Authored by: Imran Ayub Lahori
❶ Arkan (Pillars)
❷ Wajibat (Obligatory Acts)
❸ Shurut (Preconditions)
The word Arkan is the plural of Rukn, derived from the root رَكَنَ يَرْكُنُ which means "to incline" as mentioned in the verse:
وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا
[Hud: 113]
"Do not incline towards those who do wrong."
[Al-Munjid: p. 310; Al-Qamus al-Muhit: p. 1082]
"مالا يتم المامور به إلا به ولا اعتبار له فى الشرع مع عدمه"
"A pillar is something without which the commanded act cannot be completed, and in its absence, the act has no validity in the Shari'ah."
[Kashf al-Asrar: 3/344; Al-Ta‘rifat by Al-Jurjani: p. 99; Usul al-Sarkhasi: 2/174; Al-Manar by Ibn al-Malik: p. 781; Al-Fara’id: p. 17]
Examples:
Standing (Qiyam), recitation of Surah al-Fatihah, Ruku‘, Sujud, I‘tidal, and sitting for the final Tashahhud. Some scholars also include Takbir al-Tahrimah among the pillars.
➊ Hadith of ‘Imran ibn Husayn (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"صل قائما فإن لم تستطع فقاعدا فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنب"
[Bukhari: 1117; Kitab al-Jumu‘ah: Bab If One Cannot Stand, Then Pray Sitting]
"Pray while standing; if you cannot, then sitting; if you still cannot, then lying on your side."
➋ Hadith of ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتاب"
[Bukhari: 756; Muslim: 394; Abu Dawood: 8220; Tirmidhi: 247; Nasa’i: 2/137; Ibn Majah: 837; Ahmad: 5/314; Darimi: 1/283; Daraqutni: 1/321; Bayhaqi: 2/38]
"There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Surah al-Fatihah."
➌ Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
A man entered the mosque and prayed. The Prophet ﷺ said:
"ارجع فصل فإنك لم تصل"
"Go back and pray, for you have not prayed."
This was repeated several times until the Prophet ﷺ taught him the correct method:
"اذا قمت إلى الصلاة فأسبغ الوضوء... ثم افعل ذلك فى صلاتك كلها"
[Bukhari: 6251; Muslim: 397; Abu Dawood: 856; Tirmidhi: 1303; Nasa’i: 2/125; Ibn Majah: 447, 1060]
"When you stand for prayer, perform ablution well, then face the Qiblah and say Takbir, then recite from the Qur’an what you can. Then bow with calmness, rise fully, prostrate with tranquility, sit calmly, prostrate again, and repeat this pattern throughout your Salah."
➍ From Sunan Abu Dawood:
"أنه لا تتم صلاة لأحد من الناس حتى يتوضأ... ثم يكبر"
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 763; Abu Dawood: 857]
"No prayer is complete until one performs ablution and then says the Takbir."
➎ Hadith of Abu Mas‘ud al-Badri (رضي الله عنه):
"لا تحزئ صلاة الرجل حتى يقيم ظهره فى الركوع والسجود"
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 761; Abu Dawood: 855; Tirmidhi: 265; Ibn Majah: 870; Ahmad: 4/119; Darimi: 1/304; Ibn Khuzaymah: 591]
"A man's prayer is not sufficient until he straightens his back in Ruku‘ and Sujud."
➏ Hadith of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه):
"لا تحزئ صلاة إلا بتشهد"
[‘Abd al-Razzaq: 3080; Al-Awsat by Ibn al-Mundhir: 3/3217; Bayhaqi: 2/139]
"No prayer is valid without Tashahhud."
Some scholars opine that the Hadith of the man who prayed incorrectly serves as a basis to identify the Wajibat of Salah, i.e., every action mentioned therein is Wajib. If something is not mentioned, it is either not Wajib or disputed.
[Nayl al-Awtar: 1/688; Sabil al-Salam: 1/377]
However, the correct position is that there are other Wajibat that are not mentioned in that Hadith, such as the final Tashahhud and Salam at the end of prayer.
The word Wajib is derived from وَجَبَ يَجِبُ (from the pattern of Daraba) and implies falling or setting, as in the Hadith:
"حين وجبت الشمس"
"When the sun has set."
