All praise due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad the trustworthy and upon his purified Progeny.

When prayer became one of the pillars of Islam, the Blessed Divine Legislation necessitated learning it and called to perform it in the best fashion. Our greatest of prophets, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, taught his people the prayer. Insomuch that when someone were to pray in his presence and did not perform it well, he, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, would teach him.

The need to practically learn the prayer is a very essential one and especially for the novice. So, we have published this book with photographs that includes how to perform prayer as well as how to teach it better and with ease so it may be most beneficial and effective to the reader.

And we ask Allah, the Almighty, to accept and to make its benefit to all of the Muhammadan community, the seal of Prophethood, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny.

 

 

 

The Prayer (As-Salāh)

Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam; a connection between a slave and his God and magnificent Creator; and a column of our religion. If it is demolished then our religion will be demolished.

Allah, the Most High, says: {Establish the prayer! Prayer prohibits from indecency and evil} (Q. 29:45).

And the Almighty Allah says: {Command your people to pray and persist on it} (Q. 20:132).

And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((If there was a river at the door of any one of you, and he washes himself in it five times a day, will there be any filth on him?)) They said: “No.” He said: ((As such are the five prayers, Allah removes sin when they are performed)).

That is why we have to preserve our prayers, perform in the best of fashion, learn it, and teach it to others.

Ritual Purification

Allah the Exalted urged purification in His Book {And purify your clothing} (Q. 74:4). What is meant is purification from impurity. Allah the Exalted loves His purified slaves: {Allah loves those that constantly repent and Allah loves those who purify themselves} (Q. 9:108).

That is why a Muslim must have clean clothes and body. Purification is essential for performing Prayer, which includes purification of the body from the major incidents or the minor one’s; the cleanliness of the clothing; and that of location (the place where the prayer is performed).

Prayer with impure clothing is not accepted, neither is it accepted on an impure location or if the body is judgmentally impure or sensory impure. The judgmental impurity is purified with bathing one’s body if it is major incident or performing ablution for the minor incidents. The sensory is purified by washing it with water until the impurity is removed.

Ablution is the first thing a person performs when beginning one’s prayer.

 

 

Ablution

Ablution Requirements:

1- Washing of one’s private parts after removing impurities

2- At-tasmiyya and it is to say (Bismillahi ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm) [tr. In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate].

3- Intention

4- Rinsing one’s mouth and nose

5- Washing one’s face

6- Washing one’s hands with the elbows

7- Wiping the head and ears

8- Washing the feet with the ankles

9- One must wash between the fingers and long nails

10- Performing ablution steps in the order indicated above

 

The Sunnahs of Ablution

1- The use of tooth-stick to clean one’s teeth (Siwak)

2- Washing one’s palms

3- Rinsing one’s mouth and nose in one water scoop

4- Perform each step thrice

5- Wiping of the nape

 

The Recommendations (mandūbāt) of Ablution

1- The reciting of the supplication;

2- The renewing of it after every permissible action.

 

What invalidates Ablution

- What exits the two openings; like urine, feces, or wind.

- Bleeding that flows

- The removal of the intellect, like sleep and unconsciousness

- Vomiting to the extent of impurity

- Every act of major disobedience outside of the persistent acts of disobedience, like lying, gossiping (an-namīma), as well as backbiting and injuring a Muslim. All of this invalidates it.

 

 

The following is a description of how to perform ablution practically:

 

In the beginning of the ablution take a tooth-stick and rub it against your teeth sideways and say: (A’ūdhu Billahi as-Samī’ul-‘Alīm min ash-shaytān ar-rajīm. Bismillahi ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you sit to wash your private parts, before uncovering your private parts say: (Allahumma inni as`aluka alyumna wal-baraka. Wa a’ūdhu bika min as-su’i wal-halaka). Then wash your private parts after removing the impurities. After covering your private parts say (Allahumma haššin farjī wastur awratī wa lā tushmit bi al-a’dā`i wa lā taja’lnī ma’a al-qawm až-žālimīn).

 

 

Then wash your palms up to your wrists three times, washing between the fingers as well.

