بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
THE INTENTION (an-Niyyah)
(28) 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. This is a
condition (shart) or a pillar (rukn). As for expressing that upon the
tongue, then it is an innovation (bid'ah), contrary to the sunnah.
This was not upheld by any of the Imaams followed by the blindfollowers.
THE TAKBEER (Saying: `Allaahu Akbar')
(29) He begins the Prayer by saying:
Allaahu Akbar Allaah is Greater.
This is a pillar (rukn), due to his saying, “The key to the Prayer is
Purification. That which makes outside actions forbidden is the
takbeer, and that which causes outside actions to become
permissible is the tasleem7.”
(30) He should not raise his voice in saying the takbeer in any of the
Prayers, unless he is an Imaam (leading others in prayer).
(31) It is allowed for the mu'adhdhin to repeat the takbeer of the
Imaam in a louder voice in order for the people to hear it, as long as
there is a need for that, such as the Imaam's being ill, having a
weak voice, or there being a very large number of people praying
behind him.
(32) The person following an Imaam in Prayer should not say the
takbeer until the Imaam has finished saying it.
RAISING THE HANDS AND HOW IT IS TO BE DONE
(33) He should raise his hands whilst saying the takbeer or before
it, or after it. All of these are established in the sunnah.
7 i.e., the saying of, `As-salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullaah ...' to complete the Prayer
(34) He should raise his hands with the fingers extended.
(35) 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.8
PLACING THE HANDS AND HOW IT IS TO BE DONE
(36) Then after the takbeer he should place his right hand upon his
left hand, and this is from the practice (sunnah) of the Prophets,
'alaihimus-salaatu was-salaam, and Allaah's Messenger
commanded his Companions with it. It is therefore not permissible
to leave the hands hanging by one's sides.
(37) He should place his right hand upon his left hand, wrist and
forearm.
(38) Sometimes he should grasp the left hand with the right hand.9
WHERE THE HANDS ARE TO BE PLACED
(39) He should only place his hands upon his chest. This applies
equally to men and women.10
(40) It is not allowed to place the right-hand on the waist.
Foot notes:
8 I say: As for actually touching the earlobes with the thumb then there is no basis for this
in the Sunnah. Rather in my view it is something that incites misgivings.
9 As for the practice of combining both placing and grasping at one and the same time, as
some late-comers hold to he good, then there is no basis for it.
10 I say: The placing of the hands anywhere else but the chesr is either inauthentic
(da’eef). Or has no basis
HUMILITY AND ATTENTIVENESS (al-Khushoo’) AND
LOOKING AT THE PLACE OF PROSTRATION
(41) He must have humility and attentiveness in his Prayer, and
should avoid everything that may divert his attention, whether it
be 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.
(42) Whilst standing he should look towards the place of his
prostration.
(43) 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.
(44) It is not allowed for him to raise his sight to the sky.
THE OPENING SUPPLICATION (Du'aa al-Istiftaah)
(45) Then he should begin by reciting one of the supplications
established from the Prophet !, and they are many. The most wellknown
is:
Subhaanak-Allaahumma, wa biham-dika, wa tabaarakasmuka, wa ta'aalaa
jadduka, wa laa ilaaha ghayruka
I declare You 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.
THE RECITATION (al-Qiraa'ah)
(46) Then he must seek refuge with Allaah, the Most High, and it is
an obligation, he will be sinful if he leaves it.
(47) The Sunnah is that he should sometimes say:
A'oodhu billaahi min ash-Shaytaan-ir-Rajeem [min hamzihi, wa nafkhihi,
wa nafthihi]
I seek refuge with Allaah from Satan, the Rejected One [from the
insanity he brings about, from his arrogance and from his evil
poetry].
(48) Or that he says:
A'oodhu billaah-is-Samee'-il-'Aleem min ash-Shaytaan-ir-Rajeem min
hamzihi, wa nafkhihi, wa nafthihi
I seek refuge with Allaah, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from
Satan, the Rejected One, from the insanity he brings about, from his
arrogance and from his evil poetry.
(49) Then he should say quietly, in both loud and silent Prayers:
11 Whoever wishes to see the rest of the opening supplications then let him refer to
Sifatus-Salaat, pp. 14-19 of the translation
Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower o f Mercy.
RECITING SOORAH AL-FAATIHAH
(50) Then he recites the whole of Soorah al-Faatihah, and
(Bismillaah …) is an aayah from it. This is a pillar (rukn), and the
Prayer will not be correct without it. So it is obligatory upon even
those who do not know Arabic that they memorize it.
(51) But one who is still unable to recite it, then it is sufficient for
him to say:
Subhaan-Allaah, wal-hamdulillaah, wa laa ilaaha illallaah, wallaahu
Akbar, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah
I declare Allaah free and far removed from all imperfections, and
all praise is for Allaah, and Allaah is greater and no power except
by the Will of Allah
(52) The Sunnah, when reciting it, is to read it aayah by aayah. One
should pause after each aayah. So he says:
Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
Then he pauses ... then he says:
Al-Hamdu lillaahi Rabbil-'Aalameen
All praise is for Allaah, the Lord of all the creation.
