Salat (Prayer)

The importance of prayer in Islam is great as it is the foremost duty of Muslims and one of the pillars on which the structure of Islam stands. It
distinguishes Muslims from non-Muslims. The Holy Prophet, Sall- Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

"What stands between a man and disbelief is the abandonment of prayer."

"Know that among your duties, prayer is foremost."

The object of prayer is to remember Allah. That is why prayer was dearest to the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, as he said:

"He who gives up prayer has indeed disbelieved."

It is also important not to pray carelessly as the Quran says:

"Woe to praying ones who are heedless of their prayers." [Al-Ma'un 107:4-5]

Praying five times a day is compulsory. Prayer consists of recitation of the Holy Quran and glorification of Allah accompanied by various body postures
such as standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting. Through these postures, Muslims express submission, adoration, and humility to Allah. The Prophet
Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"You should worship Allah as if you see Him; because though you don't see Him, He surely sees you."

Prayer protects one from sins and shameful deeds. Prayer purifies a person and brings him closer to Allah. The Quran says:

"Establish prayer, for prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds." [Al-'Ankabut 29:45]

The five daily prayers consist of

1. Fard: obligatory prayer

2. Sunnah: Prophet's tradition
3. Wajib: obligatory prayer (Denying a Fard makes one a non-Muslim but denying a Wajib makes one a sinner. One must make up any missed Fard
or Wajib prayers.)
4. Nafl: voluntary prayer

The sunnah are again divided into Sunnah Muakkadah and Sunnah Ghair Muakkadah. Sunnah Muakkadah means an act that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-
Allahu alayhi wa sallam, always used to do. These rakats must be offered. (However if missed, there is no makeup or qada for it). Sunnah Ghair
Muakkadah are sunnahs that Prophet Muhammad, Sall- Allahu alayhi wa sallam, used to leave sometimes without any reason. These are not obligatory.
Fajr:

2 Sunnah Muakkadah
2 Fard

Zuhr:

4 Sunnah Muakkadah
4 Fard
2 Sunnah Muakkadah
2 Nafl

Asr:

4 Sunnah Ghair Muakkadah

4 Fard

Maghrib:

3 Fard
2 Sunnah Muakkadah
2 Nafl

Isha:

4 Sunnah Ghair Muakkadah

4 Fard
2 Sunnah Muakkadah
2 Nafl
3 Witr
2 Nafl

In addition to the above, the terms Fard, Wajib, Sunnah, and Nafl are also applied to conditions or actions within salat. If one misses any Fard part of
salat, the salat will be invalid. That omission cannot be compensated by making Sajda Sahv. If a Wajib is missed unintentionally, one can make Sajda
Sahv to make up for it.

Fard Parts before the Salat:

 • Body has to be clean of all sorts of impurities.
• Garments should be clean and pure.
• Place of salat should be clean.
• Covering of Satr.
• The right time for salat.
• Facing the Qiblah.
• Having the intention to offer salat.

Fard Parts During the Salat

• To began salat with Takbeer Tahrima.

• Qiyam in every rakah.
• Qirat (in two rakah of Fard, and all rakahs of Sunnah, Wajib, and Nafl)
• Ruku in every rakah.
• Two Sijdahs in every rakah.
• Qa'adah Akhirah
• Salam (To end the salat).

Wajib Parts

• To recite Surah Al- Fatiha in every rakah

• Recite a portion of Quran in the first two rakah of Fard and in every rakah of other salats after Fatiha.
• To observe sequence.
• To observe Qauma.
• To observe Jalsah.
• To observe Qa'ada Ula.
• To recite Tashahud at least once in the two rak'ahs.
• To raise hands with Takbeer for Qunut in the last rakah of Witr.
• To pronounce additional Takbeers in Eid salats.

Sunnah Parts

• To raise hands and turn palms towards Qibla before Takbeer Tahrimah. For males to ear lobes. For female shoulder level.
• To keep the head erect while pronouncing Takbeer Tahrimah.
• To tie hands properly after Takbeer Tahrimah.
• To recite Thana.
• To pronounce Taawwuz.
• To recite Bismillah before Fatiha.
• To recite only Fatiha in 3rd and 4th rakah of Fard.
 • To recite Ameen after Fatiha.
• To pronounce tasbih in ruku and sijdah at least thrice.
• To place the knees first, then two hands, then nose and at last forehead in sijdah.

Mustahabb Part

• To look during Qiyaam to the place of sijdah, to look between the two feet during ruku', at the thighs during Qa'dah, and at the shoulders during
Salaam.

