Zujājat al-Maṣābīḥ

Cited by 202 sections

• The call to prayer (adhan) and the call to begin (iqamah): what they are, their words, and the extra call (tathwib) What the call to prayer (adhan) and the call to begin (iqamah) are, the exact Arabic words of each with their meaning, and the extra call (tathwib) given between them.
• Disliked ways of giving the call to prayer (adhan), and who may not give it The acts that make a call to prayer (adhan) disliked, whose adhan does not count at all, and whose adhan counts but should ideally be repeated.
• The call to prayer (adhan) for a newborn and in distress, and other rulings Giving the call to prayer (adhan) outside the five daily prayers, and a set of everyday rulings about calling and repeating it.
• Immediately after death The first practical things to do for the body right after death, before the washing (ghusl): positioning, closing the eyes, and what to avoid.
• The articulation points of the letters (makharij) The seventeen points in the mouth, throat and nose from which the twenty-nine Arabic letters are pronounced, and how to find a letter's own point of articulation (makhraj).
• Belief in Allah The first article of faith: what a Muslim believes about who Allah is and the qualities that belong to Him alone.
• Belief in the angels What a Muslim believes about the angels, their nature, and the four angels of the highest rank.
• Belief in Allah's books The scriptures Allah revealed to His prophets, the four best known among them, and why only the Quran's rulings stand today.
• Belief in destiny (Qadr) The sixth article of faith: that Allah has written all that happens, while people still choose and are answerable for their own actions.
• Belief in the prophets, and the life of the Prophet ﷺ What a Muslim believes about the prophets and their miracles, and a brief account of the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
• Carrying the bier to the grave How the bier is carried, who may walk where in the procession, and why women do not take part in it.
• The four categories of follower: on time (madrik), interrupted (lahiq), late (masbooq), and late and interrupted The four kinds of follower (muqtadi) depending on when they joined and whether they fell behind, and what each one must do to complete the prayer.
• The categories of Islamic rulings, and the meaning of religion (din) The eight categories Islamic rulings fall into, from obligatory (fard) to permitted (mubah), and how belief (iman) and practice (Islam) together make up religion (din).
• The command to pray, and who it is obligatory on Prayer (salah) is individually obligatory on every sane, mature Muslim, and the conditions that make it obligatory on a given person.
• The conditions that make Hajj obligatory The conditions of ability (istita'ah): freedom, sanity, adulthood, physical capability, means and a safe route, plus the two further conditions for women.
• The conditions for valid leadership (imamate) and for valid following What is required of a person for their leading a prayer to be valid, and what is required of a follower for the congregation to count.
• The conditions for the Friday prayer to be valid The six conditions without which the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) does not count at all, how each is defined, why they differ from the conditions of obligation, and praying it in more than one mosque.
• The conditions for a valid payment of zakat What makes an act of giving actually count as zakat: who can pay it, the intention it needs, and who it must reach.
• The conditions for prayer to be valid The six external conditions: purity of body, clothes and place, covering the body (awrah), facing the direction of the Kaaba (qibla) and the intention, with what each requires.
• The conditions for ablution (wudu) to be valid What must be true for ablution (wudu) to count: water reaching every part, no barrier on the skin, and the exception for a chronic excuse.
• Conduct during the journey to Hajj Why the money spent on Hajj must be lawfully earned, and how a pilgrim should treat companions and strangers along the way.
• Congregational prayer, its virtues, and excuses for missing it What counts as a congregation, how strongly each prayer's congregation is emphasised, and the valid excuses for praying alone instead.
• The 8th of Dhul-Hijjah (the Day of Tarwiyah): entering the pilgrim's state (ihram) for Hajj and going to Mina How Hajj begins on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah: entering the pilgrim's state (ihram), the arrival circling (Tawaf al-Qudum), travelling to Mina, and spending the night there.
• The Days of Tashriq: stoning all three pillars (Jamarat), and leaving Mina Stoning the three pillars (Jamarat) on the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, the choice of leaving early or staying, and the stop at Muhassab.
• Disliked and permissible acts while fasting Things that are better avoided while fasting even though they do not break the fast, and things that are fully permitted and safe to do.
• What is disliked and what is allowed in the pilgrim's state (ihram) Acts that are merely disliked in the pilgrim's state (ihram), with no expiation attached, and the long list of everyday things that remain fully permitted.
• Who may pronounce a divorce, and what makes it valid The four conditions a divorce needs to be valid, the states that do not stop it taking effect, and how it can be given by writing or through a representative.
