PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S (SAWS) SALAAH

PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S (SAWS) SALAAH

• As described in the Book (“The Abridgement of
the Prophet’s! Prayer Described.”-by The Imaam
and Muhaddith, Muhammed Naasarud Deen Al
Albaanee)
Salaah and its requirements

1) Facing the ka’bah (Istiqbaalul-Ka'bah) - face
the direction of the Ka'bah, wherever you are, in
obligatory Prayers and optional Prayers. This is one
of the pillars of the Prayer, such that the Prayer is
not valid without it.
2) The ruling concerning praying towards a
direction other than that of the ka'bah by mistake
(1) If a person prays towards other than the Qiblah
due to the sky being cloudy or for any reason other
than that, after having tried to the best of his
knowledge and ability to face the correct direction,
then his Prayer will be correct and he will not have
to repeat it.
(2) However if a person whom he holds to be
reliable comes to him whilst he is praying and
informs him of the correct direction, then he must
immediately turn to the correct direction, and his
Prayer will be correct.
3) Standing (Qiyaam)
• It is obligatory that the person prays standing.
This is a pillar (rukn) except for:
• The one who is praying the Fear Prayer or during
severe fighting. In these circumstances it is
permissible for him to pray whilst riding.
• Also the one who is ill and the one who is unable
to stand, he should pray sitting if he is able, or if
not then whilst lying down.
• Also the person praying Optional (Nawafil) Prayer,
he may pray whilst riding or whilst sitting if he
wishes, and in this case he should perform
rukoo' (bowing) and sujood (prostration) by
lowering his head and likewise the sick. He should
lower his head further for the prostration than for
the bowing.
4) The obligation of praying towards a Sutrah
(barrier) and of being close to it
• It is obligatory that he prays towards a barrier
(Sutrah). It makes no difference whether he is
praying in a mosque or elsewhere, nor whether the
mosque is large or small. This is because of the
all-embracing statement of the Prophet (SAW), “Do
not pray except towards a sutrah, and do not let
anyone walk in front of you. So if a person insists
(on trying to pass) then stop him.
5) The forbiddance of praying towards graves
• It is not allowed to pray towards graves whatever
the case, whether it is the graves of Prophets or
anyone else besides them.
6) The forbiddance of passing in front of a person
who is praying even in the sacred mosque in
Makkah (Al-Masjidul-Haram)
7) The obligation of preventing anyone trying to
pass in front of you, even in the sacred mosque in
Makkah
It is not allowed for a person praying towards a
Sutrah to allow anyone to pass in front of him, do
not let anyone walk in front of him and repel him
by pushing him on the chest. And it is allowed for
him to take a step or more forwards in order to
prevent an animal or a child from passing in front
of him, so that they pass behind him.
The intention (An-Niyyah)
• The person who is going to pray must have in his
heart the intention to pray that particular Prayer,
be it the Obligatory Zuhr or 'Asr Prayer, or the
sunnah Prayer's for them, for example.
• The expressing the Niyyah upon the tongue, is an
innovation (bid'ah), on contrary to the Sunnah.
• A person should offer prayers to carry out the
orders of the Almighty Allaah only. So, if a person
prays to show off to the people, his prayers are
void (ineffectual). It will be void even if he couples
the intention of showing off, with the performance
for the pleasure of Allaah.
9) The Takbeer (saying: Allaahu Akbar)
• It begins the Prayer by saying: Allaahu Akbar,
Allaah is Greater. He should not raise his voice in
saying the takbeer in any of the Prayers, unless he
is an Imaam (leading others in prayer).
• The person following an Imaam in Prayer should
not say the takbeer until the Imaam has finished
saying it.
10) Raising the hands and how it is to be done
• He should raise his hands whilst saying the
takbeer or before it, or after it. All of these are
established in the Sunnah.
• He should raise his hands with the fingers
extended.
• He should raise his palms up to the level of his
shoulders, and sometimes he should raise them
even further, up to the level of his car lobes.
11) Where the hands are to be placed
• He should only place his hands upon his chest.
