Having cleansed yourself by Wudu , you may
proceed to perform Salah . Wudu is a ritual
cleansing. Before you begin your Salah , however,
you must make sure that you have a clean body, a
clean place to pray, and that you are wearing
clothing free of impurities. The minimum clothing
required during Salah is:
A. For males: Any clothing that covers from the
naval to the knees. It is preferable to cover the
shoulders.
B. For females: Any clothing that covers all of the
body (including the head) except the face, hands,
and according to Imam Abu-Hanifah the toes and a
portion of the front of the feet.
The way to offer Salah is:
1. Stand upright facing the direction of Al-Ka'bah .
This position is called Qiyaam and the direction is
called Qiblah in Arabic. The Qiblah in North America
is towards the east with a slight angle towards the
north.
2. Make Niyyah (intention) in your heart for the
prayer you want to pray.
3. Raise your hands to your ears and say: "Allahu
Akbar.” This means: ( Allah is the Greatest). This is
called Takbiratul Ihram
4. Now place your right hand on top of your left
hand on the chest and look downward to the place
where your forehead will touch the ground in the
Sujood (prostration) and recite silently:
"Subhanaka allahumma wa bi hamdika wa tabara
kasmuka wa ta'ala jadduka wa la ilaha ghairuka. "
ﺳﺒﺤﺎﻧﻚ ﺍﻟﻠﻬﻢ ﻭ ﺑﺤﻤﺪﻙ، ﻭﺗﺒﺎﺭﻙ ﺍﺳﻤﻚ، ﻭ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﺟﺪﻙ، ﻭﻻ
ﺇﻟﻪ ﻏﻴﺮﻙ
This means: “O Allah, how perfect You are and
praise be to You. Blessed is Your name, and exalted
is Your majesty. There is no god but You.” [Only
recite this supplication, Subhanaka , at the beginning
of the first Rak'ah]
Then recite silently: "A'udhu billahi minash shaitanir
rajim ."
ﺃﻋﻮﺫ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺸﻴﻄﺎﻥ ﺍﻟﺮﺟﻴﻢ
This is called Ta'awwudh , and it means: “I seek
shelter in Allah from the rejected Satan.”
ﺑﺴﻢ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ
Then recite: "Bismillahir rahmanir rahim."
This is called Tasmiyah, and it means: “In the name
of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful.”
5. After this, recite Suratul Fatihah (the opening
chapter) of the Noble Qur'an :
"Al hamdu lil lahi rabbil 'alamin. Arrahmanir rahim.
Maliki yawmiddin. Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka
nasta'in. Ihdinas siratal mustaqim. Siratal ladhina
an'amta'alaihim, ghairil maghdubi'alaihim wa lad
dhallin. (Amin) "
< > ﺍﻟﺤﻤﺪ ﻟﻠﻪ ﺭﺏ ﺍﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻴﻦ، ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ، ﻣﺎﻟﻚ ﻳﻮﻡ
ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ، ﺇﻳﺎﻙ ﻧﻌﺒﺪ
> ﻭﺇﻳﺎﻙ ﻧﺴﺘﻌﻴﻦ، ﺍﻫﺪﻧﺎ ﺍﻟﺼﺮﺍﻁ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﻴﻢ، ﺻﺮﺍﻁ ﺍﻟﺬﻳﻦ
ﺃﻧﻌﻤﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻐﻀﻮﺏ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ ﻭﻷ ﺍﻟﻀﺎ ﻟﻴﻦ <
This means:
"All praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the
worlds, the most Gracious, the most Merciful;
Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we
worship, from You alone we seek help. Guide us
along the straight path - the path of those whom
You favored, not of those who earned Your anger or
went astray.”
You must recite Surat Al-Fatihah in each unit
(Rak’ah ) of the prayer, if you pray alone. However,
if praying behind an Imam and he recites loudly,
then it is not necessary for you to recite it.
6. Now recite any other passage from the Noble
Qur'an .
