Kitab Al-Salaah (The book of Prayer)

Performance
Of The Salaat

           
After introducing the Salaat and discussing its pre-requisites, we
shall now turn to matters pertaining to its actual performance.

Conditions for the Prayer (Shuruud-Salaat)

           
There are a number of conditions which need to be fulfilled for the
prayer to be valid. These are as follows:

• Acceptance of Islamic Faith - disbelievers are not required
  to establish Salaat until they believe in Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala)
  and bear witness that there is no god but Allah and bear witness that
  Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
• Anniyah - this in Arabic means the intention by heart to
  perform the particular prayer.
• Cleanliness - this includes cleanliness of the body, the
  clothes and the place where the prayer is to be performed.
• Purification - this refers to the of Wudhu (or Ghusl where it
  is required) prior to undertaking the prayer.
• Concealing of the Private Parts - for a man, it is essential
  that he be covered at least from the navel to the knees all round,
  while, in the case of a woman, her body should be totally covered
  except for the face and wrists.
• Facing the "Qiblah" - this means that a person when praying
  must face towards the direction of the sacred mosque in "Makkah". Where
  a person is not able to locate the direction by himself/herself, the
  person may ask another person who may know the direction of the Qiblah.
  However, if no one is in sight to guide to the right direction, then,
  the person should decide for himself/herself and make the best guess of
  the correct direction of the Qiblah, and accordingly, perform the
  prayer in that direction even though the guess maybe incorrect. The
  prayer performed would still be acceptable (inshaa Allah) in view of
  the following verse of the Holy Qur'an:“ Whichever direction you
  turn, there is the Presence of Allah” (Qur'an 2: 115).
• Timing - prayers are to be observed in their prescribed
  times.
• Sanity and consciousness - prayer is required only from
  person of sound mind.
• Ability to distinguish - prayer is required only where the
  person (child) is able to distinguish between good and bad, and is able
  to understand and appreciate fully what is to be recited, performed
  etc.

Note:
            It
is preferred for children to begin performing the prayer at the age of
seven for it awakens in them the presence of Allah (subhanahu wa
ta'ala) and inculcates in them the habit of praying as an act of
worship and love for 'Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala). A child at the age
of 10 is made to understand that prayer is necessarily a part of the
person's daily life and is a solemn duty ordained by Allah (subhanahu
wa ta'ala) on all Muslims, and that failure to perform it is an act of
disbelief (Kufr). Therefore, parents are required to guide their
children to the right path by punishing any of them who at the age of
10 intentionally misses the prayers.

            The
Prophet (peace be upon him), 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 separate them (ie. boys and girls) in their beds”
(Reported by Imam Bukhari).

            Upon
attaining the age of 15, a child is deemed to have reached adulthood,
whereby, he/she is required to perform the prayer. Here below, are some
other signs which may indicate that a child has attained adulthood:

• The growing of pubic hairs.
• Finding traces of semen on the child's clothes and/or bed.
• The start of menstruation, in the case of a girl.

 

Categories of the Acts of the Salaat

           
All the acts, readings and supplications undertaken in the course of
the Salaat have different legal weights and implications. They are
categorized as follows:

1. Pillars of the Salaat - (Arkanu-Salaat).
2. Necessary Duties of the Salaat (Wajibatu-Salaat).
3. Preferred Acts of the Salaat. (Sunnanu-Salaat).

We shall now discuss each of these categories in turn.

Pillars of the Salaat (Arkanu-S alaat)

           
The prayer has obligatory pillars, which must be fulfilled for it to be
valid and these are as follows:

1. " Al-Qiyaam " - prayer is to be performed in a standing
   position if a person is physically capable.
2. " Takbiiratil lhraam " that is saying "ALLAHU AKHAR" at the
   commence - ment of the prayer.
3. " Al-Fatihah
   " - that is reciting
   the opening chapter of the Holy Qur'an in every Rakaat.
4. " Rukuu " - this is bowing posture whereby the head and the
   back are positioned on the same level and both hands are rested on the
   knees with the fingers spread apart.
5. A requirement to raise the head up from the Rukuu position.
6. A requirement to stand up from the Rukuu position in such a
   way that the person feels that all his/her backbones are straightened.
7. " Sujuud " that is prostrating oneself in such a way that the
   following seven parts of the body are firmly placed on the ground: the
   forehead together with the tip of the nose, both the palms, both the
   knees, the bottom surface of the toes of both feet.
8. A requirement to raise the head from the Sujuud position.
9. A requirement to sit upright during the pause between the two
   prostration.
10. A requirement to take a sitting position for the recitation
    of the " At-Tashahucl " (words of witness).
11. A requirement to recite the final " At-Tashahud ".
12. A requirement to recite the words of supplication for the
    Prophet (peace be upon him).
13. A requirement to conclude the prayer with the words of peace
    " Tasleem ", i.e. " Assalamu Aleykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakatuh".
14. A requirement that in fulfilling the above pillars the 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 required to repeat the whole Rakaat (Unit) in which the pillar is
omitted, but if, the Takbiirat il - lhraam is omitted, it becomes
necessary to repeat the whole Salaat.

