How to pray
Things to do before Salat
Be in state of Wudhu
It is disliked performing Salat when one has the urge to urinate or pass stool.
Clean Clothes
It is disliked to,
- Play with clothes or body.
- Perform Salat in clothes in which people do not ordinarily like to go out.
- Perform Salat in clothes with pictures of living objects on them.
Clean Place
It is disliked,
- To dust the floor with one's hands to prevent the soiling of clothes.
- For a mature (Baligh) person to stand alone behind a row (Saff) when there is place in the row before him.
- To performing Salat at a place where there is a picture of a living object around or on the place where he makes Sajdah.
Salat breaks by stepping ahead of Imam during Salat
Covering Satr
It is disliked to,
- Say Salat, bare-headed due to laziness or carelessness and to expose arms above elbow.
- Perform Salat with a sheet/ cloth wrapped on body in such a way that it makes it difficult to free hands quickly.
Salat breaks if there is delay in covering Satr when uncovered, to the extent of performing one rukn in Salat.
Correct time
Facing Qibla
It is disliked to,
- Turn face away from qibla and looking around.
- Perform Salat when person facing him sits ahead.
Salat breaks by turning chest away from the Qibla without an excuse.
Intention
It is disliked to,
- Yawn intentionally
- Close eyes (allowed for concentration)
- Count Aayats, Suras or Tasbihs on fingers.
- Yawn and stretch arm to remove laziness.
- Do something against Sunnah.
Things to do in Salat
Takbeer Tahreema
It is Wajib to,
- Say Takbeer (Allahu-Akbar) for Qunoot in Witr Salat and also recite Dua Qunoot.
- To say six additional TAKBEERS in both Eid Salat.
It is Sunnah,
- To raise the hands up to the ears before saying Takbeere Tahreema
- While raising the hands for Takbeer, keep the fingers of both the hands raised and facing the Qiblah.
- Not to bend the head when saying Takbeer.
- Saying Takbeer Tahrimi and other Takbeer aloud by the Imam according to the need, while changing posture.
It is preferable to,
- Pull the palms out of the sleeves while saying Takbeere Tahreema.
- Try best not to cough.
- Try to avoid yawning, but if it is opened, to cover it by the upper portion of the right hand in Qiyam and by the left hand in all other postures.
It is disliked to crack one's fingers or putting of fingers of one hand into fingers of the other hand.
Namaz breaks when,
- Talk in Salat. Knowingly or unknowingly, few words or many.
- Greet a person by Asalamu Alaikum, or by any other method.
- Reply to greetings or saying Yarhamukallah to one who sneeze and saying Ameen to a Dua not connected to his Salat.
- Said Inna Lil Lahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raajioon, Alhamdulillah or Subhanallah on hearing some news
- Make moise or say "OH!" or "AAH!" due to PAIN etc.
- To do such an act which gives the impression to onlookers that he is doing something else, rather than performing Sal;at. This is called Amale Katheer.
- Eating or drinking knowingly or unknowingly.
- Utterance in pain or trouble.
- An adult laughing aloud.
Standing (Qiyam)
It is Wajib to,
- Maintain order between Qiraat, Ruku, Sajda, Rakaat.
- Perform Ruku, Sajda etc. with contentment and in a good way (Tadeele Arkan).
It is Sunnah to fold right hand around left below naval.
Recitation (Qirat)
It is Wajib to,
- Fix first 2 Rak’aats of the Farz Salat for Qirat.
- Recite Surah Fatiha in all the Rak’aats of every Salat. However, in 3rd and 4th Rak’aats of any Farz Namaaz, it is Sunnah and not Wajib.
- Recite a Surah or a lengthy Aayat or three small Aayats after Surah Fatiha in the first 2 Rak’aats of Faez Salat and in all Rak’aats of Wajib, Sunnah and Nafil.
- Read Sura Fatiha before any other Surah or Aya.
- Recite Qirat aloud in Fajr, Maghreb, Esha, Jumuah, Eidain and Taraaweeh Salaat in Ramadan by the Imam. The Imam should recite Zuhr and Asr Salat silently.
It is Sunnah to,
- Say Sanaa.
- Recite Ta'awuz.
- Recite the complete Bismillah.
- Recite only Surah Fatiha in the 3rd and 4th Rak’aats of Farz Salat.
- Say Aa'meen (softly).
- Recite Sanaa, Ta'awwuz and Aameen softly.
- Recite as much Qirat as is Sunnah for every Salat.
Namaz breaks when,
- Correcting Qiraat of another Imam.
- Recite the Quran by looking at text.
- Making some big error in the Qirat of the Quran.
Ruku
It is Wajib to do Qauma (Standing up erect after Ruku).
It is Sunnah to,
- Say Tasbih at least 3 times each in Ruku.
- Keep the back and head in same level while holding the knees with fingers of both the hands in Ruku,.
- Say, by Imam SAMIALLAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH in Qawmah followed by RABBANA LAKAL HAMD by Muqtadi. The MUNFARID should say both Tasmi and Tahmeed
It is preferable to
- Say Tasbeeh more than THREE times in Sajdah.
- Keep the eyes at the toes in Ruku.
Sajda
It is Wajib to do Jalsa (Sitting between 2 Sajdah).
It is Sunnah,
- To say Tasbih at least 3 times each in Sajda.
- While going into Sajda, first place the knees, then the hands and lastly the forehead on the ground.
- To place the left foot on the ground horizontally and sitting upon it and raising the right foot vertically so that toes are facing the Qibla and resting both hands on tigh.
It is preferable to say Tasbeeh more than 3 times in Sajda.
It is disliked for men to rest both arms and wrist on the ground in Sajda.
Namaz breaks by doing Sajda at a Najis place.
Qa'ada Akhera
It is Wajib to
- Do Qaadah Olaa or sitting to the extent of saying Tashahud after 2 Rak’aats in Salat of 3 or 4 Rak’aats.
- Read Tashahud in the two Qa'daas
- End the Salat by saying Salam.
It is Sunnah to,
- Place the left foot on the ground horizontally and sitting upon it and raising the right foot vertically so that toes are facing the Qibla and resting both hands-on Tigh.
- Raise the index finger of the right hand as one says "ASH HADU ALLAH ILAHA" in Tashahud.
- Recite Durood Shareef in Qai'dah Akheera after Tashahud.
- Read Dua after Durood Shareef.
- Turn the face for Salam towards the right first and then to the left.
It is preferable to keep the eyes towards the lap in Qai'da, and at shoulders while turning for Salam.
Permisible to break Salat
In an urge to pass urine or stool.
A snake, scorpion or some other harmful creature makes its appearance.
One fears that a train on which one is to travel would depart.
One fears that a thief would get away with his shoes or any other property.
These images are for Illustration only. Please see the following book for reference
Talimul Haq (Hanafee) by Shabbir Ahmad E Desai
Breakdown
