Method of Namaz (Salah)

7 Faraid of Salah

Takbīr-e-Taḥrīma

Qiyām

Qirā-at

Rukū

Sujūd

Qa’da-e-Ākhīra

Khurūj-e-Biṣun’i ī

Method of Namaaz

Stand erect facing the Qiblaĥ in the state of Wuḍū with a distance of four fingers between feet. Now raise both hands making thumbs touch the ear-lobes. Fingers should neither be too close together nor too wide apart; instead, they should remain in a normal position, palms facing the Qiblaĥ. Eyesight should be focused at the place of Sajdaĥ.

Now make a firm intention (in your heart) of the Ṣalāĥ that you are about to offer. To say it verbally is better (for example, “I intend to offer four Rak’āt for today’s Farḍ Ẓuĥar Ṣalāĥ.”) If you are in a Jamā’at, add the words “following this Imām.”

Now, utter Takbīr-e-Taḥrīmaĥ (اَللہُ اَکْبَرْ) lowering your hands and fold them below navel with right palm on the back of left wrist joint, three middle fingers straight on the back of left forearm and thumb and small finger making a loop on either side of wrist. Now recite Šanā like this:

سُبْحٰانَکَ اللہُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِکَ وَتَبَارَکَ اسْمُکَ وَتَعَالٰی جَدُّکَ وَلَآ اِلٰہَ غَیْرُکَ

Then recite the Ta’aw-wuż:

اَعُوْذُ بِاللہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ

Then recite the Tasmiyaĥ:

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

Then recite the whole of Sūraĥ Fātiḥaĥ:

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ
الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
مٰلِكِ یَوْمِ الدِّیْنِ
اِیَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَ اِیَّاكَ نَسْتَعِیْنُ
اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِیْمَ
صِرَاطَ الَّذِیْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیْهِمْ
غَیْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْهِمْ وَ لَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ

After you finish Sūraĥ Fātiḥaĥ, utter اٰمِیْنْ (Āmīn) in low volume and
then recite either three short Ayaĥs or one long Āyaĥ that is equivalent to three short Ayaĥs or any Sūraĥ such as Sūraĥ Ikhlāṣ.

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
قُلْ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ
اَللّٰهُ الصَّمَدُ
لَمْ یَلِدْ
وَ لَمْ یُوْلَدْ
وَ لَمْ یَكُنْ لَّهٗ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌ

Now bow down for Rukū’ uttering اَللہُ اَکْبَرْ Hold knees firmly with both palms and keep fingers spread out. The back should be straight and head should also be in the straightness of the back (not lower or higher than the back); in Rukū’, focus eyesight at feet. Recite سُبْحٰنَ رَبِّیَ الْعَظِیْمِ at least three times in Rukū’. Then utter the Tasmī سَمِعَ اللہُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَہ and stand erect; the standing after Rukū’ is called Qawmaĥ. If you are a Munfarid then utter اَللہُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَلَکَ الْحَمْد

Then, go down for Sajdaĥ uttering اَللہُ اَکْبَرْ placing your knees first on the ground, then hands and then head (nose first and then the forehead) in between your hands. Make it sure that your nasal bone (not just the tip of your nose) and your forehead properly rest on the ground; in Sajdaĥ, focus eyesight at nose; keep arms separated from sides, belly from thighs and thighs from shins (but if you are in a Jamā’at then keep arms close to sides).

The tips of all ten toes should be towards Qiblaĥ with their soles flattened with the ground. Your palms should be flat on the ground with fingers facing Qiblaĥ, but do not keep the forearms touching the ground.

Now recite سُبْحٰنَ رَبِّیَ الْاَعْلٰی at least three times; then lift your head (forehead first then nose), then hands and sit up straight; keep your right foot upright with its toes facing Qiblaĥ; lay your left foot flat and sit on it; place your palms on your thighs close to your knees with your fingers facing Qiblaĥ and their tips by the knees. Sitting in between two Sujūd is called Jalsaĥ.

One must stay in this position for at least the amount of time in which سُبْحٰنَ اللہ uttered (to utter اَللہُمَّ اغْفِرْلِیْ in Jalsaĥ is Mustaḥab). can once be Now, perform the second Sajdaĥ uttering اَللہُ اَکْبَرْ in the same way as the first one.

Now, raise the head first; then stand up with the support of your toes placing your hands on your knees. Do not lean hands unnecessarily on the ground while standing up. You have now completed one Rak’at. In the second Rak’at, start with بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ and then recite Sūra-e-Fātiḥaĥ and another Sūraĥ, then do the Rukū’ and Sujūd as you did in the first Rak’at.

After completing the second Sajdaĥ (of the second Rak’at) sit up straight with your right foot upright and your left foot flat. To sit after the second Sajdaĥ of the second Rak’at is called Qa’daĥ.

