The details of Salaah (namaaz)

1. Pre-conditions and mandatory acts (Farz)

2. Compulsory acts (Waajib)
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3. Prophetic customs (Sunnah)
4. Desirable acts (Mustahabb) [Link]/musarhad
5. Detestable acts (Makrooh)
6. Invalidaters (things which break salaah) for more articles on Islaam.

Preconditions (shart, farz) for salaah

The following are not the internal parts of a Salaah, but they are mandatory for the Salaah to be correct.

1. Purity of the salaah-offerers body, of his garments, of his place of offering salaah
2. Hiding of the body-parts which are supposed to be hidden
For men: from just below the navel to the knees (excluding the navel and including the knees)
For women: the entire body except her face, palms and feet
3. Turning the face towards Qiblah (the direction of Kabah at Makkah)
4. The time must be the one prescribed for the salaah
5. Intention of salaah
6. Tahreemah saying ( Allaahu akbar) in the beginning of the salaah

Mandatory acts (rukn) of salaah

1. Standing (qiyaam)
2. Recitation of at least three small verses of the Quraan or one big verse
3. Bowing (rukoo)
4. Both prostrations (sajdahs)
5. Final sitting (qada e akheerah)

Compulsory (waajib) acts of Salaah

1. Starting the salaah by saying ( Allaahu akbar = Allaah is the Greatest), i.e. the salaah-sayer should not start
with some other word having a similar meaning.
2. Reciting surah Faatihah in the first two rakahs of farz salaahs and all rakahs of witr and nafl salaahs (nafl
includes sunnah salaahs also.).
3. Reciting a small surah or three small verses of Quraan in addition to surah Faatihah in the first two rakahs of farz
salaahs and all rakahs of witr and nafl salaahs.
4. Reciting surah Faatihah before the other surah or other verse(s).
5. Offering the second prostration after the first without any gap (of offering some other mandatory act, etc.).
6. Offering all the mandatory acts with patience and in orderly way.
7. The first sitting (qadah oolaa) for a period in which it is possible to read Tashahhud (At tahiyyaat).
8. Reading Tashahhud (At tahiyyaat) in the first sitting as also in the second sitting.

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.
At tahiyyaatu lillaahi was salawaatu wat tayyibaat. As salaamu alaika ayyuhan nabiyyu wa rahmatullaahi wa
barakaatuh. As salaamu alainaa wa alaa ibaadillaahis saaliheen. Ash-hadu al laa ilaaha illallaahu wa ash hadu anna
muhammadan abduhu wa rasooluh. [Bukhaaree: 788].
 9. Standing up immediately, without delay for the third rakah after completing Tashahhud (at tahiyyaat).
10. Ending the salaah saying the words of ( as salaam) twice.
11. Reciting the Qunoot duaa in the third rakah of witr after completing Faatihah and the surah.
12. The extra takbeers ( Allaahu akbar) in the salaahs for the two Eeds. The extra takbeers are three in each
rakah.
13. The takbeer before rukoo in the second rakah of the salaahs for the two Eeds.
14. Audible recitation by imaam in Fajr and in the first two rakahs of Zuhr, Asr, Magrib, Ishaa, Jumuah, the two
Eeds, Taraaweeh, and Witr (during Ramadhaan).
15. Inaudible recitation by imaam and the solitary prayer-offerer in Zuhr, Asr, the third rakah of Magrib, the last
two rakahs of Ishaa, and nafl salaahs (sunnah and mustahabb) during the day.

Customs (Sunnahs) of Salaah

1. Standing straight at the time of saying the inaugural takbeer ( ) without lowering the head.
2. Raising the hands to the level of the ears.
3. Keeping the inner side of the palm and fingers towards the Qiblah while raising the hands.
4. Leaving the fingers in their natural state, a bit spread-out, while raising the hands. The fingers should neither be
brought close to each other nor spread out to the maximum extent.
5. Keeping the right hand over the left below the navel.
6. Keeping the inner right palm over the outer left palm while encircling the left wrist with his right little finger and
thumb.
7. Reciting Sanaa after keeping his hands below the navel:
.
SubhaanakAllaahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabaarakasmuka wa taaalaa jadduka wa laa ilaaha gairuk. (Tirmizeei: 225,
Muslim: 606).
8. Saying ( Aoozu billaahi minashShaitaanirRajeem) thereafter. (Musnad Ahmad: 22233)
( Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem) in every rakah before reciting Faatihah. (Sharhus
9. Saying
Sunnah 1/149)
Note: The imaam-follower (muqtadee) should not say Aoozu billaah and Bismillaah . But if he has missed one or
more rakahs behind the imaam, then he should say Aoozu billaah and Bismillaah in the first rakah that he offers
after the imaam.
10. Saying ( aameen) inaudibly at the completion of Surah Faatihah.
11. Leaving a gap of four finger-widths between his feet.
12. Reciting after Surah Fatihah a surah out of tiwaal e mufassal (surah no. 49 to 85) in Fajr and Zuhr; a surah out of
awsaat e mufassal (surah no. 86 to 98) in Asr and Ishaa; and a surah out of qisaar e mufassal (surah no. 99 to 114) in
Magrib.
13. Making the first rakah of Fajr much longer than the second, only in Fajr.
14. Takbeer ( ) before bowing down (rukoo).
15. Holding the knees with his hands during bowing down (rukoo) and spreading out the fingers completely.
16. Flattening his back and bringing his head in level with his hind part while keeping his shanks standing straight.
17. Saying ( Subhaana rabbiyal azeem) during bowing at least thrice. (Muslim: 1291)
18. Keeping apart arms from torso-sides while bowing, for males only.
 ( Samiallaahu liman hamidah) while raising the head from bowing, only for imaams. The
19. Saying
imaam-follower (muqtadee) should say quietly ( Rabbanaa wa lakal hamd). (Bukhaaaree: 648). The
solitary prayer-offerer (munfarid) should say both.
20. Saying takbeer ( ) for prostrations (sajdahs).
21. Keeping his knees on the ground first, then his hands, and then his face for prostration.
22. Raising his face, then his hands, and then his knees while getting up from prostration.
23. Keeping his face between his palms during prostrations.
24. Keeping apart his abdomen from his thighs, his elbows from his torso-sides and his arms from the ground surface
during prostrations.
25. Keeping his hand-fingers close together during prostrations.
26. Keeping his feet-toes facing the Qiblah during prostrations.
27. Saying ( Subhaana rabbiyal alaa Muslim: 1291) inaudibly at least thrice during prostration.

