Note 1: Sisters must read our "Difference between Men's and Women's Salah" article to make adjustments in their Salah as there is some differences in Salah between Men and Women.

Note 2: When you are asked to 'Say' or 'Recite' or 'Read' in the directions. The sound must not be loud and at the same time not totally silent. It should be loud enough just for your ears to hear it and not so loud that a person next to you would be able to hear your recitation clearly. If a person next to you could hear only a mimic from you, that's fine. If you are surrounded by noise such as a fan's noise and you are not able to understand your recitation, it is okay. In an utmost quite room you should be able to understand your recitation. In any case must say it lound enough as mentioned above.

How do we perform Salaat (prayer):

(Salat images will be available on Sept 30th 2006, Insha Allah)

When beginning salaat, men raise both hands. Tips of thumbs touch earlobes. Palms must be turned towards the Qibla. Saying of Allahu Akbar (Takbir) begins as hands leave ears and finished as they are folded under the navel.

NOTE: Women raise their both hands as high as their shoulders and say the takbir of beginning. Then they put their hands on their chest.

There are seven conditions for a salaat to be corrected.
1-Niyyat (intention)
2-Tahrima (To say Allah Akbar)
3-Qiyam (Standing)
4-Qiraat (Recitation of Quran by mouth gently)
5-Ruku (To bow)
6-Sajda (Prostration)
7-Qa'da-i- Akhira (Last sitting)

Niyyat (intention) is made while saying the takbir of begning. It is permissible to make niyyat before that, too.

(I) To make niyyat for salaat to pass through heart its name, time, qibla, to wish to follow the imam (when performing salaat in jama'at), to mean to perform salaat. Such as Say, "I pray two rakat (or as many required for that time) Fard (if its Fard or say Sunnat if its Sunnat or say Wajib if its Wajib or Say Nafil if its Nafil) for Allah Tala Face towards Kaba".
(ii) Knowledge only, that is, knowing what is to done will not be niyyat.
(iii) The niyyat made after the takbir of beginning is not correct and that salaat is not acceptable.
(iv) When making niyyat for prayers that are fard or wajib, it is necessary to know which fard or wajib they are. For example, it is necessary to know the name of the fardand to say for instance, "To perform today's early afternoon prayer (Zuhr)," or, the time's fard."When performing the salaat of Eid or witr, it is necessary to think of its being wajib and its name.
(v) It is good but not necessary to make niyyat for the number of rak'ats (cycles).
(vi) When performing a sunnat the niyyat "To perform salaat will suffice."
(vii) When beginning to worship, saying orally only is not called niyyat.Worships done without niyyat are not acceptable in all of four Madhhabs (Hanfi, Shaafi, Maliki and Hambli). Thus niyyat is done by heart

TAHRIMA means to say Allah Akbar when beginning salaat,and is fard.No other word to replace it is acceptable. If the takbir is said too long, like AAllah (with AA instead of one A) in the beginning or Akbaar (with aa instead of one a) at the end, salaat will not be accepted. If 'Takbir' is said before the imam does, salaat will not have started.

QIYAM means to stand.
(I) When standing, the two feet must be four finger's width apart from each other.
(ii) In Fards,Wajibs and in the sunnat of fajr salat Qiyam is fard. It means a person who is healthy but performs the above mentioned salaat while sitting, is not acceptable, He must perform all of the mentioned Salats with qiyam for his salaat to be accepted.
(iii) He who is too ill to stand, perform salaat sitting, and if too ill to sit he lies down on his back and performs it with his head (by moving,nodding his head,etc,). A pillow must be put under his head so that his face will be towards the qibla instead of towards the sky. He bends his knees, so that he will not stretch his legs towards the qibla rak'at of sunnats and of the witr and of the two ra'kts of the fard when performing salaat individually. It brings more thawab (reward) to say a short sura.
(iii) As qirat, it is wajib to say the fatiha sura at these parts of prayers and to say also a sura or three ayats at every rak'at of sunnats and of witr prayer and at two rak'ats of the fard.
(iv) In the fard (prayers of salaat that are obligatory), It is wajib to say the Fatiha and the other sura at the two first rak'ats.Additionally, it is wajib to sayFatiha before the sura.Furthermore, it is wajib to say the fatiha once at every rak'at.If one of these five wajibs is forgotten, it is necessary to make sajda-i-shaw.
(v) At the third and the fourth rak'ats of the fard, it is sunnat for the imam as well as for a person who performs salaat individually to say the Fatiha. [Ibni Abidin shami, p 343].
(vi) A settled (resident) person who follows a traveling one stands up when the imam makes the salam after the second rak'at,and performs two more rak'ats,but he does not make the qirat.That is ,he does not say the Fatiha or the other sura.He does not say any prayer as if he were praying salaat behind the imam.
(vii) In every prayer of salaat except Friday prayer and Eid prayer, it is sunnat for the imam that the sura he says in the first rak'at (after the Fatiha) be twice as long as the one he says in the second rak'at.
(viii) It is makruh to say a sura in the second rak'at three ayats longer than the sura said in the first rak'at.It is always wajib to read the Quran's suras or ayats.
(xi) A person who is too ill to stand, or feels dizzy or have headache or toothache or pain at some other part of his body or can not control wind-breaking or bleeding when he stands, perform salaat sitting.

