PERFORMING SALAT

HOW TO PERFORM SALAT

Q.   How should one offer Salat?

  Perform the ablution, put on clean clothes, and stand erect on a clean place facing Qiblah. Then make Niy-yah (Intention). Raise your hands so as to approach the lobes of your ears. Say

AL-LAHU AKBAR

and fold your hands above the navel. Put the palm of your right hand on the back of the left one. Do not look sideways, while offering Salat. Stand reverentially, fix your attention on Al-lah. Recite THANA (Hymn) with folded hands:

SUBHANA-KA-L-LA-HUM-MA WA BI-HAMDIKA WA TABARAK-ASMUKA WA TAALA-JADDU-KA WA-LA ILAHA GHAI-RUK.

After THANA recite TA’AW-WUZ (formula seeking the protection of Al-lah):

A’UZU BIL-LAHI MINASH-SHAITANIR-RAJIM.

And then TASMIYAH (formula pronouncing the name of Al-lah):

BISMIL-LAHIR-RAHMANIR-RAHIM.

After this recite the Holy SURAH AL-FATIHAH. On its completion say Amen gently. Then recite SURAH AL-IKHLAS or any other Surah that you know by heart. Now, bow for Ruku' pronouncing AL-LAHU AKBAR. In the Ruku', catch hold of the knees with your hands and say the TASBIH of RUKU’:

SUBHANA RAB-BIYAL’ADHIM

three or five times. After it, stand erect saying TASMI’:

SAMI’AL-LAHU-LI-MAN HAMIDAH

Also say TAHMID: RAB-BANA LA-KAL-HAMD.

Now perform Sijdah (prostrate) saying Takbir (AL-LAHU AHBAR), put your knees on the ground. Also place the palms of your hands, then the tip of the nose followed by the forehead in the ground in between your palms thus placed. Now say the TASBIH of Sijdah:

SUBHANA RAB-BIYAL-A’LA

three times or five times. Then rise and sit erect. Then, again go to Sijdah, saying Takbir. Say the Takbir once again and stand up erect and fold your hands as before. While rising, do not rest your palms on the ground. The completion of the second Sijdah marks the completion of one Rak'ah (bowing and kneeling). Recite Tasmiyah, the holy AL-FATIHA and one more Surah, in that order. Perform RUKU' (bowing), QAUMAH (standing) and two Sijdahs exacting like the first RAK’AH. Then, rise and sit up. Now recite the TASHAH-HUD first, then the holy DURUD and the holy Invocation. This being over, say SALAM, first turning your face to the right, then to the left. With this the two Rak'ahs are over.

Now you may recite:

(AL-LAHUM-MA ANTAS-SALAMU WA MIN-KAS-SALAMU TABARAKTA YA ZAL-JALALI WAL-IKRAM) with your palms raised together. Do not raise your scooped palms too much, i.e. not above your shoulders. After the Invocation is recited, pass your palms over your face.