Preparation to Perform Salah
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| How To Preparation Perform Salah |
Salah is the second pillar of Islam. It refers to the
compulsory daily prayers. Salah is offered five times a day individually or in congregation.
To perform your Salah you must be clean and pure. Allah says in the Noble Qur'an, what can be translated as, “Surely Allah loves those who turn to Him and those who care for cleanliness.”
(2:222)
Cleanliness of the body, clothing, and the places where
the prayer is performed is called Taharah (purification). Some impurities that
must be removed before performing Salah:
1. Human
urine.
2. Human
Excrement.
3. Wadi:
A thick white secretion that might be discharged after
1. urination.
4. Mathi:
A white sticky prostatic fluid, (other than sperm or
2. semen).
5. Menstrual
blood.
6. Defecation
and urine of animals whose meat is not permissible
3. to
eat (carnivores, such as lions).
7. Dog
saliva.
8. Water
remaining after a carnivore has drunk from it.
How To Purify Things
In general, water can purify anything that is impure. One
must remove all impurities from his/her private parts by using any pure matter
(i.e. toilet tissue) three times, or by using water, or both.
1. Purifying the body and clothing:
This is performed by washing them with water until they
are cleansed of impurities. This is especially important in the case where the
impurity is visible, such as menstrual blood. If there are some difficult stains
that remain after washing, they can be overlooked. If the impurity is not
visible, such as urine, it is sufficient to wash it once, but preferable to
wash it three times.
2.
Purifying clothing from a male infant’s urine:
This is performed by sprinkling water on the stained
clothing. If it is stained by the urine of a female infant, then it must be
washed.
3. Purifying the bottom of shoes:
This is performed by rubbing them against the ground
until the remains of Najassah (impurity) are removed.
4. Purifying the ground:
o Pour
water over the impurity on the ground (soil or sand).
o Allowing
the ground (soil or sand) to dry from the impurity (such as urine) will make
the area pure, only if there are no visible traces of the impurity left.
5. Purifying utensils if they were touched by dog saliva:
This is performed by washing the utensil seven times with
water. The first cleansing should be mixed with soil. However, if the saliva
has touched the body or clothing, then only one cleansing is needed. The body
must also be free of Hadath (ritual impurities). There are two kinds of Hadath:
1. Minor
Hadath:
This requires Wudu (ablution).
It happens after one or more of the following occurs: natural discharges like
urine, excrement, passing gas, falling asleep, or unconsciousness of any kind.
2. Major
Hadath:
This requires washing the whole
body. It could be caused by unconscious ejaculation (e.g. in one's sleep),
intercourse, menstruation or post-childbirth bleeding. This type of washing requires
bathing the whole body, including, the head with pure water.
WUDU (Ablution)
Before we perform Salah we must first prepare ourselves.
This preparation includes making sure that we are clean from any physical impurities
and performing Wudu. Wudu (ablution) is required for performing Salah. We
cannot offer our Salah without first making Wudu. Here are the steps to take:
1. First,
make the Niyyah (intention) in your heart that this act of Wudu is for the
purpose of preparing for Salah, and say: "Bismillah" (in the name of Allah).
2. Wash
both hands up to the wrists (starting with the right hand) three times, making
sure
that water has reached between
the fingers
3. Take
water with your right hand, put it into your mouth and rinse thoroughly three
times.
4. Take
water with your right hand, splash it into your nose and blow it out three
times. (Use the left hand if necessary to help blow it out).
5. Wash
your whole face three times repeatedly. (The whole face includes: the right ear
to the left ear, and the forehead to the bottom of the chin).
6. Wash
the right arm thoroughly from wrist to elbow three times, and make sure that no
part of the arm has been left unwashed. Repeat with the left arm.
7. Move
the palms of the wet hands lightly over the head, starting from the top of the
forehead to the back of the head, and passing both hands over the back of the
head to the neck, and then
bringing them back to the
forehead.
8. With
the same water, rub the grooves and holes of both ears with the wet index
fingers, while also passing the wet thumbs behind the ears from the bottom
upward.
9. Finally,
wash both feet to the ankles three times, starting with the right foot. Make
sure that water has reached between the toes and covered the rest of the foot. At
the end of the above steps recite: "Ashhadu alla ilaha illallahu, wa ash-hadu
anna muhammadan abduhu wa
rasuluhu.”
This means:
“I bear witness that there is
no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, and I bear witness that Muhammad
is His servant and His messenger.”
What Nullifies Wudu:
1. Natural
discharges: urine, stool, gas, etc.
2. Falling
asleep.
3. Unconsciousness
of any kind.
Note: If you put on your
socks, shoes, or sandals (only those that cover most of the foot) while you
have a valid Wudu, it is not necessary to take them off every time you need to
renew your Wudu. You can leave them on and wipe the top of each covered foot
once with wet hands in place of washing the entire foot. You may do this up to
twenty-four hours, or for three days if you are on travel.
Ghusl (Bathing)
Ghusl is bathing the whole body with water. You must
clean your body from any impurities, if any. Make the Niyyah (intention) in
your heart that this act of Ghusl is for the purpose of preparing for Salah. It
is recommended to make Ghusl in the following order: make Wudu, wash the head including
the hair, wash the right side of your body from the shoulder to the foot three
times, and finally wash the left side of the body. Ghusl is required for
performing Salah in the following
cases:
1. Janabah
(major ritual impurities): The discharge of seminal secretions or sexual
intercourse.
2. At
the end of a menstrual period.
3. At
the end of postpartum bleeding.
Tayammum (Dry Ablution)
You may perform your Salah by preceding it with Tayammum
as a substitute for Wudu or Ghusl when:
1. A person cannot find water,
or the amount available is insufficient.
2. A person has no access to
water.
3. A person is saving the
water for later use.
4. A person is sick and cannot
use water.
5. The use of water is likely
to do harm, cause or worsen an illness, or delay the cure.
6. The performance of Wudu will
cause the person to miss a funeral or Eid prayer that cannot be made up.
In any of these instances it
is permissible to make Tayammum, which is performed
as follows:
1. First,
make Niyyah (intention) in your heart that this act of Tayammum is for the purpose
of preparing for Salah, and say: "Bismillah.”
2. Strike
both hands slightly on pure earth, sand, stone, or concrete. Shake off hands to
remove debris and wipe the whole face.
3. Shake
off hands to remove debris and wipe the whole face.
4. Repeat
step #2 and wipe the right arm down to the elbow (or only to the wrist) with
the left hand and the left arm down to the elbow (or only to the wrist) with
the right hand.
What Tayammum
Makes Permissible:
After performing Tayammum a person is pure and may do any
of the acts requiring ritual purification, such as prayer.
What Nullifies Tayammum
Everything that nullifies an ablution nullifies Tayammum.
If a person prays after performing Tayammum and then finds water, he does not
need to repeat his prayer even if there is time left to do so. However, once
there is no longer a valid excuse for Tayammum, the person must make Wudu
before offering the next prayer.
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