QIRAT: Means to read (recite) by mouth gently. Reading gently means to read only as loud as him/herslef can hear.(I) The recitation is called Jahri, that is, loud if its heard by people who stand of each side of the recitor. (ii) It is fard to say an ayat (verse) of the Quran while in Qiyam (standing) at every Rakat and it must be in the order as they are written in the Quran. For example one cannot recite Surah Naas in first rakaat and Surah Ikhlas in second.

RUKU: After the sura you bend for the ruku saying takbir. (I) In ruku men open their fingers and put them on their knees. They keep their back and head leveled. in ruku as well arms and legs must be straight and then you say, "Subhana Rabbiyel Azeem" at least thrice. (ii) If the imam raises his head before you have said it three times you must raise your head, too. Must not wait to complete the ricitation thrice. In Ruku women do not open their fingers, they do not keep their head and back level, nor their arms and legs straight.

It is sunnat, for the imam as well as a person who is performing salaat alone, to say 'Sami' Allahu liman hamidah' while straighting up from the ruku. The jama'at does not say it. Right after saying it (if praying alone) or upon hearing the imam recite it (if with jama'at), must say: 'Rab'bana lakal hamd', and stand upright. Then, saying takbir (Allahu Akbar) start to kneel down for the Sajdah. First place the right knee and then the left knee, followed by the right and then left hand on the floor. Finally, the nose and the forehead bones are placed put on ground.

SAJDAH (prostration)
(i) In Sajdah, fingers must be closed (no gap in between fingers), pointing towards the qibla in line with the ears, and the head must be between hands. It is fard to put the forehead on something clean, such a clean stone, clean ground, clean wood or clean cloth and it is wajib to put the nose down too. It is not permissible to put only the nose on the ground without a good excuse. It is makruh to put only the forehead on the ground. Thr nose should be pressured enough so that the bone of nose feel the ground, its very important to keep in account when perfoming salat on a soft carpet.
(ii) In sajda, you say, 'Subhana Rabbiyal A'la' at least thrice.
(iii) It is fard to put two feet or at least one finger of any foot on the ground. If both the feet are not placed on ground, salaat will be annulled and not be accepted.
(iv) It is sunnat to bend the toes and turn them towards the qibla. (v) Men must keep their arms and thighs away from their abdomen.
(vi) Sajda must be done on the ground on condition that you will press on them until you feel their hardness, that is until your forehead cannot move downward any more. Same applies for the nose. Special precaution is required on this issue when peroforming salat on a carpet.
(vii) It is written in 'Halabi': "When going into sajda it is Makruh-e-Tehrimi to pull up the skirts of your loose long robe or your trousers, and it is Makruh-e-Tehrimi to fold them before beginning salaat. It is Makruh-e-Tehrimi to perform salaat with folded sleeves, cuffs or skirt." Sepcial attention is needed on this issue for the people of India and Pakistan who wear Shalwar and Kurta. If pulled or folded one must repeat the Salat.
(viii) It is Makruh to perform salaat with a bare head because of laziness or without realizing the importance of performing salaat with a covered head. For, not to cover one's head means to disobey the ayat: "Take your ornamented clothes and cover yourself for salaat!"
(xi) It is sunnat to wrap turban around the head whether in white or black color as Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam used these color or any other color.
(x) Allama Ibne Abidin Shami Rehmatullahi Ta'ala Alaih said. : "Direction towards qibla is fard for salaat. That is, salaat is performed by turning towards the direction of Ka'ba. Salaat is performed for Allah. Sajda is done for Allah ta'ala only, but not for the Ka'ba. One who makes sajdah for the Ka'ba becomes a disbeliever."

QA'DA-I-AKHIRA:
Means last sitting in the last rak'at, it is fard to sit as long as it takes to say the Athiyyat, "Atthayyato Lillahe Wassalawato Wat Tayyebato Assalamu Alaika Ayyohan Nabiyo Wa Rehmatullahe Wa Barakatoh Assalamu Alaina Wa Ala Ibadillahis Sualaiheen Ashadu An La ilaah illal Laho Wa Ashadu Anna Mohammadan Abdohoo Wa Rasooloohoo" When sitting, and men put their left foot flat on the ground with it toes pointing towards the right. They sit on this foot. The right foot should be upright, with the toes touching the grounds, bent and pointing towards the qibla.

