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Prayer
47 segments in 26 recordings · 2014 to 2025 · 0 verified · 31 checked positions · fiqh/prayer · Feed
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Click a year to jump to itLatest answer · 18 Oct 2025
18 Oct 2025MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
LatestHow does a Quranist pray salah?
The guest's prayer has no unit count: after wudu he seeks refuge, reads al-Fatiha by his own choice and a full chapter, then prostrates once with supplication, filling the prayer time as the moment dictates; in congregation the imam leads a single long prostration and prayers last up to an hour, three times a day.
machine6 min 20 s1:19:58on YouTube
Earlier answers · 46 · newest first
2025 · 4
18 Oct 2025MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
How do Muslims know how to pray if the Quran does not spell it out?
Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims know how to pray from an unbroken living tradition of more than 1,400 years, father to child, documented in the books of every century; the guest asks why God describes prayer in the Quran if it must be learned at the mosque, and why two prayers are silent when 17:110 forbids silence.
machine4 min 51 s1:27:01on YouTube
18 Oct 2025MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
Does the Quranist prayer have any set structure?
The guest's prayer has no set structure: it changes in the moment, may include hours of prostration or prostrating mid-recitation when a verse moves him, and its purpose per 29:45 is to restrain immorality; he says Quranists may also pray like Sunnis, minus words not from God.
machine5 min 45 s1:31:46on YouTube
18 Oct 2025MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
LatestWhy does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu?
The guest's prayer is about duration and connection rather than numbers of units, with an imam supplying structure only in congregation; prostration, kneeling and standing are components without a set order, and wudu is as 5:6 describes it, without the tradition's additions.
machine5 min 07 s1:36:54on YouTube
18 Oct 2025MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
The silent prayers come from the living tradition Malik described, handed down from the Companions' descendants; Mufti Abu Layth reads 17:110 as being about crying out to Allah, neither in despair nor in silence, rather than the five prayers, citing 8:35 where 'prayer' means whistling and clapping.
machine10 min 12 s2:31:09on YouTube
2022 · 3
16 Dec 2022video
Is someone who prays but commits major sins better than someone who doesn't pray?
Mufti Abu Layth says it is categorically wrong that someone who prays, however evil, is better than someone who does not, and calls the idea dangerous.
machine7 min 08 s0:00on YouTube
10 Dec 2022video
LatestWhy did Abu Hanifa allow things like praying in Persian?
Abu Hanifa's legal stratagems, such as letting someone who knew no Arabic pray in Persian, were meant to create ease for new Muslims, not to change Islam, and Mufti Abu Layth says that spirit is needed today.
machine5 min 15 s17:01on YouTube
16 Apr 2022Positive Faith
LatestAm I only praying because I fear God will punish me?
Mufti Abu Layth says praying only out of fear of punishment is unhealthy: salah is devotion that benefits us, bringing structure and order into our day.
machine8 min 20 s0:38on YouTube
2021 · 12
6 Oct 2021Malik Resources
Is there a sahih hadith on where to put my hands in salah?
There is no sahih hadith fixing where the hands go in salah; sadl, praying with the hands at the sides, is a sunnah of the school of Madinah without a hadith. Not every hadith is sunnah and not every sunnah was recorded in a hadith.
machine9 min 51 s0:00on YouTube
27 Apr 2021video
Can I pray while carrying my child?
Yes: the Hanafi rule that three consecutive movements break the prayer is made up, and the Prophet prayed carrying Umama; Mufti Abu Layth puts the attacks on Shaykh Aslam down to jealousy.
machine7 min 58 s4:23on YouTube
26 Apr 2021MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
LatestDo obscene or blasphemous thoughts during prayer ruin my salah?
Intrusive or blasphemous thoughts in prayer are not a reason to worry: noticing them is a sign of faith, as a hadith says. Mufti Abu Layth adds that jinn in the Quran means the unseen and possession stories are folklore.
machine7 min 40 s1:31:29on YouTube
6 Apr 2021Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth
Can I carry a child while I pray?
Mufti Abu Layth says one may carry a child while praying and that Hanafi rulings such as the three-movement rule, or that laughing or reading something breaks the prayer, are made up. He sees the campaign against the preacher who showed this as sectarian jealousy.
machine12 min 45 s23:17on YouTube
16 Feb 2021Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth
LatestCan I pray in my car if I don't feel safe praying outside?
Yes: in the worst case, if you need to or do not feel safe praying outside, you can pray in your car.
machine38 s2:37:32on YouTube
29 Jan 2021MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
What does Shaykh Atabek think of his debate on the Isha time?
The guest says his much-watched exchange on the Isha time was not a real debate, since his opponent never addressed his proofs.
machine3 min 56 s1:24:53on YouTube
29 Jan 2021MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
When should I pray Isha in the UK summer when it never gets fully dark?
