BY MARIA

 What is Salah?  Conditions of Salah  Fardh of Salah  Sunnah in Salah  Mustahab acts in Salah  Makrooh acts in Salah  Wajibat in Salah  Breakers of Salah  Salah Chart  Times of Salah  When you can leave Salah

 Salah is one of the 5 pillars of Islam, it comes after the Shahadah.  Salah is Fardh, this means it is compulsory.  Salah means prayer, we have to pray 5 times a day to Allah.  The names of the 5 daily prayers are: Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Esha.

Eight conditions have to be observed before praying Salah: 1.To perform Wudhu if necessary. 2.To make Ghusl if necessary. 3.Cleanliness of entire body and all clothing. 4.Cleanliness of the place where you are praying. 5.Facing towards the Qiblah. 6.Covering of Satr(private parts). 7.Niyat(intention) for Salah. 8.Performing Salah at prescribed times. A females Satr is her entire body except her face, hands and wrists. One should face towards the Qiblah when praying. Ones body should be free from both Najasaate before praying.

There are 6 Faraaidh in Salah: 1.Takbeer Tahreemah (Allahu Akbar). 2.Qiyaam(standing) position. 3.Qiraa’ah(recitation of at least 3 short Ayahs or 1 long Ayah of the Qur’an. 4.Rukoo(bowing position). 5.Both Sajdahs (prostration on the ground. 6.Qa’dah Akheerah (to sit so long at the end of the last Rak’at of any namaz that one can read tashahud.

1.To raise the hands up to the ears before saying takbeer tahreemah. 2.While raising the hands for Takbeer, keep the fingers of both hands raised and palms facing the Qiblah. 3.Not to bend the head while saying takbeer. 4.Saying Takbeer Tahreemah and other takbeers aloud by the imam according to the need, while going from one ruku to the other. 5.To fold the right hand around the left below the navel. 6.Saying the Sanaa. 7.To recite Ta,awwuz. 8.To recite the full BISMILLAH. 9.To recite only surah Fatihah in the 3 rd and 4 th Rak’at of Fardh Namaz. 10.To say Aameen (softly). 11.To recite Sanaa, Ta’awwuz, Bismillah and Aameen softly. 12.To recite as much Qiraa’ah as it is Sunnah for every Salah. For Fajr: From Surah Hujuraat (26 th Juz) upto Surah Inshiqaaq (30 th Juz).

For Zuhr, Asr, Esha: From Surah Burooj (30 th Juz) to Surah Qadr (30 th Juz). For Maghrib: From Surah Bayyinah (30 th Juz) to Surah Nas. 13.To say Tasbeeh at least 3 times each in Ruku and Sajdah. 14.To keep the back and the head in the same level while holding the knees with fingers of both hands in Ruku. 15.Saying by imam SAMI-ALLAH LIMAN HAMIDAH in qawmah followed by RABBANA WA LAKAL HAMD by the follower. The one performing Salah alone should say both tasmee and tahmeed. 16.While going into Sajdah place the knees, then the palms followed by the nose and lastly the forehead on the ground. 17.In Qa’dah or Jalsah, placing the left foot on the ground horizontally and sitting upon it totally and raising the right foot vertically so that the toes are facing the Qiblah. 18.To raise the index finger of the right hand when saying the Shahadah. 19.To recite Durood Shareef after Tashahud. 20.To read the Dua after Durood Shareef. 21.To turn the face for Salaam towards the right then left.

The preferable acts in Salah are: 1.To pull the palms out of the sleeves while saying Takbeer Tahreemah. 2.Saying Tasbeeh more than 3 times in Ruku and Sajdah by one performing Salah alone. 3.To keep the eyes towards the place of Sajdah in Qiyaam at the toes in Ruku, towards the lap in Qa’dah and Jalsah, and at the shoulders while turning for Salaam. 4.Try your best not to cough. 5.To try and keep the mouth closed while yawning but if it is opened, to cover it by the upper portion of the right hand in Qiyaam and by the left hand in all other postures.