Things That Break Salat

• Talking
• Crying (scream)
• To ignore, break, or miss one of the Fard parts (intentionally or unintentionally).
• To deliberately miss any Wajib parts of the salat or unintentionally and failing to perform sijdah-Sahaf.
• To cough or moan unnecessarily.
• To chew or eat something.
• Breaking into laughter.
• To commit a blunder in the recitation of Quran so as to change the meaning.
• To move about or shift unnecessarily.
• To repeat an act irrelevant to the salat over and over again.
• To try to read something in front.

Undesirable Things

• Wearing clothes against the established customs or practices.

• Trying to fold the garments to save them from dust.
• Playing with garments, hair, etc.
• Offering salat in an undignified dress.
• Performing the salat bareheaded.
• Standing up for salat when there is a strong desire to go to the bathroom.
• Placing one's hands on the hip or back.
• Shaping the fingers or intertwining the fingers of one hand with those of the other.
• Turning the face away from the Qiblah or casting side- glances.
• Yawning on purpose.
• Praying in garments or on mat that has pictures of animals on them or in a place where there are pictures of living beings.
• Standing in the back of Jamaat when there is room in the front.
• Keeping the eyes closed except for concentrating.
• Prostrating one's self by touching only the forehead or only nose or only edge of the cap.
 • Sitting square during the salat without a genuine reason.
• Bending down for ruku before finishing the recitation properly and tying to complete it in the ruku.
• Reciting the Quran regardless of sequence or size in various Rakahs of Fard salat.
• Neglecting a Sunnah pa rt in the salat.
• Raising both feet of the ground in sijdah.

Cases in Which Salat Can Be Broken

• A train, airplane, or ship is going to set off for destination.

• If a snake or harmful creature appears.
• In case of danger of material loss.
• If a person feels a strong desire to go to the bathroom.
• If there is a danger of a blind person falling and drowning in the stream.
• If the clothing catches fire.
• Parents or grandparents call for help in affliction.

Fidyah for one missed salat is the same as that of one missed fast. Therefore, if a person missed all the salats on a day, he will be required to pay fidyah
for 6 salats (including the obligatory Witr salat).

Salat (Prayer) According to Five Islamic Schools of Law

Key:

- "wajib" means obligatory

- "mustahabb" means recommended but not obligatory

- "tasbih" means saying "subhanallah wal- hamdu lillah wala ilaha illallah wallahu akbar"

- "takattuf" means holding one hand with the other while standing in salat.

- "qunut" means rasing both hands toward the sky and holding them in front of the chest or face and then reciting a supplication, like asking for
forgiveness.

- "rakat" is a comple te cycle of prayer. One begins with the standing and ends with the final prostration. The second would thus begin with another
standing.

All schools agree that the number of prayers is 5.

Fajr - Dawn (2 rakat); Thuhur - Immediately after noon (4 rakat); Asr - Midway afternoon(4 rakat); Maghrib - After sunset(3 rakat); Isha - Night(4
rakat)

The Prophet, upon whom be peace said, "Every action is based upon intention. For everyone is what he intended. Whoever made the migration to Allah
and His Prophet, then his migration is to Allah and His Prophet. Whoever's migration was for something of this world or for the purpose of marriage,
then his migration was to what he migrated to." (Related by Muslim).

• The intentions need not be spoken, as with other acts of worship, it is a matter of the heart.

1. Opening Takbir: Imam Ali' (a.s.) related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The key to prayer is purity. What puts one into its invioable
state is the takbir, and the tasleem releases one from it."

Takbir = saying "Allahu Abkar" and raising one's hands at the beginning of prayer. Tasleem = saying "Assalaamu alaikum" or "Assalaamu alaikum wa
rahmatulla" at the end of prayer.

2. Stading (Qiyam): One must stand during prayers, if he/she is physical able to do so. "Guard and preserve the prayers and the mid- most prayer, and
stand for Allah with devotion." (2:238)

* If one cannot stand, he may pray sitting and use head movements for the bowing and prostration. If he cannot sit, he may lay himself on his right side.
If he cannot do this, he may lie on his back, and so on.

*For voluntary prayers, one can pray sitting even if he can stand.

