How To Know The Religion of Truth (5/9)

Rules of Prayer

1- Purification:

Before a Muslim starts his prayer, he should purify himself by cleaning his excretion organs if he had urinated or evacuated his bowels. Then he performs ablution.

The first step in performing ablution is to intend it. There is no need to express the intention in a loud voice, but it is enough to intend it by heart, because Allah knows the intention of His bondsmen. The Prophet, may the peace and grace of Allah be upon him, used not to utter words expressing his intention for ablution. Thus, every Muslim should follow his way.

The worshipper continues his ablution by rinsing his mouth with water thrice, sniffing water up his nostrils and blowing it out thrice; washing his face three times making sure that the water reaches all the parts of his face. After washing the face, the worshipper washes his hands, arms and elbows, the right hand before the left, then, wipes his head with his hands starting from front to back and vice versa, rubs his ears and finally washes his feet up to his ankle three times, the right leg before the left leg. A Muslim should keep up his ablution. If he urinates after ablution, evacuates his bowels, passes wind or loses his consciousness for any reason, he should re-perform ablution to clean himself again before practicing prayer.

If a Muslim is in a state of major impurity, (discharge of semen in erotic dreams or sexual intercourse.... etc), he should clean his body by taking a bath. Women also should carry out this cleansing bath to purify themselves after menstruation or childbirth. Allah has disburdened women and exempted them from performing prayer during menstruation and childbirth periods. As for other periods, they are required to perform prayer promptly.

If a Muslim is in a deserted area or on a journey and finds no water, or if he fears that using water will harm him (because of sickness), he is permitted to purify himself by using good clean earth or sand instead of water.

This is called "Tayammum" or purification with earth. It is done in the following way: You intend by heart to perform it. Then you strike the dust (or sand) with your hands and wipe your right hand over your face, over the back of your right hand by your left hand and over the back of your left hand by your right hand. Purification with earth is also permissible to women after the period of menstruation or confinement if water is not available, or if its use could harm them.

2- How to Perform Prayer: 

The Morning Prayer consists of two rakaat (two bowings).

A Muslim, whether a man or a woman, stands facing the Qiblah, (turning his face and whole body towards The Holy House of Allah in Makkah), then he intends by heart without uttering his intention that he will perform the Morning Prayer and starts it by saying:

“Allahu Akbar” which means “Allah is Great”

The worshipper recites after that this opening prayer:

Which means:

“Praise and Glory be to Allah. Blessed be Your name. Exalted be Your Majesty and Glory. There is no god save You.”

After reciting the opening invocation, the worshipper says:-

“accursed Satan”. Then, he recites Al-Fatihahh, or opening surah of the Qur’an:          

The meaning of this glorious surah can be translated as follows: “In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists). The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection). You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). Guide us to the Straight Way. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians).” (Surah Al-Fatihah, 1: 1-7) These Qur’anic verses, and all other verses, should be recited in Arabic language. [1]

After reciting the Fatihah, the worshipper recites also a passage containing at least three verses of the Qur’an, or a surah like Surat Al-lkhlas. Then he bows saying:

“Allahu Akbar”

Which means: “Allah is Great.” Bending his head and back and putting his hands on the knees. While bowing one should say thrice:

Which means: - “Our lord, praise is for Thee Alone.”

Then, he says “Allahu Akbar” going back to the standing position and then prostrates in a “sajdah” placing his hands opened with his knees, forehead, nose and his tip-toes on the ground. He recites thrice while in prostration: 

Which means: “Glorified is my Exalted Lord.”

Then, the worshipper assumes the erect sitting position saying “Allahu Akbar” and says while sitting:

Which means: “O my Lord, forgive me.”

He prostrates again saying:

“Allahu Akbar” and repeats what he said during the first prostration,

Which means: “Glorified is my Exalted Lord”. The worshipper stands upright again saying:

“Allahu Akbar” 

Recites the Fatihah and some other verses of the Qur’an, bowing prostrating and repeating what he did and said during the first rakaah (the unit of prayer).

However after the second prostration, instead of standing up, he should sit upright to recite the Tashahhud as follows:

“All service, all worship and all sanctity are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and upon those who practice righteousness. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, have mercy on Muhammad and those related to Muhammad, just as Thou hadst mercy on Ibrahim and on those related to Ibrahim; surely Thou art The Praiseworthy, The Great. O, Allah, bestow your blessings on Muhammad and on those related to Muhammad as Thou hadst bestowed them on Ibrahim and those related to Ibrahim. Surely, Thou art The Praiseworthy, The Great.”

Then the worshipper turns his face to the right saying:

Which means: “Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy too” and turns his face to the left saying the same words.

This brings the two rakaat of the morning prayer (Fajr) to completion.

As for noon (Zuhr), after-noon (Asr) and the night (Isha'a) prayers, each one of them consists of four rakaat (four units of prayer bows.) The first two rakaat of these prayers are performed in the same manner as the Morning Prayer. But after reciting the Tashhahud, the worshipper should not turn his head to the right and left to say “Assalamu Allaikum.” Instead, he stands up and continues to pray the third and fourth rakah, then, sitting after the fourth rakah, he recites the Tashhahud again, asks Allah to have mercy on Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then, he terminates his prayer by turning his face first to the right, then to the left saying in each time “Assalamu Allaikum wa rahmatu Allah.”

Which means “Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy too.”

As for the Maghrib prayer “evening prayer” it consists of three rakaat (three units of prayer), the first two raka'h are performed in the same manner as that mentioned before for the noon prayer, then the worshipper stands up and performs a third rakah. After that, he sits up right, recites the Tashahud and terminates his prayer by the tasleem, (Assalamu Allaikum.) It is advisable to the worshipper to repeat, in bowing and prostrating, the words by which he Glorifies Allah.

Muslim males should perform the five daily prayers in congregation in a mosque. An Imam leads Muslims in congregational prayers. Muslims select their Imam on the basis that he should be the most pious among them, the best in reciting and understanding the meaning of Qur’anic verses and the best among them in performing the prayers perfectly. The Imam recites the Fatihah and other Qur’anic verses in a loud voice in the two raka'h of the Morning Prayer, the first two raka'h of the evening and Isha prayer.

A female Muslim performs prayer alone or in congregation. She should veil her whole body including the hands and feet in order to protect her prudency and not to allure men. It is permissible for her to unveil her face only when she prays alone and she must cover her face if she is in the presence of a man. When she prays in a mosque, she must be veiled, not perfumed and act her prayers behind men.

A Muslim performs his prayers in complete humility and submissiveness to Allah. He should go to his prayers peacefully and be tranquil in bowing and prostration. He should avoid haste, amusement and raising his eyes up to the sky and must not utter anything during his prayers other than the Qur’anic verses and the rites of his prayer.

On Fridays, Muslims perform in congregation the “Juma prayer” (Friday prayer). It consists of two raka'h in which the Imam recites the Fatihah and Qur’anic verses loudly. This prayer is preceded by two sermons in which the Imam preaches to the Muslims, instructs them and reminds them to behave according to the precepts of their religion. Friday-congregational prayer is obligatory on men, they must attend it on Fridays at noon.

(Continued)