28. Saying takbeer ( ) for rising up from prostrations (sajdahs).

29. Standing up directly from the second prostration without sitting or resting the hands on the ground. When there is
some physical inability, then there is no harm in these acts.

30. Keeping the hands over the thighs between the prostrations just like during the sitting posture for Tashahhud (At
tahiyyaat).

31. Spreading the left foot and keeping erect the right foot during the first sitting (after two rakahs) and the last sitting.

32. Pointing with his right forefinger during Tashahhud (At tahiyyaat). The forefinger is to be raised when saying
( illallaahu).
(laa ilaaha) and lowered when saying

33. Reciting surah Faatihah in the last two rakahs of Zuhr, Asr, Ishaa and the third rakah of Magrib.

34. Saying salaah (durood) for the Prophet after Tashahhud (At tahiyyaat) in the last sitting.

35. After salaah (durood) for the Prophet, he should pray (supplicate) using supplications of Quraan and Hadeeths. One
such supplication is:

.

(Allaahumma innee zalamtu nafsee zulman kaceeraa, wa laa yagfiruz-zunooba ilaa ant, fagfir lee magfiratam min
indik, warhamnee, innaka antal-gafoorur-rahheem Bukhaaree: 790)

( As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullaah).

36. Turning ones face towards right and left while saying

37. The imaam should say the takbeers ( ) for posture change audibly while the imaam-follower (muqtadee) should
say inaudibly.

( As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullaah) audibly and the imaam-followers

38. The imaam should say
should say it inaudibly.

39. The imaam should intend men, angels who protect us and pious jinns with the two salaams(As salaamu alaikum wa
rahmatullaah).

40. The imaam-follower (muqtadee) should also intend his imaam along with the other beings when turning in the
direction of the imaam for salaam. The solitary prayer-offerer should intend only the angels with his salaam.

41. The salaah-offerer should lower his voice during the second salaam compared to the first salaam.
42. He should start the salaam from the right side and then turn to the left.

43. The salaam of the imaam-follower (muqtadee) should be along with the salaam of his imaam.

44. The masbooq (one who has joined the congregational prayer after one or more rakahs were over) should wait for the
imaam to complete both his salaams. He should get up for completing his remaining rakahs only after the imaam has
completed both his salaams.

Notes: 1. Here prayer stands for namaaz (salaah)

2. dua = supplication
3. durood = blessing
4. h= , h=, z=, z=, z= , dh=, c=, s=, sh=, s=, ' or or =, ' or or =, g=, t=, t=, l=thin , l=thick .
5. Source for the above: Al Fiqhul Muyassar by Maulaanaa Shafeequr Rahmaan Nadavi (page 77 onwards)
[Bahishti Zewar p.93-94]

The Fard Acts of Salaat

1. To say Allahu Akbar at the time of making the intention.
2. To stand up.
3. To recite any verse or Surah from the Quran.
4. To make the ruku .
5. To make the two sajdahs .
6. To sit down at the end of salaat for as long as it takes one to recite the entire at-tahiyyaat.
The Wajib Acts of Salaat
1. To recite Surah Faatihah .
2. To recite some other Surah with it.
3. To execute every fard act in its specific order.
4. To stand and recite Surah Faatihah and to recite some Surah with it.
5. To go into ruku .
6. To go into sajdah .
7. To sit down after two rakaats .
8. To recite at-tahiyyaat in both the sitting postures.
9. To recite dua-e-qunoot in witr salaat.
10. To complete the salaat by saying As salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah .
11. To perform all the acts with patience without hurry.