Recite Tashaĥĥud in Qa’daĥ:

اَلتَّحِیَّاتُ لِلّٰہِ وَالصَّلَوٰتُ وَالطَّیِّبٰتُ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْکَ اَیُّھَاالنَّبِیُّ وَرَحْمُۃُ اللہِ وَبَرَکَاتُہؐ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْنَا وَعَلٰی عِبَادِاللہِ الصّٰلِحِیْنَ
اَشْھَدُ اَنْ لَّآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللہُ وَاَشْھَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدً اعَبْدُہُ وَرَسُوْلُہٌ

When you are about to utter the word لا in Tashaĥĥud, form a circle with the middle finger and thumb of your right hand and put the tips of your ring-finger and the pinkie at palm; as soon as you begin to utter the word “لا” (immediately after “ اَشْھَدُاَلْ ”), raise your index finger without waving it side to side. When you reach اِلَّا put it down and straighten your all fingers out instantly. If you are offering more than two Rak’āt, stand up erect uttering اَللہُ اَکْبَرْ

If it is Farḍ Ṣalāĥ, recite only بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ and Sura-e-Fātiḥaĥ in
the third and fourth Rak’āt, an additional Sūraĥ is not needed. The rest of the acts must be performed in the same way as before.

However, if it is a Sunnaĥ Ṣalāĥ or Nafl Ṣalāĥ, then Sūraĥ shall be
added after Sūraĥ Fātiḥaĥ in the third and fourth Rak’āt (You must
remember that if you are offering the Ṣalāĥ following an Imām, you cannot recite anything in the Qiyām of any Rak’at, you must stand quietly). Once you have offered all four Rak’āt, sit in Qa’daĥ-e-Ākhīraĥ, and then recite Tashaĥĥud and the Durūd-e-Ibrāĥīm عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام

اَللہُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰی مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ عَلًٰی اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
کَمَا صَلَّیًتَ عَلٰٓی اِبْرٰھِیْمَ وَعَلٰٓی اٰلِ اِبْرٰھِیْمَ
اِنَّک حَمِیْدٌ مّجِیْدٌ
اَللہُمَّ بَارِکْ عَلٰی مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ عَلٰٓی اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
کَمَا بارَکْتَ عَلٰٓی اِبْرٰھِیْمَ وَعَلٰٓی اٰلِ اِبْرٰھِیْمَ
اِنَّک حَمِیْدٌ مّجِیْدٌ

Then recite any Du’ā-e-Māšūraĥ e.g.

اَللہُمَّ رَبَّنَآ اٰتِنَا فِی الدُّنیَا حَسَنَۃً وَّفِی الْاٰخِرَۃِ حَسَنَۃً وَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَارِ

Then, to finish the Ṣalāĥ, first turn face towards right shoulder saying

اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَیْکُمْ وَرَحْمَۃُ اللہ

and then towards left shoulder saying the same words. Now your Ṣalāĥ has completed.

A Few Differences in the Ṣalā of Islamic Sisters

The afore-mentioned method of Ṣalāĥ is for an Imām or a man offering individually. There are some differences between the Ṣalāĥ of Islamic sisters and that of Islamic brothers.

At the time of Takbīr-e-Taḥrīmaĥ, Islamic sisters should raise their hands up to their shoulders; their hands should remain covered in their shawl.

In Qiyām, Islamic sisters should place their left palm on chest just below their breast and put the right palm on the back of the left palm.

Islamic sisters should bow slightly in Rukū’ i.e. to the extent of placing their hands on their knees. They should neither apply weight to their knees nor hold them; their fingers should be close together and feet should be slightly bent i.e. not completely straight, like men.

Islamic sisters should perform Sajdaĥ keeping their body parts close together, i.e. arms touching sides, belly touching thighs, thighs touching shins and shins touching the ground.

In Sajdaĥ and Qa’daĥ, they should draw their feet out towards the right side.

In Qa’daĥ, they should sit on their left buttock. They should place their right and left hands on the middle of their right and left thighs respectively. The rest method is like that of men.

Both Should Pay Attention!

Some of the acts described in the method of Ṣalāĥ for Islamic brothers and Islamic sisters are Farḍ without which the Ṣalāĥ will not be valid whereas some acts are Wājib leaving which deliberately is a sin; repenting of it and repeating such a Ṣalāĥ is Wājib. In case of missing a Wājib forgetfully, Sajdaĥ Saĥw becomes Wājib.

Some of the acts in Ṣalāĥ are Sunnat-e-Mūakkadaĥ; making a habit of abandoning a Sunnat-e-Mūakkadaĥ is a sin. Similarly, some of the acts in Ṣalāĥ are Mustaḥab; performing a Mustaḥab is an act of Šawāb while leaving a Mustaḥab is not a sin.