• Custody of children and maintenance after divorce Who has the right to care for young children after a divorce, and when a husband must keep providing his wife's food, clothing, and housing.
• The waiting period (iddah) after divorce or death Why a wife must wait before remarrying, and how long the wait is for a divorced, widowed, pregnant, or never-consummated wife.
• The oath not to approach one's wife (ila') What the oath of abstention (ila') is, what happens if the husband keeps or breaks his oath, and the expiation due for breaking it.
• The wife's release in exchange for compensation (khul') How release by agreement (khul') works when a husband will not divorce and the marriage cannot continue, who may ask for it, and what it costs the wife.
• The kinds of divorce: best (ahsan), good (hasan), and innovated (bid'ah) The prescribed (sunnah) methods of giving divorce, best (ahsan) and good (hasan), set against the innovated (bid'ah) methods that go against them.
• What divorce (talaq) is, and when it is allowed What divorce (talaq) means, why Islam values the marriage bond and dislikes divorce, and the five rulings a divorce can carry depending on the circumstances.
• Revocable and irrevocable divorce, and divorce before consummation The difference between a divorce the husband can take back and one he cannot, the two degrees of irrevocable divorce, and how many divorces count for a wife who was never consummated.
• Taking the wife back during her waiting period (ruju') How a husband may take his wife back after a revocable divorce, while her waiting period is still running, without a new marriage contract.
• The words that effect a divorce: explicit and allusive The difference between words that always mean divorce and words that only sometimes do, and when intention or circumstance decides which divorce, if any, occurs.
• Likening a wife to one's mother (zihar), and the oath of accusation (li'an) Likening a wife to one's mother (zihar), where a husband compares his wife to a woman he could never marry, and the oath of accusation (li'an), the mutual oaths that follow an unproven charge of adultery.
• The eclipse prayer (Salat al-Kusuf and Khusuf) The sunnah prayer for a solar eclipse and the recommended prayer for a lunar eclipse: when to pray, how many units (rak'ahs), and how they differ from an ordinary prayer.
• The conditions for the Eid prayers The Eid prayer shares its conditions with the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah), but differs on the sermon, the calls to prayer (adhan and iqamah), and where it may be held.
• What is Eid? The obligation of the Eid prayers What Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are, and why the two Eid prayers are necessary (wajib) on the same people as the Friday prayer.
• The etiquettes of Eid day The recommended acts of Eid day, from the full bath (ghusl) and best clothes to the words of praise (takbir) said on the way, and how Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha differ.
• How to pray the Eid prayer, step by step The full method of the Eid prayer in order, from the intention and the extra takbirs to the two sermons that follow it.
• Missing and postponing the Eid prayer What to do about a missed Eid prayer, when it may be delayed to another day, and how it interacts with voluntary (nafl) prayers, a funeral, or the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah).
• Mistakes, forgetfulness and joining late in the Eid prayer What to do if one of the extra takbirs (saying Allahu Akbar) is said wrongly, forgotten or added to, and how to join the Eid prayer after the imam has already started.
• The times of the Eid prayers The Eid prayer's window runs from shortly after sunrise until just before midday, and the two Eids are best prayed at opposite ends of it.
• The units of prayer (rakats) and the extra takbirs of the Eid prayer The Eid prayer is two units (rakats) with three extra, necessary (wajib) takbirs in each, six in total, plus a necessary takbir for the bowing (ruku) in the second unit.
• The rulings of the Eid sermon The Eid sermon (khutbah) follows the Friday sermon's rules with three exceptions: no sitting first, an opening and closing takbir, and its own subject matter.
• The takbir of the days of Tashriq (Takbir al-Tashriq) The necessary (wajib) takbir said after every obligatory prayer from Fajr on the Day of Arafah to Asr on the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, and who it binds.
• Entering Makkah and the first sight of the Kaʿbah The etiquette and supplications for approaching the sacred precinct (Haram), entering Makkah, walking to the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram), and seeing the Kaʿbah for the first time.
• The etiquettes of Friday How to prepare for the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) from Thursday onward: the full bath (ghusl), clean clothes and perfume, going early, and what to do between Asr and Maghrib.
• The obligatory (fard), necessary (wajib) and sunnah acts of Hajj and Umrah, at a glance The five acts Hajj cannot be valid without, the thirty-one necessary (wajib) acts, the emphasised sunnahs, and what invalidates Hajj or Umrah outright.
