Salah Its Purpose, Essence and Prerequisites

"Surely I am Allah: there is no god besides Me: so worship

Me alone: and establish Salah for My remembrance." (20:14)

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Salah: Its Purpose & Essence

Salah: It is Arabic word for prayer (namaz). It means: To turn attention towards Allah, proceed towards Allah, pray to Allah, and to be near to Allah. The purpose of Salah: To remember Allah, seek His pleasure, and to live in obedience to His will.The essence of Salah: The Salah performed with full attention, concentration and devotion.

The pre-requisits of Salah

1. The body being clean,2. The clothes being clean,3. The place being clean,4. The satr (parts of the body ordained to be covered) being covered,5. It being a permissible time for Salah,6. To perform Wudu (Ablution)7. The face being turned towards Qiblah, 8. There being intention to pray.

The Fard Prayers

The Fard (obligatory) Prayers:

1. Fajr: in the early morning before dawn,

2. Zohr: in the afternoon after mid-day,

3. Asr: in the late afternoon before sunset,

4. Maghrib: after sunset,

5. Isha: at night.

The Wajib Prayers

The Wajib (ordained) Prayers:

1.Salatul Witr (three rakahs, everyday after Isha Prayers.

2. Eid-ul-Fitr Salah (1st Shawwal, at the end of Ramadan, every year) and

3. Eid-ul-Azha Salah (10th of Zul hijjah, every year.

The Wajibat

The Wajibat (ordained acts) of Salah:

The Wajibat are those acts that are compulsory to be performed in Salah. They are:

1. To recite a portion of the Quran in the first two rakahs of the Fard Prayers.

2. To recite Al-Fatiha in the first two rakahs of the Fard Prayer and in all the rakahs of the other Prayers.

3. To observe the sequence in recitation, Ruku, Sajdah and the Rakahs.

The Wajibat contd…

4. To recite another Surah or a passage containing one long verse or three short verses after Al-Fatiha in the first two rakahs of the Fard Prayers and in all the rakahs of the other Prayers.

5. To observe Qaumah, i.e, to stand upright after Ruku.

6. To observe Jalsah, i.e, to sit upright between the two Sajdahs.

The Wajibat contd…

7. To perform Ruku and Sajdahs peacefully and with perfect tranquillity.

8. To observe Qadah Ulaa, first sitting, for Tashahhud after two rakahs in the Prayers consisting of three or four rakahs.

9. To recite Tashahhud in the two Qadahs.

10. To bring the Prayer to completion with salutation: (As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.)

The Wajibat contd…

11. To raise hands with Takbir for the Qunut and to recite the Qunut in the last rakah of the Witr Prayer.

The Arkan

The Arkan (constituents) of Salah:

The things commanded in Salah are known as Arkan (constituents) of Salah. Arkan is plural form of Rukn. Rukn means a command or obligation. There are six commanded acts in Salah:

1. Saying Takbir e Tahrima,

2. Qiyam (standing),

The Arkan contd…

3. Qirat (reciting the Holy Quran),

4. Ruku (making a bow),

5. Two Sajdahs (falling prostrate),

6. Qaida (sitting) that is, sitting sufficiently long to enable one to say Tashahhud. But the Takbir e Tahrima is a pre-condition not a constituent of Salah.

The Makruhat

The Makruhat (undesirable acts) in ablution:

1. Performing ablution at an unclean spot,

2. Blowing ones nose with the right hand,

3. Performing ablution against the norms of sunnah.

Allah loves those who turn to Him

"Indeed Allah loves those who turn to Him

in repentence and loves those who

purify themselves." (2:222)

إن ال يحب الت وابين ويحب المتطهرين

The Qiblah

The direction facing the Kaba in Makkah. The first house of Allah (swt) on earth to worship Him, was built by Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) by the order of Allah, which is located in the holy Makkah called "Baitullah" or "kabatullah" or "Masjid Al-Haram". Prophet Muhammad was ordered in the Quran to turn the face towards this house while praying. From that day onwards, wherever the Muslims are, have to face towards this house.

The Azan

Before every obligatory prayer a call for Salah (slogan) is raised from the mosque.

A Mosque

A Mosque is in fact the pivot about which the whole life of the Muslim community revolves. It is a religious center to hold congregational services and to keep Muslims together and united. The real purpose of building a Mosque is to make it a place of Allah's worship and organise in it prayers, otherwise it won't be much different from other buildings.

Mosques around the World

A Musalli & Mamoom

A Musalli: The person who performs Salah.

A Mamoom: The worshipper praying behind the Imam.

The Jahri & Sirri Salah:

The Jahri Salah: Salahs in which the holy Quran is to be recited aloud: It is compulsory for the Imam to recite the holy Quran aloud in the1. Salatul Fajr2. first two rakahs of Maghrib and Isha3. Salatul Jumah4. Salatul Eid5. all rakahs of Tarawih and Witr during the holy month of Ramadan.The Sirri Salah: The Salah in which the Quran is recited in a low pitch is called (Sirri) Salah.

