Continuation of the benefits of the hadith: (It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray his voluntary prayer wherever his she-camel faced him) and all its narrations.
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The Shaykh : This hadith contains benefits, among which is the dropping of the requirement to face the qiblah in voluntary prayer when one is traveling, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to turn his back to the Ka'bah and face wherever he was facing, as explicitly stated in this hadith. For when he arrived from Makkah to al-Madinah and his face was toward al-Madinah, Makkah was behind his back.
This is also evidence that it is not obligatory to turn the she-camel toward the qiblah at the takbir of ihram, and that there is no harm in beginning the prayer from its start to its end while facing wherever one is facing. This is the stronger position, that facing the qiblah is not a condition at the beginning of the prayer due to the generality of the evidence. However, there is a hadith that is interpreted as indicating that it is recommended to begin the prayer facing the qiblah and then continue.
In this hadith, it is also said that it was in this that was revealed:[Al-Baqarah 2:115] Its apparent meaning is that the verse was revealed previously, and on this basis, the voluntary prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was not the cause of the revelation, but rather an explanation of the verse by reality, namely his action. And His saying, the Exalted and Majestic is He: [Al-Baqarah 2:115] The exegetes from the Salaf and the Khalaf differed regarding the meaning of "face" here. It was said that the meaning of "face" is direction, meaning wherever you turn, there is the direction that Allah approves for you and prescribes for you. It was also said that the meaning is the actual face of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, because when the one who prays stands to pray, Allah is before his face. This is more appropriate, because it includes the first meaning and more. As for its inclusion of the first meaning, it is because Allah approved this state. And as for the addition, it is the indication that Allah, the Exalted, accepted the face of the one who prays. This is also supported by the fact that Allah said: [Al-Baqarah 2:115] This supports that the meaning of "face" here is the actual face of Allah. If someone asks: How can the face of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, be before the face of the one who prays, while He is above His heavens, on His Throne? The answer is to say that this is beyond what the minds can grasp, and it is not permissible to ask about it. Rather, it is obligatory to believe in it and affirm it, and to say that this is something the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us of, that Allah is before the face of the one who prays. He is the most knowledgeable of the community, the most truthful of the community, the most sincere of the community, and the most eloquent of the community. So it is obligatory for us to believe in it and not ask. Then we say secondly that there is no contradiction between the elevation and the fact that something is before your face. We give an example to clarify: a person prays at the time of sunrise and his qiblah is the east, so the sun is what?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It is before his face, even though it is in the sky. And if this is permissible for the created, then its permissibility for the Creator is even more appropriate. Then know that Allah, the Exalted, encompasses everything, and that He is not compared to creation, and that He is greater than what we imagine and more noble. It is not possible for us to imagine that anything encompasses His face. Rather, we say He, the Exalted and Majestic is He, is vast and all-knowing, and He encompasses everything. The heavens are in His hand like a mustard seed in one of our hands. Therefore, it is obligatory for us in such matters—and I repeat this, and I have said it before—to believe and affirm, and not to what? And not to ask how or why. Our minds are too short to say how or to say why. So our duty is submission in this. We say: Thus said the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and he is undoubtedly the most knowledgeable of people about Allah, correct?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes. And the most truthful of creation in reporting, and the most sincere of creation in intention, and the most eloquent of creation in expression. How many is this?
The questioner : Four.
The Shaykh : Four matters. When they are gathered in speech, the intended meaning is what the speaker intended, and it is not permissible to deviate from it to anything else, ever. And we and all Muslims agree on these four principles, and they are, O Adam?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Knowledge.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Knowledge, and the second?
The student: Truthfulness.
The Shaykh : Truthfulness, and the third? Yes, intention. And the fourth? What? Did I forget it?
The student: Eloquence.
The Shaykh : Eloquence and rhetoric. So when the Messenger says this speech, we say yes, we affirm it and say that Allah is before the face of the one who prays. And when He informs us that He responds to every one who prays at every verse of al-Fatihah, we say? What?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : This is the truth, even though you cannot count how many are reading al-Fatihah at this time, nor count how many differ from the reading of the other. Perhaps one person reads the first verse and the second person reads the last verse. But all of this is beyond our minds, and our duty toward it is to submit.
And this, meaning this ruling regarding the permissibility of the traveler facing wherever he is facing in voluntary prayer, is where the obligatory and the voluntary differ. And we have enumerated the differences for you, O students, and it reached.
The student: Twenty-nine.
The Shaykh : Twenty-nine differences between the obligatory prayer and its voluntary counterpart. So the good among you should reflect until they know these differences. Yes, yes?
This is also evidence that it is not obligatory to turn the she-camel toward the qiblah at the takbir of ihram, and that there is no harm in beginning the prayer from its start to its end while facing wherever one is facing. This is the stronger position, that facing the qiblah is not a condition at the beginning of the prayer due to the generality of the evidence. However, there is a hadith that is interpreted as indicating that it is recommended to begin the prayer facing the qiblah and then continue.
In this hadith, it is also said that it was in this that was revealed:
So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah
فَأَينَما تُوَلّوا فَثَمَّ وَجهُ اللَّهِSo wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah
فَأَينَما تُوَلّوا فَثَمَّ وَجهُ اللَّهِIndeed, Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ واسِعٌ عَليمٌThe questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It is before his face, even though it is in the sky. And if this is permissible for the created, then its permissibility for the Creator is even more appropriate. Then know that Allah, the Exalted, encompasses everything, and that He is not compared to creation, and that He is greater than what we imagine and more noble. It is not possible for us to imagine that anything encompasses His face. Rather, we say He, the Exalted and Majestic is He, is vast and all-knowing, and He encompasses everything. The heavens are in His hand like a mustard seed in one of our hands. Therefore, it is obligatory for us in such matters—and I repeat this, and I have said it before—to believe and affirm, and not to what? And not to ask how or why. Our minds are too short to say how or to say why. So our duty is submission in this. We say: Thus said the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and he is undoubtedly the most knowledgeable of people about Allah, correct?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes. And the most truthful of creation in reporting, and the most sincere of creation in intention, and the most eloquent of creation in expression. How many is this?
The questioner : Four.
The Shaykh : Four matters. When they are gathered in speech, the intended meaning is what the speaker intended, and it is not permissible to deviate from it to anything else, ever. And we and all Muslims agree on these four principles, and they are, O Adam?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Knowledge.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Knowledge, and the second?
The student: Truthfulness.
The Shaykh : Truthfulness, and the third? Yes, intention. And the fourth? What? Did I forget it?
The student: Eloquence.
The Shaykh : Eloquence and rhetoric. So when the Messenger says this speech, we say yes, we affirm it and say that Allah is before the face of the one who prays. And when He informs us that He responds to every one who prays at every verse of al-Fatihah, we say? What?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : This is the truth, even though you cannot count how many are reading al-Fatihah at this time, nor count how many differ from the reading of the other. Perhaps one person reads the first verse and the second person reads the last verse. But all of this is beyond our minds, and our duty toward it is to submit.
And this, meaning this ruling regarding the permissibility of the traveler facing wherever he is facing in voluntary prayer, is where the obligatory and the voluntary differ. And we have enumerated the differences for you, O students, and it reached.
The student: Twenty-nine.
The Shaykh : Twenty-nine differences between the obligatory prayer and its voluntary counterpart. So the good among you should reflect until they know these differences. Yes, yes?