Kitab Al-Salaah (The book of Prayer)

Preface

            PRAISE be to Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala[1]) who ordained As-Salaat (Prayer) as an act of worship on His servants, and may the utmost peace and blessings of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) be upon His prophet who taught the Ummah (Muslim nation) how best to perform the prayer. 

            I do not intend to write along preface, but I merely wish to make a brief explanation of my reasons for undertaking this work. It is natural that by virtue of its importance, many books have been written in the past about Salaat by different Muslims in different parts of the world - may Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) reward them all for their efforts. And, while a large number of the works so far carried out on Salaat have generally been well appreciated, it is however no secret also that many books on this subject suffer serious shortcomings which notably may be summarized as follows:

1. Apparent lack of subject comprehensiveness in most books. While, certainly, no single writer can comprehend a subject as wide as Salaat, but it is true that many books on this subject only make scanty touch on it.
2. The unfortunate existence in many of the books of various matters such as recitations, supplications and even acts purported to be part of the prayer but which cannot be correctly traced to having been recited and/or performed by the Prophet (PBUH) or even by his rightly guided Caliphs (successors).
3. The absence of arrangement and order in most books with regard to the various matters relating to the prayer.
4. The virtual absence in most books of TRANSLITERATION to the various supplications which a person needs to recite in the course of the prayer. Needless to say, but, the importance of transliteration to the non-Arabic speaking Muslims cannot be over-emphasized.

            In view of the foregoing that the thought of compiling a more appropriate treatise on Salaat arose to me. And it is by the grace of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) that it is now in our hands although I am quite conscious of how unequal I am to a subject such as this one to which a man of much greater capabilities than myself was required. I am, however, sustained by the conviction that the readers will overlook my shortcomings and treat them with indulgence. 

            In compiling this treatise, I have endeavored to touch over almost all the important aspects of the prayer and there is perhaps no other book which provides such an elaborate account of the subject although, as mentioned earlier. Salaat is just such a wide subject that even this treatise is still in want of much other information on the same but which, lnsha - Allah, shall be taken into account in the next reproduction. 

            How far I have succeeded in this work is not for me to say but it is my sincere hope that it will, InshaAllah, go a long way in fulfilling the gaps and shortcomings found in other books written so far on the subject. The book, however cannot and, is not meant to be a substitute to the other works on the Salaat but rather complementary. Meanwhile, man is to err and this work may not necessarily be free from errors whether technical, typographical or otherwise. Hence, I make a kind appeal to all those who may discover something incorrect in this work to communicate the same to the publishers for due correction in the next re-print. 

            Compiling such work, did not only require my reference to a wide range of books including the Holy Qur'an, Hadith books and Fiqh (Jurisprudence) books but also to seek the help of other learned Muslim brethren. And in this regard, my appreciation goes to Sheikh Hamoud M. Al-Lahim and Brother Abdalla Karshe both of Riyadh - may the Almighty Allah bless them for their continuous counseling and advice. Similarly, this work would not have been completed had it not been for the tireless efforts of brother Muhammed Ameen Cave of the Cooperative office for Call and Guidance, Riyadh, who not only did the system data entering but even helped so much in the final proof-reading - may Allah reward him for his share of contribution in this work. 

NATHIF J. ADAM. 
Riyadh, 21st May, 1991.

[1]Subhanahu wa ta'ala inserted after the name of Allah which means " The Glorified, the Most High ".