[Al-Qamus al-Muhit: p. 130]
"هو الفعل الذى طلب الشارع طلبا جازما بحيث يثاب فاعله و يعاقب تاركه"
"It is an act that the Lawgiver has commanded decisively, such that the one who performs it is rewarded and the one who abandons it is punished."
[Al-Ihkam by Al-Amidi: 1/19; Al-Bahr al-Muhit by Al-Zarkashi: 1/176]
Examples include: Tashahhud, Salam, etc. (To be discussed further below.)
The word Shurut is the plural of Shart, which means to make something binding or necessary.
[Al-Qamus al-Muhit: p. 605]
"ما يلزم من عدمه عدم الحكم ولا يلزم من وجوده وجود الحكم"
"Its absence necessitates the absence of the ruling, but its presence does not necessarily entail the presence of the ruling."
[Al-Ihkam by Al-Amidi: 1/121; Al-Muwafaqat by Al-Shatibi: 1/187; Al-Bahr al-Muhit: 1/309]
Examples: Intention (Niyyah) and Wudu (Ablution), etc.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لا يقبل الله صلاة احد كم اذا احدث حتي يتوضا"
[Bukhari: 6954; Kitab al-Hiyal: Bab fi al-Salah; Nasa’i: 139; Ibn Majah: 270]
"Allah does not accept the prayer of any of you when in a state of impurity until he performs ablution."
While Rukn and Shart both indicate elements without which an act is not valid, the difference lies in their nature when mentioned together:
[Al-Ta‘rifat: p. 111; Al-Tawdih bi Sharh al-Tanqih: 2/132; Hashiyat al-Qalubi ‘ala Sharh al-Jalal al-Mahalli: 1/175]
❖ The Three Categories of Obligatory Acts in Salah:
❶ Arkan (Pillars)
❷ Wajibat (Obligatory Acts)
❸ Shurut (Preconditions)
❶ Arkan (Pillars)
Linguistic Explanation:
The word Arkan is the plural of Rukn, derived from the root رَكَنَ يَرْكُنُ which means "to incline" as mentioned in the verse:
وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا
[Hud: 113]
"Do not incline towards those who do wrong."
[Al-Munjid: p. 310; Al-Qamus al-Muhit: p. 1082]
Technical Definition:
"مالا يتم المامور به إلا به ولا اعتبار له فى الشرع مع عدمه"
"A pillar is something without which the commanded act cannot be completed, and in its absence, the act has no validity in the Shari'ah."
[Kashf al-Asrar: 3/344; Al-Ta‘rifat by Al-Jurjani: p. 99; Usul al-Sarkhasi: 2/174; Al-Manar by Ibn al-Malik: p. 781; Al-Fara’id: p. 17]
Examples:
Standing (Qiyam), recitation of Surah al-Fatihah, Ruku‘, Sujud, I‘tidal, and sitting for the final Tashahhud. Some scholars also include Takbir al-Tahrimah among the pillars.
Evidences for Arkan:
➊ Hadith of ‘Imran ibn Husayn (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"صل قائما فإن لم تستطع فقاعدا فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنب"
[Bukhari: 1117; Kitab al-Jumu‘ah: Bab If One Cannot Stand, Then Pray Sitting]
"Pray while standing; if you cannot, then sitting; if you still cannot, then lying on your side."
➋ Hadith of ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتاب"
[Bukhari: 756; Muslim: 394; Abu Dawood: 8220; Tirmidhi: 247; Nasa’i: 2/137; Ibn Majah: 837; Ahmad: 5/314; Darimi: 1/283; Daraqutni: 1/321; Bayhaqi: 2/38]
"There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Surah al-Fatihah."
➌ Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
A man entered the mosque and prayed. The Prophet ﷺ said:
"ارجع فصل فإنك لم تصل"
"Go back and pray, for you have not prayed."
This was repeated several times until the Prophet ﷺ taught him the correct method:
"اذا قمت إلى الصلاة فأسبغ الوضوء... ثم افعل ذلك فى صلاتك كلها"
[Bukhari: 6251; Muslim: 397; Abu Dawood: 856; Tirmidhi: 1303; Nasa’i: 2/125; Ibn Majah: 447, 1060]
"When you stand for prayer, perform ablution well, then face the Qiblah and say Takbir, then recite from the Qur’an what you can. Then bow with calmness, rise fully, prostrate with tranquility, sit calmly, prostrate again, and repeat this pattern throughout your Salah."
