The Prayer: Step by Step Guide (with Sign Language) - Shaykh Zakaullah Saleem

The Prayer: A Step-by-Step Guide According to the Sunnah

In the name of Allah, we praise Him, we ask His help, and we ask His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whom Allah guides, no one is misguided, and whom He misguides, there is no guide for him.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, no partner for Him. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared, and you will not die except as Muslims.

O you people, fear your Lord Who created you from one soul, and created from it its mate, and He spread among them many men and women. And fear Allah in Whom you ask for help and mercy.

The Salah Campaign

My dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam, as you all are aware, Greenlane Masjid is running a Salah campaign and this campaign has been started for a couple of weeks. And as we know, Salah is the most important act of worship and the most important pillar of Islam after the Shahadatain.

Rasulullah ﷺ, emphasizing the importance of Salah, taught his companions and his whole Ummah how to perform Salah. And it is our responsibility, our obligation, to try our best to perform the Salah according to the Sunnah and the teaching of our beloved Nabi ﷺ.

The Story of the Minbar

The Prophet ﷺ used to deliver his Khutbah of the Jumu'ah in the Masjid standing next to a tree. And some of the companions of Rasulullah ﷺ suggested that he ﷺ should have a minbar, where he can stand so everyone in the Masjid — the whole congregation — could see him ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ accepted this suggestion and he liked this idea, and he ﷺ instructed one of the female companions from amongst the Ansar and asked her to ask her slave, who was a carpenter, to make a minbar for him ﷺ.

Sahl ibn Sa'd رضي الله عنه, one of the famous companions of Rasulullah ﷺ, narrates this incident. He says when the minbar of Rasulullah ﷺ was brought into the Masjid, on the very first day the Prophet ﷺ ascended the minbar and he ﷺ showed his companions how to perform Salah. This shows the importance of performing Salah according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ.

So the very first day when the minbar was placed in Masjid al-Nabawi, the Prophet ﷺ stood up on the minbar and he ﷺ showed the companions how to perform Salah. Sahl ibn Sa'd رضي الله عنه, the narrator of this hadith, says that the Prophet ﷺ performed Qiyam and he performed his Ruku' while standing on the minbar, and when it came to perform the Sajdah, he ﷺ got off the minbar and he performed the Sajdah on the floor. The whole congregation of the companions of Rasulullah ﷺ witnessed him ﷺ, and then he ﷺ got back up on the minbar and he completed his Salah. And then at the end he said: O my companions, O my Ummah, you must perform your Salah the way you have seen me praying.

The Man Who Was Told to Repeat His Prayer

On one occasion, the Prophet ﷺ was sitting in the Masjid when a companion entered into the Masjid and he performed two Raka'at. This is a very famous hadith you must have heard many times. He performed two Raka'at and then he came to the Prophet ﷺ and said Salaam. The Prophet ﷺ replied back to his Salaam, and as he was about to sit down, the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 793; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 397)

"Go back and perform your Salah again. Go back and pray again, for you have not prayed."

He went back and he performed another two Raka'at, came back and said Salaam. The Prophet ﷺ replied back to his Salaam; as he was about to sit down, the Prophet ﷺ said to him a second time: "Go back and pray, you have not prayed." He went back a third time and he performed two Raka'at, said Salaam to the Prophet ﷺ, the Prophet ﷺ replied back, and as he was about to sit down, the Prophet ﷺ said: "Go back again, go and pray, you have not prayed."

Although he had prayed six Raka'at altogether — two Raka'at every single time — the Prophet ﷺ said to him every single time: go back, you have not prayed. And then he said: "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, this is the only way that I know how to perform the prayer. If I have made any mistakes, please correct me." Then the Prophet ﷺ corrected him in his mistakes.