Then he pauses ... then he says:
Ar-Rahmaan-ir-Raheem
The Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
Then he pauses ... then he says:
Maaliki Yawmid-Deen
Owner o f the Day of Recompense.
Then he pauses, he does likewise until he completes it.12
The whole of the Prophet's ! recitation would be like this. He
would stop at the end of each aayah, and not join it together with
the aayah after it, even if they were connected in meaning.
12 The whole of Soorah al-Faatihah can be seen in Appendix One
(53) It is permissible to recite either “Maaliki” ... Owner of the Day
of Recompense, or “Maliki” ... King of the Day of Recompense.
THE RECITATION OF SOORAH AL-FAATIHAH BY ONE
WHO IS PRAYING ALONG WITH AN IMAAM
(54) 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.13
THE RECITATION AFTER SOORAH AL-FAATIHAH
(55) 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.
(56) 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.
(57) The length of recitation will vary according to the different
Prayers. So generally, the recitation in the Dawn (Fajr) Prayer is
longer than the recitation in any of the other Prayers. Next comes
the Zuhr, then the 'Asr and the Maghrib, then the 'Ishaa.
(58) The recitation in the (optional) Night Prayer (Salaatul-Layl) is
longer than any of those.
Foot note:
13 I say: I have mentioned the evidence used by those who support it, along with its
rebuttal in Silsilatul-Ahaadeethid-Da'eefah, nos. 546 and 547
(59) The Sunnah is also to make the recitation in the first rak'ah
longer than the recitation in the second rak'ah.
(60) Also that he makes the recitation in the last two rak'ahs shorter
than that in the first two, by about a half.14
RECITING SOORAH AL-FAATIHAH IN EVERY RAK'AH
(61) It is obligatory that he recites al-Faatihah in every rak'ah.
(62) It is from the Sunnah that he sometimes recites something in
addition to it in the last two rak'ahs also.
(63) It is not allowed for the imaam to prolong the recitation more
than what occurs in the Sunnah. By doing so he would cause
difficulty to some of those who may be praying behind him, such
as old people, sick people, nursing mothers and those who have
needs to attend to.
LOUD AND QUIET RECITATION
(64) He should recite aloud in the Dawm (Fujr) Prayer, the Jumu'ah
Prayer, 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.
(65) It is permissible for the Imaam sometimes to recite an aayah
loud enough to be heard by the people in the quiet Prayers.
(66) 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.
RECITING THE QUR'AAN SLOWLY (AND BEAUTFIULLY)
(67) The Sunnah is that he recites the Qur'aan 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'aan 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.
CORRECTING THE IMAAM
(68) It is prescribed for the one praying behind an imaam that he
corrects him if he becomes mixed up in his recitation.
Foot note:14 For the details of this chapter, refer, if you wish, to Sifatus-Salaat, (pp. 25-39 of the
translation).
.
THE BOWING (RUKOO')
(69) When he has finished reciting he remains silent for a moment,
long enough to return his breathing to normal.
(70) Then he raises his hands, in the manner described previously
with regard to the initial takbeer (point nos. 33, 34 and 35).
(71) He also says the takbeer (i.e., Allaahu Akbar), and this is
obligatory.
(72) Then he performs the rukoo' (i.e., bows) in such a manner that
all his joints are settled, and each part of the body is at rest. This is a
pillar (rukn).
HOW THE BOWING (RUKOO') IS PERFORMED
(73) He should place his hands firmly upon his knees. He should
spread his fingers, as if he were grasping his knees. All of this is
obligatory.
(74) 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. This
is an obligation.
(75) 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.
(76) He should keep his elbows (straight and) apart from his sides.
(77) He should say in his rukoo':
Subhaana Rabbee al-'Azeem
I declare my Lord, the Supreme, free and far removed from all
imperfections.15
Saying it three times, or more.
15 There are other sayings that can be said with this pillar (rukn). Some are long, some are
medium length and some are short. Refer to Sifatus-Salaat, Eng. transl. pp. 44-46
(78) From the Sunnah is that he makes the pillars of equal length.
So he should make his rukoo', his sujood (prostration), and his
sitting between the two prostrations of similar length.
(79) It is not allowed for him to recite the Qur'aan in the rukoo'
(bowing), nor in the sujood (prostration).
STRAIGHTENING UP FROM THE RUKOO'
(80) Then he must raise up and straighten his back from the rukoo'.
This is a pillar.
(81) He must say, while raising his back:
Sami' Allaahu liman hamidah
Allaah listens and responds to the one who praises Him.
This is an obligation.
(82) He should raise his hands when he rises up, in the manner that
has preceded (point nos. 33, 34 and 35).
(83) Then he should stand straight up and remain still, such that
every bone returns to its place. This is a pillar.
(84) He should say while standing:
Rabbanaa wa lakal-hamd
O our Lord! And all praise is for You.16
This is obligatory upon everyone praying, even if he is praying
behind an imaam17, since it is the saying prescribed for this
standing position. As for the saying, then it is the saying prescribed
to be said whilst rising.
(85) He should make this standing about as long as the rukoo'
(bowing), as has preceded.