, Eid, or a four-rak'ah prayer reduced by qasr)
- With the enemy directly in view, the imam divides the congregation into two groups: one stands facing the enemy on guard, the other stands behind the imam and begins the prayer with him, whether or not this second group itself faces the qiblah, since this does not affect the prayer's validity.
- The imam prays one rak'ah with this second group. On completing the second sajdah of that rak'ah, the group withdraws to the guard position; the imam waits for the first group to arrive before continuing.
- The group that had been guarding now comes forward and prays the second rak'ah with the imam.
- The imam completes his own prayer with tashahhud and salam at this point. The group praying with him does not complete its own prayer here; they return to the guard position without finishing.
- The first group then returns and completes its remaining rak'ah without reciting (qira'ah), being treated as latecomers (masbuq), then finishes with tashahhud and salam, and returns to guard duty.
- The second group then comes and completes its remaining rak'ah with reciting, being treated as those who prayed ahead of the rest (sabiq), whose position is equivalent to one who joined the prayer late, and finishes with salam.
Terms on this page
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- The method of offering the Friday sermon and prayer The rak'ahs of Jumu'ah in order, the intention to use, who may lead, and step by step how the imam moves from the sermon into the prayer.