Sifat al-Salah (How to Pray)

1. Basic facts

• Sifat al-salah (صفة الصلاة) = the method / form of prayer.
• Prayer is the second of the five pillars of Islam.
• It was made obligatory during the Mi'raj.
• After the Mi'raj, for the first two days, Jibril (AS) stood as imam and showed the Prophet ﷺ how to perform the prayer.
• (Tirmidhi): The first thing a person will be asked about in the Hereafter is prayer; if it is sound, there is success; if not, there is grief and sorrow.

The incident "You have not prayed" (Bukhari)

• A man prayed in a hurry and then greeted the Prophet ﷺ with salam.
• The Prophet ﷺ said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed" – this happened three times.
• Then the Prophet ﷺ taught him: say the takbir → recite what you know of the Quran → bow calmly → rise and stand properly → prostrate calmly → sit calmly.

Lesson: calmness (pausing) in every position of prayer is essential.

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2. The steps of prayer

Step 1: Standing facing the qiblah

• Anyone who is able must stand upright facing the qiblah.
• Men: a small gap between the two feet. Women: the feet close together.

Step 2: Making the intention (niyyah)

• Niyyah (نية) = the intention made in the heart.
• Saying the first takbir, "Allahu akbar", with the intention fixed in the mind = takbirat al-ihram (تكبيرة الإحرام) (the opening takbir).
• Minimum intention: "I am praying the fard of Subh."
• Full intention: "I am praying the two rak'ahs of the fard of Subh, facing the Ka'bah, for Allah."
• In congregation: the imam adds "imaman" (as imam) and the follower adds "ma'muman" (as a follower) to the intention.

Step 3: Raising and folding the hands

• When saying the takbir, the Prophet ﷺ raised his hands up to his ears (Muslim) / up to his shoulders (Bukhari).
• The fingers straight and slightly apart, the palms facing the qiblah, the tips of the thumbs level with the lower part of the ears or the shoulders.
• The hands are folded between the chest and the navel: the right hand over the left, with the right palm holding the left wrist.
• Men: keep the elbows a little away from the sides. Women: keep them close.

Step 4: Du'a al-istiftah (the opening supplication)

• The opening du'a recited after takbirat al-ihram. The Prophet ﷺ recited several du'as; any of them may be recited. Example – Wajjahtu:

وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا مُسْلِمًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ، إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ، لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ

Step 5: Reciting Surah al-Fatihah

• Say "A'udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim" and "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim", then recite al-Fatihah calmly and correctly.
• Al-Fatihah with the Bismillah must be recited in every rak'ah.
• In the first two rak'ahs, reciting another surah or passage after al-Fatihah is sunnah.
• It is mustahabb (recommended) for the surah in the second rak'ah to be a little shorter than the one in the first.
• In the third and fourth rak'ahs, only al-Fatihah is recited.

Step 6: Ruku' (ركوع – bowing)

• Raise the hands, say the takbir and bow.
• Bow until the head, neck and back are level, and hold the knees with the palms spread.
• Men: keep the elbows away from the sides. Women: keep them close to the sides.
• Recite three times:

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيْمِ (وَبِحَمْدِهِ) (meaning) Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great, and praise be to Him.

Step 7: I'tidal (rising from ruku')

• Rise while raising the hands and saying:

سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ – (meaning) Allah hears the one who praises Him.

• When standing upright, with the hands at the sides, say:

رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمِلْءَ الْأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ بَعْدُ (meaning) Our Lord, to You belongs all praise – praise filling the heavens, filling the earth and filling whatever else You will.

Step 8: Sujud (سجود – prostration)

• Go into sujud saying "Allahu akbar" without raising the hands.
• Seven parts of the body must touch the ground: both feet, both knees, both palms and the forehead.
• The fingers point towards the qiblah, level with the ears or the shoulders.
• Men: keep the elbows away from the sides and the stomach away from the thighs. Women: keep them close.
• Recite three times:

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى (وَبِحَمْدِهِ) (meaning) Glory be to my Lord, the Most High, and praise be to Him.

Step 9: Sitting between the two prostrations (iftirash)

• Rise saying the takbir and sit on the left foot, with the tips of the right toes planted on the ground = the iftirash (افتراش) sitting.
• The hands rest on the thighs, the fingers towards the qiblah, level with the knees.

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَاجْبُرْنِي وَارْفَعْنِي وَارْزُقْنِي وَاهْدِنِي وَعَافِنِي (meaning) My Lord, forgive me and have mercy on me; make up for my shortcomings; raise me; provide for me; guide me; and grant me well-being.

Step 10: The second sujud

• The same as the first sujud; recite the tasbih calmly.
• Then rise for the second rak'ah while saying the takbir.

Step 11: Qunut (قنوت)

• In the second rak'ah of the Subh prayer, and in the witr prayer from the 16th night of Ramadan to its end, after the du'a of i'tidal.
• Recited with both palms raised to shoulder level in front of the face.
• It is sunnah according to the Shafi'i madhhab.
• It begins: اَللّٰهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ ... (the full du'a is in the textbook).

Step 12: At-tahiyyat (التحيات)

التَّحِيَّاتُ الْمُبَارَكَاتُ الصَّلَوَاتُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلّٰهِ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحِيْنَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ

The Ibrahimi salawat (as-salat al-Ibrahimiyyah): اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ، وَبَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَجِيْدٌ

How the hands are placed in tahiyyat

• The hands rest on the thighs, level with the knees.
• The index finger of the right hand is bent slightly inwards and pressed by the tip of the thumb; the other three fingers are folded.
• When saying "illallah", the index finger is raised fully.
• It is sunnah to look at that finger until the salam, and at other times to look at the place of prostration.

Step 13: Giving the salam

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ

• Turn the face to the right with the first salam and to the left with the second. With this, the prayer is complete.

After the prayer

• Du'as made after the obligatory prayer are accepted (maqbul).
• Du'as should begin and end with praise of Allah (hamd) and salawat on the Prophet ﷺ.

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3. Differences between men and women (summary)

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Quick revision

• Sifat al-salah = the method of prayer; prayer = the 2nd pillar; made obligatory during the Mi'raj.
• Takbirat al-ihram = the first takbir, said with the intention.
• The opening du'a = du'a al-istiftah (Wajjahtu).
• Ruku': Subhana rabbiyal-'azim ×3; sujud: Subhana rabbiyal-a'la ×3.
• I'tidal: Sami'allahu liman hamidah; Rabbana lakal-hamd…
• Seven parts in sujud: 2 feet, 2 knees, 2 palms, the forehead.
• Iftirash (sitting between prostrations, first tahiyyat); tawarruk (final tahiyyat).
• Qunut: 2nd rak'ah of Subh + witr from the 16th night of Ramadan – sunnah in the Shafi'i madhhab.