Act of Salat ( Prayer)

1. How to Perform Salah

Salam alaikum, As discussed earlier, Salah is a broad Topic and we wish to do our best by explaining the best way we can. Before we start we would like to say there are some disagreement among different sects as to the fine details of the Salat.
What we discuss here are the basics,kindly  consult ur Maleem if you belong to a minority sect and wish to learn about the differences in method. Relax and enjoy.

The act of Salat

Having cleansed yourself by Wudu, make sure that you have a clean body, a clean place to pray & that your clothing is free of impurities. The minimum clothing required during Salah is:
A. Males: Any clothing that covers from the naval to the knees & shoulders.
 B. Females: Any clothing that covers all of the body except the face, hands, toes and a portion of the front of the feet.
1.Stand upright facing the direction of Al-Ka'bah.  This position is called Qiyaam and the direction is called Qiblah in Arabic.
2.Make (intention) in your heart.
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.”

Note: 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  Qur'an.

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.
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.”(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:
 "At-Tahiyyatu lillahi  was- Salawatu wat-Tayyibatu, As-Salamu'alaika ayyuhannabiyyu wa rahmatullahi, wa barakatuhu, Assalamu 'alaina wa’ala ibadil-Lahis -Salihin. Ash hadu al-La ilaha   il-Lal lahu  wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu.
This means: “Greetings, prayers and goodness belong to Allah.Peace be on you,O Prophet and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be on us and on the righteous servants of Allah.I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.”

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 Wa 'ala ali Muhammadin.Kama sallaita 'ala Ibrahima,wa 'ala ali Ibrahima, wa barik 'ala Muhammadin, wa 'ala ali Muhammadin,Kama barakta ' ala Ibrahima, Wa ' ala ali Ibrahima Fil a'lamina Innaka hamidun Majid."                                                                                
O Allah, let Your mercy come upon Muhammad  and the family of Muhammad as You let it come upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Truly You are 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. Rabbi-ghfir li 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 young.”

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.


Obligatory act of salat
For one prayer to be acceptable, the method of prayer must conform to the norms spelled out in the Islamic law. These are:

1. The Intention
2. Saying the Opening Takbir
3. Standing during the obligatory prayers: One must stand during the prayer, however if one is not able to one can pray sitting, if one is not able to, one can pray while lying. One should not put the feet together while standing in prayer. During voluntary prayers one can pray sitting even if he can stand. However it is more rewarding to stand.
4. Reciting Al- Fatihah in every Rakat of the prayer is essential. However one who cannot recite the fatiah due to innate inabilities, poor memory, new convert etc can recite Subhaan Allah, Alhamdu lillah, La-ilaha illal-lah.
5. Ar- Ruku (Bowing Down
6. Standing erect after the bowing
7. Prostration
8. The final siting and recital of tashahud
9. The salaam at the prayer end

The Sunnah parts are acts which is preferred that one perform them to get their rewards.These are

1. Raising the hands at the beginning of each prayer’s takbir
2. Placing the right hand upon the left while in standing position.
3. Supplication after the takbir, before the recitation of Suratul Fatiah, while bowing and postrating.
4. Saying Ameen after the reciting suratul Fatiah.
5. Quranic Recitation after Al- fatihah in the first two rakat of the obligatory prayers and all rakat of the nawafil prayers.

We ddraw the curtains here today....We continue next week in sha Allah.

Dont hesitate to drop at the comment session, your suggestions questions and contributions 

Ma salam.