[ Home ] [ About ] [ Part I ] [ Part II ] [ Part III ] [ Part IV ] [ Glossary ] [ Translit ] [ Resources ]
 

Part III: Method of Saying Prayers

When you intend to say namaaz, first clean your body of hadath-e-akbar, asghar and from all visible uncleanliness. Put on neat clothes and stand at a clean place facing towards the Qiblah. When you stand up, your feet should be apart about the width of four fingers put together.

Then say the niyyah of the prayer you want to say. For instance, “I intend to pray two rak’aat fard of Fajr for Allah, facing the Ka’bah.” It is better to say this to oneself as well as having it in his mind.

Then raise your both hands up to the lobes of your ears. Your palms should face the Qiblah and thumbs should be near the ear-lobes. Fingers should be open and separate from each other.

Then say “Allaahu akbar” and fold hands below the navel. The right palm should be on the back of the left palm. Hold round the wrist bones by your thumb and little finger; the rest of the three fingers should be stretched on the wrist. Keep your eyes fixed at the place of sajdah.

Recite thanaa slowly, then recite ta’awwudh and tasmiyah. Then recite Surah Faatihah. Say “Aameen” in a low voice when you finish it. Then follow it by another surah or one big aayah or three small aayaat. (But if you are saying namaaz behind the imaam, stand silently after saying thanaa. Do not recite ta’awwudh, tasmiyah, Surah Faatihah or any other surah.) Read the Qira’ah clearly, properly and do not hurry.

Then, saying “Allaahu akbar” go into rukuu’. As you bow into rukuu’ hold the knees with your fingers, keeping them apart. Straighten your back so much that if a cup of water is placed on it, it does not tilt. Hold your head at the level of the back, neither lower nor higher. The hands should be away from the ribs and ankles should not be bent. In this posture say tasbeeh of rukuu’ three or five times. Then stand up erect saying tasmi’ah and tahmeed. (Imaam says tasmi’ah; muqtadi says tahmeed only and munfarid should say both tasmi’ah and tahmeed.)

Now go into sajdah saying takbeer. First put your knees on the ground, then hands, then nose, then forehead. The face should be between both the hands and the thumbs should be near the ears. Put the fingers of both the hands together so that the tips of the fingers face the Qiblah. The elbows should be away from the ribs and abdomen and from the thighs. (that is for men, women should keep their arms close to the body.) Do not lay the elbows on the ground.

Say the tasbeeh of sajdah three or five times. Then get up, saying the takbeer, first raising the forehead, then the nose and finally the hands.

Sit up straight, then do the second sajdah after takbeer. Then stand up again saying takbeer.

As you rise to stand up, first raise your forehead, then the nose, then the hands and then the knees. Stand up straight and fold the hands on the belly again.

Recite Bismillaah, Surah Faatihah and another surah. (Stand silently if you are following an imaam.) Then go to do rukuu’, qawmah, sajdah, jalsah and sajdah for the second time.

After the second sajdah in the second rak’ah lay down the left foot sideways and sit on it. Keep the right foot vertical. Rest your foot in such a way that the toes face the Qiblah as you sit.

Put both the hands on the thighs and recite at-Tahiyyaat, and as you come to “…ash-hadu a(n)l-laa ilaaha illallaahu” close your right hand, make a circle with your right hand thumb and middle finger, raise the first finger at “laa ilaaha” and drop it at “illallaah”. Maintain the circle until the end of the prayer.

If it is a two rak’aat prayer, then after tashahhud read darood shareef and du’aa. Then turn your head for salaam, first to the right and then to the left. During the salaam, have niyyat for the angels and fellow Muslims on the right and on the left. Have niyyat of salaam for the imaam on the side of the imaam also. The imaam should have niyyat of salaam for the followers as he turns his head for the two salaams.

If the prayer is of three or four rak’aat do not recite darood after tashahhud in the second rak’ah. Instead stand up saying takbeer and complete the third and fourth rak’ah as described previously.

After the salaam, recitation of any of the following du’aas is sunnah:

O Allah! You are the bestower of peace, and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Lord of Glory and Honor.

O Allah! Help me towards performing Your remembrance and towards showing gratitude to You and towards the best worship.

There is no god except Allah, the One Who has no partners; For Him is the dominion and for Him is all praise and He is able to do all things.

O Allah! There is no one who can hold back what You have given. And there is no one who can give what You have held back. And no person’s wealth will save him from Your punishment.

THE END OF PART III