How the Companions Observed the Prophet's Prayer

The companions of Rasulullah ﷺ used to observe every single action and every single moment and movement of Rasulullah ﷺ within the prayer — to the level that they reported how the Prophet ﷺ raised his hands up to his shoulders, up to his ears; how the Prophet ﷺ performed Ruku'; how he placed his hands, his palms, and his fingers on the knees when he bowed down; and they also reported when the Prophet ﷺ sat in the prayer — how he sat, how was his foot, how was his leg, how was his finger. Every single action and movement of Rasulullah ﷺ they have reported.

And even some of the companions used to come and visit the Prophet ﷺ particularly for this reason — in order for them to observe the Salah of Rasulullah ﷺ. Wael ibn Hujr رضي الله عنه says: "When I came and I accepted Islam for the very first time, I came to Madinah al-Munawwarah. I stayed in Madinah al-Munawwarah for a couple of days and I learned from the Prophet ﷺ how to perform Salah." And then he says, after a few days they left Madinah and went back. He said: "The first time when I came to Madinah, it was summer time. Then after a few months, I thought I have to go back to Madinah in order for me to observe the Salah of Rasulullah ﷺ in the season of winter." And then he reports: "When the Prophet ﷺ started his Salah, he raised his hands and he was wearing a big sheet in order for him to cover himself because of the cold weather." And he says: "I witnessed and I observed every single action of Rasulullah ﷺ in the Salah."

Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi Demonstrates the Prayer

One of the companions of Rasulullah ﷺ who was known as Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi رضي الله عنه stood up amongst the companions of Rasulullah ﷺ. In that gathering there were some Tabi'een as well — the students of the companions. They report that Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi stood up in that gathering in which there were about ten companions of Rasulullah ﷺ, including some of the Khulafa' al-Rashideen, and Abu Qatadah رضي الله عنه was specifically mentioned. Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi said: "My dear brothers, I would like to show you how to perform the Salah according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ."

And then Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi performed the Salah starting from Allahu Akbar all the way up to Salam. And then he asked the companions: "If I have made any mistake, please correct me — otherwise I believe that I am the most knowledgeable about the prayer of Rasulullah ﷺ among you, because I accepted Islam very late and I used to observe every single action and movement of Rasulullah ﷺ in the Salah."

So bearing in mind all these Ahadith of Rasulullah ﷺ and the way the companions learned the Salah and taught the Salah, we need to revive the Sunnah of our beloved Nabi ﷺ. That is why we have taken this initiative to present the Salah of Rasulullah ﷺ. On the screens, inshallah, you will see the actions — how to perform Salah from Allahu Akbar up to Salam. And I would like to request every single one of you, please concentrate and be focused and look at the screens, and if you have any mistakes in your Salah, this is a chance for you to correct and rectify your mistakes and errors in the Salah.

No Difference Between Men's and Women's Prayer

And before I begin the presentation, I would like to highlight a very important point — and that is that according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ and according to his teaching, there is no difference between the Salah of a man and a woman. There is no way mentioned in the Hadith of Rasulullah ﷺ that the Prophet ﷺ ever differentiated between the Salah of a man and the Salah of a woman. So every single action that you will hear and see on the screens today is for both men and women. And this is the only way of performing Salah according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ.

Conditions of the Prayer

First Condition: Wudu

My dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam, as we know, the Prophet ﷺ said: Allah does not accept the Salah of the one who has broken his Wudu until and unless he performs the Wudu.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 135; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 225)

This hadith indicates that Wudu is one of the basic conditions for the Salah. You have to have Wudu in order to perform the Salah.

Second Condition: Intention

The second condition for the Salah is that you must have the intention of performing Salah. As the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1907)

"The actions and the deeds are based on the intentions."

And when we say we have to have intention and niyyah, it does not mean that you stand up facing the Qibla and then just before raising your hands for Allahu Akbar and starting the Salah, you say: "I am going to perform two, three, or four Raka'at behind the Imam facing the Qibla." No, my dear brothers and sisters in Islam. This has nothing to do with the teaching of Rasulullah ﷺ.