For example: " Bismillahir rahmanir rahim
Qul hu wal lahu ahad, allahus samad, lam yalid wa
lam yulad, wa lam ya kul lahu kufuwan ahad. "
> ﺑﺴﻢ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ <
> ﻗﻞ ﻫﻮﺍ ﻟﻠﻪ ﺃﺣﺪ،ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﺼﻤﺪ، ﻟﻢ ﻳﻠﺪ ﻭ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻮﻟﺪ، ﻭ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻜﻦ
ﻟﻪ ﻛﻔﻮﺍ ﺃﺣﺪ <
This means:
“In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most
Merciful. Say, He is Allah, the One. Allah is Eternal
and Absolute. He begets not, nor was He begotten.
And there is none co-equal unto Him.”
7. Now bow down saying: "Allahu Akbar" and place
your hands on your knees and say silently:
"Subhana Rabbiyal Adhim." This means: (How
Perfect is my Lord, the Supreme) three times. This
position is called Rukoo' . Keep your head in line with
your back, and look downward to the place of
Sujood. (See step 9)
8. Stand up from the bowing position saying:
"Sami'Allahu liman hamidah " ( Allah hears those who
praise Him)"Rabbana lakal hamd." This means:
(Our Lord, praise be to You).
9. Prostrate on the floor saying: "Allahu Akbar" with
your forehead, nose, palms of both hands, your
knees, and toes all touching the floor. Then recite
silently: " Subhana Rabbiyal A'la."
(How Perfect is my Lord, the Highest) three times.
This position is called Sujood. Keep your arms away
from the sides of the body and the ground.
10. Sit up from the floor saying Allahu Akbar. Sit
upright with your knees bent and palms placed on
them and say: “Rabbighfir li .”
ﺭﺏ ﺍﻏﻔﺮ ﻟﻲ
This means:
“O my Lord! Forgive me.”
Say " Allahu Akbar" and again prostrate in the
Sujood position. Recite " Subhana Rabbiyal A'la "
three times. Sit up from this position saying " Allahu
Akbar"
This completes the first Rak'ah or unit of Salah .
Now stand up for the second Rak'ah and perform it
in the same way, except that you do not recite
Subhanaka at the beginning, and after the second
Sujood (prostration) you sit on the left leg while
keeping the right foot upright and put your right
hand on the right thigh, with all fingers together in a
fist except the index finger. Stick the index finger
straight out. Put your left hand on the left thigh. Now
recite Tashahhud silently:
ﺍﻟﺘﺤﻴﺎﺕ ﻟﻠﻪ ﻭﺍﻟﺼﻠﻮﺍﺕ ﻭﺍﻟﻄﻴﺒﺎﺕ، ﺍﻟﺴﻼﻡ ﻋﻠﻴﻚ ﺃﻳﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ
ﻭﺭﺣﻤﺔ ﻟﻠﻪ
ﻭﺑﺮﻛﺎﺗﻪ، ﺍﻟﺴﻼﻡ ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ ﻭ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻋﺒﺎﺩ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﺼﺎﻟﺤﻴﻦ، ﺃﺷﻬﺪ ﺃﻥ
ﻻ ﺇﻟﻪ ﺇﻻ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ، ﻭﺃﺷﻬﺪ ﺃﻥ ﻣﺤﻤﺪﺍ ﻋﺒﺪﻩ ﻭ ﺭﺳﻮﻟﻪ .
"At-Tahiyyatu lillahi This means: “Greetings,
prayers and
was- Salawatu wat-Tayyibatu . goodness belong to
Allah.
As-Salamu ' alaika Peace be on you,
ayyuhannabiyyu O Prophet
wa rahmatullahi and the mercy of Allah
wa barakatuhu . and His blessings.
Assalamu 'alaina wa’ala Peace be on us and on
ibadil-Lahis -Salihin the righteous servants of Allah
ash hadu al-La ilaha I bear witness that
il-Lal lahu there is no god but Allah,
wa ash hadu anna and bear witness that
Muhammadan abduhu Muhammad is His servant
wa rasuluhu." and Messenger.”
