How To Perform Prayer Salah or Namāz (Salat)
Having cleansed yourself by Wudu, you may
proceed to perform Salah or Namāz (Salat). Wudu is a ritual cleansing. Before you begin your
Salah, however, you must make sure that you have a clean body, a clean place to
pray, and that you are wearing clothing free of impurities.
The minimum clothing required during Salah or Namāz (Salat) is:
A. For males: Any clothing that covers from
the naval to the knees. It is preferable to cover the shoulders.
B. For females: Any clothing that covers
all of the body (including the head) except the face, hands, and according to Imam
Abu-Hanifah the toes and a portion of the front of the feet.
The way to offer Salah or Namāz (Salat)is:
1. Stand upright facing the direction of
Al-Ka'bah. This position is called Qiyaam and the direction is called Qiblah in
Arabic. The Qiblah in North America is towards the east with a slight angle towards
the north.
2. Make Niyyah (intention) in your heart
for the prayer you want to pray.
3. Raise your hands to your ears and say:
"Allahu Akbar.” This means: (Allah is the Greatest). This is called
Takbiratul Ihram.
4. Now place your right hand on top of your
left hand on the chest and look downward to the place where your forehead will
touch the ground in the Sujood (prostration) and recite silently:
"Subhanaka allahumma wa bi hamdika wa tabara kasmuka wa
ta'ala jadduka wa la ilaha
ghairuka."
This means: “O Allah, how perfect You are and praise be to You.
Blessed is Your name, and exalted is Your
majesty. There is no god but You.” [Only recite this supplication, Subhanaka, at the beginning of the first Rak'ah]
Then recite silently: "A'udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim."
This is called Ta'awwudh, and it means: “I seek shelter in Allah from the rejected Satan.”
Then recite: "Bismillahir rahmanir rahim."
This is called Tasmiyah, and it means: “In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful.”
5. After this, recite Suratul Fatihah
(the opening chapter) of the Noble Qur'an:
"Al hamdu lil lahi rabbil
'alamin. Arrahmanir rahim. Maliki yawmiddin. Iyyaka na'budu wa
iyyaka nasta'in. Ihdinas siratal mustaqim. Siratal
ladhina an'amta'alaihim, ghairil maghdubi'alaihim wa lad dhallin. (Amin)"
This means
:
"All praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of
the worlds, the most Gracious, the most Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgment.
You alone we worship, from You alone we seek help. Guide us along the straight
path - the path of those whom You favored, not of those who earned Your anger
or went astray.” You must recite Surat Al-Fatihah in each unit (Rak’ah) of the prayer,
if you pray alone. However, if praying behind an Imam and he recites loudly,
then it is not necessary for you to recite it.
6. Now recite any other passage from the Noble Qur'an. For
example: "Bismillahir rahmanir rahim. Qul hu wal lahu ahad, allahus samad,
lam yalid wa lam yulad, wa lam ya kul lahu kufuwan ahad."
This means:
“In the name of Allah, the most
Gracious, the most Merciful. Say, He is Allah, the One. Allah is Eternal and Absolute.
He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none co-equal unto Him.”
7. Now bow down saying:
"Allahu Akbar" and place your hands on your knees and say silently: "Subhana Rabbiyal Adhim." This means: (How Perfect is my Lord, the Supreme) three times. This position is called Rukoo'. Keep your head in line with your back, and look downward to the place of Sujood. (See step 9)
8. Stand up from the bowing position saying:
"Sami'Allahu liman hamidah"
(Allah hears those who praise Him)"Rabbana lakal hamd."
This means: (Our Lord, praise be to You).
9. Prostrate on the floor saying: "Allahu Akbar"
with your forehead, nose, palms of both hands, your knees, and toes all touching
the floor. Then recite silently: "Subhana Rabbiyal A'la."
(How Perfect is my Lord, the Highest) three times. This position
is called Sujood. Keep your arms away from the sides of the body and the
ground.
10. Sit up from the floor saying Allahu Akbar. Sit
upright with your knees bent and palms placed
on them and say: “Rabbighfir li.”
This means:
“O my Lord! Forgive me.”
Say "Allahu Akbar" and again prostrate in the
Sujood position.
Recite "Subhana Rabbiyal A'la" three times.
