Prayers
Salat is a Muslim's obligatory Prayers. This article is an extended learning path for beginners on the common Hanafi scheme. Inside, there's a separation between the obligatory and the desirable. The details of the fiqh may vary in other law schools, so if you have a dispute, compare it with a trained teacher.
Training routes for men and women
The general principles of prayer are one, but some details of dress, pose, voice, and physiological circumstances are discussed separately in the school chosen. See Prayers for Women and Prayer for Women. The male GIF below is a male-only training example.
1. What You Need Before You Pray
- It's time for prayer. The Quran says that prayer is set at certain times.[1] The local time depends on the city and the dates: Fajr is performed after the true dawn before sunrise; Zuhr is performed after sunset; Asr is performed at noon; Maghrib is performed after sundown; Isha is performed at night. Take the exact minutes from the local schedule, not from this general table.
- Washing. Do the voodoo; learn the ta'amum or the gussal if necessary. The basis of purification and ta'ammum is mentioned in verse 5:6.[2]
- The cleanliness. Clothes, body and place of worship must be cleaned according to the rules of the school chosen.
- The qub. Stand up to the Sacred Mosque in Mecca; the Quran commands to address it.[3]
- Cover and calm. Keep your body covered and stand up so that no movement will harm others.
- The intention. Know what kind of prayer you pray. Intent is the action of the heart; the Arabic formula for it is not included here.
2. Five prayers and rakahs
The Rak'at is a cycle of prayer. The following is the number of obligatory rakā'at in the usual Hanafi school curriculum; additional sunnah and naphil prayers are not included in the table.
| Prayers | The total interval | The Fard-Rakaats |
|---|---|---|
| The Fajr | From the rising of the sunrise to the rising | 2 |
| Uh , Uh , Uh ... | After the Zenith before the beginning of the Asr time | 4 |
| Asr | After the time of Zuhr till the sun sets | 4 |
| The Maghreb | After the sun goes down | 3 |
| I know. | After the evening sunset disappears before dawn | 4 |
The number of rakāṭ is a practical scheme of fiqh, not the full literal text of verse 4:103. Please specify the time and number according to the schedule agreed by the teacher.
3. Quick visual route
The first one is a big deal.
Animations show the position of the body and the order of transitions; compulsory and desirable actions, readings and school differences are broken down in the text of the article.
4. Status of actions
| The mark | How to Understand |
|---|---|
| Fard . | The obligatory part of the prayer is in the chosen pattern; conscious abandonment makes the prayer invalid or requires replenishment according to the rules of the fiqh. |
| Wajib | The Hanafi list is necessary; its classification differs from the fard and has separate rules for forgetting. |
| Sunnah | A given wish order that complements prayer. |
| Mustahab | Recommended action with reward; leaving it alone does not violate prayer. |
These tags are a teaching classification of the Hanafi fiqh, not an affirmation that all schools use the same boundaries.
5. One Rak'at: Movement and Reading
5.1 The entrance to prayer
Fard: Standing for a capable man and takbir takrim.
Raise your hands according to the Hanafi order and say:
Allāhu akbar is the Supreme God.
Sunna: the prayer of initiation (sanaa).
Subḥānaka Allāhumma wa biḥamdik, wa tabāraka-smuk, wa taʿālā jadduk, wa lā ilāha ghayruk - ⁇ Praise be to You, O Allah, and praise be to Thee; blessed is Your name; exalted is Your majesty; there is no god but You. ⁇
Sunnah: Recourse to protection and basma.
Aʿūdhu billāhi min ash-shayṭānir-rajīm - "I seek the protection of Allah from the accursed devil".
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
5.2 Fatiha and short surah
Fard: Reading the Quran in a stand.
The blessing is in verses 1:1-1:7. The Arabic text is transcribed from these internal pages below; before publication, the editor must check each sign with a canonical page.
For training pronunciation:
- In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
- Al-hamdu lilāhi rabbil-ālamīn - "All praise is to Allah, the Lord of the worlds".