Maliki Shafi’I Hanbali Hanafi Imami

Al-Fatiha reciting Surat al-Fatihah The Shafi'is state: Surat The Hanbalis consider It is not compulsory to Reciting Surat al-
(Opening is necessary in every al-Fatihah is wajib in al-Fatihah to be wajib in recite only Surat al-Fa- Fatihah is necessary in
Chapter of rak'ah, without there every rak'ah, without even rak'ah, and to recite tihah in the daily the first two rak'ahs of
the Qur’an) being any difference in there being any a surah after it in the first obligatory salats, and every salat and no other
this regard between the difference in this regard two rak'ahs as anything recited from the surah can replace it.
earlier and later rak'ahs between the first two mustahabb. Qur'an may take its
and between fard and rak'ahs and the other place, because God the But it is not wajib in
mustahabb salats rak'ahs and between Exalted, says: 'Therefore the third rak'ah of
wajib and mustahabb recite of the Qur'an so maghrib and the last
salats. The bismillah is a much as is feasible' two rak'ahs of four-
 part of the surah and (73:20) It is valid to skip rak'ah prayers; rather,
cannot be omitted in any the bismillah because it one has an option
circumstance. is not a part of any surah. between it and tasbih,
though even once is
sufficient. It is wajib to
recite another complete
surah in the first two
rak'ahs, and the
bismillah is a part of
the surahs which
cannot be omitted in
any circumstance.

Loudness of Reciting aloud is The recitation should be The morning prayer and Neither reciting aloud It is wajib to recite
Prayers mustahabb in the aloud in the morning the first two rak'ahs of nor in a low voice are aloud only the surahs
morning prayer and the prayer and the first two maghrib and 'isha' mustahabb, and a and not the other
first two rak'ahs of rak'ahs of maghrib and prayers are to be recited performer praying alone recitations in the
maghrib and 'isha' 'isha' prayers; the alo ud. is free to recite in a voice morning prayer and the
prayers. remaining recitals are to that he alone can hear or first two rak'ahs of
be in a low voice. in a voice hearable to maghrib and 'isha'
others. prayers. except for the
bismillah, the recitation
in zuhr and asr prayers
is to be done in a low
voice in their first two
rak'ahs and also in the
third rak'ah of maghrib
and the last two rak'ahs
of 'isha' prayers.
Qunut Qunut is to be recited The qunut is mustahabb Qunut is to be recited in ? Qunut is mustahabb in
only in the morning only in the morning Salat al-watr and not in the five daily prayers
prayer. prayer, and is to be any other salat. and its place is the
performed after rising second rak'ah after the
from the ruku’ of the recital of the surahs and
second rak’ah. before ruku'.

Takkatuf Takattuf is valid in their Takattuf is not wajib but Takattuf is a sunnah for As to takattuf, it is takattuf (putting hands
opinion, though it is a sunnah for both the both men and women masnun (a sunnah) but it over each other)
mustahabb to keep the sexes, and its preferable and its preferable form is is not wajib, and its renders the salat invalid
hands hanging freely in form is to place the right to place the right hand preferable form is for a (batil) because there is
the fard prayers. hand palm on the back of palm on the back of the man to place the palm of no explicit text (nass)
the left hand be tween the left hand below the his right hand on the in support of it.
chest and the navel and navel. back of his left hand, and However, some of
towards the left side. for a woman to place her them say: Takattuf is
hands on her chest. haram and the one who
does it has committed
sin, though his salat is
not invalid. A third
group from among
them observe: It is
makruh (discouraged)
and not haram.

Ru’ku It is not obligatory to It is not obligatory to Obligatoryt say tasbih It is not obligatory to Obligatoryt say tasbih
(Bowing) recite anything during recite anything during during ruku' and its recite anything during during ruku' and its
ruku', though it is sunnah ruku', though it is sunnah formula in the opinion of ruku', though it is sunnah formula is Subhana
that the performer say: that the performer say: the Hanbalis is "Subhana that the performer say: Rabbi al-'azim wa bi
"Sub- hana Rabbl al- "Sub- hana Rabbl al- Rabi al-'azim "Sub- hana Rabbl al- hamdih" or just
'azim. 'azim. 'azim. SubhanAllah" thrice.
The Hanafis say: It is not obligatory to return to the standing position after ruku', and it is sufficient, though makruh (discouraged), to perform sajdah
(prostration) straight-away. The other schools consider it obligatory to return to the standing position and mustahabb to recite the tasmi', which is to say:
"Sami 'allahu li man hamidah" (God hears one who praises Him). According to the Imamis, it is obligatory to stay motionless in this standing (qiyyam)
too.

sujud (prostration) is It is obligatory to lay It is obligatory to lay It is obligatory to lay It is obligatory to lay It is obligatory to
obligatory twice in only the forehead on only the forehead on on the ground all the only the forehead on lay on the ground all
each rak'ah. the ground in sujud, the ground in sujud, seven parts while the ground in sujud, the seven parts
and laying down the and laying down the and laying down the while
other parts is other parts is performing sujud. It other parts is
encouraged encouraged has been narrated from encouraged performing sujud.
(mustahabb). (mustahabb). the Hanbalis that they (mustahabb).
add the nose to these
seven, thus making
them eight.