➍ From Sunan Abu Dawood:
"أنه لا تتم صلاة لأحد من الناس حتى يتوضأ... ثم يكبر"
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 763; Abu Dawood: 857]
"No prayer is complete until one performs ablution and then says the Takbir."
➎ Hadith of Abu Mas‘ud al-Badri (رضي الله عنه):
"لا تحزئ صلاة الرجل حتى يقيم ظهره فى الركوع والسجود"
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 761; Abu Dawood: 855; Tirmidhi: 265; Ibn Majah: 870; Ahmad: 4/119; Darimi: 1/304; Ibn Khuzaymah: 591]
"A man's prayer is not sufficient until he straightens his back in Ruku‘ and Sujud."
➏ Hadith of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه):
"لا تحزئ صلاة إلا بتشهد"
[‘Abd al-Razzaq: 3080; Al-Awsat by Ibn al-Mundhir: 3/3217; Bayhaqi: 2/139]
"No prayer is valid without Tashahhud."
Some scholars opine that the Hadith of the man who prayed incorrectly serves as a basis to identify the Wajibat of Salah, i.e., every action mentioned therein is Wajib. If something is not mentioned, it is either not Wajib or disputed.
[Nayl al-Awtar: 1/688; Sabil al-Salam: 1/377]
However, the correct position is that there are other Wajibat that are not mentioned in that Hadith, such as the final Tashahhud and Salam at the end of prayer.
- Shawkani رحمه الله: Standing (Qiyam) is one of the pillars of Salah.
[Al-Sayl al-Jarrar: 1/213] - Ibn Hajar رحمه الله: According to the majority, Takbir al-Tahrimah is a pillar.
[Fath al-Bari: 2/456]
❷ Wajibat (Obligatory Acts)
Linguistic Explanation:
The word Wajib is derived from وَجَبَ يَجِبُ (from the pattern of Daraba) and implies falling or setting, as in the Hadith:
"حين وجبت الشمس"
"When the sun has set."
[Al-Qamus al-Muhit: p. 130]
Technical Definition:
"هو الفعل الذى طلب الشارع طلبا جازما بحيث يثاب فاعله و يعاقب تاركه"
"It is an act that the Lawgiver has commanded decisively, such that the one who performs it is rewarded and the one who abandons it is punished."
[Al-Ihkam by Al-Amidi: 1/19; Al-Bahr al-Muhit by Al-Zarkashi: 1/176]
Examples include: Tashahhud, Salam, etc. (To be discussed further below.)
❸ Shurut (Preconditions)
Linguistic Explanation:
The word Shurut is the plural of Shart, which means to make something binding or necessary.
[Al-Qamus al-Muhit: p. 605]
Technical Definition:
"ما يلزم من عدمه عدم الحكم ولا يلزم من وجوده وجود الحكم"
"Its absence necessitates the absence of the ruling, but its presence does not necessarily entail the presence of the ruling."
[Al-Ihkam by Al-Amidi: 1/121; Al-Muwafaqat by Al-Shatibi: 1/187; Al-Bahr al-Muhit: 1/309]
Examples: Intention (Niyyah) and Wudu (Ablution), etc.
Hadith Proof:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لا يقبل الله صلاة احد كم اذا احدث حتي يتوضا"
[Bukhari: 6954; Kitab al-Hiyal: Bab fi al-Salah; Nasa’i: 139; Ibn Majah: 270]
"Allah does not accept the prayer of any of you when in a state of impurity until he performs ablution."
⚖ Difference Between Rukn and Shart:
While Rukn and Shart both indicate elements without which an act is not valid, the difference lies in their nature when mentioned together:
- Rukn is part of the act itself, i.e., it is intrinsic to the act (e.g., Ruku‘, Sujud).
- Shart is external to the act, i.e., it precedes the act and is not part of its essence (e.g., Niyyah, Wudu).
[Al-Ta‘rifat: p. 111; Al-Tawdih bi Sharh al-Tanqih: 2/132; Hashiyat al-Qalubi ‘ala Sharh al-Jalal al-Mahalli: 1/175]
