Al salaat

tilll
KITAB
AL SALAAT
rf r r(!ir of PRAYFR)
(]ON1PILED
BY:
NA] IJIIiI1A ADA]VJ

KITAB
AL- SALAAT
(THE BOOK OF PRAYER)
COMPILED
BY:
NATHIFJAMA ADAM
,aaaaaa
,a.laaaa
'aaaaaa
't,'aaaa
,ataata
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aiaaaa
'aaaaaa
'a,tataa
'a,taaaa
'aataaa
'aaaaaa
'aaiaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
,aaaaaa
'a)aaaa
'aaaaaa
'aataaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
',taaaaa
'aaaaaa
'taaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aafaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
',taaaaa
'aaaata
'aaaaaa
'aaataa
,aaa+aa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaa,ta
'aaaaaa
'aaataa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
,taataa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaea
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'aaaaaa
'liitfi

COOPERATIVEOFFICE
FOR
CALL AND GUIDANCE
UNDERSUPERVISION
PRESIDENCYOF ISLAMIC RESEARCH
IFTA AND PROPAGATION
P.O.Box:(20824)RIYADH 11465
TEL.4030251- FAX.&30142
PermissionNo. ll73lM On 22/2/t4ll H
This book maynot be reproduced
without prior written permission
from the office

PREFACE
PRAISEbeto "Allah 6Wn "who ordained
As Salaat (Prayer)as an act of worship
on His servants, and may the utmost
peaceand blessingsof Allah(SWT) be
uponHis prophetwho taughtthe Ummah
(Muslim nation) how bestto performthe
prayer.
I do not intendtowrite a longpreface,butI
merelywish to makea briefexplanationof
my reasonsfor undertakingthiswork.lt is
natural that by virtue of its importance,
manybookshavein the pastbeenwritten
on the Sa/aatby different muslims in
different parts of the world - may Allah
6WD reward them all for their efforts.
And,whilea largenumberoftheworksso
far carriedout onSalaathave generally
been well appreciated,it is howeverno
secret also that many books on this
subject suffer serious shortcomings

which notably may be summarisedas
follows:
(1 ) Apparent lack of subject
comprehensivenessin mostbooks.While,
certainly, no single writer can
comprehenda subject aswideasSalaat,
but it is true that many bookson this
subjectonly makescantytouch on it.
(2)The unfortunateexistencein manyof
the books of various matters such as
recitations,supplicationsand even acts
purportedto be part of the prayer but
which cannotbecorrectlytracedto having
been recited and/.or performedby the
Prophet(PBUH)or even by his rightly
guidedCaliphs(successors).
(3)Theabsenceof arrangementandorder
in most bookswith regardto the various
mattersrelatingto the prayer.
(4) The virtual absencein most booksof
2

TRANSLITERATIONto the various
supplicationswhich a person needs to
recite in the course of the Prayer.
Needlessto say, but, the importanceof
transliterationto the non-Arabicspeaking
Muslimscannotbe over-emphasised.
It is in view of the foregoingthat the
thoughtof compilinga moreappropriate
treatiseon I lat aroseto meandit isby
thegraceoI Allah 6Wf ) that it is now in
our handsalthoughI am quiteconscious
of how unequalI am to a subjectsuchas
this one to which a manof muchgreater
capabilitiesthan myselfwas required.I
am, however,sustainedbytheconviction
that the readers will overlook mY
shortcomings and treat them with
indulgence.
In compiling this treatise, lhave
endeavouredto touchoveralmostall the

importantaspectsof the prayerandthere
is perhapsno other bookwhich provides
such an elaborateaccountof the subject
although,as mentionedearlier,Salaatis
just such a wide subjectthat even this
treatiseis still in want of much other
informationonthesamebutwhich,Insha
- Allah,shallbe takenintoaccountin the
next reproduction.
How far I havesucceededin this work is
not for me to saybut it is mysincerehope
that it will, lrshaAllah,go a long way in
fulfillingthegapsandshortcomingsfound
in other books written so lar on the
subject.Thebook,howevercannotand,is
not meantto be a substituteto the other
works on the .g/aaf but rather
complementive.Meanwhile,manisto err
andthis work maynot necessarilybefree
f rom errors whether tech n icaI,
typographicalor otherwise.Hence,I make

a kind appeal to all those who maY
discoversomethingincorrectin thiswork
to communicate the same to the
publishersfor due correctionin the next
re-print.
Compilingsuch a work, did not onlY
requiremy referenceto a wide rangeof
booksincludingthe HolyOur'an,Hadith
booksand Fiqh(jurisprudence)booksbut
also to seek the help of other learned
muslim brethrenand in this regard,my
appreciationgoesto SheikhHamoudM.
Al lahimandbrotherAbdallaKarsheboth
of Riyadh- maythe AlmightyAllahbless
themfortheircontinuouscounsellingand
advice.Similarly,this work would not
havebeencompletehadit notbeenforthe
tireless efforts of brother Muhammed
AmeenCaveof the Co-operativeofficefor
Calland Guidance,Riyadhwho not only
did the system data entering but even
helpedso muchin thefinalproof-reading

- may Allah reward him for
contributionin this work.
his shareof
NATHIFJ. ADAM
RIYADH,21st May,1991
In this Book the words (SWT)inserted
after the name of Allah stand for
,,SUBHANAHU
WA TA'ALA" WhiCh
means "The Glorified,the Most High";
while,thewords(PBUH)insertedafterthe
nameof the Prophetstandfor " pEACEBE
UPONHIM".
6

AS-SALAAT (PRAYER)
INTRODUCTION
Salaat (PraYer) is one of the main
obfigations which "Attah 6Wn" has
ordainedon Hisservants.lt isthefirstact
of worshipdecreedon the MuslimNation
(Ummah) bY "Allah 6Wn " and was
ordainedon the night of the Prophet's
(PBUHlascensionto thesevenheavens.lt
is the secondof the five pillarsof lslam
after the proclamationof the "Shahada"
(thewords of witness)'
It is enjoined on the Muslims as an
obfigatoryactby" Allah 6wff'as canbe
noted from the following verses of the
HolyOur'an:
,'ESTABLISHREGULAR PRAYERSAT
THE SUru'S DECLINE TILL THE
DARKNESSOF THE NIGHT, AND THE
MORNTNGPRAYER"""'
'(Our'a
n 17:781
I

In anotherverse"Allah 6Wn" says:
..AND
ESTABLISHREGULARPRAYERS
AT THE TWO ENDSOF THEDAY AND AT
THE APPROACHES OF THE NIGHT.''
(Our'an11:114!.
The importanceof the Salaathas also
been explicitly expressed by Allah's
Messenger(PBUH),as canbe notedfrom
the followingsayings:
"What lies between a perfect man and
disbeliefis the leavingofprayer". (Related
by lmamsAhmedand Muslim)
The Prophet(PBUH)alsosaid:
"The obligation which separates us from
them (the non-believers)is theprayer and
he who renounces it becomes a
disbeliever." (Relatedby lmams Ahmed
and Muslim)

The abovequotedOur'aniccommandsby
"Altah ,Swff'and the honouredsayings
of the Prophet(PBUH)clearlyindicatethe
importanceof Salaat such that it is
unanimously agreed bY all Muslim
scholarsthatrenouncingit is regardedan
act of disbelief(Kufr).
THEVIRTUESOF PRAYER
Salaat(Prayer)performedgenuinelywith
humilityandsubmissionto "Allah(SWf)"
hasunlimitedvirtuesandbenefits.lt isthe
noblestexpressionof faithandthesurest
way of thanking "Allah 6wfyfor His
unlimited favours. lt is the way to
obtaining Allah's mercy, generosity,
kindness,blessingsand a sure way to
paradise."Allah (SWf)" saysin the Holy
Our'an:
''PROSPEROUS INDEED ARE THE
BELIEVERSWHOARE HUMBLE IN THEIR
PRAYERS". (Our'an 23:1-2l,
3

It is a deliverance on the Day of
Judgementfor thosewho usedtoobserve
it well. The Prophet(PBUH)says:
"The first thing that the servant of "Allah
(SWT)"will becalledto accounlfor onthe
Dayof Judgementwill be the prayer;and
if it was goodthe person'sdeedswill have
beengood,but if it was bad,the person's
deedswill have beenbad". (Reportedby
lmambhukari)
Prayer purifiqp the soul, refines the
character and inculcatesin man the
excellentvirtuesof truthfulness,honesty
and modesty.lt keepsonewho performsit
from falsehood and from all forbidden
actions as is categoricallyconfirmedby
the followingverseof the HolyOur,an:
"...VERILY,PRAYER REFRAINSFROM
INDECENCYAND EVIL..."(Our'an 29:45)
4

WUDHU(ABLUTION)
Prior to enteringSalaat,the person is
required to undertake a certain
purificationprocedureknown as"Wudhu"
withoutwhich,the person'sprayerwould
not be acceptablein the sight of "Allah
(SWT)."Allah,the AlmightY,saYs:
,'O
YE WHO BELIEVE. WHEN YE
PREPARE FOR PRAYER, WASH YOUR
FACES AND YOUR ARMS TO THE
ELBOWS; RUB YOUR HEADS (WITH
WATER);AND (WASH) YOUR FEET TO
THEANKLES..."(Our'an5:6)
And the Prophet(PBUH),said:
Prayer without ablution /s invalid".
(Reportedby lmam Muslim)

CONDITIONSFORTHE PERFORMANCE
oF wUDHU (ABLUT|ON)
Thereare variousconditionsrequiredto
be fulfilledin the performanceof Wudhu
which are as follows:
1. Acceptanceof the lslamicFaith.
2. Sanityand consciousness.
3. Intention(Anniyah)to performWudhu
as an act of worship.
4. Purifying oneself from urine,
excrementandallotherkindof impurities
beforeperformingWudhu.
5. Ensuringthe purityof the water to be
usedfor the Wudhu
6. Ensuringthat water is not prevented
fromreachingthepartsof thebodywhich
needto bewashedin the performanceof
6

the wudhu.
7. Being conscious and keePingthe
Wudhu in mind.
ESSENTIALACTSOFWUDHU
1. Washingthe entirefaceonce.
2. Washingeacharm once.
3. Wipingthe entireheadonce.
4. Washingthe feet uptothe ankles'
5. Ensuringthat the above4 acts are
performedin the givensequence.
6. Performing the Wudhu acts
continuouslyand without unnecessary
let-upsuntilcomPletion.

VOLUNTARYACTSOF WUDHU
Besides the above essential acts of
Wudhu,therearealsosomevoluntarybut
recommended acts in the Wudhu
procedure.Theseare as follows:
a. InvokingAllah (SWT)at the startof the
Wudhu.
b.Washingof bothhandsuptothe wrists.
c. Rinsingthe mounthwith water.
d. Sniffing of water in and out of the
nostrils.
e. Passingof water outsideand insideof
the earlobes.
HOWTHEWUDHUIS PERFORMED
The essential and voluntary acts
discussedaboveshall now be integrated
to demonstratehow the prophet(PBUH)
8

usedto performWudhu:
1. MakingtheintentiontoperformWudhu
as an act of sincerehomageandworship
for the pleasure of Allah 6Wn' The
intentionneednotbe utteredbutit should
be keptin mindduringthe the Wudhu'
2. fnvoking Atlah(SWT)atthe startof the
Wudhu bYsaYing:
''
BISMILLAHI-R-RAHMANI-R-RAHIIM ".-
(ln the name of Allah, Most Gracious'
Most Merciful).
3. Washingthe handsuptothe wristsfor
three times, while rubbing them and
letting the water reach between the
fingers.
4. Rinsingthe mouthwith water thrice'
preferably using the "Miswak" (tooth
stick),tooth brush,or fingersto brushthe
teeth and the gum. Regarding the
9

importanceof the Miswak, the prophet
(PBUH)said:
"lf it had not been too great a burden on
my Ummah, I would have ordered them to
use the "Miswak', at every Wudhu.,,
(Reportedby lmam Mafik)
5. Cleaningthe nostrilsby sniffingwater
in and out for threetimes.
6. Washingthe entireface thrice using
both handsfrom the top of the forehead
down to the bottomof the chin and from
ear to ear.
7. Washingthearmsthreetimesuptothe
upperend of the elbows;rightarm first,
and then, the left arm. Arms shouldbe
rLObeOwhile theyare beingwashed.
8. Wetting both handsand passingthe
same over the headstartingfrom above
theforeheaddowntothenape(thebackof
l0

the neck)andfrom there,returningboth
handsuptoabovethe forehead.
9. From the head,without wetting the
hands again, the Person wiPes the
earlobes,usingtheforefingerstowipethe
innerpartof the lobesandthethumbsfor
the outsidepart.
10.Washingbothfeetuptothe anklesfor
three times or more if necessarY,
beginningwith the right foot and then
with the left foot. Both feet shouldbe
rubbedwhile theyare beingwashedand
water should freely pass betweenthe
toes.
IMPORTANTPOINTSON WUDHU
a. Much virtue is attachedto Wudhu
which is properlyperformedas can be
noted from the followingsayingof the
Prophet(PBUH):
1l

"A person who performs Wudhu properly
will have his sinsremoved from hisbody,
so much that the sins are removed even
from underneath hisnails,,. (Reportedby
lmamMuslim)
b. Having completedthe Wudhu, the
person may recitethe "SHAHADA',,i.e.
the wordsof witnessandthe supplication
for concludingthe Wudhu as follows:
.,ASH-HADU
ANLAA ILAHA ILLA-LAAHU
WA ASH-HADU ANNA MIJHAMMADAN
ABDUHU WA RASUULUHU...-
ALLAHUMMA IJ'ALNII MINAT.AWABIIN
WA IJ'ALNII MINA.L MUTADAHIRIIN...
which means
"l bear witness that there is no god but
Allah and that Muhammad is His servant
and messenger...OLord,make me among
those who return to youin repentanceand
of those who are undefited.,'
t2

