How to Perform Salah (Ritual Prayers)

Steps in Ritual Prayer

The   Prayer is made of a series of postures and movements, each set of which is   called a rakah. Each Prayer consists   of two or more rakahs(the Arabic  plural is rakaat). The Prayers must be said   in Arabic (except for new Muslims who cannot yet do so).

Before   beginning the Prayer, the worshiper must have the proper intention to pray.   He should say in his heart his intention to pray a particular Prayer and how   many rakahs he will pray. Details of this   will be given later.

For Ex  Fajr Prayer consists of two rakahs, and it is said  aloud, not silently.

1.      Face the qiblah,   which is the direction of the Kabah (the Holy House   of Allah in Makkah). For the qiblah   in your town, consult the local mosque or www.islamicfinder.com.

2.      Raise the hands to the ears and say  aloud

AllaahuAkbar.(This means: Allah is   Greatest.)

3.      Place the left hand on the chest and   then place the right hand    over the left hand. Recite aloud Al-Fatihah   (the Opening Surah of the Quran).   Al-Fatihah must be said in every rakah of every Prayer.

Bismillaahi-r-Rahmaani-r-Raheem.

Al-hamdulillaahi Rabbi-l-aalameen.

Ar-Rahmaani-r-Raheem.

Maalikiyawmid-deen.

Iyyaaka nabudu waiyya akanastaeen.

Ihdina-s-siraatalmustaqeem.

Siraatal-ladheenaan amta alayhimghayr-ilmaghdoobi alayhim, wa la-d-daalleen.

Ameen.

(This means: In the name of Allah, the   Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of   the Worlds.

The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Master of the Day of Judgment.

You (alone) we worship; You   alone we ask for help.

Show us the straight path,

the path of those whom You have favored, not (the   path) of those who

earn Your   anger nor of those who stray. Amen.)

4.      Recite aloud any surah,or at least a few verses, of the Quran. For example, here is Surat   Al-Ikhlas (number 112):

Qulhuw-allaahuahad,

Allaahu-s-Samad.

Lam yalid, wa   lam yoolad,

wa lam yakunlahu kufuwanahad.

(This   means: Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;

Allah,   the Eternal, Absolute.

He   begets not, nor is He begotten;

And   there is none like unto Him.)

5.      Raise your hands to your ears as you did   at the beginning and say aloud:

AllaahuAkbar

Then bow down, placing your hands on your knees   and keeping your back straight. This position is called ruku,   and in this position say silently three times:

SubhaanaRabbiy al-Azheem.

(This means: Glory be   to my Lord, the Supreme.)

6.      Return to the standing position while   saying aloud:

Samia-llaahulimanhamidah.

(This means: May Allah hear the one who praises   Him.)

Then say silently:

Rabbanaawalaka-l-hamd.

(This means: Our Lord, for You is all praise.)

7.      Raise your hands to your ears and say   aloud:

AllaahuAkbar.

Then prostrate, with your forehead, nose,   hands, knees, and bottoms of the toes touching the ground. Keep your forearms   and elbows raised off the floor. This position is called sujud.   While in this position, say silently three times:

SubhaanaRabbiy al-Alaa.

(This   means: Glory be to my Lord, the Most High.)

8.      Say aloud

AllaahuAkbar.

Then sit up on your heels.

9.      Again say aloud:

AllaahuAkbar.

and   prostrate again. Again say silently while prostrating:

SubhaanaRabbiy al-Alaa.

(This means: Glory be to my   Lord, the Most High.)

10.    Say aloud:

AllaahuAkbar.

Then stand up.

You have now completed one rakah(unit) of the Prayer. You will now repeat the steps, but you may recite   different verses of the Quran after Al-Fatihah.

11.    Place your hands on your chest as before   and recite Al-Fatihah (the Opening Surah of the Quran) aloud.   Remember that Al-Fatihah must be said in every rakahof every Prayer.

12.    Recite aloud any surah   (or a few verses) of the Quran. For example, you   may recite Surat Al-Falaq   (number 113):

Bismillaahi-r-Rahmaani-r-Raheem.

Qul: Aoodhubirabbi-l-falaq

Min sharrimaakhalaq,

Wa   min sharri ghaasiqin idhaa waqab,

Wa   min sharri-n-naafaatha atifi-l-uqad,

Wa min sharri haasidin idha hasad.

(This means: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate   the Merciful.

Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak

From the evil of that which He created,

From the evil of the darkness when it is intense,

And from the evil of malignant witchcraft,

And from the evil of the envier when he envies.)

