The Best Manner of Salaah
We stand, clean in body and clothing on a clean surface and face
the Holy Ka’abah in Makkathul Mukarramah in Saudi Arabia.
It is best to imagine we are seeing Our Glorious Creator before us.
It will be easier, however, to concentrate on Salaah if we imagine
how we would be appearing to His Eyes.
Everyone knows his or her own mirror image.
We make the Niy’yath in our heart
that we are performing the Salaah for Allah.
(The detailed format of Niyyaath is given earlier.
The Surath al Fa’thiha is a must for recitation in every rakaah.
The other Surah to be recited with it in the first two raka'ahs,
may be memorized from the excellent editions of the Holy Qur'an presently available with transliteration in the Roman script).
We raise our hands to ear level and say ALLAHU AKBAR,
bring the hands down and fold them at the midriff,
the right hand upon the left one.
This is a posture of obeisance and humility.
People humble themselves before ordinary mortals for small favors. Here we are standing before the Supreme Lord
Who has Absolute Power over everything in, and beyond, the universe!
Fear of His Wrath and hope from His Mercy must fill our hearts
as we pray to Allahu Sub’hanahu va tha Aalaa.
We recite:
The Sanaa: SUB'HAANAKA ALLAHUMMA VA BIHAMDIKA VA THABARAKASMUKA VA THA AALAA JAD’DUKA VA LAA ILAAHA GHAIYRUKA.
(Ya Allah, You are the Purest, I praise You. Glorious is Your Name. Supreme is Your Majesty and none is to be worshipped except You).
A-OOZU BILLAHI MINASH SHAI’YTHAANIR RAJEEM.
(I seek refuge in Allah from the depredations of the condemned Sathan).
BISMILLAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
(I commence with the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate)
ALHAMDU LIILLAHI RABBIL AALAMEEN,
ARRAHMAANIR RAHEEMI, MAALIKI YAV'MID DEEN.
IYYAKA NA'BUDU VA IYYAKA NASTHA'YEEN.
EH'DINAS SIRAATHAL MUSTHAQEEM,
SIRAATHAL LAZEENA AN'AMTHA ALAIHIM
GHAI’YRIL MAGHDOOBI ALAIHIM,
VALAD DAALLEEN.
AAMEEN!
The Meaning:
All praise is due to ALLAH, the Most Merciful,
the Lord of the Day of Judgment.
We pray to You (Ya Allah) and to You alone
and it is Your Aid that we seek.
Show us the Right road,
the road taken by those on whom You bestowed Your Grace
and not of those who earned Your Wrath
nor of those who went astray. Aameen!
The above Surath al Fa’thiha of the Holy Qur'an
is the invocation Allah loves to hear most often from us.
After this, we can recite any Surah from the Holy Qur'an.
Let us recite Surath un Nas'r (Succour):
IZAA JAA'A NASRULLAHI VAL FATH'HU
VA ARAIY’THANNAASA
YAD'QULOONA FEE DEENILLAHI AF'WAAJAA.
FASABBIH BIHAMDI RABBIKA VASTHAGH'FIR'HU.
INNAHOO KAANA THAW’WAABAA.
"When from Allah comes succour and (you) triumph
and you witness mankind embracing the religion of Allah in legions,
sing the praise of your Lord and seek His forgiveness.
He is certainly pleased to forgive (your sins)."
We say ALLAHU AKBAR. (Allah is the Greatest).
We let go our hands and bow to Allah. This is Rukooh.
Hands on knee caps, the back in a straight line and the neck aligned too.
We recite three times: SUB'HAANA RABBIYAL AZEEM.
(Purest is my Creator and the Most Powerful).
We rise, saying SAMI ALLAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH
(Allah has heard the one who has praised Him)
and we add: RABBANA VA LAKAL HAM’D
(Our Creator, all praise is due to You).
Standing erect for a moment, we say ALLAHU AKBAR
(Allah is the Greatest) and we go down to make Saj’dah.
With our hands on our thighs we rest our knees on the floor
and go into Saj’dah (prostration) before Allah.
First the two hands, then the nose and the forehead rest on the carpet.
The palms are laid flat on the carpet with our face in between.
The thumbs are positioned to be in line with our earlobes.
The fingers and thumbs are close together.
They are stretched out straight, pointing to Qiblah
(the Holy Ka’abah in Makkathul Mukarramah).
The forearms remain elevated slightly, at an angle to the carpet.
The arms do not hug the body. The paunch does not rest on the shanks.
We recite three times SUB'HAANA RABBIYAL AALAA
(Purest is my Creator and also the Most Powerful) and sit back, saying ALLAHU AKBAR (Allah is the Greatest).
The Sitting Posture:
Men sit on the left foot which is stretched on the carpet.
The right foot is held upright, the toes resting on the floor
and the rest of the foot held up vertical.
Women have both feet resting on the carpet to the right
and they sit in between.
We say ALLAHU AKBAR and go into the second Saj’dah and recite SUBHANA RABBIYAL AALAA as we did in the first Saj’dah.
We now rise gently to the standing position, saying ALLAHU AKBAR.
We have now completed the first rakaah.