• The farewell circling of the Kaaba (Tawaf al-Wada) The last rite before leaving Makkah: who must perform it, how it differs from other circlings (tawafs), and the parting at the Multazam.
• The five declarations of faith (kalimas) The five declarations of faith every Muslim learns, in Arabic, transliteration and translation, with what each one means.
• Forbidden times, disliked times, and combining two prayers The three times when prayer is forbidden, the times when it is merely disliked, and why two prayers cannot usually be combined.
• The four obligatory acts (fard) of ablution (wudu) The four obligatory (fard) acts of ablution (wudu) explained in full: the face, the arms, wiping the head, and the feet.
• The rules of the call to prayer (adhan) on Friday Why Friday has two calls to prayer, when each is given, and why trading is not allowed once the first one is heard.
• The emphasis on the Friday prayer, and the warning against abandoning it The Qur'an's command to hasten to the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah), the reward for attending it properly, and the hadith that warn severely against missing it.
• The rules of the Friday sermon, and the etiquette of listening to it The two obligatory parts of the Friday sermon (khutbah), its twelve sunnahs, what is disliked in it, why it stays in Arabic, and how the congregation should listen.
• What the full bath (ghusl) is, and when it is required The definition of the full bath (ghusl), the occasions it is obligatory (fard), necessary (wajib), sunnah or recommended (mustahabb), the conditions for it to count, and its three obligations.
• How to make the full bath (ghusl), step by step The full sunnah method of the full bath (ghusl) in order, from washing the hands to the final pouring, with the notes that make it valid.
• Menstruation (hayd), postnatal bleeding (nifas), and the rulings of major impurity What menstruation (hayd) and postnatal bleeding (nifas) are, how long they last, what is forbidden during major impurity, and when prayer and intercourse resume.
• The reasons that make the full bath (ghusl) necessary What major ritual impurity (janabah) is, why the full bath (ghusl) becomes obligatory, and the detailed rulings for the release of semen, a wet dream, and intercourse.
• Washing the dead (ghusl): who may wash whom, and special cases Who is allowed to wash whose body, and what to do for a martyr, a newborn, a drowned person, a decayed body, or when water or a same-sex washer is not available.
• The sunnahs, preferred acts and disliked acts of the full bath (ghusl) The five sunnahs of the full bath (ghusl), the acts that are recommended (mustahabb), and the acts that are disliked (makruh) while bathing.
• Jannat al-Baqi, Masjid Quba, and other places to visit in Madinah The graves in the Baqi graveyard, the martyrs of Uhud, and the historic mosques of Madinah, including Masjid Quba.
• When ablution (wudu) breaks during prayer, and continuing it (bina) What to do if your ablution (wudu) breaks mid-prayer, the conditions for validly continuing rather than restarting, and how an imam appoints a substitute (khalifa).
• Performing Hajj on behalf of someone else (Hajj Badal) When a pilgrim is stopped before finishing, and when someone unable to travel must send another person to perform Hajj on their behalf.
• Hajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining them How Hajj and Umrah differ, and the three recognised ways of performing them together: Hajj alone (Ifrad), Umrah then Hajj (Tamattu') and both together (Qiran).
• Lawful (halal) and unlawful (haram) animals Which land animals, birds, and water creatures are lawful (halal) to eat, which are unlawful (haram), and the rules for offspring, milk and eggs.
• How to enter the pilgrim's state (ihram), step by step The full method of entering the pilgrim's state (ihram) for Hajj or Umrah: the garments, the preparation, the intention, and the pilgrim's chant (Talbiyah).
• How to circle the Kaaba (tawaf), step by step The full method of circling the Kaʿbah seven times, from the intention at the Black Stone to the two units (rakats) at the Station of Ibrahim (Maqam Ibrahim) and drinking Zamzam water.
• How to pray, step by step The full sunnah method of prayer in order, with the words to say, and how it differs for the imam, the follower and a woman.
• How a woman's pilgrim's state (ihram) differs from a man's The points where a woman's pilgrim's state (ihram), circling (tawaf), walk between Safa and Marwah (saʿy), and hair-cutting differ from a man's, and what menstruation or post-natal bleeding change.
• Islam and its five pillars What Islam means, and the five pillars its practice is built on: the declaration of faith, prayer, fasting, zakat, and Hajj.
• What cleaning after the toilet (istinja) is, and what may be used for it What cleaning after the toilet (istinja) is, what may be used for it, the five conditions a dry substance must meet, and when wiping no longer suffices and washing with water becomes obligatory.