Necessary Duties (Wajibatu-Salaat)

           
In addition to the above 14 pillars of the prayer, there are also
certain necessary duties which need to be fulfilled in the course of
the Salaat. These are as follows:

1. Saying "ALLAHU AKHAR" in the course of the prayer where it is
   necessary, e.g. upon commencing Rukuu etc.
2. Saying "SUBHANAA RABBIYAL AZIM" when in Rukuu position.
3. Saying "SAMI ALLAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH" while resuming standing
   position from the Rukuu whether the person is an "Imam" (leader) or is
   praying alone.
4. Saying "RABBANA WALAKAL HAMD" when resuming the standing
   position from the Rukuu after saying the words.
5. Saying "SUBHANA RABBIYAL AALA" when in Sujuud (prostration)
   position.
6. Saying "RABBI IGHFIR LEE" in the sitting pause between the
   two prostration of every unit of the prayer.
7. Taking a sitting position for the recitation of At-Tashahud
   after the first two rakaats (units) of Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha
   prayers.
8. Reciting the At-Tashahud (words of witness) after the first
   two rakaats (units) of Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha prayers.
9. Saying "SAMI ALLAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH". This is required from the
   Imam (leader), from the congregation and even from a person who is
   praying alone.

            The
above gestures/actions constitute the necessary duties of the prayer
and if one of them is missed unintentionally, then the person is
required to amend the mistake by coming up with the two prostration of
forgetfulness at the end of the prayer. However, if any of these duties
is left out deliberately, then the whole prayer is nullified and shall
require a repetition.

Preferred Acts of the Salaat (Sunna- nu-Salaat)

           
In addition to the Pillars and Necessary duties already discussed,
there are also certain preferred acts to be fulfilled in the course of
the prayer. These areas are as follows:

• Reciting of an opening supplication (Du'a-al-Istiftaah) after
  the "Takbiiratil- lhraam".
• Placing the hands over the chest while the person is in a
  standing position with the right hand placed over the left hand.
• Raising of both hands up to the level of the shoulders or
  near to the lobes of the ears when saying "Takbiiratil-lhraam",- when
  heading for the Rukuu; when resuming standing position from the Rukuu
  and when resuming standing position from the first tashahud.
• Seeking the protection of Allah from the cursed Satan (only
  at the start of the first rakaat) by saying: "Audhu billahi minas-
  shaytani-r-rajiim" which means, "I seek Allah's refuge from the cursed
  Satan."
• Starting the prayer with the silent invocation of Allah
  (subhanahu wa ta'ala) by saying: "BISMILLAHI-R-RAHMANI-R-- RAHEEM"
  which means, "In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful."
• Saying "Ameen" upon concluding the recitation of
  "Al-Fatihah".
• Reciting some chapters or verses of the Holy Qur'an after
  Al-Fatihah in the first two rakaats (units) of each prayer.
• A preference that the recitation of Al- Fatihah and of any
  other additional readings from the Holy Qur'an are recited in a loud
  voice in the first two rakaats of Fajr, Maghrib and Isha prayers.
• A preference that when sitting for the first At-Tashahud and
  in between the two prostration, the person rests on his left foot
  flattened on the ground while keeping the right foot erect with the
  bottom of the toes firmed on the ground.
• A preference to practice At- Tawaruk when sitting for the
  final At-Tashahud in the Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha prayers.
  "At-Tawaruk" is a mode of sitting, wherein the person protrudes out his
  left foot from underneath his right leg, in such a way that the person
  does not relax on his left foot.
• Reciting the following supplication, when sitting for
  At-Tashahud, in between the supplication for the Prophet (peace be upon
  him) and the final words of peace: "Allahumma inii audhu bika min adha
  bi jahanama, wa min a dhabiil qabr wamin fitnatil mahyaa wal- ma-mati,
  wamin fitnatil masihid-dajaal " which means: "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
above points are the preferred acts of the prayer and all Muslims are
encouraged to preserve these practices because their observance
entities the person great rewards from Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala).
However, missing any of them does neither invalidate the Salaat nor
require the two prostration of forgetfulness.