Regarding the virtue of the above
supplication,the leaderof the faithful,
Umar lbn-ul Khattab (may Allah be
pleasedwith him) reportedthe Prophet
(PBUH)as saYing:
"tf anyone Performs the Wudhu
completely and then saYs":
" 'l
testify that there is no god but Allah
alone,He hasno partner; and I testify that
Muhammad is His servant and
messenger', the eight gates of Paradise
wilt be opened for him and may enter by
whichever of the gates he wishes""
(RelatedbYlmamMuslim).
c. When Performing Wudhu, it is
recommendedto let the water reach
beyondthe area requiredto be washed
(e.g.,when washingthe armsthe person
may wash beyondthe elbowsor beyond
the ankleswhen washingthefeet)'Great
virtue has beenattachedto this fact,as
l3

can be notedfrom the followingsayingof
the Prophet(pBUH):
"My nation (tJmmah) will be called
(distinguised) on the Day of Judgement as
a people with bright faces and limbs from
the effect of their Wudhu practices.
Therefore,anyone of you who wishes to
increase his brightness may do so (by
washing beyondthe required areaswhen
performing W"udhu).,.(Reportedbylmams
Bukhari and Muslim)
d. Theperson is required to avoid useof
water more than what is necessary.
e. Much importancehas been attached
tothe performanceof two rakaatsafter
performing Wudhuascanbenotedfromthe
following conversationbetween the
Prophet (PBUH) and Bilat, the first
Muadhin(mayAllahbepleasedwith him):
t4

"O Bilal! tell me which of youractsis most
meritorious sinceioining lslam, for I heard
the sound of your shoesin Paradiseahead
of me?
Bilal replied:I donot haveanyactionmore
meritorious than that whenever I
performed Wudhu (purification) during
the day or night, I each time offered a
prayer as much as Allah has destinedfor
me". (Reportedby lmams Bukhariand
Muslim)
WIPINGOVERTHE SOCKS
a. lf someone's"Wudhu", gets nullified,
then, when performinga subsequent
Wudhu, it is allowedto wiPe over the
sockswith wet hands,insteadofwashing
bothfeetonconditionthatthe sockswere
put on afterwashingthe feet in the first
Wudhuor beforethe sameis nullified.
b. A travellermay avail himselfof this
l5

privilege continuously for three
consecutivedays and nights(72 hours),
but a residentmaydo so for onlyone day
and one night continuously(24 hours).
HOWWIPINGOVERTHESOCKSISDONE
Wiping is done accordingto the tradition
of the Prophet(PBUH),as follows:
After removingthe shoes,wet handsare
passed only over the upper surface of
sockswithoutthe needtowipethebottom
parts.
WHENTHEWIPINGPRIVILEGECEASES
The wiping privilegebecomesinvalidin
the eventthatoneor moreofthefollowing
casesoccur:
1.Whenthemaximumtimingsallowedas
discussedearlierlapse.
16

2. The momentthe socksare removed.
3. When any of the cases requlrlng
"Ghusl" occur.
MATTERS WHICH INVALIDATETHE
WUDHU
The person will remain in a state of
Wudhu untilanyof the followingmatters
is committed:
1. Passingof excrement,urine or wind'
When someone passes urine and/or
excrement,it becomesmandatoryupon
such a personto removethe foulnessof
these things beforeperformingWudhu.
Pure water should be used for this
purpose,but in case,it is not available
afterearnestsearchfor it,the personmay
resort to the use of certain dry objects,
such as stones, dry woods and tissue
paperto removethefilth.Thisisknownas
"lstijmaar" . Oddnumbersof the objectto
17

be usedis preferred,suchas3, S,etc.The
person should ensure that no drops of
urine or stains of foulnessare left on
his,/herbodyor clothes.
However,in the caseof personsafflicted
with permanentwetting or permanent
passingof wind, or of women who are
sufferingfrom prolongedflows of blood,
such persons are requiredto perform
Wudhu onlyoncebeforethe startof each
prayer and their Wudhu would remain
valid even if the above problemsmay
occurlaterin the courseof the prayer.
2. Eatingof camel'smeat.
3. Sleepingin which the personlosses
consciousness.
4. Lossof consciousnessresultingfrom
insanity,fainting,etc.
l8

5. Touching of the sexual organs
intentionally,directlyand unclothed.
6. After washing a deadperson(corpse)'
7. Renouncingof lslamicFaith.
GHUSL(TOTALBATH)
Ghusl in lslam means the bathing of the
entire body with water. Proof of fts
tegitimacyis embodiedinthe Holy Aur'an
as follows:
,'....AND IF YE ARE IN A STATE OF
CEREMONIALIMPURITY,BATHE YOUR
WHOLEBODY...."(Our'an5:6)
OCCASIONS WHEN GHUSL IS
REOUIREDAS AN OBLIGATORYACT
Ghusl is requiredas an obligatoryact in
l9

the followingcases:
1.Afterthe dischargeofsemenasa result
of stimulationwhether awake or asleep
(i.e.in a wet dream).Thisstateisknownin
Arabic as"JUNUB".lf , alterthe dreamno
wetness is traced in one's clothing,
bathingisnotobligatory.However,incase
wetness is found but without recalling
any dream, performing Ghusl is
obligatory.
2. After sexualintercourse(or the mere
coming togetherof the two organsof a
man and a woman, even though there
may be no actualejaculation)performing
Ghuslis required.
3. Followinga periodof menstruation,a
woman is requiredto performGhusl.
4. At the end of 40 daysafterchildbirth,a
woman is requiredto performGhusl.
20

5. When a disbelievernewly embraces
fslam, such a person is required to
performGhusl.
6. Whena Muslimdies,Ghuslisrequired
for him/her.
OCCASIONSFOR WHICH GHUSL IS
PREFERRED
Ghusl is recommendedin the following
cases:
1. Before going to Juma'h (Friday
CongregationaI Prayer).
2. Beforegoing to Eid Prayers(Muslim
annualfeastprayers).
3. Before undertaking Umrah or Hajj
(Pilgrimageto Makkah).
4. Uponwashinga corpse.(Accordingto
manyscholars,the performanceofGhusl
2l

is preferredfor a personwho washes a
corpse).
ESSENTIALREOUIREMENTSOF GHUSL
There are two essentialrequirements
which needto befulfilledfor Ghusltobe
valid. These are as follows:
1. Intentionto performGhuslisnecessary
becauseit is the dividingline between
acts performedas a mere custom and
deeds which are rewardable acts of
worship.However,the intentionisonlyby
heart and need not be uttered.
2. The entire body should be washed.
Water shouldreachand flow freelyover
everypart of the body.
HOWGHUSLIS PERFORMED
Besides the above two essential
requirements,there are also other
22

voluntaryacts recommendedfor Ghusl.
Boththe essentialandthe voluntaryacts
are now integrated herebelow to
demonstratehow the Prophet(PBUH)
usedto performthe Ghusl.
a. Intendby heartto performGhusl.
b. Wash both hands uptothe wrists for
threetimes.
c. Wash the sexorgansproperly.
d.PerformWudhuasusual(inthemanner
already discussed)except, that the
washingof thefeetwouldbedelayeduntil
later when all the rest of the body is
bathed.
e. Pourwater overthe headthreetimes,
massagingthe hair to allow water to
reachits roots.
f. Pourwaterliberallyovertheentirebody,
23

beginningwiththerightsideandthen,the
leftsideensuringthat no partof the body
is untouched by water such as the
armpits,insidethe earlobes,insidethe
navel,betweenthe fingersand toes,etc.
g. Finally,movea littlefurtherfromwhere
you were and wash your feet, beginning
with your right foot and then, the left.
Notes:
1. A womanwill performGhusljustas a
man does,except,that if she has plaited
hair,sheneednotundoit.Sheonlyneeds
to throw three handfuls of water overher
head.
2. The personmay aftercompletingthe
Ghusl recite the supplication for
concludingGhuslwhichshouldberecited
outsidethe toilet,/bathroomandwhich is
the same as the one recited after
completinn*uOnr;O

ACTS FORBIDDENTO PERSONSWHO
AREREOUIREDTO PERFORMGHUSL
Personsrequiringto perform Ghusl are
forbiddento undertakecertainacts.These
are as follows:
1. Any typeof prayerwhether obligatory
or voluntary.
2. Circumambulating the Ka'abah
(Tawaf).
3. Touchingor carryingthe HolyOur'an.
However,the prohibitiondoesnotapplyto
other books which contain Our'anic
passagessuch as commentariesof the
Holy Our'an or works of lslamic
jurisprudence.
4.'Recitingthe HolyOur'an.
5. Stayinginsidethe Mosque.
25

MENSTRUATION(HAIDH}
This refersto the periodicaldischargeof
bloodby women in their stateof health
and is easilydistinguishableto women
from post-childbirthbleeding.
POST-CHtLDBtRTHBLEEDTNG(NtFAS)
Such bleedingusuallyoccursto women
afterchildbirthandmaycontinuewithout
fixed duration,althoughin some cases,
there may not occur bleeding at all.
However,on the strengthoftheteachings
of the Prophet (PBUH), a woman
experiencingpost-childbirthbleedinghas
a maximumconfinementperiodof about
forty(4O)daysafterwhich,sheisrequired
to makeGhuslandcommenceherlslamic
duties. lf, however,the blood does not
ceaseafter40 days,mostscholarsare of
the opinion that the woman should
continuewith her regularlslamicduties.

ACTS FORBIDDEN TO WOMEN
EXPERIENCINGMENSTRUATIONAND
POST-CHILDBIRTHBLEEDING
1. All acts mentionedhereinbefore,as
forbiddento personsrequiringGhuslare
also prohibitedto women experiencing
menstruation and post-childbirth
bleeding.
2. A woman cannotengagein a sexual
intercourse.
The companionsof the Prophet(PBUH),
askedhim aboutthis and "Allah (SWT)"
revealedthe followingOur'anicverse:
''THEY
ASK THEE CONCERNING
WOMEN'S COU,9SES.S/ Y: THEYARE A
HURT AND A POLLUTION..SO KEEP
AWAY FROM WOMEN IN THEIR
COURSES,AND DO NOT APPROACH
THEM UNTIL THEY ARE CLEAN......''
(Our'an2:2221
27

However,all scholarsare of the opinion
that a husbandmaytouchanypartof his
wife's bodyabovethe naveland/or below
the knees. This fact, is based on the
confirmationsof the Prophet'swives,that
when the Prophet(PBUH)wished ro be
with them during their periods,they
would put somethingover their private
parts.
AT-TAYAMMUM(ABLUTIONUSINGTHE
EARTH)
"At-Tayammum"is a meansof usingthe
soilto wipeone'sfaceandhandswith the
intentionof preparingoneselfto perform
prayer.Proofof its legitimacyis found in
the HolyOur'anas follows:
,"...^ND
IF YE ARE ILL. OR ON A
JOURNEY, OR ONE OF YOU COMETH
FROM OFFICES OF NATURE. OR YE
HAVEBEENIN CONTACTWITHWOMEN.
AND YE FIND NO WATER. THEN TAKE
28

FOR YOURSELVES CLEAN SAND OR
EARTH, AND RUB THEREWITH YOUR
FACESAND HANDS, FORALLAH DOES
BLOT OUT SINSAND FORGIVESAGAIN
AND AGAIN." (Our'an4:431
The Prophet(PBUH),alsosaid:
"All of the earth has been made a pure
place of prayer for me and my "Ummah"
(Nation).Whenever a person from my
nationwants to pray,he has something
with which to purifyhimself...thatis the
earth".(Reportedby lmamAhmand)
INSTANCESWHEN AT-TAYAMMUM IS
PERMITTED
At-Tayammum is permitted only on
specificinstancesas follows:
1. Where the personcannotfindwater or
the amountof water is not sufficientfor
Wudhu. However,beforeperformingAT-
29

Tayammum,the personis requiredto look
for water earnestly from any possible
source.
2. When a personis injuredor ill and
believesthat the useof waterwill worsen
his,/hercondition,then,At-Tayammumis
allowed.
3.Whenwateristoocoldsuchthat it may
harm the person, AT-Tayammum is
allowedif the usercannotfind meansof
heatingthe water.
4. Whenwaterisnearby,butthepersonis
not ableto fetch it due to fear for his,/her
life, family and wealth, (e.g.froman
enemy either beast or human in the
vicinity) then, At-Tayammum may be
performed.
5. When there is not enoughwater and
one is forcedto savewhat isavailablefor
drinking and/or cooking, then, At-
30

Tayammumis allowed.
THEEARTH(SOTLITOBEUSEDFORAT-
TAYAMMUM
Thisshouldbe pureearthor soilandcan
be sand,stoneor gypsumwhich produce
dustwhen hit with the hands.
HOW TO PERFORMAT-TAYAMMUM
1. Thepersonshouldfirst intendbyheart
to performAt-Tayammum.
2. Thepersonthenstrikethe soilwiththe
palmsof both hands.
3. The personthen wipesthe faceusing
bothpalms.
4. Thereafter,the person uses the left
palm to wipe over the backof the right
hand uptothe wrist, and then, usesthe
rightpalmto wipeoverthe backofthe left
3t

hand uptothe wrist.
Notes:
1. lf any dust clingsto the hands upon
strikingthe earth,it shouldbe blownout
first beforewipingthefaceandthe hands
to avoidthe dust.
2. Onlyonestrikeontheearthissufficient
for wiping both the face and hands.
3. For persons who are required to
perform Ghusl, but are unable to find
water,then,At-Tayammumas discussed
would suffice.
MATTERS WHICH NULLIFY AT-
TAYAMMUM
Purificationby At-Tayammumhas the
same validity as Wudhu and Ghusl
performed with water, but becomes
invalidatedin the followingcases:
32