Again we fold our hands at midriff and make the recitation of the
Surath al Fathi’ha as we did in the first rakaah.
We may recite the Surath al Ikhlaas now:
QUL HUVALLAHU AHAD. ALLAHUS SAMAD. LAM YALID. VALAM YOO LAD. VALAM YA KULLAHU KUF VAN AHAD.
We make the Rukooh and the two Saj’dah's as in the first Rakaah.
But, after the second Saj’dah, we remain seated,
our hands resting on our folded thighs.
We stretch the forefinger of the right hand. It points to the Holy Ka’abah.
We recite: ATH'THAHIYYAATH’THU LILLAAHI VAS SALAVAATHU VATH THAYYIBAATHU, ASSALAMU ALAIKA AYYUHAN NABEE'YU VA RAHMATHULLAHI VA BARKAATHUHU.
ASSALAMU ALAIY'NAA VA ALAA IBADILLAHIS SAALIHEEN.
ASH'HADU AN LAA ILAAHA ILLALLAHU VA ASH'HADU ANNA MOHAMMEDAN ABDUHU VA RASOOLUHU.
"All prayers by word of mouth, by good deeds and by charity and alms giving, are for Allah. Salutations to you, Oh Messenger of Allah.
May Allah bless you and His devout slaves with His Compassion, His Bounties and His Protection. I bear witness that there is no god
except Allah; and Mohammed S.A.W.S is His Slave and His Messenger."
ALLAHUMMA SALLE ALAA MOHAMMEDIN'V VA ALAA AALI MOHAMMEDIN KAMAA SALLAIY'THA ALAA IBRAAHEEMA VA ALAA AALI IBRAHIMA INNAKA HAMEEDUM MAJEED.
"Our Lord, (kindly) confer on Mohammed S.A.W.S and the descendents of Mohammed S.A.W.S Your Blessings, the way You conferred Your Blessings on Ibrahim and the descendents of Ibrahim.
Certainly You (Alone) are worthy of all praise."
ALLAHUMMA BAARIK ALAA MOHAMMEDIN VA ALAA AALI MOHAMMEDIN KAMA BAARAKTHA ALAA IBRAHIMA VA ALAA AAALI IBRAHIMA INNAKA HAMEDUM MAJEED.
"Our Lord (kindly) confer on Mohammed S.A.W.S and the descendents of Mohammed S.A.W.S Your Bounties in the way You conferred Your Bounties on Ibrahim and the descendents of Ibrahim. Certainly You (Alone) are worthy of all praise."
ALLAHUMAGHFIR'LEE VALI VAALIDAIYA VAL USTAAZI VA LIMAN THAWAALIDA VAL JAMEEYIL MOMINEENA VAL MOMINAATH, VAL MUSLIMEENA VAL MUSLIMAATH AL AHI'YAAYI MIN'HUM VAL AM'WAATH. INNAKA KHAREEBUM MUJEEBUD'DA'WA'TH YAA QAADIYAL HAAJAATH BI RAHMATHIKA YA ARHAMAR RAAHIMEEN.
"Ya Allah, (kindly) forgive all my sins and the sins of my parents and of my teachers and of all devout men and all devout women and all Muslim men and all Muslim women, both living and dead,
You are the Provider Who fulfils all (our) needs.
Have Mercy on us, You are the Most Merciful."
We turn our heads to the right, eyes on the shoulder and say ASSALAMU ALAIKUM VA RAHMATHULLAH
(May the blessings of Allah be on you).
Then we turn our heads to the left and repeat as above.
This salutation is to the two angels named Kiraamin Kaathibeen who are always with us, recording both our good deeds and our sins.
The salaams are also directed to the other Muslims praying with us.
The Salaah of two rakaah’s is now complete.
In the Far’d Salaah of three rakaah’s in Maghrib,
we rise after reciting Ath’thahiyyaath only in the second rakaah.
Then we stand erect and recite the Surath Fa’thiha only
and go to Rukooh and Saj’dah's as above.
In this, the third rakaah, we remain seated
and complete the Athtahiyyaath , Darood-e- Ibrahim
and Duaaa as above and make salaams.
In the Far’d Salaah’s of four rakaah’s such as in
Zuh'r, As'r and Ishaa, we proceed as above.
But after Saj’dah's in the third rakaah,
we rise and stand erect and recite Surath al Fa’thiha (only)
and then make the Rukooh and Saj’dah's and
complete the fourth rakaah as above and make salaams.
(However, in Salaah’s of four rakaah’s that are Sunnah,
we must recite the additional Surah also
with the Surath al Fa’thiha in the third and fourth rakaah’s).
After completing each Far’d prayer, as we are seated, we recite
SUB’HAANALLAH 33 times,
ALHAMDU’LILLAH 33 times and
ALLAHU AKBAR 34 times.
And we recite: ALLAHUMMA ANTHASSALAAM VA MIN'KASSALAAM THABAARAKTHA RABBANAA
YA ZAL JALAALI VAL IKRAAM.
"Ya Allah, You are the Provider of Protection and Security and from You alone comes total protection. You are the Almighty, You are the Lord Supreme".