• The procedure and etiquette of relieving oneself The words to say, the order of cleaning, forbidden places to relieve oneself, and the acts disliked while doing so.
• How to pray the funeral prayer, with the words to say The four takbirs of the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) in order, and the exact Arabic, transliteration and translation of the praise (thana), salutations (durood) and supplications (duas) said at each.
• The funeral prayer: ruling and conditions Why the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) is a communal obligation (fard kifayah), its conditions, who has the right to lead it, and when it may not be prayed.
• Joining a congregation that has already begun When to break off a prayer you started alone to join the congregation (jama'ah), when a sunnah must be finished first, and how catching the bowing (ruku') counts as catching the unit (rak'ah).
• The seven kinds of circling the Kaaba (tawaf), and its obligatory, necessary and sunnah acts The seven named circlings (tawafs) of Hajj and Umrah, their timing, and which of the acts of circling are obligatory (fard), which necessary (wajib), and which sunnah.
• The nine kinds of fast The nine categories of fasting in the Hanafi school, from the obligatory fasts of Ramadan, through the emphasised and recommended fasts, down to the fasts it is disliked or sinful to keep.
• Disbelief (kufr), associating partners with Allah (shirk), and treating a sin as permitted What counts as disbelief or associating partners with Allah, the two kinds of sin, and the three steps of repentance.
• Leaving home for Hajj The recommended prayers, supplications and farewells for the moment of leaving home on the journey of Hajj.
• Leftover water and food: pure, disliked, doubtful or impure Whose leftover water or food (jutha) is pure, which are merely disliked, which are doubtful, and which are impure.
• Making up missed fasts (qada) The rules for making up fasts that were missed or broken: when, in what order, and who owes the compensation (fidyah) instead.
• The disliked (makruh) acts in prayer The two grades of disliked act in prayer (makruh tahrimi, close to forbidden, and makruh tanzihi, merely better avoided), what falls under each, and the rules on reciting the suras out of order.
• The disliked acts (makruhat) of ablution (wudu) Ten actions the jurists dislike during ablution (wudu), from wasting water to making wudu inside a mosque.
• Wiping over the socks (masah over khuffayn) When you may wipe over your socks instead of washing your feet, for how long, and what ends the concession.
• The ablution (wudu) of a person with a chronic excuse (ma'zoor) The easier rules for wounds, bandages, and a condition that keeps breaking ablution (wudu) faster than it can be renewed.
• The method of offering the Friday sermon and prayer The units (rak'ahs) of the Friday prayer (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.
• The boundary points (miqats) and the time for entering the pilgrim's state (ihram) The five boundary points (miqats) around Makkah, which pilgrims use each, and when the pilgrim's state (ihram) for Hajj and Umrah may and may not be entered.
• Miscellaneous rules of death and burial Seeing the deceased's face, a spouse's rights, handling a non-Muslim relative's body, visiting graves, and how long mourning lasts.
• Miscellaneous rules of zakat The age of a zakat animal, why herds of different animals cannot be combined, and the option to pay zakat in cash or in kind.
• Miscellaneous rulings of the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) Travelling on Friday, visiting graves, fasting alone on Friday, the two views on the hour of acceptance, and other rulings that don't fit elsewhere.
• How the start of Ramadan and Eid are decided The rules for sighting the moon of Ramadan and Eid, whose testimony counts, and how the fast begins and ends.
• From Arafat to Muzdalifah, and the night there Leaving Arafat after sunset, the crossing of the valley of Muhassir, combining the Maghrib and Isha prayers, and the standing at the Sacred Monument (Mash'ar al-Haram) before dawn.
• How to purify the body, clothes, and other things How impurity is removed from the body, clothes, skins, the ground, metal and glass, utensils, oil and honey, and other items.
• Severe and light impurity, what is excused, and what is not impure at all What counts as severe or light impurity, how much of each is excused on the body or clothes, and things that are not impure at all.
• Legal and physical impurity, and the ways things are purified The difference between legal impurity (hadath) and physical impurity (najasah), and the twelve recognised ways of purifying something.
• As death approaches What to do for a Muslim who is dying: facing the direction of prayer (qiblah), helping them say the declaration of faith (kalimah), and reciting Surah Ya-Sin.
• How a marriage (nikah) is conducted The recommended order of a marriage (nikah) gathering, the words actually spoken for offer and acceptance, and what follows the marriage.
