Shaykh (Al-Mufid), may Allah سبحانه وتعالى support him, said: “Then he performs the two prostrations of gratitude” up to his words: “And it is recommended to begin with seven ‘takbirs’ in seven prayers”. We will mention this later when discussing the ‘ta‘qib’ (post-prayer supplication) of the obligatory prayer. Then he (al-Mufid), may Allah سبحانه وتعالى have mercy on him, said: “And it is recommended to begin with seven ‘takbirs’ in seven prayers” up to his statement: “And the woman gathers herself (tucks in) during her prayer”, this was mentioned by Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Babawayh in his treatise, but I have not found a reliably transmitted narration regarding it.’ Its detail is as follows, the seven places mentioned by Ali ibn al-Husayn are: 1. At the beginning of each obligatory prayer. 2. At the first rak‘ah of the night prayer (‘salat al-layl’). 3. In the single rak‘ah of ‘witr’ (in the optional night prayer). 4. In the first rak‘ah of the two rak‘ahs before ‘zawal’ (midday). 5. In the first rak‘ah of the ‘nawafil’ (supererogatory prayers) after Maghrib. 6. In the first rak‘ah of the two rak‘ahs of ‘ihram’ (entering the state of prayer for ‘hajj’ or ‘umrah’). These six positions were mentioned by Ali ibn al-Husayn, and Shaykh added a seventh in the ‘wutayrah’ (two rak‘ahs after Isha). Then Shaykh (al-Mufid), may Allah سبحانه وتعالى have mercy on him, said: “And the woman gathers herself in her prayer” up to his statement: “When the one praying finishes the eight rak‘ahs…”.
Commentary #27