Sit up from this
position saying "Allahu Akbar"
This completes the first Rak'ah or unit of Salah. Now stand up for the second Rak'ah and perform it in the same way, except that you do not recite Subhanaka at the beginning, and after the second Sujood (prostration) you sit on the left leg while keeping the right foot upright and put your right hand on the right thigh, with all fingers together in a fist except the index finger. Stick the index finger straight out. Put your left hand on the left thigh. Now recite Tashahhud silently:
In a three-Rak'ah Salah (as in Maghrib) or a four-Rak'ah Salah (Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha) you stand up for the remaining Rak'ah(s) after you have done Tashahhud. For a two-Rak'ah Salah you remain seated after Tashahhud and then recite silently Assalatul- Ibrahimiyah:
"Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin “O Allah, let Your mercy come upon
Muhammad
Wa 'ala ali Muhammadin and the family of Muhammad
Kama sallaita 'ala Ibrahima as You let it come upon Ibrahim
wa 'ala ali Ibrahima and the family of Ibrahim
wa barik 'ala Muhammadin O Allah, bless Muhammad
wa 'ala ali Muhammadin and the family of Muhammad
Kama barakta ' ala Ibrahima as You blessed Ibrahim
Wa ' ala ali Ibrahima and the family of Ibrahim.
Fil a'lamina Innaka Truly You are
hamidun Majid." Praiseworthy and Glorious.”
After this say silently: "Allahumma inni a'udhu
bika min adhabi jahanam wamin adhabil qabri wamin sharri fitnatil mahya wal
mamat wamin sharri fitnatil masihid dajjaal. Rabbighfirli waliwalidayya,
rabbi-rhamhuma kama rabbayani saghira."
This means: “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the torment of
the Hellfire, from the torment of
the grave, from the trials and
afflictions of life and death, and from the
deception of the False Christ. O my Lord! Grant me and my parents forgiveness, and
bestow Your mercy upon them,
just as they brought me up when I
was small.”
11. Now turn your face to the right saying: "Assalamu alaikum
wa rahmatullah" (peace and the
mercy of Allah be on you) and
then to the left repeating the same words.
This completes the two-Rak'ah Salah.
In the three or four-Rak'ah prayers (Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and
Isha) the whole procedure is
repeated in the remaining Rak'ah(s),
except after Tashahhud, you say
"Allahu Akbar" and stand up and only recite Surat Al-Fatiha in Fard prayers and no
other Surah, then continue
doing the rest of the actions as you have done before (Rukoo', rising, Sujood). Then stand again
for the
fourth Rak'ah. Also, in the last Rak'ah of any prayer, after you have made your
Sujood, sit up and
silently recite both Tashahhud and Salatul
Ibrahimiyyah. At the end of any prayer, you
must finish by
making Tasleem.
When to Recite Aloud or Silently:
During obligatory Fajr prayers, you recite the Qur'an aloud in
both Rak'ahs. You also recite the first two
Rak'ahs of the obligatory prayers of Maghrib and 'Isha aloud as well.
However, the third and fourth Rak'ahs are
always recited silently during obligatory prayers. Also, in the Dhuhr and Asr prayers,
the recitation is always silent for all
four Rak'ahs. Furthermore, the one who leads Jumu'ah prayers (Friday prayer in
place of Dhuhr) will recite the Qur'an
aloud.
Salatul Witr:
The Witr (odd number) prayer is extra prayers that the Prophet practiced and highly encouraged Muslims to practice as well. He (pbuh) never left it even when traveling. You can offer Witr prayers anytime after ‘Isha’ until the time for Fajr prayer. You may choose to pray one, three, five, seven, or nine Rak’ahs.
In Witr prayers, recite Suratul Fatihah and
some other verses from the Qur'an. Before or after Rukoo' of the last Rak’ah raise
your hands high up to the level of the
shoulders and supplicate the following Du'a (supplication) with your hands raised
towards the ky. This Du'a is called
Du'a al-Qunut:
"Allahumma
Ihdeni Fiman Hadayt, Wa A’feni Fiman A’fayt, Watawallani Fiman Tawallayt,
Wabarek li Fima A’atayt, Waqeni Sharra Ma Qadayt, Fainaka Taqdi WalaYuqda
'Alayk, Wainnahu La Yadhilu Man Walayt, Tabarakta Rabbana Wat’alayt.”
