Salah

In Islam, salah is the most important thing after iman, and therefore it is the second most important pillar of Islam. If this pillar is broken, then the religion can collapse easily. Muslims who pray their salah by keeping up all the sunnahs and adab will be rewarded by Allah (jalla jalaluhu) with treasures in Jannah and be helped in this world as well. Our blessed prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

"The key to jannah is Salah. "
(Tirmidhi: Taharah, 3; Ahmed bin Hanbel, Musned 3/340)

Whoever prays salah conscientiously protects his religion as well as his iman.

Allah Almighty states in the holy Quran:

"When you feel secure then arise for salah. Indeed, salah has been decreed for the believers at enjoined hours." (An-Nisa 103)
 

If the following three requirements are satisfied, then it is fard (obligatory) for every Muslim to pray five times a day:

1. The person must be Muslim
2. The person must be baligh (they must have reached adolescence)
3. The person must be in their right mind

The Requirements for Salah

To ensure that salah is valid, a Muslim must be careful to fulfill the required conditions before and during prayer.

Obligations Before Salah

• Purification from Spiritual Impurity (Taharah from Hadath)
  A person must be in a state of ritual purity (tahir) before praying. This means having wudu (ablution) and being free from hadath (spiritual impurity).
  • If a person is in a major state of impurity (junub), they must perform ghusl (ritual bath) before praying.
  • Women must perform ghusl after their menstruation or postnatal bleeding ends before they can pray.
• Purification from Physical Impurity (Taharah from Najasah)
  A person intending to pray must ensure their body, clothes, and place of prayer are free from filth (najasah).
  • Both najasah ghaliza (heavy impurity) and najasah khafifah (light impurity) must be removed if they exceed the permissible amount. If a person prays with excessive filth on them, they must clean themselves and repeat the prayer.
• Covering the Intimate Parts (Satr ‘Awrah)
  One cannot perform salah while certain parts of the body are exposed. The extent of covering differs for men and women.
  • For men, the ‘awrah (intimate parts) extends from just below the bellybutton to under the knees. If any part of this area is exposed to a certain degree, the salah becomes invalid, and the person must cover it and start the prayer again.
  • For women, the ‘awrah covers the entire body except for the face and hands. Outside of salah, a woman’s feet are also considered part of her ‘awrah. If any ‘awrah is exposed and remains so for at least the duration of one full sajdah, and the uncovered area equals one-fourth of the limb, the salah must be repeated.
• Facing the Qibla (Istiqbal al-Qibla)
  The person praying must face the direction of the Kaaba.
• Observing the Correct Time (Waqt)
  Each salah must be performed within its designated time. If a person prays before the prescribed time, they must repeat it when the actual time enters. If a salah is missed, it must be performed as qada (a make-up prayer), with the intention of making up for the missed obligation.
  • A person who intentionally delays their salah and leaves it for qada has committed a grave sin and must seek forgiveness from Allah.
• Having the Right Intention (Niyyah)
  The intention (niyyah) is made at the beginning of salah in the heart, right before saying Allahu Akbar. One must intend which specific salah they are about to perform, such as whether it is the obligatory (fard) or recommended (sunnah) prayer of Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, or Isha.

Obligations During Salah

• Opening Takbir (Takbir al-Iftitah)
  Salah begins with the words Allahu Akbar. It is obligatory (fard) to say Allah, and it is wajib (necessary) to say Akbar.
• Standing (Qiyam)
  It is obligatory to stand during fard prayers unless one is physically unable to do so. A person who cannot stand due to illness or weakness may pray while seated. Standing in salah should be done with humility and reverence, as one is in the presence of Allah.
• Recitation (Qira’ah)
  • In the first two rak‘ahs of fard prayers, it is obligatory to recite at least one long verse or three short verses after Surah Al-Fatiha.
  • In all other types of prayers, this minimum recitation must be done in every rak‘ah.
• Bowing (Ruku‘)
  After recitation, one must bow down, placing the hands on the knees with fingers and arms outstretched while keeping the back straight and parallel to the ground.
  • Women should bow more modestly, ensuring only their fingertips touch their kneecaps while keeping their hands on their thighs. Their knees should be slightly bent, and their heads should be tilted downward.
• Prostration (Sujud)
  Prostration follows ruku‘, requiring the forehead, nose, hands, knees, and toes to touch the ground.
  • If a person is too ill to perform full sujud, they must bow their head slightly to indicate both ruku‘ and sujud, with sujud being a deeper inclination than ruku‘.
• Final Sitting (Jalsat al-Akhirah)
  The final sitting at the end of salah is obligatory.
  • One must remain seated for at least the duration required to recite At-Tahiyyat (this supplication can be found in the final chapter of the book).
  • Reciting At-Tahiyyat itself is wajib; if one omits the final sitting, their prayer becomes invalid and must be repeated.