Intention is the action of the heart. Intention is to be made within the heart, not to be said verbally. There is no way mentioned in the Hadith of Rasulullah ﷺ that the Prophet ﷺ said you should say your intention verbally. So when you perform your Wudu, you head to the Masjid, you enter into the Masjid, and you are ready to perform Salah — you are facing the Qibla. All these actions are the indications of your intention. You already have your intention within your heart.

So there is no need to inform Allah, Dhul-Jalal wal-Ikram, about your intention, because Allah is عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ and عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ. He knows what you have within your heart and He knows better than you know yourself. So there is no need to say any words of intention before starting the Salah. However, having the intention within the heart is one of the basic conditions for the Salah.

Third Condition: Facing the Qibla

And then the third condition is that you must face the Qibla — the Baytullah, the House of Allah, towards Makkah al-Mukarramah. As Allah says:

So facing the Qibla is one of the basic conditions for the Salah.

The Actions of the Prayer: Step by Step

Raising the Hands — Takbirat al-Ihram

So once you have faced the Qibla, you need to raise your hands. Raising the hands can be up to the level of your shoulders or up to the level of your ears, and both are reported from authentic Ahadith of Rasulullah ﷺ.

Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنه says: "I witnessed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — when he started his Salah with Allahu Akbar — he raised his hands when he said Allahu Akbar and he made them to the level of his shoulders." Up to the level of the shoulders — this is the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ while saying Allahu Akbar.

And there is another narration from Malik ibn al-Huwayrith رضي الله عنه who says: "I saw the Prophet ﷺ raising his hands up to his ears." So either you raise up to the shoulders or up to the ears — both ways are correct and both ways are the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ.

Placing the Hands on the Chest

Then you start your Salah and you place your hands on the chest. The way of placing your hands on the chest is — as it is reported by Wael ibn Hujr رضي الله عنه in an authentic hadith — that Rasulullah ﷺ placed his right hand on his left palm, wrist, and lower forearm, all three together. This is one way of placing your hands on the chest.

And the other way is — as Sahl ibn Sa'd رضي الله عنه has reported — that the people used to be ordered by the Prophet ﷺ to place their right hand on the left forearm, and the forearm goes up to the elbow. So up to the elbow you can place your hand. This is another way of placing your hands on the chest. As for placing the hands on the chest, this is the authentic way of Rasulullah ﷺ as it is reported in authentic Hadith.

Raf' al-Yadayn Before Ruku'

Then you move on reading your opening supplication and then you recite Surah al-Fatihah and an additional Surah from the Quran. And then just before going into Ruku', you raise your hands again a second time. This is called Raf' al-Yadayn — raising your hands. This is reported by Abdullah ibn Umar and Malik ibn al-Huwayrith. It is the same way you did the very first time — up to the level of the shoulders or up to the level of the ears. Both ways are correct. This is the second time when you raise your hands in the Salah, just before going into Ruku'.

The Ruku' (Bowing)

When you go into Ruku', the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ is that you place your hands on the knees in a way that you grab and hold your knees with your hands, and you keep your arms straight, stretched completely. At the same time, you have to keep your back straight, and your head and your back must be at the same level.

As Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi رضي الله عنه reported, the Prophet ﷺ used to keep his fingers opened and then he would stretch his back to make sure that his back is completely straight. As for the head, the Prophet ﷺ neither used to keep his head down nor up — rather it should be level with the back. So the head and the back should be at the same level.

And this is one of the most important actions of the Salah. As the Prophet ﷺ said, the Salah of a person cannot benefit him until and unless he keeps his back steady and straight in the Ruku' and in the Sujood.

Rising from Ruku' — Raf' al-Yadayn

When you get up from Ruku', you raise your hands again a third time. This is the third time when you raise your hands, and you do so in the same way — to the level of the shoulders or to the level of the ears — as we have discussed at the beginning of the Salah and also before going into Ruku'.

Here you need to note that if you are following the Imam, if you are praying behind the Imam, then instead of saying سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ, you should say رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ. You say سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ only if you are leading the Salah or if you are praying on your own. If you are praying behind the Imam, then you say رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ.

