In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the most honorable of prophets and messengers, and upon all his family and companions.

The Importance of Prayer

Prayer is the beloved act of worship of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet told his companions, 'Pray like me.' We have not seen the Prophet praying with our own eyes. The best way to know what the Prophet's prayer was like is through the Quran and Sunnah, and the actions of the companions, as a manifestation of the Quran and Sunnah.

There are numerous hadiths narrated from the Prophet regarding prayer. The accepted truth is that the fundamentals of prayer are one; there is no variation or room for disagreement. However, there are differences in some of the branches. There is room for disagreement.

Because, perhaps the Hadith narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) is of two types, or the statement or authenticity of the Hadith is unclear, leaving room for multiple interpretations. And only a Mujtahid Imam can provide a solution to this complexity of the Hadith. Talking about this matter to another person means paving the way for distortion of the Prophet's ideals and Sunnah.

Complexity in Hadith and Our Responsibilities

Allah Ta'ala and the Prophet (peace be upon him) have laid down our responsibility in this regard. He said, 'If you do not know, then seek the advice of the People of Remembrance, that is, the Mujtahids.' (Surah An-Nahl, verse 43) Learn from them and act accordingly. It goes without saying that it is impossible to find a Mujtahid in every household. However, everyone must act accordingly! Therefore, a complete compilation of the rules and regulations of prayer in the light of the Sunnah and evidence of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the need of the age.

Realizing this need, Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him) formed a board consisting of great scholars of hadith and mujtahids. He compiled the method of prayer and other provisions in a universally accepted manner by analyzing the Quran, Sunnah and other documents. Their compilation reveals the complete provisions and form of the prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The greatest mujtahids and Hafizul Hadith Imams of the era supported this compilation and issued fatwas accordingly.

To this day, most Muslims in the Islamic world, including the Indian subcontinent, continue to practice it in this way. Despite being researched and reviewed over the centuries, it is still recognized as being based on the Quran and Sunnah.

Different Methods and What We Can Do

What should we do about different methods? The Prophet (peace be upon him) has also taught them. For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught the call to prayer in one way in Medina, and he also taught Abu Mahzura (RA) in Mecca, but his call to prayer was different. So there are two methods of call to prayer. But the Prophet (peace be upon him) never said that the call to prayer in all mosques should be the same; or that both methods should be used in the same mosque. Above all, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not introduce the call to prayer in Mecca to Medina. Similarly, he did not introduce the call to prayer in Medina to Mecca. Therefore, keeping both of them active and remaining in their place is the Prophetic ideal and the Sunnah of the Prophet.

Similarly, the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) demands that the Madinah prayer be performed in Madinah, the Makkan prayer in Makkah, and the Ka'bah prayer be performed in Ka'bah. Because all of them are the method of the Prophetic prayer. (Al-Muhalla 3/195) This is how the four Caliphs have left it in succession.

We know that the compilation of the prayers of the Prophet (peace be upon him) by the said board of Hazrat Abu Hanifa (RA) has been established among us for ages, and maintaining it is the ideal of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Sunnah demands. Today, combining all the methods, or trying to eliminate the others by introducing a new method, means creating chaos and opposing the Sunnah.

Diversity in matters of branching is not to be blamed. Basically, it is different branches of reaching Allah. Allah Almighty Himself has said, 'I will show the various branches of the path to him who is interested in Me.' (Surah: Ankabut, verse: 69) However, man is unable to follow two paths at the same time. He is forced to choose one path. This is the reality. Similarly, in the case of prayer, a method has to be chosen. And the method in which we offer prayer is the most acceptable in terms of evidence.

Dear Muslim Brother

I am presenting this method briefly to you along with authentic and reliable hadiths. To know the detailed evidence and hierarchy of the rules, we request you to read the related books including 'Your Prayer in the Light of the Quran and Sunnah.'

If someone wants to give you a different method, tell him politely, 'I also have a method, and there is evidence. So keep the call to prayer in Mecca in Mecca, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did. If you are more curious, go to a wise scholar and come to a solution. Religion is not chaos, but seeking goodness.'