• Guardianship in marriage Who counts as a guardian (wali), in what order they stand, and what a guardian can and cannot decide for someone else.
• Marriage of the insane and of minors Why an insane person or a child cannot contract their own marriage, and the right a minor gets back once grown.
• Suitability (kafa'ah) between husband and wife Suitability (kafa'ah) is whether a husband matches his wife's family in six respects, and what her guardians may do if he does not.
• The marriage sermon (khutbat an-nikah) The sermon recommended before the offer and acceptance of marriage (nikah), given here in the two forms the source records.
• The dower (mahr) The dower (mahr) is the property a husband owes his wife because of the marriage contract, with a set minimum and no upper limit.
• The rules of offer and acceptance The wording, timing and setting that a proposal and its acceptance must satisfy for a marriage (nikah) to be valid.
• The pillar and conditions of a valid marriage (nikah) Marriage (nikah) has one pillar, offer and acceptance, and six conditions that must all be met for it to be valid.
• Who you cannot marry: fosterage (breastfeeding) Breastfeeding within the first two years creates a family bond that prohibits marriage in the same way blood kinship does.
• Who you cannot marry: blood relations and in-laws The blood relations and in-laws a Muslim can never marry, and how an in-law relationship comes to be prohibited.
• Who you cannot marry: the other causes Beyond family and fosterage, marriage is also barred by combining certain women, by ownership, by religion, and by an existing marriage or waiting period.
• Spouses' rights, and marriages that do not hold What a marriage contract owes each spouse, and the situations elsewhere in this section where a marriage (nikah) is invalid or left pending.
• What marriage (nikah) is, and its ruling What the marriage contract (nikah) is in Islamic law, and how whether a person should marry now depends on how strongly they need to.
• The witnesses to a marriage (nikah) A marriage (nikah) needs two qualifying witnesses who hear the whole offer and acceptance together, or it is not valid.
• The number of units (rakats) in the daily prayers The full count of units (rak'ahs) of each daily prayer in the Hanafi school: the sunnah before, the obligatory (fard), the sunnah after, Witr and the voluntary (nafl), with the emphasised sunnah marked apart.
• The obligation of Hajj Why Hajj is obligatory (fard) on every able Muslim, drawn from the Qur'an and hadith, and that it is owed only once in a lifetime.
• The obligation of the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah), and who it is obligatory upon Why the Friday prayer is an individual obligation (fard al-ayn), the six conditions that make it obligatory on a person, and what happens when an exempt person prays it anyway.
• The ruling on zakat, and when it becomes obligatory Who zakat is obligatory on, what denying it means, and the eight conditions that must all be met before zakat is due.
• The greeting-the-mosque, after-wudu, sunrise (Ishraq), forenoon (Duha), night (Tahajjud) and guidance (Istikhara) prayers A handful of further recommended prayers tied to particular moments, and how to pray the prayer for guidance (Salat al-Istikhara) when facing a decision.
• Paradise and Hell What a Muslim believes about Paradise and Hell: that both already exist, will never end, and who is destined for each.
• Penalties for mistakes in the circling (tawaf), the walk (sa'y) and the stoning (rami) What is owed if the circling (tawaf) was made without ablution (wudu), the walk (saʿy) was left incomplete, or the stoning of the pillars (Jamarat) was missed.
• The seven pillars (arkan) of prayer The seven internal pillars of prayer that cannot be left out, from the opening takbir (Allahu Akbar) to ending the prayer, with what each requires.
• Where dua is accepted in Makkah, and sacred places to visit The places in and around Makkah where dua is said to be accepted, and the historic sites (Khadijah's house, the caves of Hira and Thawr, and more) worth visiting.
• Prayer during a frightening event or calamity The two units (rak'ahs) recommended for a storm, earthquake, epidemic or similar calamity, prayed alone at home, and the supplication in hardship (Qunoot-e-Nazilah) recited in Fajr while it lasts.
• The prayer for rain (Istisqa) Seeking rain from Allah during a drought, through repentance and supplication (dua), and, in the view most of the school's fatwa follows, a congregational prayer and sermon.
• 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.
• The prayer of a sick person Praying seated or lying down when standing, bowing (ruku) or prostration (sujood) are not possible, what to do if ability returns mid-prayer, and the case of a woman in labour.
• The prayer of a traveller: shortening it (qasr) What distance and duration make someone a traveller, what that comes to in miles, which prayers are shortened to two units (rak'ahs), and the other rulings the same distance decides.