The guest says that where twilight never fades, the Hanafi school allows Isha to be prayed keeping the order of prayers, rather than dividing the night into seven.
machine4 min 08 s1:28:21on YouTube
26 Jan 2021Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth
LatestCan a woman be an imam and lead the prayer?
Yes: a woman can be an imam and her leading the prayer is valid, though whether it works in practice depends on her society accepting it.
machine2 min 38 s50:21on YouTube
12 Jan 2021Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth
Can a woman lead the prayer or give the khutbah?
Yes, he says a woman may lead the prayer, give the adhan or the khutbah; it is not invalid, it is just generally not done.
machine3 min 05 s1:35:21on YouTube
12 Jan 2021Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth
Is tahajjud the best way to get close to God?
Night prayer is one good way, he says, but God is always with you; if your lifestyle does not suit it, another practice that works for you is fine.
machine1 min 57 s2:54:37on YouTube
7 Jan 2021video
Do I have to go to jumu'ah every Friday if I live in a non-Muslim country?
In his understanding jumu'ah is not mandatory on each individual in countries like the UK that are not Muslim countries, though holding it communally is good.
machine2 min 16 s0:02on YouTube
5 Jan 2021Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth
LatestIf I sleep late and wake up at asr, can I pray the missed prayers together then?
If you wake at asr after sleeping late, pray when you wake; he says the religion is meant to be easy, as the Prophet taught.
machine1 min 53 s8:45on YouTube
2020 · 8
22 Sep 2020Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth
Do women have to cover their wrists and ankles in prayer?
Mufti Abu Layth says relax: the deen is natural, and obsessing over whether a wrist, ankle or hair shows came centuries after the Prophet.
machine8 min 14 s45:48on YouTube
22 Sep 2020Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth
How do I stop being obsessive and fearful about prayer?
Mufti Abu Layth says pray out of gratitude, not fear: missing salah should feel disappointing, and the answer is to renew your resolve every day.
machine5 min 09 s52:47on YouTube
24 Aug 2020Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth
Can I hit my children if they don't pray?
Yes: he says hitting children over prayer misreads the hadith, and that children should be drawn to prayer by example and love, not fear.
machine1 min 59 s46:48on YouTube
14 Jul 2020live stream
What parts of the body count as 'awrah for men and women?
Mufti Abu Layth follows the school of Madinah: the core 'awrah is the private parts (for women, from below the navel to the thighs), and uncovering the rest in prayer does not invalidate it.
machine5 min 02 s34:01on YouTube
26 Jun 2020MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
If you reject all hadith, how do you know how to pray?
The guest rejects every hadith collection, including Nahj al-Balagha, as a source of religion, and says the objection that the Quran does not detail the five prayers is a circular argument built on fabricated details.
machine3 min 55 s2:32:11on YouTube
26 Jun 2020MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
What does the word salat mean in the Quran according to the Quran-only view?
The guest defines salat from the Quran as solidarity rather than ritual: with God, which is remembrance and connection, and with people, which is the secular Friday gathering; the essence is dhikr, not physical form.
machine3 min 54 s2:38:46on YouTube
26 Jun 2020MindTrap with Mufti Abu Layth
Does prayer have to be physical, or is remembering God enough?
The guest is not against the physical form of prayer but says it is only an expression; the one necessary component of salat according to the Quran is conscious connection with God, so one may pray sitting or while travelling.
machine2 min 34 s2:42:40on YouTube
25 May 2020video
I stopped praying because it feels mechanical and forced; will I go to hell?
Pray out of gratitude and connection, not fear of hell, and do not develop hatred for the prayer even if you slack or combine prayers; each person's journey is their own. The Prophet told a Companion who slept past dawn simply to pray when he wakes.
machine11 min 26 s0:00on YouTube
2019 · 3
11 Oct 2019From the Mind of a Mufti
Is a prayer mark on the forehead a sign of piety in Islam?
A burn mark on the forehead from prostration has nothing to do with Islam and is not a sign of piety. The verse about the believers' mark on their faces refers to a glow of commitment, and an early report rebukes a man who bore such a mark.
machine4 min 09 s0:01on YouTube
24 Jul 2019Ponderings on the Holy Quran
Does the Quran say there are three or five daily prayers?
The Quran does not spell out the number of prayers, but Sunnis, Shia and Ibadis all hold there are five, which Mufti Abu Layth takes as proof of an early living tradition that preceded the hadith books. The Shia combine the five rather than reducing them to three.
machine3 min 21 s0:01on YouTube
4 Mar 2019Quick Fiqh!
Is my prayer valid if I pray in a bikini or swimwear?
