The method of performing Salaah according to Sunnah

BEFORE NAMAAZ

Ensure that clothes are Paak and make Wudhu. Stand respectfully on a Paak place facing Qibla. Keep feet parallel about four fingers apart with toes pointing towards the Qibla and submit totally to Allah.

VERY IMPORTANT (for MALES).

No garment, jubba or trousers should be allowed to overlap the ankles. It is Makroohe Tahreemee to perform Namaaz whilst any garment is overlapping the ankles. This means that the Farz of Namaaz will be considered as performed but there is very little Sawaab or benefit in such a Namaaz.

NIYYAH

Make Niyyah (Intention) of whichever Namaaz one wishes to perform.

EXAMPLE
"I am performing two Rakaats Farz Namaaz of Fajr (to please Allah) facing towards the Qiblah."

When performing Namaaz led by an IMAAM, one should also make intention that: I am following this IMAAM.
It is not necessary to make a verbal intention but it is better if one makes a VERBAL intention. NIYYAT can be made in any language: Arabic, Urdu, Gujarati, English, etc TAKBEER-E-TAHREEMA (To say at the beginning.) After making NIYYAH, lift the two hands upto the earlobes in such a manner that both palms face towards the Qibla. Then say ALLAHU AKBAR and fold them below the navel. Place the hands in such a way that the palm of the right hand is placed over the back of the left hand, with the right thumb and little finger gripping the wrist of the left hand and the three middle fingers of the right hand kept straight and together. While in Qiyaam (standing posture) the eyes should be fixed to the spot where the forehead will rest in Sajda.
WOMEN DO NOT RAISE HANDS HIGHER THAN SHOULDERS AND PLACE ARMS ON THE CHEST.
Place the right hand over the back of the left hand above the breast and do not hold it like the MALE. Also, women should keep the feet together.

NOW READ THE THANA:

All Glory be to You O Allah! and praise be to You. Blessed is Your name and Exalted is Your Majesty, and there is none worthy of worship besides You.

Then read: TA'AWWUZ.

I seek refuge in AIlah from Shaytan the accursed!

AND TASMIYAH

I begin in the name of Allah. The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

FIRST RAK'AH:
SURATUL FAATIHA AND ADDITIONAL SURAH.
Recite Suratul Faatiha and after WALAD DHALLEEN say AAMEEN (softly), then recite BISMILLAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM and any Surah thereafter. It is necessary that a minimum of three short Aayahs or one long Aayah be read in proper sequence as in the Quraan.

Saying (Allahu Akbar) go in RUKU

The eyes should be fixed on to the feet

MEN
In RUKU hold both the KNEES with the fingers APART.
Ensure that the ARMS do not touch the BODY.
Keep the BACK straight, while the HEAD should neither be LOWERED nor RAISED.
ln RUKU recite softly at least THREE or FIVE times.

Saying (Allahu Akbar) go in RUKU

WOMEN
When making RUKU a WOMAN should only BEND over sufficiently so that her HANDS reach her KNEES.
The HANDS should be placed on the KNEES, with the FINGERS kept together.
In RUKU the ELBOWS should TOUCH the sides of the BODY and the FEET kept TOGETHER.

How Glorious is my Lord the Great

TASMEE: To say Sami Allahu Leman Hamedah.
QAWMAH: To stand up after RUKU.

Now stand up straight and whilst coming up say: TASMEE

Allah has listened to him who has praised Him.

Then in the upright position say: TAHMID Rabbana Lakal Hamd.

O Our Lord Praise be to You.

If one does NOT stand erect after RUKU and merely lifts ones head and goes into Sajdah, then the NAMAAZ will NOT be VALID, and it will be NECESSARY to repeat the NAMAAZ.

FIRST SAJDAH

Now saying ALLAHU AKBAR and placing the hands on the knees, go into Sajda. (On completing the Takbeer one should have reach the position of Sajdah). When going into Sajda first place the KNEES on the ground, then the HANDS, then the NOSE and then the FOREHEAD. The FACE should rest between the two HANDS with FINGERS pointing towards the Qiblah. When in Sajdah the FEET should upright with the TOES pointing towards the Qibla. The ARMS should not touch the sides the BODY nor the ground. The STOMACH should be away from the THIGHS. In Sajdah recite softly at least THREE or FIVE times (All Glory be to my Lord, the Most High)

The feet should be upright with the toes pointing towards Qiblah.