This applies equally to men and women.
• It is not allowed to place the hands on the waist.
12) Humility and attentiveness (Al-Khushoo’) and
looking at the place of prostration
• He must have humility and attentiveness in his
Prayer, and should avoid everything that may divert
his attention, whether it is designs or decoration.
Nor should he pray when food that he desires has
been served, nor whilst he is having to withhold
urine or faeces.
• “The khushoo” of true faith is when the heart feels
aware and humble before the greatness and glory
of Allaah, and is filled with awe, fear and shyness,
so that the heart is utterly humbled before Allaah
and broken, as it were, with fear, shyness, love and
the recognition of the blessings of Allaah. So no
doubt the khushoo of the heart is followed by the
khushoo’ of the body.
• Whilst standing he should look towards the place
of his prostration.
• He should not turn to the right or the left, since
his turning aside will be something that Satan
snatches away and steals from the person's
Prayer.
• It is not allowed for him to raise his sight to the
sky.
• Prayer demands whole attention.
13) The opening supplication (du'aa Al-Istiftaah)
• Then he should begin by reciting one of the
supplications established from the Prophet! and
they are many. The most well-known is:
• Subhaanak-Allaahumma, Wa Bi Hamdika, Wa
Tabaarakasmuka, Wa Ta'aalaa Jadduka, Wa Laa
Ilaaha Ghayruka
• I declare that you are free and far removed from
all imperfections, O Allaah, and all praise is for you.
Blessed is Your Name. Great and Exalted is Your
Kingdom. None has the right to be worshipped
besides You.
14) The recitation (Al-Qiraa'ah)
• A'oodhu billaahi min ash-Shaytaan-ir-Rajeem.
Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. He should say it
quietly or silently, in both loud and silent Prayers.
• Recite Surah Al Faatihah. It is obligatory that the
one praying behind an imaam also recites it in
quiet Prayers.
• He should also recite it in loud Prayers if he
cannot hear an imaam reciting or if it happens that
the imaam remains silent after his own recitation in
order to enable the follower to recite it.
• However, it is our view that this period of silence
is not established from the Sunnah.
15) The recitation after Surah al-Faatihah
• It is obligatory that he recites al-Faatihah in
every rak'ah.
• Everyone should say Aameen after Faatihah.
• It is from the Sunnah that after reciting Al-
Faatihah, he recites another Soorah - even in the
Funeral Prayer, or that he recites some aayahs, in
the first two rak'ahs.
• He may sometimes lengthen the recitation after it
and shorten it at other times, due to the needs of
travel, having a cough and cold, being ill or due to
the crying of a child.
• The Sunnah is also to make the recitation in the
first rak'ah longer than the recitation in the second
rak'ah.
• Also that he makes the recitation in the last two
rak'ahs shorter than that in the first two rak’ahs.
16) Loud and Quiet Recitation
• He should recite aloud in the Dawn (Fajr) Prayer,
the Jumu'ah Prayer, and the two 'Eid Prayers, the
Prayer for seeking rain, the Eclipse Prayer and in
the first two rak'ahs of the Maghrib and 'Ishaa
Prayers. He should recite quietly in the Zuhr and
'Asr Prayers, in the third rak'ah of the Maghrib
Prayer and the last two rak'ahs of the 'Ishaa
Prayer.
• As for the Witr Prayer and the Prayer during the
night (Salaatul-Layl), then he should sometimes
recite quietly in it, and recite loudly at other times.
However, his voice should only be raised
moderately.
17) Reciting the Qur'an slowly (and beautifully)
• The Sunnah is that he recites the Qur’an slowly.
He should not recite it quickly or hurriedly. Rather,
his recitation should be clear and each letter
distinguishable.
• He should also beatify the Qur’an with his voice,
and recite it in a beautiful and good manner, whilst
abiding by the rulings that are well-known to
scholars of recitation.
• He may not recite it in newly innovated tones, nor
in the manner of singing.