1. All actionsand conditionsthat nullify
Wudhu alsonullifyAt-Tayammum.
2. lf after performing At-Tayammum,
water is foundfor Wudhu or Ghusl.
THE TIMINGS OF THE OELIGATORY
PRAYERS
lslam has prescribed specified time limits
for each obligatoryprayer as canbe noted
from the following verse of the Holy
Aur'an:
"Prayer is enjoined on believersat stated
times"(Our'an4:103)
And in an authenticpropheticsayingit is
confirmedthat someoneonceaskedthe
prophet(PBUH)aboutthe bestactionin
the sight ol Allah 6WD and the prophet
replied:
33

" Offering prayer at its prescribed
time......."(Reportedby lmam Bukhari)
Thus,the arrivalofthetimefor prayerisa
fundamentalconditionfor performingit
and if, therefore,a prayeris intentionally
performedbeforeor after its designated
time it shallnotbeacceptablein thesight
of Atlah 6Wn. However,Personswho
mayforget(withoutintention)toperform
any of the obligatoryprayerswithin its
ordainedtime or who are overtakenby
sleep,then suchpersonsshouldperform
the prayeras soonas they rememberit
and/or assoonastheywakeupfromtheir
sleep.
We shall now enumeratethe different
timingsof the five obligatoryprayers:
1. FAJR(Dawn)PRAYER- ltstimebegins
at dawnwhen morninglightfirstappears
in the horizonandcontinuesuntilthesun
rises.

2. DHUHR (Nonn) PRAYER- lts time
beginswhen the sun reachesits highest
point in the sky and continuesuptothe
time of Asr Prayer.
3. ASR (Afternoon)PRAYER- lts time
beginswhen the shadowof an objectis
equalto itsown length,plusthe lengthof
its noontimeshadowandcontinuesuntil
sunset.
4. MAGHRI8(Sunset)PRAYER- tts time
startsfromsunsetandcontinuesuntilthe
end of twilight.Twilight is the redness
whichremainsinthehorizonaftersunset.
5.ISHA(Evening)PRAYER- ltstimestarts
when the twilight disappearsand
continuesupto mid-night.Mid-nightin
this case may not necessarily be
interpretedto mean12:OOo'clockbutmay
be construedas the mid-timebetween
35

sunset and the appearanceof the
dawn.
ADHAAN(CALLTO PRAYER)
The "Adhaan" isa callto informothersin
specific words that the time lor a
particularprayerhasbegun.lt is a callto
the congregationand is an expressionof
the lslamicpractice.lt isrequiredasanact
for all the ObligatoryPrayers.
THEVIRTUESOFADHAAN
The greatnessof the virtuewhich lslam
attachesto the "Adhaan" and the one
who performsit i.e.the "Muadhin", can
be notedfrom the followingverseof the
HolyOur'an:
36

"WHO IS BETTERIN SPEECHTHANONE
WHO CALLS (THE PEOPLE)TO ALLAH
AND WORKS RIGHTEOUSIVESS.,,
(Our'an41:33)
The mother of the faithful,Aisha (may
Allahbe pleasedwith her)confirmedthat
this verse concernsand refers to the
Muadhinand was revealedon no other
reasonthan for the Muadhin.
And, from the prophetictraditions,Abu
Hurairah reported that the Prophet
(PBUH),said:
"lf the people knew the reward in the
Adhaan and the f irstrow of the prayer and
that they could not get it (the reward)save
by drawing lots, they would draw |ots....."
(Narratedby lmam Bukhari)
And, in another saYing the ProPhet
(PBUH),said:
l7

"The "Muadhins" will on the Day of
Judgement have the longest necks
(reflectingtheir exclusiveeminence)".
HOWTHEADHAANIS PERFORMED
Preferably,thereshouldbe an appointed
MuadhinateachMosquewhowill callthe
people to prayer when the time of a
particularprayerisdue.ln perfgrmingthe
Adhaan, the Muadhrnwould standfacing
the directionof the "Aibbh" (the sacred
mosquein Makkah).Hewouldthen raise
bothhandsuptohisearsandsayin a loud
voicethe followingwords:
1. ALLAHU AKBAR Allah r's the
greatest.(tobe repeated4 times)
2. ASH-HADUANLA ILAHAILLALLAAH-
I testify that there is no god but Altah. (to
be repeated2 times)

3. ASH.HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN
RASUULULLAAH - ltestifythat
Muhammad is Allah's messenger.(to be
repeated2 times)
4. HAYYA'ALASSALAAT - Comefast to
prayer. (to be repeated 2 times). The
Muadhin, when reciting this turns the
faceslightlyto the rightside.
5. HAYYA'ALALFALAAH - Comefast to
success.(to be repeated2 times).The
Muadhin, when reciting this turns the
faceslightlyto the leftside.
6.ALLAHUAKBAR -Allah is thegreatest.
(to be repeated2 times)
7. LAA ILAHA ILLALLAAH - There is no
god but Allah. (to be recitedonce)
Note:ln the Adhaan,forthe Fajr(Dawn)
prayer,the followingwords are recited
twice afterHayya'alalFalaah:
39

"ASSALATU KHEIRUM MINA NAWM''.
(toberecitedfortwo times)whichmeans-
"Salaat is better than sleep".
WHAT SOMEONESUPPLICATESUPON
HEARINGTHEADHAAN
It is preferredpracticethat when a person
hears the Adhaan, he should repeatthe
words the Muadhin calls out, except,
when he says "Haaya alal Salaat and
Hayyaalal Falaah",the listener should
insteadsay:
"LA HOWLA WALA AUWATA ILA
BILLAH",which means-
"There is nopower andstrength exceptby
Allah".
40

THE SUPPLICATION AFTER THE
ADHAAN
Uponthe completionof the Adhaan,it is
recommendedthat the listener recites
the followingsupplication:
''ALLAHUMMA
RABBA HADHIHID
DA'WATI - TAMMAH. WASALATIL
AA'IMAH. ATI MUHAMMADANAL
WASILATA WAL FADHILATA,
WAAB'ATHUHU MAAAMUM MAH.
MUDAN-ALLADHII WA'AD TAHU".
which means-
"O Allah, Lord of this completecall and of
the prayer to be held, grant Muhammad
the most favoured and excellentposition
in the Paradiseand raise him to thepraise
worthy place that You have promised
him".
It is highly recommendedto recitethe
above supplicationat the end of every
4l

Adhaan and in this regardthe Prophet
(PBUH)said:
"....it becomes obligatory upon me to
intercede for him (person reciting the
supplication) on the Day of Judgement".
(Reportedby lmam Bukhari)
ToAMAH(SECONDCALLTO PRAYER)
"lqamah" is the secondcallto the prayer
and is saidinsidethe Mosqueat the start
of the congregationalprayer.lt goes as
follows:
l. ALLAHUAKBAR (repeatedtwo times)
2. ASH-HADU ANLA ILLAHA ILA LAAH.
(once)
3. ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAR
RASULUL-LAAH.(once)
4. HAYYAALAS-SALAAL (once)
42

5. HAYYAALAL-FALAAH.(once)
6. AAD AAMATIS-SALAAT. (rePeated
two times)
7. ALLAHUAKBAR.(repeatedtwo times)
8. LAA ILAAHA ILA-LAAH.(once)
Notes:
a. lt is recommendedthat a brieftime
gapping be maintained between the
"Adhaan"andthe "lqamah"to allowthe
congregationto get readyfor the salaat.
b. lt is preferredthat the "lqamah" is
performedbythe sameperson(Muadhin)
who performedthe "Adhaan".
c. lt is dislikedfor anyoneto leavethe
mosque once the "Adhaan" is made,
unlessfor urgent reason(s)but with a
determinationto returnfor the prayer.
43

d. lt isprohibitedtooffervoluntaryprayers
after lqamah has been calledout. The
Prophet(PBUH)says:
"When lqamah is called out, no prayer is
permissible except the obligatory one".
e. lf a person missesa prayerdue to
oversleepingor forgetfulness, then,
before starting the missed prayer the
personis requiredto comeup with both
Adhaanand lqamah,
However,if a personmissesa number of
prayers,it is preferredthat he comesup
withonlyone"Adhaan"forallthemissed
prayers,but to come up with a separate
"lqamah"for eachsalaat.
t. Where a person misses the
congregationalprayer at the mosque,
sucha person,beforestartingto prayisat
liberty to either perform or omit the
M

Adhaanand the lqamah.However,if he
decides to Perform the Adhaan, it is
preferredthat he doesit in a low voiceso
as not to attractthe attentionof others
outside.
g.lt is notobligatoryon womento perform
theAdhaanandlqamahbutiftheywishto
performthe samethereis no harm.
PERFORMANCEOFTHESAIAAT
After introducing the salaat and
discussingits pre-requisites,we shall
now turn to matters pertainingto its
actualperformance.
CONDITIONS FOR THE PRAYER
(SHURUUD-L-SAIAAT)
There area numberof conditionswhich
needto be fulfilledfor the prayerto be
valid.Theseareas follows:
45

1. Acceptance of lslamic Faith
disbelieversare not requiredto establish
Safaat until theybelievein "Attah6WD"
andbearwitnessthatthereis no godbut
Allahandbearwitnessthat Muhammad
is His servantand messenger.
2. Anniyah - this in Arabic means the
intention by heart to perform the
particularprayer.
3. Cleanliness- this includescleanliness
of the body,the clothesand the place
where the prayeris to be performed.
4. Purification - this refers to the
performanceof Wudhu(orGhuslwhereit
is required)prior to undertakingthe
prayer.
5. Concealingof the Private parts - for a
man, it is essentialthat he be coveredat
leastfromthenaveltothekneesallround,
while, in the caseof a woman,her body
46

should be totally coveredexceptfor the
faceand wrists.
6. Facingthe "Aiblah" - this meansthat a
personwhen prayingmust facetowards
the directionof the sacredmosquein
"Makkah". Where a personis not ableto
locatethe directionby himself/herself,
the personmay ask anotherpersonwho
may know the direction of the Aibbh.
However,if no one is in sightto guideto
the right direction,then, the person
should decide for himself,/herselfand
make the best guess of the correct
directionof the Aiblah, and accordingly,
performthe prayerin that directioneven
though the guess maybeincorrect.The
prayer performed would still be
acceptable(lnshaAllah) in view of the
followingverseof the HolYOur'an.
"Whichever direction yeturn' there is the
Presenceof Allah," (Our'an2:115l''

7. Timing- prayersare to be observedin
their prescribedtimes.
8. Sanity and consciousness- prayeris
requiredonlyfrompersonsofsoundmind.
9. Ability to distinguish - prayer is
requiredonlywherethe person(child)is
ableto distinguishbetweengoodandbad,
and is ableto understandandappreciate
fully what is to be recited,performedetc.
Note:
It is preferred for children to begin
performingthe praverat the ageof seven
for it awakensin them the presenceof
"Allah (SWT)"and incutcatesin themthe
habitof prayingas an actof worshipand
lovetofAllah 6WD". A childat theageof
1Ois madeto understandthat prayeris
necessarilya partoftheperson,sdailylife
and is a solemnduty ordainedby
',Altah
(SWT)"onall Muslims,andthatfailureto
48

perform it is an act of disbelief(Kufr).
Therefore,parentsare requiredto guide
their children to the right path by
punishingany of them who at the ageof
1Ointentionallymissesthe prayers.
The Prophet(PBUH),said:
"Order your children to pray when they
reach the age of seven and punish them
for not performing it at the age of ten and
separatethem (i.e.boys and girls) in their
beds."(Reportedby lmam Buhkari)
Uponattainingthe age of 15, a childis
deemed to have reached adulthood,
whereby, he,/sheis requiredto perform
the prayer.Herebelow,are some other
signswhich mayindicatethat a childhas
attainedadulthood.
a. Thegrowingof pubichairs.
b. Findingtracesof semenon thechild's
clothesand,/orbed.
49

c.Thestartof menstruation,in thecaseof
a girl.
CATEGORIESOF THE ACTS OF THE
SAr AvAT
All the acts,readingsand supplications
undertakenin the courseof the salaat
have different legal weights and
implications.They are categorisedas
follows:
A. Pilfarsof the Salaat- (Arkanu-Salaat)
B. NecessaryDuties of the Salaat
(Wajibatu-Salaat)
C. Preferred Acts of the Salaat
(Sunnanu-Salaat)
We shall now discuss each of these
categoriesin turn.
50

PILLARSOF THE SAr^vAT- (ARKANU-
SAI AAT)
The prayerhas obligatorypillarswhich
mustbefulfilledfor ittobevalidandthese
are as follows:
1. Al-Aiyaam" - prayer is to be
performedin a standing position if a
personis physicallycapable.
2. "Takbiiratil lhraam", that is saying
"ALLAHU AKBAR". at the commence-
ment of the prayer.
3. "Al-Fatihah" - that is reciting the
openingchapterof the Holy Our'an in
everyRakaat.
4. "Rukuu" - this is bowing posture
whereby the head and the back are
positionedon the same level and both
handsare restedon the kneeswith the
fingersspreadapart.
5l