On the Maliki view of Qadi Isma'il, which he finds strong, her prayer would have been valid, since covering is an obligation separate from salah; it is still not something he recommends. Either way nobody has the right to attack her.
machine10 min 18 s0:38on YouTube
2018 · 1
13 Feb 2018video
What happens if I miss a prayer?
A missed prayer is made up; Mufti Abu Layth says to stop obsessing over punishments and just pray the obligatory prayers, even late or together. He cites the Prophet telling a companion whose people slept past sunrise simply to pray when he woke up.
machine6 min 54 s0:00on YouTube
2017 · 13
2 Apr 2017video
Introduction: why learn the Maliki salah, rak'ah counts and naturalness
The video teaches the Maliki way of praying; the key theme to keep in mind is naturalness throughout the prayer.
machine2 min 35 s0:16on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
Demonstration of the Maliki salah from takbir to salam
The Maliki prayer is performed with the arms hanging, no opening dua or basmala, silent al-Fatiha, tasbih and personal dua without a set number, and a single salam. Tranquility in every posture is an obligation.
machine12 min 45 s2:51on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
Introduction to sujud al-sahw, the prostration of forgetfulness
The Maliki school has two kinds of sujud al-sahw: one performed before the final salam and one performed after it.
machine1 min 54 s15:36on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
Five common types of mistakes in salah and how each is treated
Verbal additions and lesser omissions need nothing; a missed major sunnah is repaired by sujud al-sahw before the salam, an added action or doubt by sujud al-sahw after it, and a missed obligation by cancellation.
machine5 min 18 s17:30on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
Demonstration of sujud al-sahw before and after the salam, and cancellation
A missed major sunnah is repaired by two prostrations before the salam, an addition or doubt by two prostrations after it, and a forgotten obligation by cancelling the defective rak'ah and continuing. Behind an imam, follow the imam.
machine11 min 46 s22:48on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
Do women pray differently from men in the Maliki school?
No: the Maliki school makes no distinction in principle between men's and women's salah. Some scholars only advise that a woman be mindful of modesty in ruku' and sujud.
machine1 min 56 s34:34on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
Can I pray Fajr at sunrise if I woke up late?
Yes: the forbidden times apply only to voluntary prayers. An obligatory prayer can be prayed at any time, including sunrise and sunset.
machine1 min 10 s36:30on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
How should I stand in congregational prayer, and should my feet touch my neighbour's?
Stand naturally, shoulder to shoulder in a straight line, without squeezing or leaving gaps. Touching feet or joining heels is not required or advised, and the school of Madinah sets no rule on how far apart the feet should be.
machine1 min 43 s37:40on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
What do I do if I forgot to perform sujud al-sahw after my prayer?
Perform the missed sujud al-sahw as soon as you remember, even a short while after the prayer, followed by a salam. If a long time has passed, leave it; some scholars allow the after-salam type to be made up even later.
machine2 min 04 s39:23on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
Can I pray in a t-shirt or vest, or in clothes with a picture on them?
Yes, as long as the 'awrah is covered: no special dress is needed, and pictures on clothes or in the room do not invalidate the prayer. One should not deliberately dress down for salah.
machine2 min 26 s41:27on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
Can I pray with my trousers below my ankles, or in tight jeans?
Yes: trousers below the ankle or tight trousers do not affect the salah. Mufti Abu Layth does not consider trousers below the ankle forbidden, since the old ruling rested on arrogance.
machine2 min 03 s43:53on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
Do men need to cover their head to pray, and can I pray in shorts?
No: covering the head is custom and convention, not a sunnah of salah, so praying bareheaded is fine and not makruh. Long shorts are fine if they cover the 'awrah.
machine1 min 39 s45:56on YouTube
2 Apr 2017video
Is my prayer valid if my trousers slip and part of my backside shows for a moment in sujud?
Yes, the prayer is still valid: a momentary exposure of the extended 'awrah in sujud does not invalidate it, though one should dress more modestly. The core 'awrah may never be exposed.
machine2 min 41 s47:35on YouTube
2015 · 1
3 Mar 2015video
Is it a bid'ah to pray extra prayers on a fixed day every week?
Fixing a voluntary prayer to a day for convenience is commendable, but fixing it for a religious reason ritualises it, which the Malikis count as discouraged bid'ah.
machine10 min 56 s12:51on YouTube
2014 · 1
18 Jan 2014video
What is the dua for memorising the Quran and how do I perform it?
On Thursday night, in the last part of the night, pray four units with al-Fatiha and a set surah in each, then say the dua the Prophet taught Ali asking that the Quran stick to the heart, for three, five or seven Fridays. The Quran may be held and read from during the prayer according to the majority.
machine5 min 21 s2:39on YouTube