• Preparing for the journey of Hajj What to put right before travelling for Hajj: sincerity of intention, repentance, debts, the welfare of one's family, and writing a will.
• What is forbidden in the pilgrim's state (ihram), and the penalty for each The acts forbidden once the pilgrim's state (ihram) is entered (intimacy, perfume, cutting hair or nails, covering the head, hunting) and the sacrifice or charity each requires.
• The Friday sermon of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ How the Prophet ﷺ delivered his own Friday sermon: his manner, what he recited, and the words of the sermons themselves.
• Missed prayers and making them up (qada) Why every missed prayer must be made up, who is excused, when sequence (tartib) must be kept and when it is waived, and what to do about a lifetime of missed prayers.
• The animals for the Eid sacrifice (qurbani), the method, and dividing the meat Which animals qualify for the Eid sacrifice (qurbani), their age and condition, sharing a sacrifice between up to seven people, how to slaughter it, and how the meat and skin are divided.
• Who may receive zakat The seven categories entitled to zakat, who may never receive it, and the preferred order for choosing who to give it to.
• How to respond to the call to prayer (adhan) and the call to begin (iqamah) What to do on hearing the call to prayer (adhan), the words to say in reply to each phrase, the supplication after it, and how to answer the call to begin (iqamah).
• Returning home after Hajj The dua for arriving back in one's own city, praying at the first mosque, and what an accepted Hajj should change afterwards.
• The rules of the call to prayer (adhan) and the iqamah, and when an adhan counts Who must give the call to prayer (adhan), when it is and isn't required, and the four conditions that make an adhan valid.
• The rules between the imam and the follower How rows are formed and filled, what happens when imam and followers disagree on the count of units (rak'ahs), prompting the imam (luqma), and where a woman may stand.
• The rules for lam, ra, silent (sakin) mim and nun, lengthening (madd) and hamzah When lam and ra are pronounced heavy or light, how a silent mim and a silent nun behave before the next letter, the letters of prolongation, and two rules for hamzah.
• The rules and etiquette of the mosque How to behave in the mosque, what is forbidden or disliked there, trade and charity inside it, and the funeral and marriage rulings that touch it.
• The rules of the rows on Friday How to take a place in the rows, fill them in order, keep them straight, and when it is and is not allowed to move forward to an empty gap.
• The rulings of the newborn's sacrifice (aqiqah) The sacrifice made for a newborn: when to do it, how many goats, the method and supplication (duʿā), and how the meat, hair and skin are handled.
• The rulings of slaughtering (zabḥ) What makes a slaughter valid, who may perform it, the sunnah method, and what makes the meat unlawful.
• The charity of Eid al-Fitr (Sadaqat al-Fitr, Zakat al-Fitr) Who must pay the charity of Eid al-Fitr (Sadaqat al-Fitr), when it becomes due, how much to give of each kind of food, and who may receive it.
• The Companions and the Prophet's family Who the Companions (Sahabah) are, the four Rightly Guided Caliphs in their order, and the honour owed to the Prophet's ﷺ household.
• The walk between Safa and Marwah (sa'y), and completing Umrah Walking the seven lengths between Safa and Marwah after the circling (tawaf), and finishing Umrah by cutting the hair and leaving the pilgrim's state (ihram).
• Saints, jinn, and further matters of belief Sainthood (wilayah) and the miracles of saints (karamat), seeking a means of approach (wasilah), why no one is exempt from the sacred law (Shariah), the jinn, why we exist, and following a school of law (madhhab) and a Sufi teacher.
• The prostration of forgetfulness (sajdah sahw) Two extra prostrations put right specific mistakes in prayer: the five general causes, the particular cases, and how to act on a doubt about your number of units (rak'ahs).
• The prostrations of forgetfulness (sahw), recitation (tilawah) and thanks (shukr) The prostration of forgetfulness that fixes a mistake in prayer, the prostration due on reciting a verse of prostration, and the prostration of gratitude.
• The prostration of recitation (sajdah tilawah) The single prostration that becomes obligatory on reciting or hearing one of the fourteen verses of prostration, how it is performed, and its three causes.
• The standing at Arafat, on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah The Day of Arafah: travelling from Mina, the sermon (khutbah) at Namira, combining the Zuhr and Asr prayers, and the standing (wuquf) itself until sunset.
• The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah: stoning the great pillar (Jamrat al-Aqabah), the sacrifice, and shaving The order of rites on Eid day: throwing seven pebbles at the great pillar (Jamrat al-Aqabah), the sacrifice, and cutting the hair; and who the sacrifice is obligatory for.
