Question About Shia Prayers

[Knowing]

Hello,

 

I am conducting research on the differences between how Shia and Sunni Muslims conduct their prayers. I am curious as to WHY these differences arose, and if possible please link your source (as I need to cite them). Also, if anyone would be willing to partake in an interview through email, either Shia or Sunni, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Kind Regards

[Knowing]

Anyone?

[mahdi servant.01]

(salam)

your question is too general!

you should specify it?

just make a simple search and look up their differences, then you may have your answers when you present any singular difference between their prayers! try to put forth your posts in the Sunni and Shia dialogue section. ;)

[Knowing]

(salam)

your question is too general!

you should specify it?

just make a simple search and look up their differences, then you may have your answers when you present any singular difference between their prayers! try to put forth your posts in the Sunni and Shia dialogue section. ;)

Hi, thanks for the response. I am aware of the differences, but I cannot find WHY these differences arose. Why do some Muslims pray with their hands by their sides while others pray with their hands crossed? Who started these traditions, is what I am after.

[Abu Tufayl]

(bismillah)

 

The differences arose because the various parties took different people/groups as their authorities in affairs of their deen. The Imami Shi`ah took the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt [as] as their authorities while others took regional scholars and jurists who may or may not have had some relationship(s) with different Tabi`een and/or Companions.

 

في أمان الله

Edited September 14, 2014 by Abu Tufayl

[IbnSohan]

Hi, thanks for the response. I am aware of the differences, but I cannot find WHY these differences arose. Why do some Muslims pray with their hands by their sides while others pray with their hands crossed? Who started these traditions, is what I am after.

It is a long story. Basically, the details of Salat is not mentioned in Quran.

Prophet ordered Muslims that lived with him to pray (as you saw me pray).

Meaning, copy my way of prayer.

 

The Shia explanation is that those who claimed Khilafah (Which is not only a political and administrative role as Sunnis like to put it , but the history proves that early Muslims put huge importance on the opinion and verdicts of the first 2 khalifas).

 

So, those who follow an ignorant pseudo khalifa had fallen into many mistakes done by mere ignorance and arrogance. This include the "folding" hands verdict.

 

In all the 4 schools of Sunni fiqh, folding hands is not mandatory. Some said it is permissible , some said it is recommended and some said it isn't the way the prophet prayed.

The only aavaible historical narration that explain this innovation is a controversial few lines that say that Omer bin Al khatab saw the  improsinoed Zoroastrians folding their arms around their chest while greeting him as a king. He liked the way they show respect to the kings and decided it is a good way to show respect to the King of kings as well.

 

 

Read this book :

http://www.najaf.org/english/book/35/index.htm

[Bright]

(salam) 

 

IbnSohan basically said the point I thought of, plus some I didn't know.

 

But in particular, what came to mind for me was:

 

- In the Maliki madhab (school of thought) within Sunni Islam, they also have their arms at their sides (like Shia Muslims), rather than folded. The Maliki madhab overall is based on emulating how Muslims in Madina acted (I think about 150 years after the Prophet pbuh)... based on the reasoning that Madina was the central place for Muslims early on, and therefore their practices were unlikely to have changed as much as other places.

 

- The logic of Shia Islam is that Imam Ali a.s., Imam Hassan a.s., and Imam Hussain a.s. would have learned how to pray from Prophet Muhammad a.s., and then that method would continue to be passed down the line.  

 

So the fact that the Muslims in Madina weren't folding their arms is one indicator to me that the Shia method is correct.

 

 

Now out of curiosity, in the SC search box at the top-right, I submitted a search for:

fold arms

 

And a lot of results come up.  I spent a few minutes reading, but didn't find out a definitive answer on why Sunnis started folding their arms (one theory suggests that some later political leader decided it was a good way to make Shias seem out of the norm).  But among the results, people also cite lots of hadiths about having your arms at your side.

 

 

That will give you good leads and lots of info for your assignment -- so hopefully, you'll sift through the search results and come back and tell us the various reasons you find regarding why the arm folding started :)

Edited September 14, 2014 by Bright

[Knowing]

Thanks a lot everyone, I will surely come back and share my paper in the future.

[sa.valizadeh]

salam to every body 

 

to answer his question about the main source of difference in conducting prayer you should refer to first Islamic Government in Arabian country, one of the king said to his people to say prayer with cross hand, but our prophet say his prayer like Shia if you need more information let me know 

but my source is Arabic and Persian not English.