If there is a valid reason, the forehead could kept off the ground, otherwise the Sajdah is not be valid. When in Sajdah the feet should not be lifted from the ground. If they are lifted for a duration more than three "SUBHANALLAH" the Namaaz will be void

WOMEN

In Sajdah the upper part of the leg (the thigh should not be upright but in as flat a position as possible with the feet spread towards the right.
While in Sajdah the stomach and thighs must be kept together.
The forearms should be put flat on the ground in Sajdah. Women must not raise their VOICE when reciting TASBIH (All Glory be to my Lord, the Most High)

JALSA (To sit between two Sajdahs)

Saying ALLAHU AKBAR sit up straight do not sit with the back crooked or stooped. It is important to sit up and pause after the first
Sajdah, merely lifting the head from the ground without sitting up before the second Sajdah will nullify the Namaaz.

MEN

Sit resting the BACK on the LEFT LEG and having the RIGHT LEG raised, the TOES facing the QIBLA.

WOMEN

NOTE that a GIRL does NOT sit on her LEFT LEG.

SECOND SAJDAH

The second Sajdah is performed as the first one, i.e. going into Sajdah saying ALLAHU AKBAR and reading SUBHANA RABBIYAL AA'LAA softly at least three times. One Rak'ah is now complete. (All Glory be to my Lord, the Most High)

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SECOND RAK'AH

Saying ALLAHU AKBAR stand up for the second Qiyaam. On getting up from the Sajdah first lift the FOREHEAD, then the NOSE and then the KNEES. Ensure that the HANDS are on the KNEES and not on the ground for support, except for a valid reason. Saying BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHEEM recite SURATUL FAATIHA and a Surah and COMPLETE THE SECOND RAK'AH IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE FIRST ONE.

FIRST QAIDAH

After completing the second Sajdah of the second Rak'ah saying ALLAHU AKBAR sit up for Qai'dah. The method of sitting is placing the LEFT FOOT flat on the ground and sitting on it with the RIGHT FOOT upright and its TOES facing towards the Qiblah. The HANDS must be placed on the THIGHS with the tips of the FINGERS near the KNEES. It is important that the fingers are kept close together and that they face the Qiblah and not towards the ground. The EYES should be fixed on the LAP.

FIRST QAIDAH then read TASHAHHUD. All reverence, all worship, all sanctity are due to Allah. Peace be upon you O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and all the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that none Is worthy of worship besides Allah and Muhammad is His devotee and Messenger.

On reaching the KALIMA form a circle with the thumb and middle finger and lift the index finger of the right hand and at (ILLALLAHU) drop it onto the thigh. The circle should be maintained to the end.

THIRD AND FOURTH RAK'AHS

If one wishes to perform four Rak'ahs one should not read anything more than the TASHAHHUD, but saying ALLAHU AKBAR stand up and perform the remaining two Rak'ahs. No other Surah should be read after SURATUL FATIHA in the THIRD and FOURTH Rak'ahs of any FARZ Namaaz, but it is WAAJIB to do so in any SUNNAT or NAFL Namaaz.

SECOND QAIDAH:

In the second Qai'dah after the Tashahhud read DUROODE IBRAHIM

O Allah shower Your mercy upon Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad as You showered Your mercy upon Ibrahim and the followers of Ibrahim. Behold, You are praiseworthy, glorious. O Allah shower Your blessings upon Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad as You showered Your upon Ibrahim and the followers of Ibrahim. Behold, You are praiseworthy, glorious.

THE DUAS AFTER DUROOD

After Durood recite this Duaa:

O Allah I have been extremely unjust to myself and none grants forgiveness against sins but You therefore forgive me with forgiveness that comes from You and have Mercy upon me. Verily, You are the Forgiving, the Merciful.

SALAAM

Complete the Namaaz by turning the face to the right saying

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.

Then turn the face to the left and repeat the Salaam. When making Salaam one should make intention of greeting the Angel. When making Salaam the eyes should be fixed onto the respective shoulders.

COMPLETION OF NAMAAZ

On completing the Namaaz one should recite ASTAGFIRULLAH thrice. Then one should raise both hands to the level of the chest and make Du’aa to ALLAH TA’ALA:

AAYATUL KURSI