In a three- Rak'ah Salah (as in Maghrib) or a four-
Rak'ah Salah ( Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha) you stand up
for the remaining Rak'ah(s) after you have done
Tashahhud. For a two- Rak'ah Salah you remain
seated after Tashahhud and then recite silently
Assalatul-Ibrahimiyah :
ﺍﻟﻠﻬﻢ ﺻﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻭﻋﻠﻰ ﺁﻝ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ، ﻛﻤﺎ ﺻﻠﻴﺖ ﻋﻠﻰ
ﺇﺑﺮﺍﻫﻴﻢ ﻭﻋﻠﻰ ﺁﻝ ﺇﺑﺮﺍﻫﻴﻢ، ﻭﺑﺎﺭﻙ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻭﻋﻠﻰ ﺁﻝ
ﻣﺤﻤﺪ، ﻛﻤﺎ ﺑﺎﺭﻛﺖ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺇﺑﺮﺍﻫﻴﻢ
ﻭﻋﻠﻰ ﺁﻝ ﺇﺑﺮﺍﻫﻴﻢ، ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻴﻦ ﺇﻧﻚ ﺣﻤﻴﺪ ﻣﺠﻴﺪ .
"Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin “O Allah , let
Your mercy come upon Muhammad
Wa 'ala ali Muhammadin and the family of
Muhammad
Kama sallaita 'ala Ibrahima as You let it come upon
Ibrahim
wa 'ala ali Ibrahima and the family of Ibrahim
wa barik 'ala Muhammadin O Allah, bless
Muhammad
wa 'ala ali Muhammadin and the family of
Muhammad
Kama barakta ' ala Ibrahima as You blessed Ibrahim
Wa ' ala ali Ibrahima and the family of Ibrahim.
Fil a'lamina Innaka Truly You are
hamidun Majid." Praiseworthy and Glorious.”
After this say silently: "Allahumma inni a'udhu bika
min adhabi jahanam wamin adhabil qabri wamin
sharri fitnatil mahya wal mamat wamin sharri fitnatil
masihid dajjaal. Rabbi-ghfir li waliwalidayya, rabbi-
rhamhuma kama rabbayani saghira."
ﺍﻟﻠﻬﻢ ﺇﻧﻲ ﺃﻋﻮﺫ ﺑﻚ ﻣﻦ ﻋﺬﺍﺏ ﺟﻬﻨﻢ، ﻭ ﻣﻦ ﻋﺬﺍﺏ ﺍﻟﻘﺒﺮ، ﻭ
ﻣﻦ ﻓﺘﻨﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺤﻴﺎ ﻭ ﺍﻟﻤﻤﺎﺕ، ﻭ ﻣﻦ ﻓﺘﻨﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﻴﺢ ﺍﻟﺪﺟﺎﻝ، ﺭﺏ
ﺍﻏﻔﺮ ﻟﻲ ﻭ ﻟﻮﺍﻟﺪﻱ ﺭﺏ ﺍﺭﺣﻤﻬﻤﺎ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺭﺑﻴﺎﻧﻲ ﺻﻐﻴﺮﺍ .
This means: “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the
torment of the Hellfire, from the torment of the
grave, from the trials and afflictions of life and
death, and from the deception of the False-Christ. O
my Lord! Grant me and my parents forgiveness,
and bestow Your mercy upon them, just as they
brought zme up when I was small.”
11. Now turn your face to the right saying:
"Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah" (peace and the
mercy of Allah be on you) and then to the left
repeating the same words.
This completes the two- Rak'ah Salah .
In the three or four-Rak'ah prayers (Dhuhr, Asr ,
Maghrib, and Isha) the whole procedure is repeated
in the remaining Rak'ah(s) , except after Tashahhud ,
you say "Allahu Akbar" and stand up and only recite
Surat Al-Fatiha in Fard prayers and no other Surah,
then continue doing the rest of the actions as you
have done before ( Rukoo', rising, Sujood). Then
stand again for the fourth Rak'ah.
Also, in the last Rak'ah of any prayer, after you
have made your Sujood, sit up and silently recite
both Tashahhud and Salatul Ibrahimiyyah . At the
end of any prayer, you must finish by making
Tasleem .
When to Recite Aloud or Silently:
During obligatory Fajr prayers, you recite the Qur'an
aloud in both Rak'ahs . You also recite the first two
Rak'ahs of the obligatory prayers of Maghrib and
'Isha aloud as well.
However, the third and fourth Rak'ahs are always
recited silently during obligatory prayers. Also, in
the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, the recitation is always
silent for all four Rak'ahs .
Furthermore, the one who leads Jumu'ah prayers
(Friday prayer in place of Dhuhr) will recite the
Qur'an aloud.