Learn how to Pray Here!!

[Alsunna Teacher]

The Integrals of Prayer And Its Recommended Matters

Prayer has integrals and recommended matters (sunnahs). The integrals are those matters that are part of the prayer and, if not done the prayer is invalid. The recommended matters are the rewardable matters the leaving out of which does not invalidate the prayer. They are done following in the footsteps of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.



The integrals of prayer are seventeen (17):

1-            To have the intention in the heart of performing the prayer and of its obligation when obligatory, and to specify the prayer which is performed for a particular reason or time.

2-            To say Allahu Akbar                  hearing oneself while having the intention in the heart.

3-            To stand (qiyam) for the obligatory prayer, when able. If unable, one prays sitting. If unable, one prays lying one one's side. If unable, one prays lying on one's back.

4-            To recite the Fatihah, including:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيم

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim.

Also, doubling the letters that must be doubled, in order and succession without lengthy interruption, articulating its letters properly, and avoiding the error which breaches the meaning, such as saying (an^amtu) instead of (an^amta). It is prohibited to commit an error that does not breach the meaning. However, it does not invalidate the prayer [unless done intentionally].

5-            To bow until one's palms could reach one's knees (ruku^).

6-            To remain motionless in ruku^ for the duration of saying subhan Allah (tuma'ninah).

7-            To straighten up after ruku^ (i^tidal).

8-            To remain motionless in i^tidal for the duration of saying subhan Allah (tuma'ninah).

9-            To prostrate (perform sujud) twice by putting all or part of one's uncovered forehead on one's praying ground, with one's lower body (buttocks) higher than one's upper part, and putting part of one's knees, the inside of one's hands and the bottom of one's toes on the ground.

10-       To have tuma'ninah in prostration (sujud).

11-       To sit between the two prostrations.

12-       To have tuma'ninah in this sitting.

13-       To sit for saying the last tashahhud, the Salatu ^alan-Nabiyy and the closing salam.

14-       To say the last tashahhud. The full tashahhud is:

التَّحِيَّاتُ الْمُبَارَكَاتُ الصَّلَوَاتُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ لله، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُه، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحِين، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ الله وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ الله.

At-Tahiyyatul-mubarakat, as-Salawatut-tayyibatu lillah. As-Salamu ^alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-Salamu ^alayna wa ^ala ^ibadillahis-salihin. Ash-hadu alla ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah

To say the Salah ^alan-Nabiyy. The minimum is: Allahumma salli ^ala Muhammad. It is better to say the full Salatul-Ibrahimiyyah.

16-       To say the closing salam. The minimum is As-Salamu ^alaykum.

17-       To observe the order. To intentionally perform the integrals of prayer out of order invalidates the prayer. An example is if one intentionally prostrated before bowing (ruku^). If one forgets (to perform) an integral, one must return to perform it unless one has reached that same integral or what is after it in the next or subsequent rak^ah. In such a case, what was performed in-between is cancelled. An example is of one did not remember leaving our ruku^ except after having performed the ruku^ or prostration of the subsequent rak^ah. In such a case, what is between the missing ruku^ and the performed ruku^ is cancelled, and what is after this performed ruku^ is the continuation of the rak^ah.

[Alsunna Teacher]

Recommendations of Prayer:
There are many recommended (sunnah) matters during prayer and among them are:

Placing the right hand over the left above the belly button and under the chest.
Reciting the du^a' of iftitah before reciting the Fatihah in the first rak^ah only.
Reciting a Surah after the Fatihah in the first two rak^ahs.
Saying Allahu Akbar upon straightening and bending.
Saying subhana Rabbiyal-^adhim, three times during bowing (ruku^).
Saying sami^allahu liman hamidah, during the straightening after bowing (i^tidal).
Saying subhana Rabbiyal-a^la, three times during the prostration (sujud).
Saying Allahumma ghfir li warhamni wahdini wa ^afini warzuqni during the sitting in between the two prostrations.

Reciting the Salatul-Ibrahimiyyah after the final tashahhud.

Adding wa rahmatullah during the final salam. Hence, one says: As-Salamu ^alaykum wa rahmatullah.  
Saying As-salamu ^alaykum a second time and turning to the right side during the first one and to the left side during the second one.

[Alsunna Teacher]

Conditions for the Validity of Prayer

The conditions of prayer are the matters that are not part of the prayer, but must be satisfied before starting the prayer. They are:

1-     Islam: Prayer is not valid from a blasphemer.

2-     To be at the age of mental discrimination (mumayyiz), i.e., the age at which the child understands when addressed and answers when asked.