 

 

 

Then take a scoop of water in one palm for rinsing the mouth and nose and do that three times.

Then rinse your mouth and nose spitting the water and blowing your nose saying (Allahumma laqqinni hujjati wa adhiqni ‘afwaka wa lā tuhrimni rā`ihat al-jannah).

 

 

 

Then wash your face completely the length from the hairline to the chin and the width from earlobe to earlobe and Say (Allahumma bayyiđ wajhi yawm taswaddu al-wujūh wa lā tuswwid wajhi yawma tabyađđu al-wujūh)

 

 

 

Then wash your right hand until and including your elbows three times and say: (Allahumma a’ŧini kitābi bi yamīni wal-khulda bi shimāli)

Then wash your left hand until and including your elbows three times and say: (Allahumma lā tu`tīni kitābi bi shimāli wa lā taj’alha maghlūlatan ila ‘unuqi).

 

 

 

Then wipe your all of your head the way it is presented in the picture to the front then to the back and say (Allahumma ghashshini bi rahmatika fa inni akhsha adhābak).

Then wipe in your ears and also outside of them and say (Allahumma lā tuqrin nāšiyati ila qadami wa aja’alni minal-ladhīna yastami’ūna al-qawla fayattabi’ūna ahsana).

Then wipe your nape and say (Allahumma qīnnil-aghlāla fī yawmal-hisāb).

And all that—wiping the head, ears, and nape—should be done in one action.

 

 

Then wash your right foot first up to the ankle and wash between the toes.

Then wash your left foot second up to the ankle and wash between the toes, whilst saying (Allahumma thabbit qadami ‘ala širāŧikal-mustaqīm)

 

 

 

After finishing your ablution take some water and pore it down your forehead and say: (Subhānaka Allahumma wa bi hamdik. Ash-hadu an lā ilaha ila Ant. Astaghfiruka wa atūbu ilayk. Allahumma aja’lni min at-tawābīn wa aja’lni minal-mutaŧahhirīn. Wa aghfir lī innaka ‘ala kulli shay`in Qadīr).

 

 

 

Dry Purification (At-tayammum)

 

Reasons for using dry purification:

1- The unavailability of water

2- The inability to use water either because of sickness, harm, something similar, needing the water for drinking, or other reasons.

 

Requirement of dry purification:

1- Intention to make dry purification

2- At-tasmiyya and it is to say (Bismillahi ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm)

3-Hitting one’s hand on dry soil

4- Wiping one’s face with the dust

5- Hitting one’s hand on dry soil again

6- Wiping one’s arms

 

Dry purification is invalidated by:

1- The presence of usable water

2- The removal of the excuse

3- What invalidates the ablution

 

 

The following is a description of how to perform the dry purification practically:

Intend to make dry purification for the prayer, say (Bismillahi ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm); and hit your hands upon the dry soil separating and distancing between your fingers.

Shake the dust from your hands by hitting your hands together from the side of the thumbs

 

 

Then wipe your face with your hands as if you are washing it with water

 

 

Then hit your hands a second time upon the dry soil as you did the first time

 

 

Then wipe your right hand starting from the back of the palm until above the elbow, then from the inner side of the elbow until the outer side of the thumb.

Then wipe the left hand as you did the right.

 

 

The Ritual Prayer

The Conditions of the Prayer:

1- Ritual purity of the body as was previously mentioned in the manner of ablution.

2- Ritual purity of the clothing.

3- Ritual purity of location.

4- Covering of the private parts. The man’s private parts are what is from his navel until the bottom of his knees. For the woman, it is the whole body except the face and hands.

5- Facing the qibla.

The Requirements of the Prayer:

1- Intention;

2- The opening declaration of Allāhu Akbar (at-takbīr);

3- The standing during the recitation

4- The recitation of al-Fātiha (Q. 1) and another chapter (šūrat) after it;

5- The bowings;

6- Stillness after doing so until every joint is fully settled;

7- The prostrations;

8- Sitting between every two prostrations;

9- The last testimony of faith (at-tashahhud);

10- The final salutations (at-taslīm) to the right and left intending to greet the two angels.

