SALAH (PRAYER) IN ISLAM: A THREAD

the conditions of salah:

declaration of islam within the person
sanity
puberty (for it to be fardh on you)
purity (ghusl)
clean clothes to cover the awrah
prayers being offered at the correct prescribed times
facing the qiblah
making intention (niyyah) before every prayer

in the shafi’i madhab, a sutra (something to be placed in front of your place of sujood) is used when praying alone. a wall is appropriate, or anything else which covers the spot in front of you so people can walk in front of you and not break your salah.

HOW TO PRAY SALAH PROPERLY:

step 1: takbir

start off by raising your hands to shoulder or ear level and saying ‘Allahu Akbar’ and follow this by placing your arms folded across your navel (hanafi) or chest (shafi’i) and above your bosom for women.

step 2: recite dua of thanaa (pic 1)
follow this by reading your ta’awwudh and tasmiyah, (pic 2 and pic 3). Then, recite surah fatihah, followed by any surah or passage of a surah of your choice. rakat 2’s verses must be later in the quran eg surah ikhlas followed by surah falaq

almost forgot to mention, after surah fatihah, one should say ‘ameen’ after you’ve finished your surah, you say Allahu Akbar, and shift yourself into ruku position, as shown below and recite the dua 3 times.

after completing ruku, raise yourself back up to a standing position and recite the following dua as you do so.

after completing qayyam, recite allahuakbar and move into the position of sujood (prostration) and recite the following dua three times. after this, recite allahuakbar and raise yourself once into jalsah and recite the dua. then go back into sujood once more and recite 3 times.

with jalsah, the technique in which a person sits is very important and often a thing many people get wrong. your right foot’s toes must be curled and planted in the ground facing towards the qiblah and the left foot must be rested on its side, underneath your backside.

after this is completed, say Allahuakbar again and stand back up and recite surah fatihah followed by another piece of Quran, and repeat all the steps. however, on even number rakats (repetitions within a prayer) eg rakat 2 and 4, one must do tashahhud after rising from sujood 2.

from rakat 3 and onwards in all salah, only surah fatihah is recited when in qiyaam, followed by going into ruku. in the final rakat of your salah, you must recite tashahhud and durood ibrahim. after this, recite one short dua of choice from quran or hadith, and then you’re done.

you complete the salah by saying your salam to the angels on your right and then your left shoulder, as so.

after salah, one should (not a must, but heavily encouraged) make duas and engage in dhikr. Allahuakbar, Astagfirullah x3 , La hawla wa la quwwata illaa billahil aliyyil adheem. (this is what our prophet SAW said after every Fardh salah. Then recite ayatul kursi and do 100 dhikr.

praying sunnah rakats with every prayer repairs the holes in your salah. sunnah muakkadah rakats are VERY important and should not be missed without valid reason, else one may be held sinful according to certain scholars. Allah builds a house in Jannah for those who pray sunnahs.

in salah, one should not look around, talk, eat, laugh, etc. one should be focused on his salah and his salah only the monent after his first takbir, and stare at the place of prostration.

SALAH IS SO IMPORTANT IN LIFE SO PLS RT THE TOP BIT OF THIS THREAD AKA MY PINNED TWEET!

Rasulullah SAW said:

‘The distinguishing factor between kufr and imaan is the deliberate neglect of salah.’ - Muslim

praying is the key to jannah. without it, your hopes of it are gone.