Answered by Shaykh Sohail Hanif, SunniPath Academy Teacher
Walaikum assalam
wa rahmatullah,
Imam Muhammad ibn al-Hasan relates in his Mutawwa with his chain of narrators
from Arqam ibn Shurhayl that he said to Abdullah ibn Mas’ud “I scratch my body
while I’m praying causing me to touch my penis,” so the Prophet (Allah bless
him and give him peace) replied, “It is just a part of you” [al-Ta’liq al-Mumajjad
‘ala Muwatta al-Imam Muhammad, 1:218, Dar al-Qalam].
Ibn Mas’ud (Allah be pleased with him) said that, ‘It is just a part of you’
implies that merely touching one’s private parts does not invalidate one’s ablution.
As concerns movements during the prayer, the general rule is that:
1. Slight movement is permissible (mubah) when done for a reason relating to
the prayer, for example relieving a strong irritating itch, or to loosen cloths
that stuck to one after raising from prostration.
2. If this was done for no particular reason then it is somewhat disliked.
3. If it is a major movement such that if an onlooker from afar were to see
it they would think to themselves that this person was certainly not praying
then it constitutes excessive movement and will invalidate the prayer.
4. If a slight movement is repeated several times for no particular reason then
it constitutes fidgeting (‘abath) and is prohibitively disliked meaning that
it is sinful and necessitates the prayer to be repeated. [al-Durr al-Mukhtar]
In general the prayer is described as the ‘ascent of the believer’ (mi’raj al-mu’min).
One in the presence of a king of this world would not fidget with themselves
and certainly not with their private parts, so how much more someone in the
presence of his Lord?
The abovementioned rules pertaining to moving during the prayer are to encourage
one to remain still in one’s prayer so as to enable one’s heart to focus on
the purpose of the prayer which is to humbly entreat the Divine.
[Faraz adds: thus, what your ‘friend’ is doing is blameworthy, but not sinful,
as such, advise him gently, with love to leave…]
And Allah alone gives success.
Sohail Hanif
MMVIII © Qibla.
All rights reserved
No part of this article may be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder. For permission, please submit a request at our Helpdesk.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Knowledge is only through study." While some knowledge can be gained from reading or casually listening to lectures, the best means to gain knowledge is through finding a qualified teacher and then setting up a systematic program of learning. Picking up a book or reading an article and trying to figure things out on our own is no substitute for learning from someone who has a direct link to our living tradition.
Through joining an online class at Qibla, you can benefit from convenient, online courses that will give you access to reliable scholars and our popular curriculum learning tracks. Knowledge gained in these courses will both build your iman and assist you in putting into practice what you learn. Don't give yourself less than you deserve, register today.