13.    Raise your hands to your ears as you did   at the beginning and say aloud:

AllaahuAkbar.

Then bow down with your   hands on your knees (ruku?). In this   position say silently three times:

SubhaanaRabbiy al-Azheem.

(This means: Glory be   to my Lord, the Supreme.)

14.    Return to the standing position while   saying aloud:

Samia-llaahulimanhamidah.

(This means: May Allah hear the one who praises   Him.)

Then say silently:

Rabbanaawalaka-l-hamd.

(This means: Our Lord, for You is all praise.)

15.    Then say aloud:

AllaahuAkbar.

and   prostrate as before (sujud). While in this   position, say silently three times:

SubhaanaRabbiy al-Alaa.

(This   means: Glory be to my Lord, the Most High.)

16.    Say aloud:

AllaahuAkbar.

and   then sit up on your heels as before.

17.    Again say aloud:

AllaahuAkbar.

and   prostrate again. Again say silently while prostrating:

SubhaanaRabbiy al-Alaa.

(This   means: Glory be to my Lord, the Most High.)

18.    Say aloud:

AllaahuAkbar.

then   sit on your heels as before.

19.    While sitting, rest your hands on your   thighs and say silently the words of the first part of the Tashahhud:

At-tahiyaatulillaahiwa-s-salawaatuwatayyibaat.

As-salaamu   alaykaayyuha-n-nabiyyuwarahmatu-llaahiwabarakaatuh.

As-salaamu   alaynawa ala ibadillaahi-s-saaliheen.

- Ash-haduanlaailahaillaa-llaahu, wa ash-haduannaMuhammadan  abduhowarasooluhu.

(This means: All glorification   is for Allah. All acts of good deeds and worship are for Him. Peace and the   mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you, O Prophet.   Peace be upon us and all of Allah?s righteous   servants. 

- I bear witness that there is no god but   Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.)

- It is recommended to   point your right index finger forward while reciting this part.

20.    Because this is a two-rakah   Prayer, you will now recite silently the second part of the Tashahhud:

Allaahummasalli ala Muhammadinwa ala aaliMuhammadinkamaasallayta ala Ibraheemawa ala aaliIbraheem. Innakahameedunmajeed.

Allaahummabaarik  ala Muhammadinwa ala aaliMuhammadinkamaabaarakta ala Ibraheemwa ala aaliIbraheem. Innakahameedunmajeed.

(This   means: O Allah, exalt Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You exalted Ibrahim (Abraham) and the family of Ibrahim.   Verily You are full of praise and majesty. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the   family of Muhammad as You blessed Ibrahim and the   family of Ibrahim. Verily, You are full of praise   and majesty.)

21.    Now say the Tasleem  to end the Prayer. Turn your head to the right and say aloud:

As-salaamu alaykumwarahmatullah.

(This means:   Peace be on you and the mercy of Allah.)

Then turn your head to the left and say aloud:

As-salaamu alaykumwarahmatullah.

This completes the Fajr   Prayer of two rakahs (units).

Prayers of More Than Two Rakahs

Summary of the Five Daily Prayers

Name

Number of Rakahs

2fard 2sunnat

Fajr (Dawn)

4fard 4sunnat

Zhuhr (Noon)

4fard

Asr (Afternoon)

3fard,2sunnat,2nafl

Maghrib (Sunset)

Isha

4fard,2sunnat,3witr

1.      The other obligatory daily Prayers have   more than two rakahs. Perform the first two   rakahs in the same manner as the Fajr Prayer, through step 19.

After reciting the first part of the Tashahhud (ending with "Ash-haduanlaailahaillaa-llaahu, wa ash-haduannaMuhammadan   abduhowarasooluhu.") at the end of the second rakah, stand up and pray the third (and fourth) rakah as you did the first two, with the   exceptions noted below.

2. The third and fourth rakahs   are said silently, and there is no need to recite other Quran   verses. Only Al-Fatihah is recited.

3.  If it is the Maghrib   (Sunset) Prayer, at the end of the third rakah,   recite both parts of the Tashahhud and end   the Prayer with Tasleem.

4. If   it is the Zhuhr(Noon ), Asr (Afternoon), or Isha (Night) Prayer, perform four rakahs. At the end of   the fourth rakah, recite both parts of the Tashahhud and close the Prayer with Tasleem.

5.In witr prayers read Dua-e-Qunoot in third Rakat