[Bilal33]

The main difference is that Muslims pray to God;shias pray to the deceased cousin of the Prophet.

[mahdi servant.01]

The main difference is that Muslims pray to God;shias pray to the deceased cousin of the Prophet.

oh @ Bilal33 long time no see!!

after a while you came back with this sarcastic answer??

where do you get your religious information from ?

just to make you aware of how much the way you perform your Salat is correct,  I ask you to refer to your scholars and present one authenticated Hadith that prophet Muhammad was performing his Salat like you do??

I am waiting your answer bro!!!

[sana5500]

I think, there is no difference should be in both prayers.

[Knowing]

Can anyone link me, or cite, any Shia hadiths that explain how the prophet prayed? Or just Shia prayer in general. I have found Sunni ones in English but I am having a hard time locating Shia hadiths. I am assuming people on this forum are far more knowledgeable than I am regarding Shia hadiths.

 

Thanks in advance. 

[mahdi servant.01]

(salam)

could you please post the Sunni Ahadith you found in this regard??

من لا يحضره الفقيه، ج‏1، ص: 300

915- رُوِيَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى‏ «1» أَنَّهُ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَوْماً تُحْسِنُ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ يَا حَمَّادُ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي أَنَا أَحْفَظُ- كِتَابَ حَرِيزٍ «2» فِي الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ ع لَا عَلَيْكَ‏ «3» قُمْ فَصَلِّ قَالَ فَقُمْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مُتَوَجِّهاً إِلَى الْقِبْلَةِ فَاسْتَفْتَحْتُ الصَّلَاةَ وَ رَكَعْتُ وَ سَجَدْتُ فَقَالَ يَا حَمَّادُ لَا تُحْسِنُ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ مَا أَقْبَحَ بِالرَّجُلِ‏ «4» أَنْ تَأْتِيَ عَلَيْهِ سِتُّونَ سَنَةً أَوْ سَبْعُونَ سَنَةً فَمَا يُقِيمُ صَلَاةً وَاحِدَةً بِحُدُودِهَا تَامَّةً قَالَ حَمَّادٌ فَأَصَابَنِي فِي نَفْسِيَ الذُّلُّ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَعَلِّمْنِي الصَّلَاةَ فَقَامَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ مُنْتَصِباً فَأَرْسَلَ يَدَيْهِ جَمِيعاً عَلَى فَخِذَيْه‏

 

 

 

الكافي (ط - الإسلامية)، ج‏3، ص: 335

عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ: إِذَا قُمْتَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَلَا تُلْصِقْ

قَدَمَكَ بِالْأُخْرَى دَعْ بَيْنَهُمَا فَصْلًا إِصْبَعاً أَقَلُّ ذَلِكَ إِلَى شِبْرٍ أَكْثَرُهُ وَ اسْدُلْ مَنْكِبَيْكَ وَ أَرْسِلْ‏ يَدَيْكَ‏ وَ لَا تُشَبِّكْ أَصَابِعَكَ وَ لْتَكُونَا عَلَى فَخِذَيْكَ قُبَالَةَ رُكْبَتَيْكَ وَ لْيَكُنْ نَظَرُكَ إِلَى مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِكَ فَإِذَا

 

 

the underlined part describe how Shia perform Salat while they are standing.

if you do not Arabic let me know

Edited September 17, 2014 by mahdi servant.01

[Knowing]

Unfortunately, I cannot read Arabic. Could anyone please translate the above for me? I understand that sometimes translations take away from the true meaning, however I just need a rough translation.

[awandins]

BILAL IT IS NOT ALLOWED TO JUDGE SOMEONES FAITH

we shias worship Allah swt, not the cousin of the prophet

but we are the follower of the people of the house and not the friends of the prophet, later they betrayed the people of the house

[syed_hasan]

salamun alaykum

 

my brother question was why is this difference in offering namaz? so my brother i would like to tell you that their no big issue regarding cross folding of hands or open. We can offer namaz in both the way. now it comes why we offer namaz by open hands, so the answere comes from the islamic history itself.

By the time of prophet mohammad everyone use to offer namaz by cross folding their hands, but as after the death of prophet5 mohammad the people getting back to kafir and started worshiping to statue. but due to fear of islamic govt. they used to come in mousque but but carry staues in their sleeves.

 

so imam ali had ordered to offer namaz by open arms, from that time all the mulimeen or shia ney ali started offering namaz by open hand.

 

Thank You

 

regard

Syed mushahid Hasan zaidi