Islamic Manual

The prayer of fear (Salat al-Khawf)

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.

The verse that teaches this way of praying

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

  1. The imam splits everyone into two groups. One group keeps watch for the enemy, and the other group starts praying with the imam.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
The Prophet’s practice (Sunnah)the Prophet’s way

When a real enemy is nearby, the Prophet's way is for the imam to split the congregation into two groups: one keeps watch while the other prays part of the prayer with him, then they swap, and each group finishes its own missed part in turn.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

If the danger is so great that you cannot even get off your mount, you still have to pray: you pray on the mount using movements instead of full bowing and prostration, without needing to face the qiblah. If even that is impossible, you pray it later once it is safe.

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.

The Qur'anic basis (Surah an-Nisa, 4:102)

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)

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. The group that was guarding comes forward and prays the second rak'ah with the imam.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. The second group then comes and completes its remaining rak'ah, this time reciting, and finishes with salam.
The Prophet’s practice (Sunnah)the Prophet’s way

Where the presence of an enemy is confirmed, Salat al-Khawf is permitted, and the sunnah method is for the imam to divide the congregation into two groups: he prays one part with the first group while the second keeps guard, the groups then exchange places, and after the imam's salam each group completes its remaining rak'ahs in turn.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

When the danger is so great that dismounting is genuinely impossible, the obligatory prayer is still owed: it is prayed individually by gesture while mounted, and facing the qiblah is not required. If even this is not possible, the prayer is delayed and made up once calm returns.

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.

The Qur'anic basis (Surah an-Nisa, 4:102)

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)

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. The group that had been guarding now comes forward and prays the second rak'ah with the imam.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
The Prophet’s practice (Sunnah)the Prophet’s way

Where the presence of an enemy is confirmed, Salat al-Khawf is permitted, and its sunnah method is that the imam divides the congregation into two groups, praying the first portion with one while the other stands guard, the groups then exchanging places so that the second prays the remaining portion with him, after which, following the imam's salam, each group completes its own remaining rak'at in turn.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

Where fear is extreme and dismounting is genuinely impossible, the fard prayer is not dropped: it is performed individually by gesture while mounted, and facing the qiblah is not required. Where even this is not feasible, the prayer is deferred and made up (qada) once calm returns.

This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 1,129 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.

Rulings of Eid Prayers 8. Rules Regarding Eid Prayers

Rules of Salat al-Khawf (Prayer of Fear):

  1. Ruling of Salat al-Khawf:

(1) The Prayer of Fear was prescribed during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) so that no one would miss the honor and reward of praying behind him. However, there is a difference of opinion regarding its continuation after the Prophet's time. Imam Abu Yusuf holds that it is no longer valid, while Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad maintain that it remains valid because the Companions continued to perform it after the Prophet’s passing. The majority of jurists support the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad, affirming its validity.

According to this view, Salat al-Khawf is permissible when there is a confirmed presence of an enemy [Although this prayer is unconventional as it involves many actions, and the direction of the Qiblah is not followed, it is necessary during extreme conditions. As the Quran and Hadith support it, such actions are exempted from being considered improper, just as walking to the place of prayer is exempt when a person needs to make wudu in the middle of a prayer.], whether the enemy is human, a wild animal, or a dangerous creature like a snake [This could be likened to the situation in the case of a fire.].

(2) The enemy's proximity means that they are visible, and there is a fear that if people engage in congregational prayer, the enemy might launch an attack.

(3) If Salat al-Khawf is performed based on a suspicion of the enemy's proximity and it later becomes clear that the suspicion was incorrect, only the followers (muqtadis) need to repeat their prayer, while the Imam's prayer remains valid [Excessive actions without necessity can invalidate the prayer.].

The Quran provides guidance for Salat al-Khawf in the following verse:

"وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوٓاْ أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ ۖ فَإِذَا سَجَدُواْ فَلْيَكُونُواْ مِن وَرَآئِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخْرَىٰ لَمْ يُصَلُّواْ فَلْيُصَلُّواْ مَعَكَ وَيَأْخُذُواْ حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ"

"And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you, taking their weapons. When they have prostrated, let them be in position behind you, and let the other group come forward that has not prayed and let them pray with you, taking precautions and carrying their weapons."

