How to offer a complete Salaat

 

How to offer a complete Salaat

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her), she says:  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would begin the Salaat with the Takbeer (The opening Allahu Akbar) and would begin the recitation of the Holy Quran with Alhamdulillahi Rabbil A’alameen.

 

When He would perform the Ruku’, He would neither keep His head too high nor too low, but would keep it in such a manner that the neck and the back would be in a straight line.

 

When He would get up from the Ruku’, He would not prostrate before standing up straight with proper repose.  Similarly, when He would get up from a prostration, He would not perform another prostration before sitting up properly.  He would sit up after every second prostration of the second Raka’at (the Qaida).

 

In that, He would recite the Tashahud in it.  He would place the left foot on its (outer) edge and sit on it, while the right foot would be resting on the bottoms of the toes with its heel up.  He prohibited against the ‘Uqbatush Shaitaan i.e. sitting like the Satan. 

 

[It is mentioned in ‘Umdatur Ria’aya that “sitting like the Satan” means placing one’s feet as they are placed while prostrating (i.e. with the feet resting on the bottoms of the toes with the heels up) and placing one’s buttocks on the (upraised) heels.  Sitting like this in Salaat is Undesirable (Makruh).  This is related by ‘Allama Taibi and Karkhi, which is related by Ibn Ul Hamaam in Fath Ul Qadeer.

 

This is also related in Ash’atul Lama’at and it is mentioned therein that the word ‘Uqba means heel and as such, the aforementioned explanation seems more suitable.  The same is related in Nihaaya.]

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) also prohibited that men should place their forearms on the ground like animals.  (This is for men.  Women should place their forearms on the ground when prostrating).

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would end His Salaat with the Salaam (to the left and to the right).

 

This is related by Muslim.

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him), he said:  When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would decide to offer Salaat, He would start the Salaat by saying Allahu Akbar.  When He would perform a Ruku’, He would say Allahu Akbar.  When He would get up from the Ruku’, He would say:  Sam’ Allahu Liman Hamidah and when He would stand up straight, He would say:  Rabbanaa Lakal Hamd.  When He would perform a prostration, He would say Allahu Akbar.  When He would raise His head from the prostration, He would say Allahu Akbar.  When prostrating for a second time, He would say Allahu Akbar.  When He would raise His head from the prostration, He would say Allahu Akbar.

 

He would do the same throughout the Salaat.  When He would stand up after completing 2 Raka’at (for the 3^rd one) He would again say Allahu Akbar.  This is related by both Bukhari and Muslim.

 

[Excerpted from Noor Ul Masabeeh, Vol. 2]