Prayer in fear (salat al-khawf)

Prayer in fear is the prayer performed when an enemy is feared. Sha'rawi holds that it does not lapse at the meeting with the enemy. He reads the detailed forms the jurists describe as belonging to battles the Prophet led, and holds in his own view that after the Prophet's death each group may pray behind its own imam. ^{1 2}

On the words 'if you fear, on foot or mounted' in al-Baqara 239, Sha'rawi holds that the believer does not drop the remembrance of God in battle, when the need for God is greatest. He explains that the believer prays on foot or mounted. ¹

Sha'rawi holds that the sick person prays standing, then seated, then lying down. One who cannot pray in fear says the takbir twice, as he reports in the note to his text. ^{1 2}

He describes the fear prayer the Prophet performed at the battle of Dhat al-Riqa': one group prays one rak'a with him, completes alone, and stands guard; the other group then prays the next rak'a with him and completes alone. ¹

Sha'rawi says these forms belonged to battles the Prophet led, since God did not want any group kept from praying behind him. After his death, each group may pray behind its own imam. This is stated as his own view and not as a report from another scholar. ²