Physical actions in Salat (Prayer) Explained

 

Salat (Muslim prayer) is one of the 5 basic pillars of Islam. A muslim offers obligatory salat (prayer) 5 times in 24 hours of the day with specific timings for each according to movements of sun. However voluntary prayers can be offered any of the timining which are not forbidden for offering sajda or prayer (a detailed explanation of all types of prayers has been explained in our salat (prayer) chapter separately.

The obligatory salats (prayers) are as follows:

1. Salat (prayer) of Fajr

2. Salat (prayer) of Dhu' her

3. Salat (prayer) of Al Asr

4. Salat (prayer) of Magh'rib

5. Salat (prayer) of Isha

Salat (Muslim prayer)can be offered only in Arabic language and according to Sunnah. Following are the actions to be performed in Salat (muslim prayer). Its better to learn this from a tutor or elder better muslim so that there might be no omission or commision in offering the salat (muslim prayer).

Start of prayer and its performance

1. Standing with the feet only slightly apart, the worshiper raises his arms to the level of his ears, palms open forward, and declares Allahu akbar. This raising of the hands to the level of the head needs to
occur only at this first takbir. This opens the prayer.


2. After The Takbir, the hands are placed at the sides, or clasped right over left at the upperside of navell, or clasped at the center of the chest, or above the heart. All of these have precedents in the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him. In this standing position, the worshiper starts reciting Sanah(praise to God) in the first rakat, then worshiper pronounces the fatihah, which may or may not be preceded by the bismalah. At the end of the fatihah, the worshiper says:” amin”. If there is an lmam, and the fatihah has been said out loud, this amin is pronounced in a very low tone  as a response by the congregation. In the first two raka'at of the prayer (but not in subsequent raka'at), after the fatihah, some verses from the Quran are recited. When this recitation ends, the worshiper then says: Allahu akbar, and bows, placing his hands upon the knees.

3. In this position, which is called the bow, he says silently: Subhana-Llahi-l-athim (Glory to God the Mighty) three times


4. Rising now to the standing position, the worshiper says out sami'a-llahu liman hamidah (God listens to him who praises Him) Then he, or the congregation following an lmam, says as response: Rabband wa
laka-l-hamd (Our Lord, and to Thee belongs praise).


5. Saying: Allahu akbar out while still standing upright, the worshiper then prostrates himself, touching the forehead to the ground and with both palms on the ground. In this position, which is called sajdah, he says silently: subhana Rabbiya-l-A'la (Glory to my Lord the Most High), three times.


6. He raises himself to a seated position and says: Allahu akbar. In this seated position, he says a words such as: Rabbi-ghafir-li, (Lord, cover my transgressions).

The correct posture for this seated position involves placing the outside of the left foot underneath oneself with the right foot crouched and the big toe of the right foot hooked on the ground (This practice is for males). As hooking the toe on the ground is very difficult, and even painful if not practiced from childhood, no insistence is placed upon this precise position, and all sitting positions with the knees upon the ground can be seen.


7. After having marked a momentary halt seated thus, the worshiper pronounces again: Allahu akbar, and makes a second prostration (sajdah) exactly as the first.


This completes one cycle (rak'ah) of the salat (prayer). If this is the first rak'ah of any prayer (except the single rak'ah of the voluntary night prayer, the witr), the worshiper stands up, pronounces: Allahu akbar, and repeats the cycle
again as the second rak'ah of the salat (prayer). At the end of the second and fourth (and final) rak'ah of all prayers, and the third (final) rak'ah of the sunset prayer, before rising from the sitting position, or before ending the prayer, while in this sitting position, the worshiper utters at-tahiyyat, or the at-tashahhud:


There are in practice minor variations to this formula. During the saying of the shahadah, it is the custom to point the Shahdah finger upwards till the time The worshiper (prayer offerer) seals the prayer by turning his head to the right and saying: as-salamu 'alaykum, and then repeating these words to the left.

It is usual, after prayer, to remain seated in order to recite one or more formulas repeated thirty-three times, counting on the fingers. This is an introduction to a du'a', an individual supplication, which is made with the hands upraised slightly, the palms open upwards. At the end, marked by the words: al-hamdu li-Llah (praise be to God), the open hands are drawn across the face as if a blessing had fallen into them. Then the worshippers rise and greet those next to them with the words: as-salamu 'alaykum. Some then perform individual, voluntary prayers, except after the 'asr. These voluntary parayers are usually of two raka'at.

NOTE : FOR WOMEN, THE PRAYER IS TOTALLY THE SAME AS FOR MEN. HOWEVER IN VIEW OF POSTURAL DIFFERENCES IN MEN AND WOMEN (THE WOMEN OFFER THE PRAYER WITH  DELICACY). THEREFORE, THEY DO IT AS FOLLOWS:

  1. They do not open their arms wide while saying takbir.(They are allowed to keep their arms upto their shoulders not upto ears)
  2. They keep their hands near to chest and not in the middle of tummy upside navel.
  3. They do Sajda keeping their body squeezed and close to the floor.
  4. They don’t have to move their right toe (as men do) toughed in curve rather they keep it leaned to the right (direction) on the floor softly.