The Sunnahs of the Prayer:

The seeking of refuge from Satan (at-ta’ūdh) as well as the two orientation supplications before the opening declaration;

The recitation of Al-Fātiha and the other chapter in the first two units of every prayer and the recitation of Al-Fātiha only in the third and fourth units of the prayers with three and four units respectively;

The glorification of Allah (at-tasbīh) during the bowings;

The glorification of Allah during the prostrations;

The declaration of Allah’s praise when coming up from the bowing;

The middle testimony of faith;

The standing supplication (al-qunūt) during the Dawn Prayer (al-fajr) and the Odd Prayer (al-witr).

The Invalidators of the Prayer:

The neglecting of any of the aforementioned conditions and requirements.

Abundant actions such as eating, drinking, and so forth.

The utterance of speech in the prayer that is not from the Qur’ān or from the remembrances of the prayer.

 

 

 

 

The wording of the seeking of refuge from Satan and the two orientation supplications is as follows:

(A’ūdhu Billahi as-Samī’ul-‘Alīm min ash-shaytān ar-rajīm. Wajjahtu wajhi lil ladhi faŧaras-samawāti wal-arža hanīfan musliman wa mā ana minal-mushrikīn. Inna šalati wa nusuki wa mahyāya wa mimāti lillahi Rabbil-‘ālamīn. Lā sharīka lahu wa bi dhālika umirtu wa ana minal-muslimīn. Al hamdulillahi ladhi lam yattakhid waladan wa lam yakun lahu sharīkun fil-mulki wa lam yakun lahu waliyyun min adh-dhull.)

 

 

Then, you intend in your heart the prayer that you desire to perform and declare the opening declaration by saying: (Allāhu Akbar). After that you recite al-Fātiha and another chapter in the state of standing with your eyes fixed to the place of prostration, with your arms by your sides, and with a slight opening between your legs.

The woman does the same as the man, except that at the point where he would say (hanīfan musliman), she says: (hanīfatan muslimatan). In the state of standing, she brings her feet together.

 

 

Then you bow until you are still and can see your feet. Your back should be levelled and your head shouldn’t be raised too much nor lowered. You place your hands firmly upon your knees with your fingers slightly outstretched and your toes facing the qibla. You then say: (Subhāna Allāhi al-Ažim wa bihamdihi).

In the state of bowing, the woman brings her limbs close to the body with her arms straight upon her knees, as is demonstrated in the picture.

 

 

Then you come up from the bowing until your body is still and say: (Sami’ Allāhu li man hamidah).

 

 

Then you declare (Allāhu Akbar) and prostrate by laying your forehead, nose, inner palms, knees, and toes on the ground completely. Your knees should be away from your belly. You should prostrate saying: (Subhāna Allāhi al-A’la wa bihamdihi).

Place your hands between the shoulders and ears with your shoulders over your fingertips.

The bottom of the toes should be on the ground with your feet joined together.

The prostration of the woman differs from that of the man in that when she prostrates, she brings her knees and elbows close to the body. Also she does not prostrate high from the ground. It is also not obligatory for her to lay her toes on the ground similar to the man.

 

 

Then you declare (Allāhu Akbar) and sit up between the two with limbs completely still.

 

Your right foot should be erected and left foot should be laying down.

 

 

Then you prostrate a second time similar to what you did at first. Afterwards, you stand up declaring (Allāhu Akbar) until your body is still. Then you do the same thing that you did in the first unit.

 

 

If you are praying a three or four unit prayer and you sit after you completed the second prostration in the second unit, you recite the middle testimony of faith which is: (Bismillahi wa Billahiwa alhamdulillahi wal-asmā`ul-husna kulluhā lillahi. Ashhadu an lā ilāha ila Allāhu wahdahu lā sharīka lahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasūluhu).