5.A requirementto raisetheheadupfrom
the Rukuuposition.
6. A requirementto stand up from the
Rukuu positionin such a way that the
personfeels that all his,/herbackbones
are straightened.
7. "Sujuud" that is prostratingoneselfin
sucha waythatthefollowingsevenparts
of the body are firmly placed on the
ground:theforeheadtogetherwith thetip
of the nose, both the palms,both the
knees,the bottomsurfaceof the toesof
both feet.
8. A requirementto raisethe headfrom
the Sujuudposition.
9. A requirementto sit uprightduringthe
pausebetweenthe two prostrations.
10. A requirementto take a Sitting

Position for the recitation of the "At-
Tashahud" (words of witness).
11. A requirement to recite the tinal "At-
Tashahud". .
12.A requirementto recitethe wordsof
supplicationfor the Prophet(PBUH).
13.A requirementto concludetheprayer
with the words of peace "Tasleem", i.e.
"Assalamu Aleykum Wa Rahmatullaahi
Wa Barakatuh".
14. A requirementthat in fulfilling the
above pillarsthe person should be in a
state of tranquility.
The above are the pillars of the prayer,
wherein, if any of them is missed,it is
requiredto repeatthe whole Rakaat(Unit)
in which the pillar is omitted,but if, the
Takbiiratil - lhraam is omitted, it becomes
necessaryto repeatthe whole salaat.
53

NECESSARYDUTIESOF THESALAAT
(wAJTBATU-SArAAT)
ln additionto the above14 pillarsof the
prayer,there are alsocertainnecessary
dutieswhich needto be fulfilledin the
courseof thesalaat.Theseareasfollows:
1. Saying "ALLAHU AKBAR" in the
courseof the prayerwhereit isnecessary,
e.g.uponcommencingRukuuetc.,etc.
2. Saying "SUBHANAA RABBIYAL
AZIM."when in Rukuuposition.
3. Saying "SAMI ALLAHU LIMAN
HAMIDAH" while resuming standing
positionfrom the Rukuu whether the
personisan "lmam" (leader)oris praying
alone.
54

4. Saying"RABBANAWALAKALHAMD"
when resuming the standing position
from the Rukuuaftersayingthe words:
SAMI ALLAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH". This
is required from the lmam (leader), from
the congregationand even from aperson
who is praying alone.
5. Saying
'SUBHANARABBIYALA'ALA"
when in Sujuud(prostration)position.
6. Saying "RABBI IGHFIRLEE" in the
sittingpausebetweenthetwo protrations
of everyunit of the prayer.
7. Taking a Sitting Position for the
recitationof At-Tashahudafter the first
two rakaats(units)ofDhuhr,Asr,Maghrib
and lshaprayers.
8. Recitingthe At-Tashahud (wordsof
witness)afterthe firsttwo rakaats(units)
of Dhuhr,Asr,Maghribandlshaprayers.
55

Theabove8 actsconstitutethe necessary
dutiesof the prayerand if oneof them is
missedunintentionally,thenthepersonis
requiredto amendthe mistakebycoming
up with the two prostrations of
forgetfulnessat the end of the prayer.
However,if any of thesedutiesis left out
deliberately,then the whole prayer is
nullifiedand shallrequirea repetition.
PREFERREDACTS OF THE SALAAT
(suNANU-SArAAT)
In additionto the Pillarsand Necessary
dutiesalreadydiscussed,there are also
certainpreferredactsto befutfilledin the
courseof the prayer.Theseareasfollows:
1. Recitingof an openingsupplication
(Du'a-al-lstiftaah) after the "Takbiiratil-
lhraam".
2. Placingthe handsoverthe chestwhile
the personis in a standingpositionwith
56

the right handplacedoverthe left hand.
3. Raisingof bothhandsuptothe levelof
the shouldersor nearto the lobesof the
ears when saying "Takbiiratil-lhraam";
when heading lor the Rukuu; when
resuming standing position from the
Rukuu and when resuming standing
positionfrom the prostration.
4. SeekingtheprotectionofAllahfromthe
cursedsatan(onlyat the startof the first
rakaat)by saying:
"Auzu billahi minas- shaytani-r-rajiim,"
which means
"l seek Allah's refuge from the cursed
satan."
5. Starting the prayer with the silent
invocationof "Allah (SWf)" by saying:
57

''
BISMILLAHI -R.RAHMANI-R--
RAHEEM." which means
"ln the name of Allah' the
Compassionate,the Merciful."
6. Saying"Ameen" uponconcluding
the recitationof "Al-Fatihah".
7. Recitingsomechaptersor passages(at
leastthree(3)verses)of the HolyOur'an
atter Al-Fatihah in the first two rakaats
(units)of eachprayer.
8. A preferencethat the recitationof Al-
Fatihah and of any other additional
readingsfromthe HolyOur'anarerecited
in a loudvoicein the first two rakaatsof
Fajr,Maghriband lshaprayers.
9. A preferencethat when sittingfor the
tirstAt-Tashahudandin betweenthetwo
prostrations,the personrestson his left
footflattenedonthegroundwhilekeeping
58

the rightfoot erectwith the bottomof the
toesfirmedon the ground.
1O.A preferenceto practtceAt-Tawaruk
when sittingfor the finalAt-Tashahudin
the Dhuhr,Asr,Maghribandlshaprayers.
"At-Tawaruk" is a mode of sitting,
whereinthe personprotrudesout his left
footfrom underneathhisrightleg,insuch
a waythatthepersondoesnotrelaxon his
left foot.
11. Reciting the following supplica-
tion,when sitting for At-Tashahud,in
betweenthe supplicationfor the Prophet
(PBUH)and the finalwordsof peace:
,,ALLAHUMMA
INII AUDHU BIKA MIN
ADHABI JAHANAMA. WAMINADHABIIL
AABR. WAMIN FITNATILMAHYAA WAL-
MA-MATI, WAMIN FITNATILMASIHID-
DAJAAL". which means-
59

"O Lord I seek your protection from the
torment of Jahanam (the hell fire), and
from the torment of the grave, and from
the trials of living and dying and from the
trials of the Masiih Addajaal."
The abovepointsarethe preferredactsof
the prayer and all M uslims are
encouragedto preservethese practices
because their observanceentitles the
person great rewards from "Allah
(SWf)". However,missing any of them
does neither invalidatethe salaat nor
require the two prostrations of
forgetfulness.
HOWTHESALAATIS PERFORMED
Havingknown in detailall the different
acts of the praYer, i.e.,its Pillars,
necessarydutiesand preferredacts,we
shallnowdiscussin briefhowtheSalaat
is performedfollowingtheexampleof the
Prophet(PBUH),and in due regardto his
60

famoussaying:
,,SALUU KAMA RAEYTUMUNIIUSALI'',
which means
"Perform your prayers in the same
manner you have seen me doing."
Transmittedby Al-Bukhari
We shalldiscusstheperformanceof each
prayerin its properperspective.
r. "FAJR(DAWN)PRAYER".
Number of Rakaats.'Two
Recitation'Our'anic recitationsin this
prayerare made in a loud voiceby the
lmam in a congregationprayerand by
whoeverpraysalone.
Performance:
1. Thepersonturnstowardsthedirection
of the Aibbh, (the sacred Mosque at
6l

Makkah),intendingby heart to perform
the Fajr(Dawn)prayer.
Note:
Thepersonshouldnotpronouncehis,/her
intention openly because neither the
Prophet(PBUH)nor hiscompanionsused
to utter their intentionfor prayer.Thus,
pronouncingthe intentionin a loudvoice
is an innovationand is totallyrejected.
2.Thepersonthenraisesbothhandsupto
the leveloftheshouldersor nearthelobes
of the ears,pronouncesthe "Takbiiratit-
lhraam" by saying "ALLAHU AKBAR"
andplacesbothhandsoverthechestwith
the righthandoverthe left.
By recitingthe "Takbiiratil- lhraam".the
person thus, resolves for prayer and
enters into a state of worship and is
thenceforthrequiredto call to mind the
majestyandgloryof "Allah (SWT)"andto
62

dedicatehis intentions,recitationsand
actionsto Him aloneuntilthe end of the
prayer. While praying the person is
requiredto directhis eyesdownwardsat
the spotof Prostration.
3. The personthen recitesin a low voice
an openingsupplicationfor the prayer.
Herebelowarethreeof thesupplications
whichtheProphet(PBUH)usedtopractice
and the Muslim is exhortedto memorize
at least one of them for recitationeach
time a prayeris performed:
a). "SUBHANAKA ALLAHUMMA WA
BEHAMDIKA WATABARAKA ISMOKA,
WATA'ALA JADDOKA WALA ILAHA
GHAYROKA".which means-
"Praise and glory be to Allah. Blessedbe
Your name exalted be Your maiesty and
glory. Thereis no god but You".
63

b). "ALLAHUMMA BA|'D BAYNT WA
BAYNA KHATAYAYA KAMA BAA'DTA
BAYNA.AL.MASHRIKI WAL MAGHRIBI.
ALLAHUMMA NAAANIY MIN KHA-
TAYAYAKAMA YONAAA-AL-THOWBO-
ALABYADO MIN-AL.DANASI,
ALLAHUMMA IAYSILNIY MIN KHA.
TAYAYA BIL-MAI. WATHALJI,
WALBARAD".which means
"O Lord,separateme from my sinsasyou
have separatedthe eastand west. OLord,
cleanseme of my srnsas the white robeis
cleansedfrom dirt. O Lord, wash awaymy
sins with water, snow and hail".
c). "WAJAHTU WAJHIYA LtLLADHtt
FA.'TARA-AL-SAMAWATI WAL.ARDHI
HANIIFAN MUSLIMAN WAMAA ANA
MINAL MUSHRIKIINA, INNA SALATII
WANUSUKII WAMAHYAYA WAMA-
MATII LILLAHI RABEIL'ALAMIINA LAA
SH,ARIKALAHU WABIDHALIKA UMIRTU

WA ,ANA MINAL-MUSLIMIINA". which
means
"l turn my face to Him Who created the
heavens and the earth, as a true believer
and a Muslim, and nay, am I one of the
polytheists. Truly, my prayer and my
sacrifices, my life and my death. allbelong
to Allah, Lord of the worlds, Who has no
partner. Thisam lcommanded, andlam of
those who submit to His Will".
4. Thepersonthen seeksthe protectionof
"Allah (SWf)" from the cursedsatan by
saying "AUZO BILLAHI MTNAL
SHAYTANI-R-RAJIIM".
5.Thepersonthensilentlyinvokes"Altah
(SWf)" by saying:
,,
BISMIL LAH-R-RAHMAN -R-RAHIIM".
which means-
65

"ln the name of Allah. the all Merciful, the
all Compassionate".
Thepersonimmediatelythereafterrecites
"AL-FATIHAH" (openingchapterof the
GloriousOur'an) in due regardto the
followingsayingof the Prophet(PBUH):
"Prayer without reciting the'Al-Fatihah'
is invalid".(Reportedby lmam Bukhari)
Uponcompletionof the "Al-Fatihah" the
personsays"Ameen" loudly.
6. The person then recites chapters,
versesor passages(minimum of three
verses)fromthe HolyOur'an.However,it
is recommendedthat long passagesare
recitedfor the Fajr(Dawn)prayer.
Note:
lf the person is praying with a
iongregationbehind an lmam (leader)
66

he,/shewouldapplyNos.1,2,3 and4,and
woufd listento the lmamrecitingthe "Al-
Fatihah" loudly and upon the lmam
completingitsrecitation,thepersonalong
with the rest of the congregationwould
say "Ameen" loudly after which, the
personwould applyNo.5 in a low voice.
7. Then,the personproceedsto "Rukuu"
(bowing)positionraisingbothhandsupto
the leveloftheshouldersor nearthe lobes
of the ears saying "ALLAHU AKBAR".
While in this position,the person is
required to excercise serenity and
tranquilitypositioningthe headandback
on the samelevel,puttingbothhandson
the knees with the fingersspreadand
sayingthe followingwords for at least
threetimes:
"SUBHANA RABBIYAL A'ZM". which
means-
"Glorified is my Lord the Great."
67

In addition,while in Rukuuposition,it is
alsoadvisableto say:
"SUBHANAKA ALLAHUMMA WA
BIHAMDIKA, ALLAHUM MA EGHFIRLII'',
which means-
"Glory be to Thee,O Allah, and praise be
to Thee, forgive me my sins".
8. Then, the person raises from the
"Rukuu" positionliftingboth handsupto
the leveloftheshouldersor nearthelobes
of the earssaying:
''SAMI A'ALLAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH",
which means
"Allah listensto him who praises Him."
The personthen,immediatelyrecitesthe
following supplication while still
standing:
68

.'RABBANA
WA LAKA AL HAMDU
HAMDAN KATHEER'AN TAYYIBAN
MOBARAKAN FEEHIY MILA'S
SAMAWATI WA MILA' ALARDHI WA
MILA' MA BAYNAHOMA WA MILA' MA
SHIATA MIN SHIYIN BAA'D", which
means
"Our Lord,praise be to Theeonly,praises
plentiful and blessings as to fill the
heavens, the earth, and what /s in
between, and fill that which will please
Theebesides them".
However,if a personfollowinganlmamin
a congregationalprayer is not able to
conrplete the above supplication it
suffices to say "RABBANA WA LAKA
ALHAMD".
It is also advisablefor the lmam. the
followeror one who praysaloneto add
furtherthe supplicationherebelow:

