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.