1.Saying namaaz bare-headed due to laziness or carelessness and to expose the arms above the elbows. Playing with clothes or the body Performing in salah in clothes in which people don’t ordinarily like to go out. To dust the floor with one’s hands to prevent the soiling of clothes. Performing the salah when one has the urge to go to the toilet. To crack one’s fingers or putting of fingers of one hand to the other hand. To turn the face away from the Qiblah and looking around. It’s Makrooh for men to rest both the arms and wrists on the ground in Sajdah. Performing Salah when another person facing him sits ahead. Yawning intentionally and not preventing if one can do so. Closing the eyes (unless you are trying to concentrate. For a mature person to stand alone behind a row and there is a place in the row before him. Performing Salah with clothes that have living objects on them. Performing Salah at a place where there is a picture of a living object above,on the right or left side. To count Ayahs, Surahs, or Tasbeehs on fingers in Salah. Performing Salah with a sheet or clothes wrapped on the body in such a way that it makes it difficult to free the hands quickly. To yawn or stretch arms to remove laziness. Doing something against the Sunnah in Salah.

Wajibat are those items necessary to complete Salah. 1.Fixing the first 2 Rak’at of the Fardh Salah for Qiraa’ah. 2.To recite Surah Fatihah on all the Rak’at, however in the 3 rd and 4 th it is sunnah. 3.To recite a surah or a lengthy Ayah or three small Ayahs after Surah Fatihah in the first two rak’at of Fardh Salah and in all the Rak’at of Wajib, Sunnah and Nafl Salah. 4.To recite Surah Fatihah before any other surah or Ayah. 5.To maintain order between Qiraa’ah, Ruku, Sajdah and Rak’at. 6.Qawmah(standing up erect after Ruku. 7.Jalsah(sitting between the 2 sajdahs. 8.Performing Ruku, Sajdah etc with contentment and in a good way. 9.Sitting to the extent of saying Tashahud after two Rak’at (in Salah of three or four Rak’at). 10.To read Tashahud in the two Qa’daas. 11.To recite the Qiraa’ah aloud by the Imam in the first two Rak’at of Fajr, Maghrib, Esha, Jumah, Eidain and Taraweh Salah. 12.To end Salah by saying Salaam. 13.To say Takbeer for Qunoot in Witr Salah and also to recite Dua-e-qunoot. 14.To say six additional Takbeers in both Eid Salah.

Things which Nullify the prayer are: 11.To talk in Salah knowingly or unknowingly, even if it’s a few words or many. TTo greet a person by Asalamu alaikum, or by any other method while performing Salah. TTo reply to greetings, or saying Yarhamukallah to one who sneezes and saying Ameen to a Dua not connected to the Salah. TTo say inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon on some bad news and to say Alhamdullillah or Subhanallah on hearing some good or strange news. TTo make noise or say “Oh” or “Ahh” due to pain etc. CCorrecting the Qiraa’at of a person other than his own Imam. TTo recite the Qur’an by looking at the text. TTo do such an act which gives the impression to onlookers that he is doing something else instead of praying Salah. EEating or drinking knowingly/unknowingly. TTo turn the chest away from Qiblah without an excuse. DDoing Sajdah at a impure place. DDelay in covering the Satr (private parts) when uncovered, to the extent of performing One Ruku (posture). UUtterances in pain or trouble. AAn adult laughing aloud. TTo step ahead of the Imam in Salah. MMaking a big error in the Qiraa’at of the holy Qur’an.

Names of Prayers No. of Ra’kat SunnahFardhSunnahNaflWitr Wajib Nafl Fajr 42 Muakkadah 2 Zohr 124 Muakkadah 42 Muakkadah 2 Optional Asr 84 Ghair Muakkadah 4 Maghrib 732 Muakkadah 2 Optional Esha 174 Ghair Muakkadah 42 Muakkadah 2 Optional 32 Optional

◊FAJR Salah begins at Early Dawn and ends a little before Sunrise. ◊ZOHR begins after Zawaal (past noon) and ends the time that the shadow of an object becomes twice the length of the object plus the original shadow there at midday. ◊ASR begins when Zohr times finishes and ends a little before sunset. ◊MAGHRIB begins from sunset up to the redness fades on the horizon. ◊ESHA begins after the redness of the horizon disappears and lasts up to a little before dawn.

It is permissible to break one’s Salah in the following cases: 1.When there is an urge to pass urine or stool. 2.When a snake, scorpion or some other harmful animal makes it’s appearance. 3.When one fears that a train or transport on which ones is to travel would depart. 4.When one fears someone will steal his shoes or other property. ~ It is wajib to break one’s salah in order to answer a parent or a grandparent who has called out in distress. ~It is Fardh to break one’s Salah when it is feared that a blind person would fall into a pit or a well if he is not stopped. ~It is Fardh to break one’s Salah when some person has caught on fire and requires assistance.