The following acts are the Prophet’sﷺ traditions in Saläh which should be followed to make the Saläh perfect and to obey the Prophet’sﷺ command: (… perform Saläh as you have seen me performing…) (sahih al-Bukhari:6008)
Leaving these out does not invalidate the salah nor does it require sajdah sahw. Instead they missed out on an opportunity to gain rewards, and they may have done something as a misdeed i.e. in the case of the sunnat al muwwaqadah.
Standing:
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Standing upright at the time of saying the first Takbïr (Allähu akbar) without lowering the head
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Raising the palms to the level of the ears before the first Takbïr (Allähu akbar)
- women raise their hands lower to the shoulder height
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Keeping the inner sides of the palms and fingers towards the qiblat (Saläh-direction) while raising the hands
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Leaving the fingers in their natural state,
- i.e. a bit spread-out, while raising the hands.
- The fingers should neither be made to stick to each other nor to spread out to the maximum extent. When praying behind the imam the takbir should be said after the imam without any gap. Imam Abu Hanifa says to do it along with the imam but to end it after the imam. This is similar to the salam. the two students said to say takbir (and salam) immediately after the imam.
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Keeping the right hand over the left below the navel
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Keeping the inner side of the right palm over the outer side of the left palm while encircling the left wrist with his right little finger and thumb
- another variation that has been mentioned is to include the ring finger with the little finger
- as for women, it is to place the right hand over the left hand above the naval but under the chest
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Reciting thana after keeping his hands below navel: Subḧänak-allähumma wa biḧamdika wa tabärak-asmuka wa ta älä jadduka wa lä iläha ghairuk
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Saying ta-awwuz Aüzu billähi minash shaiẗän-ir rajïm after this and before reciting Fätihah From the second rakat no need to repeat (7.) thana and (8) ta’awwuz.
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Saying Bismilläh-ir Raḧmänir Raḧïm in every rak’ah before reciting Fätiḧah
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Saying Ämïn inaudibly at the completion of Fätihah
- This is the same for the imam, the one behind the imam or the one praying alone
- and the one reasdon the Qur’an
- because this is not in the Qur’an but is from the sunnat
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Leaving a gap of four finger-widths between his feet
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Reciting after Fätihah Quränic chapters out of -Tiwäl e Mufassal (chapters 49 to 85 - or the equivalent length) in Fajr and Zuhr; chapters out of Ausät e Mufassal (chapters 86 to 98 or equivalent to) in Asr and Ishä; and chapters out of Qisär e Mufassal (chapters 99 to 114) in Maghrib.
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Making the first rakat of Fajr longer than the second,
- only in Fajr Ruku:
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Saying Takbeer (Allähu akbar) while bowing down
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Holding his knees with his palms and spreading out the fingers completely in the state of bowing
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Flattening his back and bringing his head in level with his posterior while keeping his shanks upright
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Saying Subḧäna rabbiyal az̅ïm during bowing at least thrice
- or any odd number
- the imam should not prolong it long
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Keeping apart his arms from his torso-sides while bowing, for males only Women in ruku, lean forward slightly and only touch the knee
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Saying Sami allähu liman ḧamidah while raising the head from bowing, for imäms only
- An imäm-follower should only say inaudibly Rabbanä wa lakal ḧamd (once upright)
- A singleton should say both.
- best version is to say ‘Allahumma’ Rabbana wa lakal hamd (more words more reward).
Sujud: 20. Saying takbïrs (Allähu akbar) for prostrations 21. Order when going down for prostration - Keeping his knees on the ground first, - then his hands, and - then his face 22. To do the reverse while getting up from prostration - raise his face, - then his hands, - and then his knees 23. Keeping his face between his palms during prostrations 24. Keeping apart during prostrations - his abdomen from his thighs, - his elbows from his torso-sides and - his arms from the ground surface This is in the place where there is no congestion. (Scholars consider shoving your elbows towards the ones next to you in salat is haram i.e. to harm them) 25. Keeping the fingers of his hands close together during Prostrations - and facing towards the qibla 26. Keeping his feet-toes (bent) facing the Saläh-direction during Prostrations 27. Saying Subḧäna rabbiyal alä inaudibly at least thrice during Prostration 28. Saying takbïr (Allähu akbar) for rising up from Prostrations 29. Standing up directly from the second Prostration without sitting or resting the hands on the ground. - When there is some physical disability, (elderly or sick) then there is no harm in these acts
Sitting: 30. Keeping the hands over the thighs while sitting between the two Prostrations just as is done in the sitting posture for Tashahhud 31. Spreading down the left foot and keeping upright the right foot during the first sitting (after two Saläh-units) and the last sitting - Women sit in tawarru, sitting on posterior and feet out to the right , with the left foot left out under the right 32. Pointing with his right forefinger during Tashahhud. - The forefinger is to be raised when saying Lä iläha (negation) and - lowered when saying Illallähu (affirmation) Three variations to do this: - just raise and lower finger from natural placement of the hand on the thighs - form a ring with the tip of middle finger and your thumb, lower the finger but keep elevated or down to the thing - form a ring with the thumb and the 1st joint of the middle finger , and rest in natural position when lowering (not all the way down)
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Reciting Fätihah in the last two Saläh-units of Zuhr, Âsr and Ishä, and the third Saläh-unit of Maghrib
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Saying the supplication of blessings for the Prophet after Tashahhud in the last sitting
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After Saläh for the Prophet, he should supplicate using supplications of Qur’än and Hadïth-books. One such supplication is: Allähumma innï z̅alamtu nafsï z̅ulman katheerä, wa lä yagfiruz-zunüba illä anta, fagfir lï magfiratam min indika, warḧamnï, innaka ant-al gafür-ur rahïm
Salam: 36. Turning his face right and left while saying As salämu alaikum wa raḧmatulläh) each time
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The imäm should say the takbïrs (Allähu akbar) for every posture change audibly while the imäm-followers should say inaudibly (start, entering ruku, entering sujud, rising from sujud, and when rising for the next rakat).
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The imäm should say (As salämu alaikum wa raḧmatulläh twice audibly and the imaam-followers should say them inaudibly.
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The imäm should intend men (those praying on the right, left and behind), angels who protect us and pious jinns while performing the two saläms As salämu alaikum wa raḧmatulläh.
- An imäm-follower should also intend his imäm along with the other beings when turning in the direction of the imäm for saläm.
- A singleton should intend only the angels with his saläm.
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The Saläh-performer should lower his voice during the second saläm compared to the first saläm.
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Starting saläms from the right side and then turning to the left
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The saläm of the imäm-follower should be along with the salaam of his imäm.
- AH
- but end the salam after the imam
- his two foremost students
- saying salam immediately after completing the salah
- AH
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An imäm-follower who has missed some Saläh-units should wait for the imäm to complete both his saläms. He should get up for completing his remaining Saläh-units only after the imäm has completed both his saläms.
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