18) The bowing (Rukoo')
• When he has finished reciting he remains silent
for a moment, long enough to return his breathing
to normal.
• Then he raises his hands, says the takbeer (i.e.,
Allaahu Akbar).
• Then he performs the rukoo' (i.e., bows) in such
a manner that he should place his hands firmly
upon his knees. He should spread his fingers, as if
he were grasping his knees.
• He should stretch out his back and make it level,
such that if water were to be poured upon it, then
it would settle upon it.
• He should neither cause his head to droop lower
than his back, nor should he raise it above it.
Rather he should make it level with his back.
• He should say in his rukoo':
Subhaana Rabbee al-’Azeem (I declare that, my
Lord, the Supreme, is free and far removed from all
imperfections). Saying it three times, or more.
19) Straightening up from the Rukoo'
• Then he must rise up and straighten his back
from the rukoo' and he should raise his hands
when he rises up. He must say, while raising his
back:
Sami' Allaahu Liman Hamidah (Allaah listens and
responds to the one who praises Him).
• He should say while standing:
Rabbanaa Wa Lakal-hamd (our Lord! And all praise
is for you).
20) The Sujood (Prostration)
• Then he says: Allaahu Akbar (Allaah is Greater).
• Then he prostrates, placing his hands upon the
ground before his knees.
• He should rest upon his palms, and point them
towards the Qiblah.
• He should place his palms level with his
shoulders. And sometimes he places them level
with his ears.
• He must lift his elbows away from the ground. He
is not allowed to spread them on the ground in the
manner of the dog.
• He must place his nose and his forehead firmly
upon the ground, this is a pillar.
• He must also place his knees firmly on the
ground and likewise his toes.
• His feet should be placed upright on the ground.
The tips of his toes should be pointed towards the
Qiblah (direction of Prayer). And his heels should
be joined together.
• He should say in it: Subhaana Rabbee Al-A' laa
I declare my Lord, the Most High, free and far
removed from all imperfections. (Three times or
more).
• It is recommended to supplicate to Allaah as
much as possible while in prostration, since it is a
time most suitable for the acceptance of
supplications.
• It is not allowed to recite the Qur'an in
prostration.
• He should make his prostration about as long as
his bowing, as has proceeded.
• It is allowed to prostrate upon the earth, or upon
something placed upon the ground such as a
garment, a carpet, a mat and the like.
• Then he rises up his head, saying the takbeer
(i.e., Allaahu Akbar).
• He raises his hands at this point, sometimes.
• Then he sits with calmness, such that every bone
settles in its place.
• Sit upon the left foot laid flat (Al-Iftiraash) and
right foot raised in heels (Al-Iq'aa`) in between the
two prostrations. He says in his sitting:
Allaahumma-ghfirlee, Warhamnee, Wajburnee,
Warfa'nee, Wa'aafinee, Warzuqnee
Allaah forgive me, and have mercy upon me, and
suffice me, and raise my rank, and grant me safety
and well-being, and grant me provision.
• And if he wishes, then he may (instead) say:
Rabbi-ghfirlee, Rabbi-ghfirlee My Lord, forgive me!
O my Lord, forgive me!
21) The second prostration
• Then he says: Allaahu Akbar, Allaah is Greater.
• He does in the second prostration that which he
did in the first.
22) The second unit of prayer (rak'ah)
• Then he gets up, supporting himself upon the
ground with his fists clenched, like one who
clenches his fists when kneading dough. So he
stands up for the second rak'ah.
• He does in the second rak'ah the same as he did
in the first.
• He should make the second rak'ah shorter than
the first rak'ah.
23) Tashahhud
• So when he finishes the second rak'ah he sits to
perform the tashahhud.
• And he sits upon the left foot laid flat, as
preceded with regard to the sitting between the two
prostrations.
• He should point his right forefinger towards the
Qiblah (Direction of Prayer).
• He should fix his gaze upon his forefinger.
• And he should agitate it, making supplication with
it, from the start to the end of the tashahhud.
