The Effect of Assumption on Prayer

Abstract

Assumption (Al-Dhann) can be defined as the uncertain dominance of one of two possibilities within one’s soul over the other. As for certainty (Al-Yaqeen), it can be said to be the reassurance of the heart over a given fact. Assumption is generally accepted in the rulings of Islamic Law according to most scholars in the majority of doctrinal issues and that is due to its frequent occurrence to the legally commissioned person as well as because of this latter’s incapacity for getting rid of it. This is why this work aims at shedding light on some matters and issues concerning the legally commissioned person’s prayer which can be affected by assumption which in turn may even affect this person during his prayer. Some of these matters include all of doubt about purity before prayer, on Friday, about voluntary prayer, about obligatory acts of prayer and what nullifies prayer, etc. The most salient findings of this article are that assumption is more prominent than doubt and weaker than certainty. This goes back to the fact that in certainty there is no room for possibility while in assumption there is such a possibility but is more preponderant. Nevertheless, this assumption is permitted to depend upon according to some scholars as in the rule which says that the two voluntary Rak’ahs shall not replace the two Dawn rak’ahs in case of the assumption that the dawn has not yet risen, as well as in the permissibility of performing the two rak’ahs of the Dawn prayer with the assumption that the dawn has not yet risen; as it can be invalid according to some scholars as in the rule of not considering  the two rak’ahs of the Dawn with the assumption of its rise and as in the ruling on the lack of obligation of repeating an obligatory prayer except when one is certain about abandoning it.  And it can be invalid according to the most preponderant opinion of scholars when it is proved to be false as in the ruling on repeating the Wuḍūʾ (partial ablution) as well as the prayer when the impurity of water becomes apparent after it has been assumed to be pure.