And then after the Ruku', as the scholars have differed on this matter, either you can leave your hands down or you can place your hands on the chest a second time. This is called the second Qiyam.

Going into Sujood (Prostration)

Then you bow down and you go into the position of Sujood. When going into the position of Sujood, the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ is to place your hands on the ground before you place your knees. This is what the Prophet ﷺ has instructed in a hadith:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 840; authenticated by al-Albani)

"One of you should put his hands before his knees." You should place your hands before your knees touch the ground. This is the correct and authentic way of going into the position of Sujood.

The Seven Points of Sujood

When you go into Sujood, this is again one of the Arkan and pillars of the Salah. You need to make sure that seven parts of your body touch the ground. As the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 812; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 490)

"I have been instructed by Allah, Dhul Jalal wal-Ikram, to make my Sajdah on seven limbs and parts of my body." And then he ﷺ explained and said: "The seven parts are the forehead and nose together — this is one — both palms, both knees, and both feet." Seven parts must touch the ground. If any of these parts is missing and is not touching the ground, then your Sajdah is not valid.

Details of the Sujood Position

While you are in the position of Sajdah, there are a couple of points to bear in mind. Your hands can either be to the level of the shoulders or to the ears — the same as when you raised your hands while standing. Make sure that you touch the nose and the forehead to the ground.

As for the feet, the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ is that you twist your toes in order for them to point towards the Qibla. Twist your toes as much as you can — one, two, three, or all of them — towards the Qibla. This was the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ. And also keep your heels and your feet joined together. This was also the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ.

Another important point: when you are in the position of Sujood, your elbows and your arms must be away from the ground and also away from your sides. You cannot keep your arms touching your sides or touching the ground. Both ways are prohibited and forbidden by the Prophet ﷺ in authentic Ahadith. As the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 822; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 493)

"When one of you goes into the position of Sujood, do not make the Sujood in the position of a dog." When the dog sits down on the ground, it places its arms on the ground — and this is what the Prophet ﷺ has forbidden. Keep your arms open and wide, away from the ground and away from your body.

The Jalsa — Sitting Between the Two Sujood

Then you get up from the position of Sajdah and you sit down. You say Allahu Akbar after reciting du'a in the Sujood, and you get up — and this is what is called Jalsa: the first sitting in the Salah, the sitting between the two Sujood.

The Prophet ﷺ has shown his companions how to sit in the Salah. As Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنه used to say, it is the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ that he ﷺ would keep his right foot upright and straight, then he would twist his toes in order for them to face the Qibla, and then he would sit on his left foot. Twist the toes of your right foot facing the Qibla and sit on the left one. This is the correct way of sitting in between the two Sujood.

As for the hands, as it is reported, some of the Fuqaha and scholars are of the opinion that whenever you sit in the Salah you place your right hand in a specific position — even between the two Sujood. Although this might seem something strange or new for many of you, this is the correct way as stated in the Hadith of Rasulullah ﷺ. However, some other Fuqaha have said you can keep your hands straight in between the two Sujood only.

Rising for the Second Rak'ah

After the second Sujood, it is a Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ that you sit down and settle in the sitting position before you get up for the second Rak'ah. This should be done after the first Rak'ah and after the third Rak'ah. The Prophet ﷺ, whenever he would complete his odd-numbered Rak'ah, he would sit down before getting up, and then he ﷺ would get up and start his next Rak'ah.

In order for you to get up, you should — according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ — support your hands on the ground, either with open fingers or with the fist. Place your hands and support yourself, and then stand up for the second Rak'ah.

The Tashahud — Sitting After the Second Rak'ah

Then you move on to perform the second Rak'ah the same way you performed the first, and then you sit down in the Tashahud — the first sitting after the second Rak'ah. The same way of sitting: you erect and keep your right foot straight and upright, twisting your toes towards the Qibla, and sitting on the left foot.