- Ar-raḥmānir-raḥīm is the Most Merciful, the Most Mercious.
- Maliki yawmid-dīn is the Lord of the Day of Reward.
- Iyyāka naʿbudu wa iyyāka nastaʿīn - "You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help".
- Ihdinaṣ-ṣirāṭal-mustaqīm - "Lead us on the right path".
- The way of those whom Thou hast favoured, not of those who are angry, nor of those who go astray.
Sunnah: After Fateh, the first two fard-rak'ahs read an additional sura or a few verses in the accepted order. For a brief example, we can read the Surah Al-Ikhlas: 112:1, 112:2, 112:3, 112:4.
Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad. Allāhuṣ-ṣamad. I'm going to go back to the hospital. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan aḥad.
The meaning translations and the full Arabic text of this sura are found in the four linked pages of the Quran. Do not replace them with machine transliteration.
After the Fateh, they say, "O Allah, answer me". In this article, this is referred to as sunnah,I'm not as a part of a verse.
5.3 The belt bowing
Fard: belt-bound and gently straightened.
When you cross over , say the following:
Allāhu akbar is the Supreme God.
Sunnah: in the hand' say at least three times:
Subhanah rabbiyal-ʿaẓīm is the supreme Lord.
When the imam or the prayers are straightened up, one of them says:
Allah is Hearing, the All-Praising.
Then:
Rabbana lakal-hamd is our Lord, praise be to thee.
5.4 The Earth's Bowing
Fard: Two bows and a short sit-down.
When you descend, say the takbir. In the judge:
Subhanah rabbiyal-a'lā is the Lord of my Majesty. Between the bows, you can say:
Rabbighfir lī is my Lord, forgive me.
Repeat the second earthly bowing. Don't rush, the body must stop at every base position.
5.5 Move to the next rakāṭa
After the second judgement of the first rakhat, stand on the second. Basma, Fatiha, an additional sura, a 'hand' and two judges are repeated in the order accepted. In the third and fourth fard-rakaat of the Hanafi scheme, the Fateh is usually recited; the details of the additional prayers are given in a separate section of the fiqh.
6. Last sitting and completion
FDR: The last seat.
The last seat is the Toshahud. For the teaching pronunciation:
At-taḥiyyātu lillāhi waṣ-ṣalawātu waṭ-ṭayyibāt. As-salāmu ʿalayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh. As-salāmu ʿalaynā wa ʿalā ʿibādillāhiṣ-ṣāliḥīn. Ashhadu an lā ilāha illallāh, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhū wa rasūluh.
Peace be upon you, and peace be upon us, and upon the righteous servants of Allah; I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify (that) Muhammad is His slave and messenger.
Wajib in the common Hanafi scheme: after the Tashakhhud, recite the salawat. Mustahab: Then make a personal plea. You can read the prayer from the Quran:
Rabbana ātinā fid-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fil-ākhirati ḥasanatan Wa qinā ʿadhāban-nār - Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Full verse and translation of the meanings: Quran, 2:201.
Completing the prayer with a prayer to your right and to your left:
As-salāmu 'ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh - Peace be upon you and mercy from Allah.
7. What to do if you make a mistake
- If you have forgotten how many rak'ahs you have done, do not guess: stop and consult the rules of your school or your teacher.
- If the required part is omitted, the replenishment issue cannot be solved by one picture; you need advice on a specific error.
- Prayer-related nonsense, talk, and actions can disrupt prayer; do not solve a complicated case on your own, as advised by a random video.
- There are benefits for the physically ill, but the form depends on the condition and the legal school.
8. A little plan for a beginner .
- Learn to wash and to speak briefly without hurry.
- Open the pages 1:1-1:7 and 112:1-112:4 to see the exact Arabic text and the translation of the meaning.
- Practice one rakhat on a GIF without trying to memorize all the additional sunnahs at once.
- Learn from the imam or the teacher to correct pronunciation and body posture.
- Once you've mastered the two-step pattern, move on to the differences in five prayers.