• At-Tahiyyaatu Lillaahi, Was-Salwaatu, Wat-
Tayyibaatu. As-Salaamu 'Alan-Nabee', Wa
Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuh. As-Salaamu
'Alaynaa Wa 'Alaa 'Ibaad-Illaah-Is-Saaliheen.
Ashhadu An Laa Ilaaha Illallaah, Wa Ashhadu Anna
Muhammadan ' Abduhu Wa Rasooluhu
• Words of Praise and glorification are for Allaah
alone, and Prayers and acts of worship, and pure
words and attributes. May Allaah send peace and
security upon the Prophet, and may Allaah's Mercy
and Blessings be upon him. May Allaah send peace
and security upon us, and upon all of Allaah's
righteous servants.
• Then he should supplicate for blessings upon the
Prophet(SAW):
Allaahumma Salli 'Alaa Muhammad, Wa 'Alaa Aali
Muhammad, Kamaa Sallayta 'Alaa Ibraaheem, Wa
'Alaa Aali Ibraaheem, Innaka Hameedun Majeed.
Allaahumma Baarik 'Alaa Muhammad, Wa 'Alaa
Aali Muhammad, Kamaa Baarakta 'Alaa Ibraaheem,
Wa 'Alaa Aali Ibraaheem, Innaka Hameedun
Majeed.
Allaah! Extol and honour Muhammad and the true
followers of Muhammad, just as You extolled and
honored Ibraaheem and the righteous offspring of
Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are deserving of all praise,
Perfect in Glory and Honour. 0 Allaah! Send
continual blessings upon Muhammad and upon the
true followers of Muhammad, just as You sent
blessings upon Ibraaheem and upon the righteous
offspring of Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are deserving
of all praise, Perfect in Glory and Honour.
24) The third and fourth rak’ahs
• Then he says: Allaahu Akbar, Allaah is Greater.
• He raises his hands, sometimes.
• He does the same as first and second rak'ah.
• In each of the third and fourth rak'ahs he recites
Soorah al-Faatihah.
• He may also recite an aayah or more in addition
to it.
25) The final Tashahhud.
• He should do in it what he did in the first
tashahhud.
• It is obligatory that he supplicates for blessings
upon the Prophet (SAW) in this tashahhud.
• He must seek Allaah’s refuge from four things,
saying:
• Allaahumma Innee A'oodhu Bika Min ' Adhaabi
Jahannam, Wa Min 'Adhaabil-Qabr, Wa Min
Fitnatil-Mahyaa Wal-Mamaat, Wa Min Sharri
Fitnatil-Maseehid-Dajjaal.
• Allaah! I seek refuge with You from the
punishment of Hell-Fire, and from the Punishment
of the Grave, and from the Trials of Living and
Dying, and from the Evil Trials of the False Messiah
(Dajjaal).
26) Supplicating (du'aa) before the Salutation
(Salaam)
• Then he may supplicate for himself with whatever
supplication he wishes from the supplications
established in the Book and the Sunnah.
• There are very many, so if he has not memorised
anything from them, then he may supplicate with
whatever du'aa is easy for him, from that which
will benefit him in his Religion or his worldly life.
27) The Salutation (At-Tasleem)
• Then he should give salutations to his right side,
turning his face such that the whiteness of his
right cheek can be seen.
• He then gives salutations to his left side, turning
his face such that the whiteness of his left cheek
can be seen, even if it is the Funeral Prayer.
• Tasleem:
As-Salaamu 'Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa
Barakaatuhu
May Allaah grant you peace and security, and may
His Mercy and Blessings be upon you.
So if you perform the Prayer in the above described
manner, is like the Prayer of the Prophet
Muhammed ( ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ )! Then I hope that
Allaah, the Most High, will accept it from you,
because in that case you will be putting into
practice the saying of the Prophet ( ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ
ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ), “Pray as you have seen me praying.”
Then along with this it is upon you that you do not
forget the importance to be given to praying with
an attentive heart, and to praying with humility and
submissiveness (khushoo'), since this is the major
goal of the servant's standing before Allaah, the
Most High, in Prayer.