Missing Salaat

Assalamu alikom, everyone.  I am new here, and I reverted to Islam on 1st Ramadan last year, alhamdulillah.

With regard to salat...

I thought you could pray isha at any time up til Fajr.  Not true?  only until midnight?

And when do you pray the "late night" prayer?  If isha is only until midnight, then the "late night" is after that, I guess, eh?  (and this prayer any even number of rakah)

And Witr is different from the "late night" prayer, right?  I believe I read that Witr can be prayed any time after Isha and before Fajr, but better if in the last third of the night.  (...and Witr any odd number of rakah over 1)

...and with regard to a missed prayer....  If you perchance do miss one (not by plan, but by accident (ie forgetfulness, work, driving, etc), can it be "made up"?  ie, despite your intentions, you nonetheless miss Asr completely, and it is now the time period for maghrib.  Do you pray Asr and then Maghrib?  combine them? skip Asr?  or what?  

And what if in the same example you missed more than one?  At this time of year, Asr, Maghrib and Isha are all pretty close together.  I have on occasion gotten so wrapped up in my work that when I looked at the clock I still had 15 minutes to wait before Asr, and the next time I thought about it and looked at the clock it was already Isha!  What to do?

Thank you for setting me on the straight path!

The above e-book is available for free download at the following URLs.

http://www.qss.org/articles/salah/toc.html

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/prayer/albaani/prayer_1.html

and the Print edition can be ordered at http://www.darussalam.com/product_info.php?products_id=819

The Prophet's Prayer Described

Excerpts from the introduction:

Praise be to Allaah, who made Prayer compulsory on his slaves and ordered them to establish it and perform it well; who linked success and felicity to humility in Prayer; who made it the criterion to distinguish between Eeman and Kufr; and who made it a restrainer from shameful and unjust deeds.

Prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, who was addressed in the Words of the Exalted:

"And We have sent down to you the Message, that you may explain clearly to the people what is sent for them"

and who fully carried out this task. The Prayer was one of the most important things which he explained to the people, verbally and practically, even praying on the pulpit once - standing, bowing and prostrating, and then saying to them, I have done this so that you may follow me and learn my prayer. He obligated us to copy him in his prayer, saying, Pray as you have seen me praying. He also gave the good tidings to whoever prayed like him that such a person has a covenant with Allaah that He will enter him into the Garden, saying, There are five prayers which Allaah, Mighty and Sublime, has made compulsory: he who performs ablution well for them, prays them at their proper times, and is complete in their bowings, prostrations and humility, he has a guarantee from Allaah that He will forgive him; but he who does not do so, has no guarantee from Allaah: if He wishes, He will forgive him or if He wishes, He will punish him.

Prayers and peace be also on his family and his pious and just Companions, who passed on to us his worship, prayer, sayings and actions (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), and who made these, and these alone, a Madhhab and a path for them to follow ; and also on those who follow in their footsteps and tread their path until the Day of Judgment.

Excerpts from the ADDENDUM:

All that has been mentioned of the description of the Prophet's prayer (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) applies equally to men and women, for there is nothing in the Sunnah to necessitate the exception of women from any of these descriptions; in fact, the generality of his statement (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam),"Pray as you have seen me praying", includes women.

This is the view of Ibraaheem an-Nakh'i, who said,
"A woman's actions in the prayer are the same as a man's" - transmitted by Ibn Abi Shaibah (1/75/2), with a saheeh sanad from him.

Also, Bukhaari reported in at-Taareekh as-Sagheer (p. 95) with a saheeh sanad from Umm ad-Dardaa',
"that she used to sit in her prayer just as a man sits, and she was a woman of understanding."



Edited by abosait - 11 January 2009 at 2:42am

Also, I note that Khadija, above, lists Isha as occurring from twilight to midnight.  I have been told this by multiple people, but have likewise been told more than once that it is from twilight to Fajr

Is there a definitive answer to this?  or does the practice merely differ regionally?  Inshallah, I suppose I should just make a point of praying Isha before midnight, and not worry about it!

Assalamu alikom.

Salaam Alaikum,

Its allowed to wipe over the socks if one was with ablution when putting them on. This is allowed for 24 hours for the resident and for the traveller, 3 days and nights.

Ref: Sahih Muslim, vol.1, book 3, no.537, p.165.

".....The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stipulated (the upper limit) of 3 days and 3 nights for a traveller and 1 day and 1 night for the resident".