"AHLU THANAA'I WALMAJDI A-HAAU
MA AAALA ALABDU WAKULUNALAKA
ABD, ALLAHUMMA LA MAANI'A LIMA
ADEYTA WALA M U'DIYA LIMA
MAN'ATA WALA YANFA'UDHAL-JADDI
MINKAL JADD". which means -
"You Allah who deservesall praises and
all glory, Your praising is the best and
most true of whatever Your servant can
say,we are allYourservants.OurLord,no
one caneverdepriveanything of what You
have bestowedand no one can evergive
anything of what Youhave deprived."
While in the standing position after
Rukuu,the personisadvisedtoplaceboth
handsoverthe chestin the samemanner
before bowing, since, this was the
practiceof the Prophet(PBUH).
9. The person thereafter proceedsto
prostration saying: "ALLAHU AKBAR"
and touchingthe groundwith the knees
70

first before the hands if possible.
However,if not possible,the personmay
touchthe groundwith the handsbefore
the knees. While in prostration,the
personshould placesevenpartsof the
bodyon the ground.Thesepartsare:the
forehead,together with the nose, both
palms of the hands (fingersshould be
stretched,closed together and pointed
towardsthe directionof the Oiblah),both
knees,the bottompartsof the toesofboth
feet (toespointedto the directionof the
Oiblah). During the prostrations,the
personsaysfor threetimes or morethe
followingwords:
"SUBHANA RABBIYAL A'ALA", which
means
"Glorified is my Lord the Exalted".
It is alsoadvisableto sayfurther:
7l

,,SUBHANAKAALLAHUMMA RABBANA
WA BI HAMDIKA, ALLAHUMMA IGHFIR
Lll", which means
"Glory be to Thee,ourLord,andIpraisebe
to Thee.O Lord, forgiue me my sins"'
While in prostration,it is recommended
that the person recites as many
supplicationsas possibleasking "Allah
(SWf)" for prosperityboth in this worldly
life and in the life hereafterbecausethe
Prophet'(PBUH)said:
'Whenperforming 'Rukuu'
, glorify 'Allah
(SWTI, butduringprostration,endeavour
to makeasmanysupplicationsaspossible
to
'Allah(SWTL'for supplicationsduring
prostrationare almost certain to be
accepted."(Reportedby lmam Muslim)
In view of the aboveprophetictradition,
we quote here below some of the
supplicationsand privateprayerswhich
72

the Prophet(PBUH)usedto saywhile in
prostration:
a.,'ALLAHUMMA LAKA SAJADTU,
WABIKAAMANTU, WALAKAASLAMTU'
SAJADA WAJHII LILLADHII KHA-
LAAAHU FASAWARAHU FAAH.SANA
SUWARAHIJ, FASHAAA SAM'AHU
WABASARAHU. FATABARAKA.LLAHU
AHSANA-L-KHAUAllN". which means
"O Lord, to Thee I prostrate' in Thee I
believe and to Thee I submit; MY face
prostrates to He Who created and
fashioned it and made its form good and
provided it with hearing and sight; praise
be to Altah, the most excellent of
creators".
b.
''RABBI A'DI NAFSII TAAWAHA'
WAZAKIHA, ANTA KHAYRIJ-MANZA-
KAHA ANTA WALIYUHAA WAMAU-
LAHAA."which means

" O Lord,give my soul itsdevoutnessand
purify it, for none other than Thou can
purify it, Thou are itsLord and Master,,.
While in prostratlon,the personshould
not bringthe handscloseto the headand
should not stick the arms to the
abdomen.Also,the personshouldneither
sticktheabdomento thighsnorthethighs
to legs.The arms should be distanced
from the body and raised up from the
ground because the prophet (pBUH)
prohibitedflatteningthem on the ground
accordingto the followingsaying;
"Adjust your prostration, keep straight in
it and stretch not your hands on the
ground as dogs do". (Reporterdby lmam
Bukhari)
10. The personthereafterraisesup the
headfrom prostrationsaying ,'ALLAHU
AKBAR", and sits up restingon the left
footflattenedonthegroundwhilekeeping
74

the right foot erect with the toes of the
rightfootfirmedon the ground'While in
this position,bothpalmsareto be placed
on the kneesand the personrecitesthe
followingsuPPlication:
''RABIYA IAHFIRLII, WARHAMNII'
WAHDINII. WAJBIJRNII. WARZANEE'
WA'A FINEE", which means
"O my Lord, forgive me' have mercY on
me, guide me, consoleme,providefor me'
and healme."
11. The personprostratesagainsaying
"ALLAHUAKBAR"andrepeatswhat was
donein the first Prostration'
12.fhe personthen raisesthe headfrom
the secondprostrationsaying"ALLAHU
AKBAR",andtakesa sittingpausesimilar
to the Pause between the two
prostrations.Thisisa pausefor restandit
is recommendedto take such a pause'
't5

althoughthereis no harmif omitted.That
is the end of one "Rakaat,,(unit).
13.The personthereafter,says ALLAHU
AKBAR and stands up for the second
Rakaatwhich is performedin the same
manneras the first Rakaatwherebythe
personcomesup with all the actionsand
recitationsfrom Nos. 1 upto 11 as
discussedabove.
14. Upon completing the second
prostrationas discussedin No.12 above,
the person takes a sitting for the ',At_
Tashahud" (wordsof witness)and while
in this position,the fingersof the right
handaretobeplacedclose-fistedsavethe
index finger which the person uses to
pointout asanindicationfor monotheistic
beliefalthough,the personmay as well
keepboth the little and the ring fingers
closed,while roundingthe thumb and
middlefinger in a ring-shapedform and
usesthe indexfingerto pointoutasa sign
for monotheisticbelief.lt hasbeenrelated
76

that the Prophet(PBUH),practicedboth
these methods and it is advisableto
practicethe first methodat timesandthe
othermethodat othertimes'Thelefthand
is placedon the left kneewith the fingers
keptopen.
After sitting as discussed above, the
personrecitesthe,4T-Tashahud(wordsof
witness)as follows:
''AT
TAHIYYATULILAHI WASALAWATU
WATAYYIBATUASSALAMU ALAYKA
AYUHAN-NABIYU WA RAHMATULLAHI
WA BARAKATUHU,ASALAMU ALAYNA
WA ALA IBADI-L-LAHI-S-SALIHIYN.
ASH-HADU ANLA ILAHA ILA LAHU WAH
DAHU LA SHARIKALAHU WA ASH.HA-
DUANNA MUHAMMADAN ABDUHU WA
RASUULUH.ALLAHUMMA SALLIYALA
MUHAMMAD WA ALA AALI
MUHAMMAD, KAMA SALAYTA ALA
IBRAHIMA, WA AALA AALI IBRAHIM.

INAKA HAMIDON MAJID. WA BARIK
ALAA MUHAMMAD WA ALAA AALI
MUHAMMAD KAMA BARAKTA ALA
IBRAHIMA WA ALAA AALI IERAHIM.
INAKA HAMTDONMAJtD...which means
"Greetings, prayers and our good deeds
are for Allah. Peace,mercyand blessings
of Allah be on you O prophet. May peace
be upon us and on the devout slaves of
Allah. 'l
testify that there is no god but
Allah (the person when reciting this
testimonypoints out the index finger as a
sign of monotheistic belief) and I testify
that Muhammad /s His slave and
messenger'. O Lord, bless Muhammad
and his family as you blessedlbrahim and
his family. Youare the Most-praised, The
Most-Glorious. OLord,bestow yourgrace
on Muhammad and his famity as you
bestowedit onlbrahim and hisfamily. you
are the Most-praised, the Most_
Glorious."
78

It is recommendedto add to the above
reading the following supplicationin
which the person asks for Allah's
protectionfrom four evils:
,'ALLAHUMMA INII AUDHU BIKA MIN
ADHABI JAHANNAMA, WA M IN
ADHABIL AABR. WAMIN FITNATIL
MAHYAA WAL-MAMATI, WAMIN
FtTNATtL MASIHID-DAJAAL". which
means-
"My Lord,I seekYourprotectionfrom the
torment of Hell, from the torment of the
grave, from the trials in lifetime and after
death, and from the impostor Masihi-
dajaal".
The person may also make further
supplicationsto "Allah(SWD" askingfor
prosperityboth in this life and in the life
hereafter,and to bestowHis favourson
his parentsandotherMuslims.Thiswas
the confirmedpracticeof the Prophet
79

(PBUH)as reportedby lbn Massoud(may
Allah be pleasedwith him).
15. Havingcompletedthe At-Tashahud
the person terminates the prayer by
sayingfor two times
''AS-SALAMU
ALEYKUM WA
RAHMATU-LAAH".which mean
" Peaceand mercy ofAttah be upon you",
turningthefacefirstto the rightandthen,
to the left.
That is the end of the Fajrprayer.
II."DHUHR(NOON)PRAYER"
Number of Rakaat:Four
Recitation:Our'anic recitations in this
prayeris madein a lowvoicebythe lmam
(leader),the followersor whoeverprays
alone.
80

Performahce:
1. The first two Rakaatsof the Dhuhr
prayerareperformedin thesamemanner
as the two Rakaatsof the Fajrprayerwith
regardto Nos.1 upto14.However,in the
caseof Dhuhrprayer,thesittingin No.14
representstheftrstAt-Tashahudinwhich
case,the personis requiredto reciteonly
the firstpartofthe wordsof witnessupto
'"...WA
ASHADUANNAMUHAMMADAN
ABDUHU WA RASUULUHU". Mean-
while, it is preferredthat,for the Dhuhr
prayer,the our'anic recitationsafterthe
Al-Fatihah are of medium length (i.e.
neithertoo shortnor too long).
2. Uponconcludingthe recitationof the
first part ol At-Tashahudin No. 14, the
person, insteadof proceedingto action
No. 15 (of the Fajr prayer),standsup for
the two remainingRakaatsof the Dhuhr
prayerwhich are also performedin the
samemanneras the firsttwo.
81

3. UponperformingNo. 12 in the fourth
Rakaat,the personsits for the tinal At'
Tashahud and comes up with full
recitationof the sameas in No.14 of the
Fajrprayer.Thepersonthen proceedson
to No.15 andthus,concludesthe prayer.
III."ASR(AFTERNOON)PRAYER"
Number of rakaats:Four
Recitation' Our'anicrecitationsin this
prayerare made in a low voice bY the
leader(lmam),the followers,or whoever
praysalone.
Performance:lt isperformedsimilartothe
Dhuhr(Noon)prayerin all respects.
rv. "MAGHRIB(SUNSET)PRAYER"
Number of Rakaats.'Three
82

Recitation' Our'anic recitationsin this
prayer is made loudly in the first two
rakaats by the leader (lmam) or by
whoeverpraysalone.
Performance:
1. Thefirst two Rakaatsof this prayerare
performedin thesamemannerasthefirst
two Rakaats of the Dhuhr prayer.
However,the personprayingbehindan
lmam in a congregationis requiredto
listento the lmam'srecitationof theAl-
Fatihah,in thefirsttwo Rakaats.Uponthe
lmam'scompletionof theAl-Fatihah,the
person says Ameen with the rest of the
congregationandthen recitesAl-Fatihah
silentlybyhimself.Thepersonthereafter,
maynot needto reciteOur'anicpassages
himself but shouldpay attentionto the
lmam'srecitation.
Meanwhile,Our'anicrecitationsin this
prayerafter the Al-Fatihahby the lmam
83

(or bywhoeverpraysalone)maybeeither
longor shortpassagesof the HolyOur'an.
2. Uponraisingthe headfromthe second
prostration of the second Rakaat,the
personsitsdownforthefirstAt-Tashahud
and iecitesthe first part of the words of
witness(i.e.upto"....wA ASHADUANNA
MUHAMMADAN ABDUHU WA
RASUULUHU").
3. Thepersonthereafterstandsupforthe
performanceof the third and lastRakaat
of the Maghribprayerand upon raising
the headfrom the secondprostrationof
this third Rakaat,the personsitsdownfor
the final At-Tashahud and recites the
wordsof witnessin full.
4. The personthen concludesthe prayer
bythe"Tasleem"(i.e.actionNo'15ofthe
Fajrprayer).