As for the finger, you should keep your finger as it is mentioned in the Hadith of Rasulullah ﷺ — that he ﷺ would make a circle with his thumb and middle finger, and he would raise his index finger — the finger of Shahada — and he ﷺ would continue moving it a little. You do not need to move it very fast to the level that you disturb the people around you. Rather, moving it a little is enough, because you are acting upon the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ. This is how you keep your finger raised when you sit in Salah — in the first sitting and also in the second.

The Final Sitting (Qa'dah Akhirah)

As for the difference between the first sitting and the second and last sitting: in the last sitting, it is the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ that you hold your left knee with your palm and your fingers, and as for the right hand, you keep it the same way you kept it in the first sitting — making the circle with your thumb and middle finger and raising your index finger, keeping it moving.

As for the sitting itself in the last sitting: the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ is that you push your left foot underneath the right one and then you sit on the buttock. This is the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ. And this is obviously possible if you are praying on your own and you are not in a row, because if you are praying in a row then it might be difficult. But whenever you perform your Salah on your own, or if you are leading the Salah, this is the correct and Sunnah way of sitting in the final sitting.

As soon as you get up from the second Sajdah, you keep your right hand in the position described. And when you raise your index finger, it was also the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ that he ﷺ would keep his sight facing and turning towards his finger. This is the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ — that you keep looking at the index finger in this sitting.

Concluding with Salam

Then you conclude the Salah with Salam. When it comes to Salam, you turn your face completely to the right, and you make sure that you turn your face completely in a way that the person behind you can see your cheek. This is what one of the companions has reported — that whenever the Prophet ﷺ would turn his face towards right and left, they could see the whiteness of his cheeks.

Although it was very quick, I hope this presentation will be uploaded on the Greenlane Masjid website, inshallah, so that you can benefit from it.

A Call to Learn and Teach the Prayer

And lastly, I would like to request all my dear brothers and sisters: please keep trying to learn and perform the Salah according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ, and do not take this matter lightly. Rather, it is one of the most serious matters — that you perform every single action of your Salah according to the Sunnah and according to the teaching of your beloved Nabi ﷺ. May Allah give us Tawfiq and ability to understand and learn our religion, and may Allah give us Tawfiq to act upon whatever we say and whatever we hear.

My dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam, as I said, praying the Salah according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ is in itself an obligation. You must perform your Salah — whether it is Fard Salah or Nafl — it must be according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ. And as you could see through the Ahadith of Rasulullah ﷺ and the narrations that the companions have reported, you can see the seriousness of this matter — how important it is to perform the Salah according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ.

Teaching Children the Prayer

I would like to conclude today's Khutbah with another request. I request the parents — the fathers and the mothers — please teach your children how to perform Salah. It is never enough that you encourage your children, your sons and daughters, to perform Salah when you do not actually teach them how to perform Salah. You must teach them. And this is what the Hadith of Rasulullah ﷺ means when he ﷺ said:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 495; authenticated by al-Albani)

"When your children reach the age of seven, instruct them, order them, and encourage them to perform Salah. And when they reach the age of ten, then you must discipline them if they do not become regular in their five daily prayers."

So the Prophet ﷺ has given you a period of three years — ample time — for you, my dear brother and sister, dear father and mother, to teach the Salah to your children. And you are responsible for this. You cannot abandon this responsibility. You cannot escape from this obligation. This is your responsibility.

Teach your children how to perform Salah. And then after you have taught them how to perform Salah according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ, it is also your responsibility to keep an eye on them and keep checking them. If they ever make any mistake in their Salah, please correct them. This is your responsibility — and especially the mothers. Mothers need to learn first of all for themselves to perform the Salah according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ, and they must also teach their children, and especially the daughters at home, how to perform Salah according to the Sunnah of our beloved Nabi ﷺ.

May Allah give us Tawfiq and ability to learn and understand our religion. And may Allah allow us to act upon whatever we say and whatever we hear. Verily He is the All-Hearing, the Near, the Responder.

وَصَلَّى اللَّهُمَّ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ.