PROPHET’S PRECEPT (SUNNAH) IN SALAT

PROPHET’S PRECEPT (SUN-NAHS) IN SALAT

Q.   What do we mean by the Sun-nahs (masnun acts) in Salat?

  Sun-nahs are acts which are confirmed to have been practiced by the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) but which are not so much emphasized upon as to assume the status of command (Fard) or ordained (wajib) acts. If a person omits anyone of these acts by mistake, neither his Salat gets disturbed nor the remedial Sijdah becomes essential for him nor is it a sin. If omitted deliberately, the defaulter is liable to be punished by Al-lah.

Q.   How many precepts of the Prophet (masnun acts) are there in Salat?

  Twenty one acts are Masnun in Salat;

             i.       Raising the two hands up to the ears before saying Takbir tahrimah;

           ii.     Keeping fingers of both hands straight as they are, facing the Qiblah in saying Takbir;

         iii.     Abstaining from lowering the head in saying Takbir;

          iv.     Uttering of Takbir tahrimah and all other Takbirs by the Imam while making movement from one position to another on required pitch;

            v.     Gripping the left hand with the right hand below the navel;

          vi.     Reciting thana;

        vii.     Reciting Ta’aw-wuz: A’UZU BIL-LAH….. till the end;

      viii.     Reciting complete bismil-lah;

          ix.     Reciting only Al-Fatiha in the third and fourth rak’ahs of Fard Salat;

            x.     Saying ameen;

          xi.     Reciting thana, ta’aw-wuz and bismil-lah and amen on a low pitch;

        xii.     Reciting text from the holy Qur-an to extent practiced by the Prophet in various Salats;

      xiii.     Reciting tasbih thrice in each one of the ruku’s and Sijdahs;

       xiv.     Keeping the head and waist level with each other in ruku’ and gripping the two knees with the two scooped palms;

         xv.     For Imam to say: SAMI’ AL-LAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH  and for the followers to say: RAB-BANA LAKAL HAMD and for the individuals to says both the tasmi’ and the tahmid.

       xvi.     Resting first the knees, then the palms finally the forehead on the ground while going in for Sijdah;

     xvii.     Folding the left leg, keeping it on the ground and sitting on it in jalsah and qa’da and keeping the right foot vertical in a way that the tips of the toes are turned towards Qiblah and place the palms of both hands on the thighs;

   xviii.     Pointing with the first finger of the right hand in tashah-hud at the point of: ASHHADU A(N)L-LA ILAHA;

       xix.     Reciting the holy darud after tashah-hud;

         xx.     Pronouncing invocation (du’a) after the holy darud;

       xxi.     Turning the face in Salaam first to the right, then to the left;

DESIRABLE ACTS (MUSTAHABS) IN SALAT

Q.   How many acts are desirable (Mustahab) in Salat?

  Five acts are desirable:

             i.     Taking palms of the two hands out of sleeves;

           ii.     For the individual to say tasbih more than thrice in ruku’ and Sijdah;

         iii.     Keeping eyes fixed or the spot for Sijdah in Qiyam, on the back of one’s feet during ruku’; on one’s lap in jalsah and qua’dah and over one’s right and left shoulders in saying salaam;

          iv.     Controlling the cough as much as one can;

            v.     Closing one’s mouth in yawning and if it does open, covering it with the back of the right palm in Qiyam and with that of the left in other positions for Salat.