How can I pray as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be
upon him, prayed? How do I improve my presence of heart in prayer? Can I wipe
over my normal socks during wudu or must I be wearing something special? When
must I take a purificatory bath rather than simply making wudu? If I fall asleep
while sitting, is my wudu still valid? How do I perform the witr prayer? The
istikhara prayer? How do I make the most of Friday prayer?
These are common questions many people have about their
day-to-day worship. A proper understanding of these matters is important for us
to ensure that we are fulfilling our duty to Allah in the best of ways, in
accordance with the Sunna of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. This
course will help you understand and answer these and many other questions
related to purification and prayer.
Imam Shurunbulali’s Maraqi al-Sa’adaat (Ascent to Felicity)
is an intermediate-level text on the fundamentals of worship according to the
Hanafi school. Unlike much longer texts, such as Shurunbulali’s own Nur
al-Idah, this text will not overwhelm you with its detail. At the same time,
all important and every-day details are clearly discussed.
This text also acts as a useful bridge for more committed
students of knowledge. Before studying a more detailed fiqh book, it is highly
useful to have all the essential details clearly learned and understood. This
way, the nuances of longer texts are more likely to be mastered. This graduated
approach is fundamental to sound traditional learning.
In accordance with traditional modes of teaching, the instructor
will unpack the text of Imam Shurunbulali, explaining his intent and clarifying
details. This course will give you a solid presentation of everything you should
know to make your worship valid, sound, and proper, and to know how to deal with
the common matters and situations that affect your worship. There will be a lot
of emphasis on the spiritual dimensions of our purification and prayer, and how
to improve our presence of heart with Allah Most High at each step of our acts
of worship, in order to strive to fulfill the command of the Messenger of Allah,
peace and blessings be upon him, to "Pray as you see me pray."