This
means: “O Allah, guide me among those whom You have guided. Grant me safety
among those whom You have granted safety. Take me into Your charge among those
whom You have taken into Your charge. Bless me in what You have given me. Protect
me from the evil that You have decreed, for You decree and nothing is decreed
for You. And there is no humiliation for whom You take as a ward. Blessed and
exalted are You, our Lord.”
After
this, say: "Allahu Akbar" and bow down and complete the rest of
prayer like other prayers.
It
is good to ask for forgiveness and mercy from Allah at the end of your Salah.
You can say this in your own words and in your own language. But it is better
for you to memorize some Du'as
What Invalidates Salah:
1.
Willful negligence of any essential posture of Salah like Rukoo', Sujood, etc.
2.
Talking.
3.
Laughing.
4.
Eating or drinking.
5.
Uncovering parts of the body that should be covered.
6.
Diverging from the direction of the Qiblah.
7.
Excessive movement, which is not part of Salah.
8.
Anything that nullifies Wudu.
What is permissible to do during Salah:
1. To carry a baby during prayer, if the need arises
2. To pray with shoes on, if the shoes are free from any impurities
3. To take a few steps while keeping shoulders facing the Qiblah,
if needed
4. To move your palm slightly to return a greeting
5. To say SubhanAllah for males, and to clap for females, to indicate
to the Imam that a mistake occurred and needs to be corrected
6. To correct and help the Imam if he has made a mistake in his
recitation
7. To make necessary movements when needed such as: wiping the
nose, scratching, etc.
If
any emergency arises during prayer and you must leave prayer you should make
one Tasleem to the right side only, take care of the matter quickly, and
complete the prayer from where you
ended.
If the matter takes a long time, then redo the prayer from the start.
What to do when you miss Salah:
If
you miss a prayer you have to make it up as soon as you wake up or remember.
Prayers must be made up in chronological order. For example, if you missed Asr
prayer, and it is now Maghrib time, then you must pray Asr first, then Maghrib.
What to do when praying in a congregation:
When you pray in a congregation you will get rewarded more than if you pray alone. If you are praying with another person, you should stand next to that person on the right, but never ahead. If there are two or more people praying with the Imam, then they should line up behind him.
We should also line up behind the Imam in straight rows. Men should pray in front, with men only. Women should pray behind the men, with women only. If a man and a woman are praying together, the woman should stand directly behind the man, not to his right.
We should follow the Imam's actions and statements, and make sure never to get ahead of him. All gaps should be filled by connecting shoulders to shoulders and feet to feet. Your legs should be spread the same width as your shoulders.
We should not cross in front of a person who is praying. Pray closer to a wall if possible. If not, place a barrier (chair, books, etc.) in front of you. If you are praying behind the Imam, then he must place a barrier in front of him, which would suffice for everyone praying behind him.
If
you have come late to prayer and you catch the Imam before he has risen from
the position of Rukoo', then you may count that Rak’ah as if you have prayed
it.
However, if you have caught the Imam after he has risen from Rukoo', then you must follow the Imam until Tasleem. Do not make Tasleem; instead, get up and make-up the Rak'ah(s) that you missed.
If you are in doubt about how many Rak'ahs you prayed, then just take the lower number. For example, if you are in doubt about whether you prayed two or three Rak'ahs, then just count that you prayed only two Rak'ahs and make Sujoood As-Sahu in the end of the prayer.
Sujood
As-Sahu (The prostration of forgetfulness): These are two extra Sujoods that
are made at the end of prayer when you have forgotten an essential act. Sujood
As-Sahu is done
by
making two extra Sujoods just before or after Tasleem. If you do it after
Tasleem, then make the Sujoods and then make Tasleem again. These Sujoods are
just like the ones done in any prayer. Performing these Sujoods will make up
for your mistake. You make these extra Sujoods if you have done one or more of the
following:
·
If you forgot to
do the first Tashahhud
·
If you added an
extra Rak'ah
·
If you doubted
how many Rak'ahs you prayed
·
If you made
Tasleem before completing your prayer,
complete
your prayer and then make Sujood As-Sahu in the end, and then make Tasleem
again.
The Excellence of Salat
Allah
the Exalted says what can be translated as, "Verily, As-Salat (prayer)
prevents from Al Fahsha (great sins) and Al-Munkar (evil and wicked
deeds)." (Qur'an, 29:45)
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