NOTE 1: Women sit by Tawarruk. That is, they sit with their buttocks on the ground. Their thighs should be close to each other. Their feet should jut out from the right.

NOTE 2: When you reach at Ashadu An La raise your index finger of your right hand upward facing about 45 degrees by closing the fist, and drop it back and spread the hand to its original position at illal Laho.

KHUROOJ BI SUN'EEHI:
To signify the completion of prayer by word or action. It means to finish out prayer by saying or doing something. Salaat is completed by saying, "Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rehmatullah" First by moving head towards right and saying it, then towards left and saying it.

PRAYER AFTER THE SALAAT:
(i) It is mustahab (good) for the imam to turn right or left or towards the jama'at.
(ii) It is stated in a hadith, 'If a person says, "Astaghfirullah Al'azim-il-llazi La ilaha illa Huw-al-hayy-ul-qayyuma Wa Atubu ilayh", after every prayer of salaat, all his sins will be forgiven.
(iii) Imam and the followers raise their hands as high as their chest and pray (Dua) for themselves and for all muslims. Ahadith declares, 'Prayers (Dua) sent after the five daily fard will be accepted', Tirmidhi. But the prayers (Dua) must be done with a vigilant heart . Fingers are turned towards the qibla. Arms are not opened apart in the right-left direction. They are close each other, forward.
(iv) While saying Dua, the fact is that it is mustahab (good) to say salaat and salaam for Rasulullah (salallahu alaihi wasallam),
(v) After making your Prayers (Dua), it is sunnat to rub the hands gently on the face.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN PERFORMING SALAAT:
(i) When beginning to perform salaat, a woman raises both hands up to the level of her shoulders. While standing she puts her right hand on the left hand. However, she does not grasp her left wrist the fingers of her right hand. She puts her hands on her breast. While making ruku, her hands are placed on the knees, but do not grasp them. She keeps her fingers close together. She does not keep her legs straight, nor her back level. While making sajda, she lowers herself, bringing her arms to her side while she keeps her abdomen placed over her thighs. She sits on the buttocks, her legs inclined towards right.
(ii) A woman cannot be imam for men. If they follow a man as imam, they should be in last line of the jama'at.
(iii) While performing salaat in jama'at, if a woman stands besides or in front of a man, the man salaat will be Fasid (nullified).

PAINFUL TORMENT AT THE TIME OF DEATH, IN GRAVE, ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT AND IN HELL. A hadith shareef, quoted in the book 'Qurratul'uyun,' declares, "If a person does not perform salaat though he has no good excuse, Allah ta'ala will give him fifteen kind of punishments. Six of them will come in the world, three will come at the time of death, three will come in the grave, and three will come when rising from the grave. The six plagues in the world are:

1-Person who does not perform salaat will not have barakat {blessings} in his life.
2-He will not have the beauty,the lovable ness peculiar to those who are loved by Allah ta'ala.
3-He will not be given reward for any good he does.
4-His supplications (duas) will not be accepted.
5-No one will like him.
6-Blessings that (other) Muslims invoked on him will do him no good.

Kinds of torment he will suffer when dying are:
1-He will expire in an abhorrent, unsightly, repugnant manner.
2-He will die hungry.
3-Much water as he may have, he will die with painful thirst.

Kind of torment he will suffer in the grave are:
1-The grave will squeeze him. His bone will intertwine.
2-His grave will be filled with fire, which will scorch him day and night.
3-Allah ta'ala will send him a huge snake to his grave. It is not like terrestrial serpents. It will sting him at every prayer time each day. It will never leave him alone any moment.

Kinds of torment he will suffer after rising are:
1-Angels of torment that will drag him to hell will never leave him alone.
2-Allah ta'ala will meet him with wrath.
3-His accounts will be settled in a very vehement manner, and he will be flung into hell. (May Allah save us?) On the other hand, we see that one who performs salaat five times a day his sins are forgiven. As it is stated in the hadith, Rasulullah (salallahu alaihi wasallam) asked to his (salallahu alaihi wasallam) companions: "If there were a river in front of one's house and if he washed himself in this river five times every day, would there be any dirt left on him?" We (Jabir bin Abdullah and other sahaba present there) said, "No, O Rasulallah." Allah's most beloved Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) said, "Likewise minor sins of those who perform the five daily prayers are forgiven." Ibn Jawzi (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote in his tafsir Elmugni: Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said that, "When the time of a daily prayer of salaat comes, angels say, 'O the sons of Adam, stand up! Extinguish the fire prepared to burn human beings by performing salaat.

Contributed by: Maulana Babar Rehmani

Corrections made by Islamic Academy.

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