v. "lsHA (EVENING)PRAYER"
Number of rakaats.'Four
Recitation' Our'anic recitations in this
prayer is made loudly in the first two
Rakaatsby the lmam and by whoever
praysalone.
Performance:
1. This prayeris performedin the same
manneras the Dhuhr(Noon)andtheAsr
(Afternoon)prayers.
However,when prayingbehindan lmam,
the person is requiredto listen to the
lmam'srecitationofthe"AL-FATIHAH"in
the first two Rakaats.Uponthe lmam's
completionof the Al-Fatihahthe person
says Ameen with the rest of the
congregationandthen recitesAl-Fatihah
silentlyby himself.Thepersonthereafter
85

maynot needto reciteOur'anicpassages
himself but shouldpay attentionto the
lmam'srecitation.
THE FORGETFULNESSPROSTRATIONS
(SUJUUDSAHW)
As human beings, we are bY nature
subjectto mistakesand errors,and as
mentioned earlier,if a person fails to
performany of the pillarsof the prayer
and/or necessaryduties,the personis
requiredto mendthe errorby comingup
with two prostrationsat the end of the
prayer known as "Suiuud Sahw" i.e'
forgetfulness prostrations,although,
where a pillar(s)is omitteda repetitionof
the missedpillar(s)is necessary.
Thereare somedisagreementsbetween
religiousjuristsregardingthissubjectas
to whetherit shouldbe performedbefore
or after the words of peace(Tasleem).
What seems to be a fair solution,
86

however, is that if a person made an
addition to the prayer,then, the two
prostrationsof forgetfulnessshould be
performed after reciting the Tasleem.
While, if a deductionis madefrom the
prayer, then, the two prostrationsof
forgetfulnessshouldbeperformedbefore
reciting the Tasleem.However,where
both an additionand a deductionmay
have been made in the course of the
prayer, then, in th is case, the
forgetfuIness prostrations can be
performed before the recitation of the
words of peace(Tasleem).
VARIOUSINSTANCESWHERE"SUJUUD
SAHW" BECOMESAPPARENT
A. Where a Pillar of the Prayeris Omitted
1.Where,forexample,a personforgetsto
recite the "Al-Fatihah" but remembers
the samebeforeRukuuor in the process
of bowing,then,the personis requiredto
87

resume a properstandingpositionand
read the "Al-Fatihah" and some other
versesfrom the HolyOur'anas usual.lf
this omissionoccuredin the first rakaat
and the personremembersthe omission
while in the courseof the secondrakaat,
then,the personshouldcountthesecond
rakaatas beingthe first rakaatand treat
the first one in which he,/shemissedto
recite the "Al-Fatihah"asnull and void.
The person should then Proceedto
perform one more rakaat to complete
his,/herSalaat andat the end,recitethe
"Tasleem"(wordsof peace)afterwhich,
the person comes uP with the two
prostrationsof forgetfulnessand again,
recitesthe Tasleem.
2. lf, however,while sittingfor the final
"At-Tashahud",(thewords of witness),a
person remembersthat he missed a
prostration, then the person should
immediatelycome up with the missed
prostrationand sit backagainto repeata
88

recitationof theAt-Tashahud.Theperson
would then say the Tasleemto conclude
the prayer,butwouldthereaftercomeup
with the two prostrationsof forgetfulness
beforeonce againrecitingthe Tasleem.
The above are some exampleswhere
errors are committed in performing
FARAIDH (i.e. Pillars) of the Salaat,
wherein,thepersonisnotonlyrequiredto
repeatthe missedact,butalso,tocomeup
with thetwo prostrationsofforgetfulness.
B. Where a NecessaryDutY is Omitted
However, where someone misses a"
WAJIB" (NecessaryDuty)of the prayer,
the mere coming up with the two
prostrationsof forgetfulnesswill suffice
withoutthe needfor repeatingthemissed
act.Thus,it a Waiibact is missedandthe
person remembers it after starting
anotheractionof the praYer,then, he is
89

notrequiredto repeattheforgottenactbut
would proceedto completethe restof the
salaat and at the end, just beforethe
Tasleem,the personcomes up with the
two prostrationsof forgetfulness.
C. Where a PreferredAct is Omitted
As for SUNNANS(PreferredActs)of the
prayerwhichmaybemissed,neitherisita
requirementto reperformthem nor isthe
forgetfulnessprostrationsneeded.
PRIVATE SUPPLICATIONSRECITED
UPONCOMPLETINGPRAYERS
In accordancewith the teachingsof the
Prophet(PBUH),therearequitea number
of private supplicationsand words of
extollingAllah (SWf) i.e. "Dhikr" which
arehighlydesirableandrecommendedfor
recitationatthe endofeachprayer.These
supplicationsand extollations(dhikr)are
non-obligatoryand constituteseparate
90

forms of "IBADAH" (Worship),hence,
recitingthemor failureto do so,doesnot
affectthe prayer.
However, a person who recites these
supplicationsand extollationswould
certainly achieve much additional
rewardsbesidesthe rewardAllahgrants
for the Salaat,INSHAALLAH.
We shall now discusssome of these
supplicationsandextollations.
a). lmmediatelyupon completingthe
prayer it is recommendedfor the
worshipperto invokeAllah (SWf) and to
askfor Hisforgivenessby saying:
"ISTAAFIRULLAAH"for three times,
which means
"l seekAllah's forgiveness".
9l

b). lmmediately thereafter, the
worshipper may recite the following
supplication:
"ALLAHUMMA ANTA SALAAM. WA
MINKA SALAAM. TABARAKTA YAA
DHAL JALALI WAL IKRAAAM." which
means-
"O Allah, Youare the sourceofpeaceand
fromYou comespeace,exaltedYouare, O
Lord of Majesty and Honour."
c). lt is also recommendedfor the
worshipper to recite thereafter the
following supplication:
,,LA
ILAHA ILAL-LAHU WAHDAHU.LAA
SHARIKA LAHU, LAHUL-MULKU.
WALAHUL-HAMDU. WAHUWA A'LAA
KULI SHEY-INAAAR". which means
92

"There is no god but Allah, He is one,He
has no partner, to Him belongs
sovereignty and to Him belongs praise,
and has power over all things."
d).The personmay thereaftersay:
.,ALLAHUMMA
LAA MANI'A LIMAA
A'DEYTA WALA MU'DIYA LIMA
MANA'ATA WALA YANFAUDHALJADDI
MINKAL JAD". which means -
"O Allah, none can withhold what You
have granted, and none can grant what
You have withheld, and nothing can be
offered by the rich; richness and fortune
comes from You alone".
e).And saysthereafter:
''LAA
HOWLA WALAA AUWATA ILLA
BILLAAH."which means-
93

"There is no might or power, exceptfrom
Allah".
f). Also,the personmay thereaftersay:
,'LAA
ILLAHA ILAL LAAHU WALA
NA'ABUDU ILLA IYAHU,LAHU NI'MATU
WALAHULFADHLU,WALAHULTHANAA
AL-HASSAI". which means-
"There is nogodbutAllah and we worship
none but Him, to Him belongs prosperity,
and to Him belongs favours and to Him
belongs all good praises".
g).The personmay alsosay:
''LAA
ILAHAILLALLAAHUMUKHLISINA
LAHU DIINA WALAO KARIHAAL
KAFIRUUN".which means -
"There is no god but Allah, (and we)offer
Him sincere devotion even though the
unbelieversmay detest it".
94

h).Also,says:
''ALLAHIJMMA
A'INNI'ALA DHIKRIKA.
WASHUKRIKA.WA HUSNA IBADATIK."
which means-
"O Allah, help me in remembering You,
thanking Youand conductingmy worship
to Youin a perfect way.".
i).The personalsosays:
(l )SUBHANA-ALLAH- GlorybetoALLAH
- (33 times)
(2)AL HAMDU-LILLAH-PraisebetoAllah
- (33 times)
(2) ALLAHU AKBAR - Allah is great (33
times)
Then, at the end of the above three
recitations,the worshipperrecitesthe
followingsupplication:
95

,LAA
ILLAHA ILAL LAAHU WAHDAHU
LAA SHARIKA LAHU, LAHUL MUL.KU,
WALA.HUL HAMDU. WAHUWA A'LAA
KULISHEY'INNAAAR". which means-
"There is no god but Allah alone; He has
no partners, to Him belongs dominion and
to Him belongspraises;and Hehaspower
over all things".
By this supplication,the worshipper
makesup a total of 1OOreadingsand in
thisregard,itwasreportedinanauthentic
propheticsayingthat whoevercomesup
with this 1OOphrasesat the endof every
obligatoryprayer,"Allahwill forgivehim,
evenif his sinswere as abundantasthe
foam of the sea."(ReportedbY lmam
Muslim)
j).lt isalsorecommendedforthepersonto
recitethereafter"AYATAL KURSI"i.ethe
verseof the Throne(HolyOur'an2:255}
which has the following English
96

translation:-
"Allah! there is no god but He, the Living
the Self-Subsisting, the Eternal. No
slumber can seize Him nor sleep. ToHim
belongs all that is in the heavens and on
earth. Who is there can intercede in His
presence except as He permitteth? He
knoweth what (appearethto His creatures
as) before or after or behind them. Nor
shall they compass aught of His
knowledge except as He willeth. His
Thronedoth extend over the heavensand
the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in
guarding and preserving them for He is
the Most High, the Supreme (in glory)".
The importance of this verse was
confirmedby the Prophet(PBUH)in an
authenticsayingthat:
"Whoever recites this verseat the end of
every prayer, nothing will prevent him
from entering Paradise."(Reported by
97

lmam Bukhari)
k). lt is also stronglyrecommendedthat
the person recites the following three
chaptersof the Holy Our'an after each
prayer:
(1) Surah Al-lkhlaas (Purity of Faith) -
Qur'an,Chapter112.
(2) SurahAl-Falaq(TheDawn)- Our'an,
Chapter113.
(3) Surah An-Naas(Mankind)- Our'an,
Chapter114.
Note: lt is preferredthat each of these
three chaptersbe recitedfor three times
at the end of Fajr (Dawn)and Maghrib
(Sunset)prayers;while,eachchaptermay
be recitedonly once at the end of the
other obligatoryprayersnamely,Dhuhr
(Noon),Asr(Afternoon)andlsha(Evening)
prayers.

THINGS WHICH INVALIDATE THE
PRAYER
Prayerif performedwell with due regard
to its conditions,pillars, duties and
preferredactstruly illuminatesthe heart
and purifiesthe soul.lt is the meansby
which man communicateswith Allah
(SWT)and therefore,one should keep it
freefrom anythingwhichwouldrenderit
invalid.ln ArabicLanguage,actswhich
invalidate the prayer are known as
"Mubdillatu-Salaah" and we now list
them herebelow:
1. Speakingor talkinginthecourseofthe
prayer.
2.Laughingin the courseof the prayer.
3. Eatingwhilepraying,eventhoughwhat
is eaten maybeas small as a pieceof
dates.
99

4. Drinkingwhile praying,even though
what is drankmaybeas smallas taking
onlya mouthful.
5. lf someonein the courseof the prayer
remembersthat he,/shedid not actually
performthe ablution(wudhu),then,such
a personis requiredto breakthe prayer
and get out to performWudhu.
6. lf a person's ablution (wudhu) gets
invalidatedin the course of the prayer,
then the prayerbecomesinvalid.
7. The prayer is also invalidatedby
carrying out the Rukuu and Sujuud
postureswith haste and without ease.
While in prostration,bobbing(jerking)up
and down likechickenpeckingfoodfrom
the groundis not allowed.
8. Turning oneself away f rom the
directionof the Aiblahalsoinvalidatesthe
prayer.
100

THINGSWHICHARENOTPREFERREDIN
THEPRAYER
1. Turning of the eyes up . The Prophet
(PBUH)stronglyadmonishedagainstthis
ascanbenotedfromthefollowingsaying:
"What is the matter with the people who
raise their eyes towards the sky while
praying? They shall have to refrain from
this or elsethey will losetheir eyesights".
It is alsodislikedto lookrightandleftand
the Prophet(PBUH)in this regardsays:
"lt /s a deception with which satan
deceives the servant while in prayer".
(Reprotedby lmam Bukhari)
The person while praying is required to
direct his eyesat the point of prostration.
l0l

5.
in
2. Closing the eyes in the course of the
prayer.
3. Placing the hands abovethe kidneys or
on the waist. Hands should beplaced over
the chest.
4. Wiping the earth more than once to
remove pebbles on it.
Reading of the Holy Qur'an, while
Rukuu and in Sujuud positions.
6. Making unnecessarymovementsin the
course of the prayer such as touching the
chin (beard)or fidgetting the fingertips or
mending up the clothes e.g. the head
turban etc.
7. Entering to prayer, while food has been
served to the person before the prayer or
while badly in need ofpassing excrement
and/or urine. TheProphet (PBUH)in this
regard says:
l'z

"Prayer is not valid when food has been
served and when a person is in need of
relieving himself of excrement and/or
urine." (Reported by lmam Muslim)
8. lt is prohibited for someone in a
congregational prayer to raise the head
from Rukuu and Suiuud positions ahead
of the lmam. TheProphet (PBUH)strongly
warned persons doing this as can be
noted from the following saYing:
"Doesn't the person who raisesuP his
head before the lmam fear that Allah will
turn hishead to that of a donkeyor make
hisface looklike a donkey".(Reportedby
lmamBukhari)
OTHERIMPORTANTNOTESREGARDING
PRAYER
1. lf a personis smellingof garlic,onion,
leek, cigarettes, tobacco or anything
103

similar which has an unpleasantodour
and which may cause inconvenienceto
others,then, such personmust not join
the congregationalprayer and should
keepawayuntiltheodourdissipatesfrom
him/her. The Prophet (PBUH)in this
regardsays:
"A person who has eaten garlic or onion
or any other bad smelling thing should not
approach our Mosques because the
angels are offended by the things which
human beings get offended from".
(Reportedby lmam Muslim).
2. The whole earth is for the Muslimsa
place of prayer and virtually clean.
Therefore,anyonecan praywhereverhe
may be when the time of prayercomesif
thereareno Mosquesnearby.However,it
is forbidden to perform prayers at
cemeteries,except the funeral prayer
administeredover a dead Muslim. lt is
also forbidden to pray inside toilets
IM

and/or bathroomsandatfilthyplaces.All
prayers performed in such areas are
considerednull and void.
3. When entering a mosque it is the
traditionthatthe personstepsin with the
right f oot reciting the f ollowing
supplication:
,'BISMILLAH
WASSALATU WASSA.
LAMU'ALAA RASULULLAAH.
ALAHUMMA IAFIR LII DHUNUBI.
WAFTAH LII ABWABA RAHMATIK".
which means-
"tn the name of Allah..and blessings and
peace be upon the messenger of Allah- O
Lord, forgive me mY sinsand openfor me
the gates of YourmercY".
And, when departingfrom the mosque,
the personstepsoutwith the leftfootfirst
saying:
105