(Surah An-Nisa, 4:102)

  1. The method of Salat al-Khawf:

(1) Method of Salat-ul-Khauf (Prayer of Fear): When the enemy is right in front, the Imam should divide the congregation into two groups. One group will stand facing the enemy, while the other group will stand behind the Imam to start the prayer [Whether the Qiblah is attained or not, these actions do not affect the prayer's validity.]. The Imam prays one rak'ah with this second group. After completing the second sajdah of the first rak'ah, this group moves to face the enemy [The Imam should wait until they arrive.]. The first group, which was guarding against the enemy, now comes forward and prays one rak'ah with the Imam. After this, the Imam finishes the prayer by reciting tashahhud and concluding with salam. However, the second group does not finish their prayer. They return to guard against the enemy. Then the first group comes back and completes their remaining rak'ah without recitation (qira'ah), followed by tashahhud and salam [This is because they are considered 'latecomers,' and the ruling for latecomers is similar to that of followers.]. After this, they go back to guard the enemy. The second group then comes to complete their remaining rak'ah with recitation and concludes with salam [This is because they are considered 'predecessors,' and their situation is equivalent to that of individuals who join the prayer late.]. This method applies to two-rak'ah prayers, whether they are inherently two rak'ahs (e.g., Fajr, Jumu'ah, Eid prayers) or shortened to two rak'ahs due to travel (Qasr). For a four-rak'ah prayer, the Imam prays two rak'ahs with each group. For Maghrib, the Imam prays two rak'ahs with the first group and one rak'ah with the second group. If this order is reversed, the prayer will be invalid. This method applies when both Imam and followers are either residents or travelers, or if the Imam is a resident and the followers are either all travelers or a mix of residents and travelers. Special Case: If the Imam is a traveler and the followers are residents, the Imam prays one rak'ah with each group and concludes the prayer with salam. The first group then completes three rak'ahs without recitation [The ruling for latecomers is similar to that of those joining late.]. The second group completes three rak'ahs with recitation [The ruling for those who join late is the same.] (reciting Surah Al-Fatiha and another surah in the first rak'ah, and only Surah Al-Fatiha in the last two rak'ahs). If the congregation includes both travelers and residents, residents should follow the resident prayer method, and travelers should follow the traveler method.

(2)Movement Towards the Enemy: The term "moving towards the enemy" refers to going on foot. If done on horseback or any other ride, the prayer becomes invalid.

(3)Recommended Practice: After completing their portion of the prayer, the second group should return to guard the enemy, while the first group comes back to complete their remaining rak'ahs. Alternatively, the first group can complete their prayer on the battlefield after their turn, without returning to the original prayer site. Both methods are valid, but the former is preferred.

Note:

This method applies when everyone wishes to pray behind one Imam. Otherwise, it is better for each group to pray separately with different Imams.

3. Miscellaneous rulings on Salat al-Khawf:

1. If fear is extreme and dismounting is impossible, pray individually using gestures while seated on mounts. Facing the Qiblah is not required. If even this is not feasible, prayer can be delayed, and it should be made up later when calm returns.

2. Congregational prayer is not allowed on mounts, but if two people share a horse, the one at the back can follow the one in front.

3. Praying obligatory Salah on mounts is allowed only if the enemy is pursuing them. If they are pursuing the enemy, it is not permissible.

4. Engaging in combat during prayer invalidates it.

5. If fear subsides during prayer (e.g., the enemy flees), immediately turn towards the Qiblah and complete the prayer as in normal conditions; otherwise, the prayer will be invalid.

6. Salat al-Khawf is not allowed for rebels or those traveling for sinful purposes.

7. Shortening (Qasr) of prayer due to fear is not permissible.

8. A person swimming in a river, if near the end of the prayer time and able to stay still briefly, should pray using gestures; otherwise, they must make up the prayer later.

Terms on this page

Salat al-Khawf

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