• The fasting day: the pre-dawn meal (suhur), the three obligations, and breaking the fast (iftar) What a fast requires from dawn to sunset, and the recommended way to eat the pre-dawn meal (suhur), break the fast (iftar), and use the day well.
• The sunnah and voluntary (nafl) prayers The twelve emphasised sunnahs of the day, the sunnahs that are not emphasised, and the voluntary (nafl) prayers, including the sunrise (Ishraq), forenoon (Duha) and after-Maghrib (Awwabin) prayers.
• The sunnah method of the call to prayer (adhan) and the iqamah, step by step How the caller (muadhin) gives the call to prayer (adhan) from start to finish, and how the call to begin (iqamah) differs from it.
• The sunnahs and preferred acts (mustahabbat) of ablution (wudu) Everything in the method of ablution (wudu) beyond the four obligations: the sunnahs, the recommended (mustahabb) acts, and the words recommended at each step.
• The sunnahs and preferred acts of the call to prayer (adhan) and the iqamah How the caller (muadhin) should stand, move and speak while calling, the purity he should be in, and the mistakes to avoid in pronunciation.
• The sunnahs of prayer and the recommended acts The sunnah acts of prayer, from raising the hands at the opening takbir (Allahu Akbar) to the wording of the closing greeting (salam), and the further recommended (mustahabb) etiquette.
• The night prayer of Ramadan (Tarawih) The confirmed sunnah of Ramadan night prayer: its twenty units (rak'ahs), its timing, completing the Qur'an, and the rules of praying it in congregation.
• The circling of visitation (Tawaf al-Ziyarah), the pillar of Hajj When the circling of visitation (Tawaf al-Ziyarah) is performed, why it is the pillar (rukn) of Hajj, and what follows it in Makkah before returning to Mina.
• What dry ablution (tayammum) is, and its conditions The definition of dry ablution (tayammum), when it stands in for ablution (wudu) or the full bath (ghusl), its six conditions, and the rulings of its intention.
• How to make dry ablution (tayammum), step by step The two strikes and full wiping that make up dry ablution (tayammum), its sunnahs, the method in order, and what breaks it.
• What dry ablution (tayammum) may be done with, and when it is allowed Which materials dry ablution (tayammum) can and cannot be performed on, and the situations that make it permissible instead of water.
• The grave and burial How a grave is dug and shaped, how the body is lowered facing the direction of prayer (qiblah), who may enter the grave, and what is said while filling it.
• The intention for fasting, and when to make it How to make the intention (niyyah) for a fast, the words used, and by when it must be made for each kind of fast.
• Belief in the Last Day What happens from the questioning in the grave through the signs of the Last Day (Qiyamah), the Scale, the reckoning, the Bridge, and the Prophet's intercession.
• The reality of reciting for the dead (Fatiha) What it actually means to "do Fatiha" for someone who has died: reciting the Qur'an or another good deed and sending its reward to their soul.
• The shroud (kafan): pieces and how to wrap it How many pieces of cloth make up the shroud (kafan) for a man and for a woman, what cloth may be used, and the order of wrapping.
• The days of Hajj, from the 8th to the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, at a glance A day-by-day timetable of Hajj's rites, from the Day of Tarwiyah to leaving Mina, together with the three sermons and the exemption from Eid prayer.
• Valid excuses for not fasting, and the compensation (fidyah) Who is excused from fasting (travel, illness, pregnancy, old age and more), when a fast may actually be broken, and who pays the compensation (fidyah) instead of making up the fast.
• The virtue of sending salutations (durood) on the Prophet ﷺ What the Prophet ﷺ brought to the world, what he said about sending blessings upon him, the days it is best recited on, and why the salutation (durood) is woven into the prayer itself.
• The virtues of Hajj and Umrah The rewards described for Hajj and Umrah in hadith: the expiation of sin, the guarantee of Paradise for an accepted Hajj, and the special standing of the Day of Arafah.
• The virtues of Friday (Jumu'ah) Why Friday is called Jumu'ah, the hadith on its excellence, its place among the earlier nations, and why a special prayer was given to this one day.
• The virtues of ablution (wudu) The rewards the hadith describe for ablution (wudu), from the eight gates of Paradise to protection from Satan.
• Virtuous acts in Madinah, and the dua on leaving Fasting, seclusion in the mosque (i'tikaf) and visiting the blessed wells in Madinah, and the farewell prayer, supplication (dua) and keepsakes taken on departure.