''BISMILLAH
WASSALATU .
WASSALAMU 'ALA
RASULULLAAAH.
ALLAHUMMA IAGHFIR LII DHUNIJBII
WAFTAH LII ABWABA FADHLIKA'"
which means
"ln the name ofAllah...mayblessingsand
peace upon the messenger of Allah. O
Lord, forgive me my sinsand openfor me
the gates of your favours".
4. lt is not properto come to the prayer
hasteningbut the personis requiredto
comecalmlyandin a stateof serenityand
tranquility.lf a personjoins the prayer
while the lmam,/congregationare in
Rukuu position, then, that particular
rakaat(unit)is countedfor him as if he
startedthe rakaat(unit)with the rest of
the congregationfrom the start.However,
if a person joins the prayer after the
lmam,/congregationhas already risen
from the Rukuu position, then, that
particularrakaatis not countedfor him,
106

but he shouldcontinueprayingwith the
rest until the lmam completesthe prayer
afterwhich the personisrequiredto come
up with the missed rakaat(s)inorderto
completehis prayer.
Herebelowis an example:
Assumingthat a personjoinsthe Dhuhr
prayer in the first rakaat but after the
congregationhas alreadyrisenfrom the
Rukuu position, the person would
completethe remainingpartofthe rakaat
with the rest,althoughsuchrakaatis not
counted for him. The lmam and the
congregation proceed to the second
rakaat,but the late comershouldcount
the secondrakaatas his first rakaat.
Thereafter,the congregationsits for the
first "At-Tashahuh" and would then,
standup to performthe third rakaatand
subsequently,the fourthrakaatup to the
secondand final "At-Tashahud".After
t07

the lmam reads the words of peaceto
concludethe prayerthe late-comerunder
discussion,would thereby stand up to
perform one more rakaat in lieu of the
rakaatmissedat the beginning.
5. lt is allowedfor a personto praywhile
wearing shoes,but beforedoing so, the
personis requiredto checkon thesolesof
the shoes,and shouldthere appearany
trace of wetnessand/or defilement,this
shouldbe cleanedwell on the ground.
6. A personis not allowedto passinfront
of another person who is praying no
matter how long and how much
inconveniencethe waiting may cause.
The Prophet(PBUH)says:
"lf a person who passes infront of a
praying person could realize the gravity of
the sin, it would have been better for him
to wait for forty rather than passinfront of
the praying person. Thenarrator was not
108

sure whether the Prophet (PBUH) said
forty days or forty months or forty Years".
7. lt a personwho wishes to performa
prayer fears others may pass infront of
him in the course of his Prayer,it is
advisablefor such a personto placeany
kind of object infront of him before
commencingthe prayer.Suchanobjectis
knownasSUTRAin Arabicanditactsasa
boundaryfor the personso that people
may pass only beyond the object. lf
thereater,any person attemptsto pass
betweenhim andthe object,thepersonin
prayermaypushawaythe passerby.Butif
the passerby insists on passing, the
prayingpersonhas perfectright to fight
the intruderfor he is an evilone.
8. A strangerwoman passingtoo close
infrontof a prayingmalepersonwho has
no" Sutra", hasthe effectof invalidating
the prayer, except when the prayer is
being done in the grand mosque of
Makkah.
109

CONGREGATIONALPRAYER
Performanceof the prayertogetherwith
the other Muslims in congregationat
Mosques is a duty requiredfrom every
mafeMuslim of soundmind.Allah 6Wf)
says:
"...And bow down your heads with those
who bow down (in worship)". (Our'an
2:43l'
Much emphasishas alsobeen madeby
the Prophet (PBUH) about the
CongregationalPrayers as can be
gathered from the following authentic
sayings:
1. "Performing prayer in congregation is
27 times better than prayerperformed on
individuaI basis".(Reported by lmam
Bukhari)
2. lbn Maktumsaid:
lr0

"l told the Messenger of Allah that I am
btind and my house is far awaYand I have
no suitable guide to the mosgue..doI not
have permission to pray at home?"
The Prophet(PBUH),asked me: "Do You
hear the call to the prayer?"
I answered: "Yes",and the ProPhet
(PBUH)then saidto me:
"Respond accordingly (bV coming to the
mosque)".(Reportedby lmam Muslim)
3. "lf there happens to be (even) three
persons in a village, desert or iungle and
they do not praY in congregation, satan
would surely dominate them. So,observe
your prayers in congregation' for
certainly, the wolf devours the lonelY
sheep".(ReportedbYAbuu Dawoud)
4. "1swear byAllah in Whosepossession
is my life, I feel like asking for firewood to
lll

be gathered, and order for theprayerto be
held and the call for prayer (Adhaan)to be
announced,and then asksomeoneto lead
the prayer, and I go after those who failed
to join the congregational prayer and set
fire to them while they are in their
houses". (Reportedby lmam Bukhari)
By virtue of the abovequoted Our,anic
verseaswell asthe varioussayingsofthe
Prophet(PBUH),congregationalprayeris
incumbent upon every male Muslim
unlessa personis excusedfrom doingso
as a resultof oneor moreof thefollowing
reasons:
1. Sickness
2. Fearthatgoingtothemosquewill bring
aboutunduehardships,or perilfrom an
enemy.
3. Heavyrain.
It is permittedfor women to attend the
congregationator1l1. at the mosques

andtheir husbandsmaynotpreventthem
fromdoingso unlessit isfearedthatharm
will come to them. However, it is
preferablefor women to performprayers
at their homes.TheProphet(pBUH)says:
"Do not prohibit women to attend prayer
at mosgue, but prayer at their homes is
better for them". (Reported by lmam
Ahmad)
lf, however,women decideto go out for
prayer at the mosques, they should
neitherdressnorperfumethemselvesin a
manner that may attractthe attentionof
men.At the mosques,it is an established
tradition that women perform their
prayerspreferablyin their own partition
behindthe rowsof men.
PURPOSEOF THE CONGREGATIONAL
PRAYER
Performance of the prayer in
congregationis a great lslamicpractice
lt3

through which equality and justice are
made manifest.Here,the ruler and the
subject,the old and the young,the rich
and the poor, thb powerful and the
downtrodden,the influential and the
wretchedallassemblein rowsshoulderto
shoulderinfrontof Allah, the Almighty,
with neitherdifferencesnor distinctions
betweenthem - all of them servantsof
Allah (SWf). .They meet on common
ground in the housesof Allah thinking
onlyof Himin humilityindueregardtothe
followingverseof the HolyOur'an:
"....Verily,themosthonouredof youinthe
sight of Allah is (he who is) the most
righteousof you...." (HolyOur'an49:13)
lslamisa religionofgreatsocialorderand
when a communityof Muslimsin a given
area meet at the CongregationalPrayers
five times each day,then, certainly,we
can imagine the innumerablebenefits
that could be derived- peopleknowing
tt4

each other; peoplelearningeach others
affairs;peoplemeetingtheir leadersand
communityheads;peoplediscussingand
solvingtheir day-to-dayproblems;people
cooperating etc. Thus, cohesiveness,
unity,loveand brotherhoodbecometruly
evidentamongthe muslimcommunity.
In an lslamicstate,the headofthestateor
his representativeis supposedto leadthe
five daily congregationalprayersat the
centralmosqueof the capitalcityas was
the practiceof the Prophet(PBUH),in the
first lslamicstateestablishedat Medina.
The leaderor headof the lslamicstate
would, of course, be a person of
unquestionableintegrity,known to be
more knowledgeablethan his subjects
and aboveall righteous.
Persons wish ing to perf orm a
congregationalprayerwouldchoosefrom
amongstthemselvesan lmam (leader)
who hasthequalitiesdescribedaboveand
ll5

who would stand infrontof the othersat
the center of the row.
After the second call for the prayer
(lqamah)is performed,the lmam turns
towards the congregation and would
endeavourto straightenout the row(s)
and urgethe congregationto standclose
to eachotheras much as possible.These
acts were establishedpracticesof the
Prophet(PBUH)as can be notedfrom the
followingsayings:
1." Straighten your rows and stand close
to each other in prayer..." (Reportedby
lmamBukhari)
2. "You shall have to straighten Yourows
in prayer or else Allah will create
differences among you". (Reported by
lmamBukhari)
The lmam, thereafter,starts the prayer
with the words of "TakbiiratilAl-lhraam"
tt6

as usual and the congregationwould
followsuit.Thecongregationwouldthen
proceed to complete the prayer as
discussedin detailearlier.
THEPRAYEROFATRAVELLINGPERSON
(MUSAFTR)
lslam is a religion full of mercy and
because of the harships and
inconvenienceswhich a personusually
undergoesduring travels,Allah FWf)
has made certain concessionsto the
traveller.Oneof theseconcessionsisthat
a traveller may shorten some of the
obligatoryprayers.Allahsaysin the Holy
Our'an:
"When yetravelthrough the earth there is
no blame on you if ye shorten your
prayers..." (Our'an4:101)
Becauseof this grantlromAtlah(SWT),it
tt7

is an establishedpracticethata travelling
Muslim may shortenthe four (4)rakaats
obligatoryprayersinto two rakaatsonly.
Thus, the Dhuhr,Asr and lsha prayers
may each be shortenedintotwo rakaats.
However. the Maghrib and the Fajr
prayerscannotbeshortenedandareto be
performedin full.
It is alsoan establishedpracticethat the
traveller may combine some of the
obligatory prayers. Thus, the Dhuhr
prayermaybedelayeduntilthetimeofthe
Asr prayerwhen both will be performed;
or,theAsr prayermaybebroughtforward
to thetimeofthe Dhuhrprayerwhenboth
will be performed.Likewise,the lsha
prayermaybebroughtforwardtothetime
of Maghribprayer;or,the Maghribprayer
may be delayeduntil the time of lsha
prayer.The Fajr prayercan neitherbe
broughtforwardnordelayedandhastobe
performedat its prescribedtime.
ll8

Characteristics of combining the prayers
1. Each prayer will be performed
separately.
2. Onlyone PrayerCall(ADHAN)shallbe
made for both prayers but two Second
Calls(IO,AMAHS)shall be required(i.e.
one SecondCall(lqamah)shallbe made
separatelyfor each prayer).
lf we maygivean example,assumingthat
a travellerwishesto combineDhuhrand
Asr prayersby bringingthe Asr prayer
foward to the time of the Dhuhr prayer,
the personwould proceedas follows:
(1)The personwould first comeup with
the Callfor prayer"Adhaan"intendingit
for both the two prayers.
(2)The personwouldthen come up with
the secondcall "lqamah"for the Dhuhr
Pra'er'
rt9

(3) The person would then performthe
Dhuhr prayershorteningit to two rakaats
only.
(4)Aftercompletingthe Dhuhrprayer,the
person stands up and makes another
secondcall "lqamah"for the Asr prayer.
(5)ThepersonwouldthenperformtheAsr
prayeralsoshortenedto two rakaatsonly.
Note:
A travellermay lead the prayeras an
"IMAM" ofthe residentsoftheplaceheis
visitingand in sucha case,he (beingan
lmam),may performonlytwo rakaatsfor
the Dhuhr,Asr, and lsha prayerswhile,
the residentshe isleading,shalluponhis
completion continue to complete the
remainingtwo rakaatsof the respective
prayers. However, in such cases, it is
desirablethatthetravellerwho mayactas
an lmam first gives notice to the
t20

congregationregardinghis positionand
his intentionto shortenhis prayersothat
the congregationcontinuesto complete
the prayer.
On the otherhand,if the travellerhasto
praybehindan lmamwho is a residentof
the placehe isvisiting,then in suchcase,
the travellershallpraywith the lmamall
the four (4)rakaatsas usual.
PERFORMANCEOFTHEPRAYERBYONE
WHO IS SICK
A sickpersonhasto performthe prayerin
accordancewith the person'sconditions.
The Prophet(PBUH)wasonceaskedby a
sickcompanionasto how hecanperform
the prayerandthe Prophet(PBUH)replied
him as follows:
"Pray standing but if unable then by
sitting and if still unable then do so whilst
on your back". (Reported by lmam
Bukhari)
nl

Thus:
1. lf, it is impossiblefor the sickpersonto
standup,he,/sheshallperformthe prayer
by sitting and makingtokengesturesfor
the "Rukuu" and "Sujuud" positionsby
bringing the head slightly down as
indication for "Rukuu" and slightly
furtherdown as indicationfor "Sujuud".
2. lt, it is impossiblefor the sickpersonto
pray sitting, he,/she shall perform the
prayer by lying on his,/her back.Allah
(SWf)says:
'"...THOSE ARE THEY (MEN OF
UNDERSTANDING) WHO REMEMBER
ALLAH WHILESTANDING,SITTINGAND
RECLINING...."(Our'an3:19O-191)
Theperson'slegsaredirectedtowardsthe
Qiblahandwill makemeretokengestures
as far as possiblewith the headfor the
bowing (Rukuu) and the prostration
122