The Virtues of Salah

1. Salah brings us close to Allah and reminds us of our duty to Him.

2. It makes us concious of His presence.

3. It makes us love Him and fear Him.

4. It trains us and makes us disciplined.

5. It enables us to obey Him.

6. We receive His help and blessings through Salah.7. It keeps us on the Right Path.

The Virtues of Salah contd…

8. It saves us from disobedience and from evil things.

9. It builds our character and develops a steady and sound personality.

10. It makes us clean and healthy and enables us to lead proper lives.

11. It makes us sincere Muslims and true servants of Allah.

How To Perform The Prayer

Before one stands up for the Prayer, one has to satisfy one-self that each of the pre-requisites of the prayer has been attended to and fulfilled. Then one should turn one's whole attention towards Allah with the feeling that one is standing in His presence and recite the following:"Inni Wajjahtu wajhiya lillazi fatar-as-samawati wal arda hanifam wama ana min-al-mushrikin." (I have turned my face sincerely towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not of those who commit shirk.) Then one should express intention, preferably in the mind, saying which particular Prayer is one going to offer, with how many rakahs. There is no harm if the intention is expressed in words as well.

Takbir Tahrimah

While standing up for the Prayer one should stand in a natural posture and eyes should be looking at the place where the forehead would rest in Sajdah. Soon after expressing intention the hands should be raised with Takbir (Allah-o-Akbar) to the ears, keeping the palms facing the Qiblah and fingers naturally apart and straight. Then the hands should be placed under the navel with the palm of the right hand over the back of the left hand.This is called the Waquf position. (The women have to raise the hands up to the shoulder level only and then place them on the breast, right hand over the back of the left hand.)

Sana (Invocation)

"Subhanak-Allahumma wa bi-hamdica wa tabarakasmuka wa ta'lla jadduka wa la-Ilaha ghairuk".

(Glory be to Thee, O Allah, and I praise Thee. Blessed is Thy name and Thou art exalted. There is no god other than Thee.)

Ta'awwuz and Tasmiyah

Then recite: "Auzu billahi min-ash-shaitan-ir-rajim" (I seek Allah's protection from Satan, the accursed) and after it:

"Bismillah-ir Rahman-ir Rahim" (In the name of Allah, Who is most Kind and most Merciful)

Al-Fatihah

Al-Fatihah:Then Al-Fatihah is recited which is to be followed by a Surah or a passage containing at least three short verses.

Ruku

Then saying Takbir, bend down in Ruku. In this posture one has to grip the knees, and recite the following Tasbih at least thrice: "Subhana Rabbi-yal-Azim" (Glorified is my Lord, the Great) [The women do not have to grip the knee.]

Qaumah

Then saying: "Sami-Allahu liman hamidah" (Allah listens to him who praises Him) one should resume the upright standing posture, called Qaumah, and leaving the hands hanging by the sides, say: "Rabbana lakal hamd" (Our Lord! Praise is only for Thee.)

Sajdah

Then saying Takbir, fall prostrate on the ground, in Sajdah, in a manner that the knees should touch the ground first, then the hands, then the nose and last of all the forehead; the face should lie between the palms, the thumbs in line with the ear-lobes, the wrists and elbows raised from the ground, the elbows clear of the ribs and the belly clear of the thighs, leaving an open space below, and the toes in contact with the ground and pointing to the Qiblah. One has to recite the following Tasbih at least thrice during Sajdah. "Subhana Rabbiyal A'ala" (Glorified is my Lord, the Exalted.) (The women have to keep the belly in contact with the thighs and the elbows in contact with the belly and fully resting on the ground.)

Jalsah

Assume with Takbir the upright sitting position, lifting the forehead first and then the hands, in a manner that the right foot is kept upright as usual and the left foot is placed flat on the ground for the buttocks to rest on; the hands are placed on the thighs with the fingers reaching the knees. Then with Takbir, go down for the second Sajdah and observe it with the usual Tasbih. Then stand up with Takbir for the second rakah and complete it . (The feet of women have to be turned to the right and buttocks placed on the ground in such a manner that the right thigh rests against the left thigh and the right shin against the left shin.)

Qadah

After completing the second rakah with two Sajdahs, assume the sitting position as described under Jalsa and reciteTashahhud. While reciting La-Ilaha, one should make a ring with the thumb and the middle finger of the right hand, and keeping the other fingers closed, raise the forefinger to point up to the sky, and drop it at ill-Allah, and keep the fingers in the same position up till the end of the prayer. If the prayer one is offering consists of three or four rakahs one has to stand up with Takbir for the third rakah and complete it, and the fourth rakah, as the case may be, with Al-Fatihah (without the additional passage) if it is the Fard Prayer. Then after the second Sajdah of the third or fourth rakah, as the case may be, one has again to assume the sitting position and recite Tashahhud to be followed by Salat, Durud and Du’aa.

Salam

Finish the prayer with Salutation: "As salamu alaikum wa rahmat-ullah". (Peace be on you and Allah's mercy) turning the face first to the right and then to the left, over the shoulders. While doing so one should bear in mind that the salutation for peace and mercy is meant for all those with whom one is praying and for the angels.

Supplication

After the prayer is over, one may make extra supplications to Allah according to one's private lawful wishes and needs.

Presentation by: Zaiba Mustafa