• Visiting Madinah, and the etiquette of the Prophet's ﷺ grave The virtue of visiting Madinah, entering the Prophet's ﷺ mosque, and the words of greeting at his grave and those of Abu Bakr and Umar beside it.
• Vows to fast, and seclusion in the mosque (i'tikaf) The rules for a vow (nazar) that involves fasting, and the rulings of seclusion in the mosque (i'tikaf), the spiritual retreat closely tied to Ramadan.
• The obligatory acts of prayer (wajibat) The twelve necessary (wajib) acts of prayer: the Fatiha, the surah, order, stillness (tumaninah), the sittings, the testimony (tashahhud), recitation volume, the closing greeting (salam), the supplication (qunoot) and the Eid takbirs.
• Washing the body (ghusl of the deceased) Who washes the body, the method used, and the water and materials: the full sunnah way of washing (ghusl) a deceased Muslim.
• The types of water, and which can be used for purification Absolute, flowing, still, large-quantity, small-quantity, restricted and used water, and the rulings that attach to each.
• What makes a well impure, and how to purify it What does and does not make well water impure, how many buckets purify it, bucket size, and how long the impurity is assumed to last.
• Welcoming a newborn The bath and call to prayer (adhan) for a new baby, softening a date in its mouth (tahnik), and how to choose a good name.
• What breaks a fast: making it up (qada), expiation (kaffarah), or nothing at all Which acts break a fast and only need making up, which need making up plus an expiation, and which do not break the fast at all.
• What breaks ablution (wudu), and the rulings of minor impurity The things that end ablution (wudu), the things that do not despite appearances, and what is and is not allowed without it.
• What faith means, and the words that carry it What faith (iman) is, its two parts, who a believer is, and the declarations of faith said with the tongue.
• What fasting is, and why it matters What the fast of Ramadan is, why it is the fourth pillar of Islam, and the virtues the Qur'an and hadith give it.
• What Hajj is, and why it is the fifth pillar Hajj in a page: what the word means, why it is both a bodily and a financial worship, who owes it, and where Umrah and the visit to Madinah stand.
• What purity (taharah) means, and its two kinds Why cleanliness matters in Islam, the two kinds of ritual purity, and why prayer without it does not count.
• What is correct recitation (tajweed)? The meaning of correct recitation (tajweed), the two kinds of recitation mistake (obvious, lahn jali, and subtle, lahn khafi), and when to say the seeking of refuge (isti'adhah) and the basmalah.
• What zakat is, and why it matters The meaning of zakat, its place as the third pillar of Islam, and the warnings and rewards the Qur'an and hadith attach to it.
• What nullifies the prayer The things that break the prayer: speaking, eating, laughing, unnecessary movement and more; what does not break it, and when breaking it is necessary.
• The times of the five daily prayers When Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha begin and end, the best time to pray each one, and the disliked delays.
• When ablution (wudu) is obligatory, necessary, sunnah or recommended The occasions on which ablution (wudu) is obligatory, necessary before an act, recommended, or simply preferable.
• Who most deserves to lead the prayer The order of priority for choosing an imam, and who may not be appointed to lead at all.
• Who must fast, and the conditions for it Who fasting in Ramadan is obligatory on, the conditions for that obligation, and the two conditions a fast needs to be valid at all.
• Who must offer the Eid sacrifice (qurbani), and when Who the Eid sacrifice (qurbani) is obligatory on, the minimum wealth (niṣāb) that makes someone wealthy enough, who it is offered for, and the three days it can be done.
• Why prayer matters What prayer (salah) is, why it stands before every other act of worship, what abandoning it costs, and the blessings it brings.
• The Witr prayer Witr is necessary (wajib) after Isha: three units (rak'ahs) with an extra surah in each, and the supplication (Dua-e-Qunoot) recited standing in the third.
• How to make ablution (wudu), step by step The full sunnah method of ablution (wudu) in order, from the intention to the supplication at the end, with the words to say.
• Zakat on gold and silver The minimum threshold (nisab) and rate for gold and silver, what happens above it, and the rules for mixed metals, currency and combined holdings.
• Zakat on pasturing animals (saimah) What makes an animal a pasturing animal (saimah), the minimum threshold (nisab) and rates for camels, cows and goats, and the rules that apply across all three.
• Zakat on trade goods How the minimum threshold (nisab) and value of stock-in-trade are worked out, and when profit and rented items are or are not liable to zakat.