(Sujuud)positions.
3. lf, still,it is impossiblefor the the sick
personto performthe prayerwhile lying
as discussedin No. 2 above,then, the
personshallperformthe prayerby heart.
The personshall come up with all the
requiredrecitationsasfaraspossible,and
will recall to mind all the necessary
posturesfor the prayer.
Such is the importanceof the Prayerin
lslam that a personmust performit no
matterwhat his,zhercondition.
VOLUNTARYPRAYERS
Besides the prescribed obligatory
prayers,a personmay come up with as
many voluntaryprayersas is possible.
Through voluntary prayers a person
receivesadditionalrewardsand through
them he draws closerto "Allah (SWf)"
althougha personwill notbepunishedfor
123

neglectingto performvoluntaryprayers.
However,the Prophet(PBUH)had set a
traditionof practicingcertainvoluntary
prayersbeforeand/or afterthe obligatory
prayers and every Muslim is strongly
recommendedto performthem.Theseare
as follows:
a. DHUHR(NOON)PRAYER:
Four (4) rakaatsbefore (with each two
rakaatsperformedseparately)andtwo (2)
rakaatsafter.
b. MAGHRIB(SUNSET)PRAYER
Two (2) rakaatsafter.
c. ISHA(EVENING)PRAYER
Two (2) rakaatsafter.
r24

e. FAJR(DAWN)PRAYER
Two (2) rakaatsbefore.
These Voluntary prayers are known in
ArabicLanguageas(Rawatrblwhich may
be construedto mean definitepractices
andthe Prophet(PBUH),usedto preserve
their performance continuously
wheneverin residence.However,during
his travelshe usedto omit their practice
except the two rakaats before the Fajr
prayer.Performanceof thesetwo rakaats
is so importantthat the prophet(PBUH)
said:
"Thesetwo Rakaatsaremore important to
me than the whole world." (Reportedby
imamMuslim)
While there is no objectionto perform
theseoptionalprayersat the mosque,it is
preferredto performthem at homeinvieu
r25

of the following saying of the
Prophet(PBUH):
"The bestof the prayers are thosewhich
are fulfilled at one's home, with the
exception of the obligatory prayers (which
are to beperformed with the congregation
at the Mosgue)".(Reportedby lmam Abu
Dawoud)
Fuffilling these twelve (12! voluntary
prayersis a meansto gainadmissionto
paradise as can be noted from the
followingsayingof the Prophet(PBUH):
"Whoever prays optionallytwelve rakaats
every one day and night, Allah will reward
him by an established dwelling in the
paradise".(Reportedby lmam Bukhari)
Besides the above twelve definite
voluntaryprayers,the person may also
pray four optional rakaats before Asr
(Afternoon)prayer,and two before lsha
126

(Evening)prayer,becausethesewerealso
reported to have been practiced by the
Prophet(PBUH).
TIMES WHEN PERFORMANCEOF
VOLUNTARYPRAYERSIS PROHIBITED.
There are certaintimes when voluntary
prayersare not allowedto be performed
and theseare as follows:
1. In between the Fajr Prayerand the
risingof the sun.
2. In betweenwhen the sun is closeto its
zenithand the DhuhrPrayer.
3. ln between the Asr Prayerand until
sunset.
However,a person can perform the two
rakaatsprayedas salutationto mosques
whenevera personentersa mosqueeven
though,the time of enteringthe mosque
maycoincidewith oneof the abovestated
timings.This is in accordancewith the
r27

followingpropheticsaying:
"Anyone of you entering a mosgue,
should not sit until after perfoming two
rakaats."(Reportedby lmam Al-Bhukari)
JUMA'H (FRIDAY)PRAYER
Besidesthe fiveobligatoryprayers,"Allah
(SWff' has also ordainedthe "Juma'h"
(Friday Congregational Prayer) as a
necessary prayer on the Muslim Nation
(Ummah) as is made clear in the following
verse of the Holy Qur'an.
,,O
YEWHOBELIEVE.WHENTHECALLIS
PROCLAIMED TO PRAYER ON FRIDAY
(THE DAY OF ASSEMBLY), HASTEN
EARNESTLYTO THEREMEMBRANCEOF
ALLAHAND LEAVEOFFBUSINESS(AND
TRAFFIC):THATtS BESTFOR YOUlF YE
BUTKNEW."(O.ur'an62:9)
r28

The Prophet(PBUH)also,in exhortingthe
Muslimsto the importanceof the Friday
prayersaid:
"They (people) will have to stop
neglecting the Fridayprayer or otherwise,
" Allah (SWfl'will sealtheir heartsand
they will be counted among the
negligent".(Reportedby lmam Muslim).i
The Prophet(PBUH)alsosays:
"He who deliberately neglects three
consecutive Friday prayers, "Allah
(SWT)"will makea mark on his heart".
(Reportedby Abu Dawoud)
By virtuecittne aboveOur'anicverseas
well as the respectedsayings of the
Prophet (PBUH), the Friday Congre-
gational Prayer is, therefore, a duty
(Wajib)requiredfromeveryadultandfree
Muslimwho is in residence.
129

Friday is a gloriousday in lslam and
representsa great weekly meeting in
which the Muslimsgatherin the houses
of "Allah(SWT|'leavingasideallworldly
affairs.The "Juma'h" prayeris therefore
specificwith a Sermon in which the
mosquepreachers(lmams)discussand
deal with the daily problems of the
Muslim'ssocietyandgiveenlightenment
from the torch of lslam. The "Juma'h"
prayerreflectsthat lslamis a greatsocial
order which fostersbrotherhood,abhors
disunityand discouragesevils.
TheJuma'h is not a dutyon women,who
instead, may perform the obligatory
Dhuhr (Noon) prayer at their homes
afthough they may join the Juma'h
prayers,if bydoingsodoesnotaffecttheir
householdduties, or cause them any
inconvenience.
130

THE PERFORMANCEOF THE JUMA'H
(FRtDAY)PRAYER
Performanceof the Juma'h prayeris only
allowedin the CongregationalMosques
where, Muslims congregateand from
where the lmam givesthem adviceand
spiritualinsights.
Thetime for theJuma'h prayeristhetime
of the Dhuhr prayer, although,some
Muslim jurists and scholarsare of the
opinionthat it is permissibleto performit
beforethe sun reachesits zenith.
Much importanceand reward has been
attachedby lslamto the timingsof going
to the FridayPrayeras canbe notedfrom
the following saying of the prophet
(PBUH):
''ANY
PERSON WHO TAKES TOTAL
ABLUTION (GHUSL) ON FRIDAY AND
GOES OUTFOR THEFRIDAYPRAYERIN
l3l

THEFIRSTHOUR(i.e.EARLY).lT tSAS tF
HE SACRTFTCEDA CAMEL (lN ALLAH',S
CAUSE);AND WHOEVER GOES IN THE
SECOND HOUR. IT /S,4S IF HE
SACRIFICED A COW; AND WHOEVER
GOESIN THETHIRDHOUR,ITISAS IFHE
SACRIFICED A HORNED RAM; AND
WHOEVERGOESIN THEFOURTHHOUR,
tT lS AS lF HE SACRIFICEDA HEN;AND
WHOEVER GOES IN THE FIFTH HOUR.
THEN.IT IS AS IF HE OFFEREDAN EGG.
WHEN THE IMAM COMES OUT (TO
DELIVER THE SERMON), THE ANGELS
PRESENT THEMSELVES TO LISTEN TO
THE SERMON." (Reported by lmam
Bhukari)
However,it is a recommendedlslamic
traditionthat the personcomesup with
the followingpre-requisitesbeforegoing
out to the FridayPrayer:
1. UndertakingGhusl(totalbath).
r32

The Prophet(PBUH)in this regardsays:
"Ghusl on Friday /s necessary (Wajib)
upon every adult person". (Reportedby
lmamBukhari)
2. Puttingon the best and cleanestof
clothes.
3. Perfumingof oneself.
Having undertaken the above pre-
requisites,the personthen proceedsto
the mosquein tranquilityfullyconscious
ot" Allah 6WD". Upon reaching the
mosque,the personentersbysteppingin
with the right foot first proclaimingthe
followingprivatesupplication:
''
BISMILLA,AHWASALAATU-
WASSALAMU'ALAA RASULULLAAH..
ALLAHUMMA IAHFIR LII DHUNUBII
WAFTAHLII ABWAABA RAHMATIK.''
which means
133

"ln the name of Allah...May peace and
blessings be on the messenger of
Allah...O Lord forgive me my sins and
open to me the gates of your mercy."
Havingenteredthe mosque,the person
comes up with two rakaatsas salutation
to the mosque in accordancewith the
followingfamous sayingof the Prophet
(PBUH):
"lf anyone of you enters the mosque, do
not sit until you have Performed to
rakaats."{Reportedby lmamAl-Bhukari)
Thepersonthen awaitsfor thesermonto
start and may in the meantimereadthe
Holy Our'an and/or come uP with
whateversupplicationshe can.
When the lmam entersthe Mosque,the
"MUADHIN" (PraYerCaller),would make
the"ADHAAN",(i.e.thecalltotheprayer)
and the personwould be answeringthe
t34

call in the manner already discussed
earlier.
When the Muadhin completes the
Adhaan, the lmam climbsthe pulpit to
deliver the Sermon and the person is
req,uiredto devotehiswholeattentionand
is forbiddento talk or keeponeselfbusy
with evenminoractivitiesin thecourseof
the sermon.The Prophet(PBUH)saysin
this regard:
"He who performs ablution properly and
comesto the Juma'h prayerand listensto
the sermonattentively,will havehissins
from the previousFridayplusthreemore
days forgiven and he who occupies
himselfwith pebblesduringthe sermon
hasperformedbadly".(Reportedbylmam
Muslim)
Upon completionof the first part of the
sermon,the lmam sits down for a brief
pauseand then, standsup againfor the
secondpart of the sermon.After that, he
135

comes down from the PulPitand the
MUADHINmakesthe secondcall for the
prayer IAAMAH and a two rakaat
congregationalprayer is accordingly
performedwhich is the same in all
respectsto the FajrPraYer.
Upon completingthe Juma'h Prayer,a
person may come uP with voluntarY
prayers,which if done at the mosque,
consistsof four rakaats(eachtwo rakaats
performedseparately)butif,doneathome
(upon one's return from the mosque),
consists only of two rakaats as the
Prophet(PBUH),usedto do.
THEPRAYERSOFTHETWO FEASTS
Theseare:
1. Theprayerof the Feastof Breakingthe
Fastingof the monthof Ramadan(known
as'ldul-Fitr Prayer)
r36

2. The prayerof the Feastof lmmolation
(knownas'ldul-Al-AdhaPraYer).
We shall now discuss the mode of
performingeachof thesePrayers.
1.
'IDUL-FITRPRAYER
Uponcompletionof theobligatoryfasting
of the blessed month oI " Ramadan"'
Muslims celebrate the occasion of
breakingthe Fastby festivecelebrations
which last for three days.The Muslims
welcomethefeastwith prayerandprivate
supplicationsand by giving praise to
Almighty Allah (SWTI This prayer is
performedas follows:
a).Onthefirstdayof Shawaal(themonth
thatfollowsRamadan)thepersongoesto
the
'ld Mosqueor prayinggroundhaving
undertakenthe followingrecommended
acts:
t37

(1).Takentotalabtution(Ghust).
(2l. Dressed in the best of clothes
(preferablynew clothings).
(3).Assumeda Breakingof the Fastby
eatingat leasta few piecesof dates.This
is in accordancewith the traditionof the
Prophet(PBUH),and an odd number is
preferredi.e.3, S, j, g and so on.
(4).lt is the practice(Sunnah)to headto
the
'ld
prayingcenterby walking.
Upon arrivalat the placeof prayerthe
person sits and waits for the prayerto
begin.
b). After about 20 minutes from clear
sunrise,the lmamstandsupfortheprayer
and loudly signifiesthe enteringinto
prayer by reciting the
',Takbiirat
il
lhraam" that is "ALLAHU AKBAR". The
whole congregationalso followssuit by
138

reciting the "Takbiiratil-lhraam".
e). As usual,with any other prayer,the
person thereafter comes up with the
openingsupplicationknown as"DUAAL
ISTIFTAAH.''
d ). After that, the lmam says,"ALLAHU
AKBAR" for 6 more times,and the
congregationwould follow likewise.
Between each recitation of "ALLAHU
AKBAR" everypersonrecitesto himself
in a low voicethe followingsupplication:
''ALLAHTJ AKBAR KABIIRAA, WAL-
HAMDIJLILLAH KATHIRAA, WA
SUBHANNA-LLAHI BUKRATAN WA
ASILAA. WAS SALLALAHU'ALAA
MUHAMMADIN WA
'ALAA ALIHI WA
SALLAMA TASLIMMAN KATHIIRAA.''
which means-
"Allah is great, allthanks andpraises are
due to Allah, Glory be to Allah, and may
139

Allah blessHis messengerand grant him
salvation."
Note: Besidesthe abovesupplicationthe
person may recite any other
recommendedsupplications.
e).Aftercompletingthe recitationsof the
words of greatnesswhich total up to
seven,the lmam would then seek the
protection of "Allah 6Wfy' yo^ the
cursed satan in a low voice by saying..AUZU
BILLAHI MINAL SHAYTANI
RAJllM". He would thereafter silently
invoke Allah's name by saying:''
BISMILLAHI-R-RAHMA NI-R--
RAHllM" and then recite"AL-FATHAH"
(theopeningchapteroftheHolyOur.an)in
a loudvoice.Thefollowers(congregation)
wouldthen say"Ameen" togetherloudly
afterthe lmamcompletesrecitingthe
,.Al
Fatihah".Eachfollowerwouldthenrecite
"Al-Fatihah"silently.lt is recommended
140

Al salaat

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (15)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (20)

Similar to Al salaat

Similar to Al salaat (20)

More from Helmon Chan

More from Helmon Chan (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Al salaat