 

After one has prostrated for the last time, one sits and recites the last testimony of faith similar to the middle testimony of faith one recited before: (Bismillahi wa Billahi wa alhamdulillahi wal-asmā`ul-husna kulluhā lillahi. [Or alternatively:] At-tahiyyātu lillāhi was-šalawāt waŧ-ŧayyibātu. Ashhadu an lā ilāha ila Allāhu wahdahu lā sharīka lahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasūluhu. Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa āli Muhammad. Wa bārik ‘ala Muhammad wa āli Muhammad. Ka mā salayta wa bārakta ‘ala Ibrāhīm wa ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm. Innaka Hamīdun Majīd).

 

 

Then you give the final salutations turning your head to the right and intending to greet the angel by saying: (As-salāmu alaykum wa rahmatullāh).

Similarly, you give the final salutations turning your head to the left and intending to greet the angel by saying: (As-salāmu alaykum wa rahmatullāh).

 

 

Once you have completed the prayer, you can recite Ayat al-Kursi (Q. 2:255): {Allāhu lā ilāha ila Huwa al-Hayyu al-Qayyūm. Lā takhuduhu sinatu wa lā nawm. Lahu mā fīs-samāwāti wa mā fil-arđ. Man dha ladhi yashfa’u ‘inda hu illa bi idhnih. Ya’lamu mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum wa lā yuhīŧūna bi shay`in min ‘ilmihi illa bi mā shā`a. Wasi‘a kursiyyuhu as-samāwāti wal-arđ. Wa lā ya`ūduhu hifžuhumā wa Huwa al-Aliyyul-‘Ažīm}. Also, Sūrat al-Iklāš (Q. 112): {Bismillāhi ar-Rahmānir-Rahīm. Qul Huwa Allāhu Ahad. Alāhus-Šamad. Lam yalīd wa lam yūlad. Wa lam yakul-lahu kufu`an ahad}. Then glorify Allah by saying: (Subhānallah) 33 times. Then praise Allah by saying: (Al-hamdulillah) 33 times. Then magnify Allah by saying: (Allāhu Akbar) 33 times.

Then you seal the one hundred with the following: (Lā ilāha ila Allāhu wahdahu lā sharīka lah. Lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd. Yuhyi wa yumīt. Bi yadihil-khayr. Wa Huwa ‘ala kulli shay`in Qadīr).

Then pray upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, after the five prayers with the following: (Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa āli Muhammad ka mā salayta ‘ala Ibrāhīm wa ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm. Innaka Hamīdun Majīd. Allāhumma bārik ‘ala Muhammad wa āli Muhammad ka mā bārakta ‘ala Ibrāhīm wa ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm. Innaka Hamīdun Majīd. Allāhumma taraham ‘ala Muhammad wa āli Muhammad ka mā tarahamta ‘ala Ibrāhīm wa ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm. Innaka Hamīdun Majīd. Allāhumma tahannan ‘ala Muhammad wa āli Muhammad ka mā tahannanta ‘ala Ibrāhīm wa ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm. Innaka Hamīdun Majīd. Allāhumma wa sallim ‘ala Muhammad wa āli Muhammad ka mā sallamta ‘ala Ibrāhīm wa ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm. Innaka Hamīdun Majīd.)

The Congregational Prayer

The Congregational Prayer is equal to 27 prayers prayed alone. It is incumbent that we preserve it. It is considered as thus even if it is just one follower and a prayer leader. If there is only one follower, he stands to the right of the prayer leader. If there are more than two, they stand behind the prayer leader. The prayer leader intends to lead the prayer and the followers intend to follow.

 

 

Important Matters Concerning Congregational Prayer

The follower must follow the prayer leader in what he does. When the prayer leader says: (Allāhu Akbar), the follower says the same. When the prayer leader bows, the follower bows. When the prayer leader says: (Sami’ Allāhu liman hamidah), the follower says: (Rabbanā lakal-hamd). It is not permissible for the follower to precede the leader in anything.

When the prayer leader recites audibly, it is obligatory for the follower to listen and not recite. The recitation of the prayer leader suffices for those following.

When you give the final salutations, intend to greet the angels as well as those praying next to you.

In the case of women’s congregational prayers, the female prayer leader stands in the middle of the prayer line. In every prayer line, there is one female prayer leader. No one prays behind the female prayer leader.