Tashahhud is at most Attahiyyatu lillah, "Attahiyyatu "Attahiyyatu lillahi wa- "attahiyyatu lillahi "Ash- hadu a nna la
recited twice in salat; azzakiyyatu lillah, almubarakatu assalawatu wa- wassalawatu ilaha illa Allah,
the first, after the attayyibatu assalawatu assalawatu attayyibatu attayyibatu. assalamu wattayyibatu wahdahu la
second rak'ah of zuhr, lillah. Assalamu alayka lillah, assalamu 'alayka 'alayka ayyuha wassalamu 'alayka shareeka lah, wa
'asr. maghrib and 'isha' ayyuha a nnabiyyu ayyuha annabiyyu annabiyyu warahmatu ayyuha annabiyyu ash- hadu anna
prayers, which is not warahmatu allahi warahmatu allahi allahi wabarakatuhu, warahmatullahi muhammadan
followed by taslim; the wabarakatuhu, wabarakatuhu, assalamu alayna wa 'ala wabarakatuhu, 'abduhu wa-
second in the last rak'ah assalamu alayna wa 'ala assalamu alayna wa 'ala 'abadi allahi assalamu 'alayna wa rasuluhu.
of the two-, three-, and 'abadi Allahi 'abadi allahi assalaiheena. Ash-hadu 'ala `abadillahi Allahumma salli ala
four- rak'ah prayers, assaliheena, ash- hadu assalaiheena. Ash-hadu anna la ilaha illa Allah, assaliheena, ash- hadu Muhammadin wa
which is followed by anna la ilaha illa Allah, anna la ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu la anna la ilaha illa Allah, 'ali Muhammed."
taslim. The Imamis and wa ash-hadu anna wa ash-hadu anna shareekalah, wa ash- waAsh-hadu anna
the Hanbalis state: The muhammadan 'abduhu sayyidana hadu anna sayyidana Mohammmedan
first tashahhud is warasuluhu. muhammadan rasulu muhammadan 'abduhu 'abduhu warasuluhu."
obligatory. The Allah." wa- rasuluhu.
remaining schools Allahumma salli ala
consider it mustahabb Muhammadin."
and not obligatory. The
second tashahhud is
considered obligatory
by the Shafi'is, Imamis
and Hanbalis, and
mustahabb by the
Malikis and Hanafis

Tasleem (Farewell) Tasleem is obligatory. Tasleem is obligatory. Tasleem is obligatory. The Hanafis do not The Imamis differ
consider it obligatory among themselves,
a group considers it
obligatory, while
others regard it as
mustahabb

Formula for Tasleem Assalamu alaikum Assalamu alaikum Assalamu alaikum Assalamu alaikum Tasleem (farewell)
warahmatu allah warahmatu allah warahmatu allah warahmatu allah consists of two
formulas; the first
(obligatory twice) is: "Assalamu alaina
wa 'ala 'abadi allahi
assaliheen".

The second:
"Assalamu alaikum
wa rahmatu allahi
wa barakatuh". One
of them is
obligatory. Hence if
a person recites the
former, the latter
will be mustahabb,
and if he recites the
latter, he will stop at
it
Sequence:

Proper Sequence (tartib) is obligatory between the different parts of salat. Hence the takbirat al-'ihram (opening takbir) must precede reciting (qira'ah),
the qira'ah (recitation of Qur'an) must precede ruku' (bowing), the ruku' must come before the sujud (prostration), and so on.

Continuity:

Continuity (muwalat and tatabu', i.e. to occur one after another) is obligatory between the parts of salat and between the different portions of a part.
Therefore, the reciting (qira'ah) must begin immediately after the takbirah and ruku' must similarly follow the qira'ah, and so on. The verses, words and
letters must not be recited in a manner breaking continuity.

Sources:

1. Fiqh us-Sunnah: at-Tahara and as-Salah by As-Sayyid Sabiq. 1412/1991 American Trust Publications.

ISBN No. 0-89259-060-2

2. Prayer (Salat), According to Five Islamic Schools of Law By: 'Allamah Muhammad Jawad Maghniyyah - Translated from the Arabic by Mujahid
Husayn