3-     To be pure from both ritual impurities. One must have wudu', and clear of the states of minor and major ritual impurity.

4-     The clothes, body, place, and what one is carrying must be pure (tahir). If one prays while carrying in one's pocket a piece of cloth that had najas-filth on it, one's prayer is invalid.

5-     To cover one's unlawful nakedness. For the man this is from his belly button to his knees. The woman has to cover her entire body except for her face and hands.

6-     To be certain that the prayer time has set in.

7-     Not to deem any of its integrals recommended.

8-     To direct one's chest toward the Qiblah, which is in Makkah.

If one leaves out any one of these conditions, one's prayer is invalid.

[Alsunna Teacher]

Questions:

1.                 List some of the conditions of prayer.

2.                 What is mental discrimination (tamyiz)?

3.                 How is one clear of the ritual impurities?

4.                 Is the prayer of one who carries a najas-filth in one's pocket valid?

5.                 What is the unlawful nakedness for a man during prayer? For a woman?

6.                 What is the Qiblah in prayer?

7.                 What is the judgment of the prayer of one who leaves out any of these conditions?

[Alsunna Teacher]

Invalidators of Prayer

During prayer, the Muslim should be God-fearing and should avoid anything that invalidates his prayer. The invalidators of prayer are:

1-            For the praying person to utter words which do not include mentioning Allah. Uttering two letters or any letter that carries a meaning while remembering that one is praying invalidates one's prayer.

2-            Performing many moves that last for the duration of one rak^ah. According to some scholars, three consecutive moves invalidate the prayer.

3-            Eating even if it is little, like a sesame seed, except if one forgets.

4-            Drinking while remembering that one is in the prayer, even if it is little, like swallowing a drop of water on one's lips.

5-            Performing one move, with the purpose of playing.

6-            Performing an excessive move such as jumping.

7-            Purposely adding an extra integral of action, such as making sujud three times in one rak^ah.

8-            Intending to interrupt prayer. In this case one's prayer becomes invalid immediately.

9-            Making the intention to interrupt prayer contingent on the occurrence of an incident, such as saying in one's heart: "If my brother comes, I will interrupt my prayer and open the door for him." This invalidates the prayer immediately, even if one's brother did not come.

10-       Hesitating about interrupting the prayer.

11-       Completing an integral while the doubt is still persisting about one's intention during the opening Allahu Akbar (taharrum), or doubting for a long time about this intention. If someone recites the Fatihah while doubting whether or not one intended Dhuhr or ^Asr, one's prayer is invalid. The prayer is invalid when the time of doubt is long, even if an entire integral did not pass. An example is if one recited the entire Surah of Tabarak while one doubted one's intention, then one's prayer is invalid.

[Alsunna Teacher]

Questions:

1.                 What is the judgment of the prayer of one who purposely talks, other than mentioning Allah?

2.                 What is the judgment of one who utters one or two meaningful letters?

3.                 What is the judgment of the prayer of one who moved three consecutive moves during the prayer?

4.                 What is the judgment of the prayer of one who purposely ate or drank during prayer?

5.                 What is the judgment of the prayer of one who did an action with the intention of playing during prayer?

6.                 Give an example of an excessive move.

7.                 What is the judgment of the prayer of one who purposely added an integral in the prayer? Give an example.

8.                 What is the judgment of the prayer of one who intended to interrupt one's prayer? Or makes it contingent upon the occurrence of something? Or hesitates about interrupting one's prayer?

9.                 What is the judgment if an entire integral passed while one was doubting the intention? If a long time passed while one doubted?

[The Tech]

May Allah reward you for this post.

[alsunna]

It is obligatory to pray five prayers in a day and a night.


Allah ta^ala said
فسبحان الله حين تمسون وحين تصبحون وله الحمد فى السمـْوات والأرض وعشياً وحين تظهرون

which means: Glorify Allah in the night and in the morning, all praises to Allah are due in the skies and earth and at sunset and at dhuhr time (ar-Rum 17-18).


The prophet , salla-l-lahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:
خمس صلوات كتبهن الله على العباد

which means: Five prayers Allah made obligatory on the slaves (narrated by Ahmad). These are: adh-Dhuhr, al-^Asr, al-Maghrib, al-^Isha' and as-Subh (or al-Fajr).





Here are Easy steps to Learn how to Pray:

[alsunna]

The prophet , salla-l-lahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:
خمس صلوات كتبهن الله على العباد

which means: Five prayers Allah made obligatory on the slaves (narrated by Ahmad). These are: adh-Dhuhr, al-^Asr, al-Maghrib, al-^Isha' and as-Subh (or al-Fajr).