The Holy Prophet S.A.W.S. used to recite also:
The A’yathul Kursee, a most eminent and powerful a’yath from the Holy Qur'an. It is best to memorize this glorious a'yath.
It can perform miracles for us, insha Allah, if we recite it in true faith whenever we initiate any project or we face any difficulty or crisis at any time.
Now we recite the DAROOD-E-SHAREEF:
: ALLAHUMMA SALLE ALAA SYEDINA MOHAMMEDIN VA ALAA AALI SYEDINA MOHAMMEDIN'V VA BAARIK VA SALLIM.
("Ya Allah kindly confer on Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S and the descendents of Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. Your Blessings and Your Bounties.")
We are directed in the Holy Qur'an to recite the Darood-e-Shareef
every time we hear the Prophet S.A.W.S.'s name anywhere.
If we fail to recite the Darood-e-Shareef before and after each invocation we make to Allah, our Du’aa (our pleading, our prayer) does not rise high enough to reach Allah's Throne.
With this, we make Du’aa to Allahu Subhanahu va tha Aalaa in Arabi and/or our own language. Our Glorious Creator loves to answer our prayers. Allah informs us in the Holy Qur’an:
“And (O Mohammed S.A.W.S) when My servants ask you about Me,
(tell them) I am certainly very close (to them).
I answer the prayer of the supplicants when they entreat Me.
So let them heed My call (in the Holy Qur’an) and
let them (place their total trust) in Me in order they may be blessed with the right lead (and their noble aims fulfilled).”
(Surath Al Baq’r: 186).
“Allah’s are the fairest names. Seek His Grace by them.
And abandon those who misrepresent His names.
They will be given their due.”
(Surath al Aeraaf: 180)
We may recite this Duaaa which seeks from Allah
The Best of Neymaath, Bounties:
ALLAHUMMA INNAA NAS’ALUKA EIMAANAM MUSTHAQEEMAAN’V VA FADLAN DAAYIMAN’V
VA NAZRAN RAH’MATHAN’V VA AQLAN KAAMILAN’V
VA ILAMAN NAAFIYAN’V VA QALBAM MUNAWWARAN’V
VA THAW’FEEQAN IH’SAANAN’V VA SABRAN JAMEELAN’V
VA AJRAN AZEEMAN’VA VA LISAANAN ZAAKIRAN’V
VA BADANAN SAABIRAN’VA VA RIZQAN ‘V VAASIYAN’V
VA SAIYAM MASH’KOORAN’V VA ZAN’BAM MAGH’FOORAN’V VA THAV’BATHAN NASOO’HAN’V VA AMALAN SAALIHAM MAQ’BOOLAN’V VA THIJAARATHAN LAN THABOORA
VA DUAAA’AN MUSTHAJAABAN’V VA LIQA’AN NASEEBAN’V
VA JANNATHAN FIR’DAU’SAN’V VA NAYEEMAM MUQEEMAN’V VA SALLALLAHU ALAN NABEEYU SYEDINA MOHAMMEDIN SALLALLAHU ALAIHI VA SALLAM.
AAMEEN!
Allah wants us to be asking Him for more and yet more of His Glorious Bounties. By Allah’s grace, our highest aims will be realized.
We must not lose heart if, at times,
any one Du’aa is not immediately graced with sanction by Allah.
Every Du’aa of ours is immediately written into our record
as a good deed and it entitles us to sawaab, rewards, from Allah.
Allah grants us our prayers at a moment of His Own Choosing.
Ours is but to wait for it. Patience is the hallmark of the Muslim.
The Holy Qur'an teaches us: La thaqnathu min'r rah’mathillah! "Never lose faith in the Rah’math of Allah".
And it is only through our prayers to Allah
that we can realize all our projects 100%.
*The Best Manner of Salaah:
The above is the Hanafi manner of Salaah, conveyed to us
by Imam Abu Haneefa R.A.A.
from the chain of teachers trained directly by the Holy Prophet S.A.W.S..
The three other Imams who succeeeded him, namely Syedina Shaafi, Hambal and Maalik, have also given us the right guidance,
according to their indiviDuaal research
and perceptions of the relevant Hadith.
We may follow any of the four Imams
and earn Allah's acceptance of our Salaah.
With devotion to Allah and love for His Chosen Messenger
Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S.
welling from deep within our hearts,
we must learn and perform Salaah as best as we can.
May Allahu Rabbul Izzath kindly accept your Salaah and mine too.
A'meen!
An Important Note on Saj’dah:
It is our duty to correct people who say
we are “kissing the ground” in this. We are not.
As we prostrate before Alah, our palms,
our forehead and nose rest lightly on the ground.
But our lips are at least three inches above the ground.
They do not even touch it.
We do respect the earth but we do not kiss it.
Allah has instructed us not to kick the earth as we walk
because that is bad manners.
On the day of Judgtment, every spot of earth on which we stood
or were seated, to pray to Allah,
will testify before Him in our favor.
Every Saj’dah that we perform is to Allah, and to Allah Alone. Allah is certainly before every Muslim
as he/she is performing Salaah or making Duaaa to the Creator.
