Pillars of Prayer (Arkaan As-Salat)

Thursday Halaqa Notes

9/12/13

Sr. Fatenah Tailakh

Arkaan As-Salat: Pillars of Prayer

There are three categories for the acts of Prayer: the Pillars (Arkaan as-Salat), the Necessary Duties (Wajibat as-Salat), and Preferred Acts (Sunnan as-Salat). Each one has different legal rulings and implications if missed. First let’s talk about the Pillars of Salat. These are the obligatory pillars that must be fulfilled in order for your prayer to be valid.

1. Standing (Al-Qiyaam)

• Obligated on anyone that is able to stand. 
• Anyone that can’t get out of bed can make tayammum - wiping their hands and face. And they can pray by moving their head or their eyes.
• That’s how important Salat is - even if you are sick and can’t get out of bed you still have to pray.
• Can sit in Sunnah prayers in any time.
• “Guard strictly the prayers, especially the middle one. And stand before Allah with full submission.” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 238]

2. Saying “Allahu Akbar” (Takbiratil Ihraam ma’ raf’ al yaddayn)

• Saying “Allahu Akbar” to begin the prayer while raising your hands.
• When raising your hands, put your hands up near your shoulders with your thumb near your ear.
• At this point, you have cut yourself off from anything going on around you, just focusing on the prayer. 
• “It’s opening is the Takbeer and it’s closing is the Tasleem.” Reported by Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhee, Ahmad and Al-Bazaar.

3. Reciting Surat Al Fatiha (Qiraa’at al Fatiha)

• Obligatory in every rak’ah.
• When praying behind the Imam, just listen to his reciation. If he paused between Fatiha and second Surah you can recite Surat al Fatiha. 
• It is sunnah to recite another Surah after the Fatiha in the first two Rakahs. 
• “There is no prayer for the one who doesn’t recite the opening (chapter) of the Book.”

4. Bowing (Rukoo’)

• Bow down and put your hands on your knees with your fingers spread. 
• The back and the neck have to be at the same level.
• The back has to be straight.
• If you do it correctly, your back and knees will be relaxed.
• “O you who believe! Bow and prostrate (in prayer).” [Surah Al-Hajj: 77]

5. Standing up from Rukoo’

• All the backbones should become completely straight up again.

6. Prostrating (Sujood)

• Go down and put your hands on the floor first then let your knees go down to the floor. 
• The 7 parts that have to touching the ground: the forehead, the tip of the nose, both palms, both knees, the bottom of the toes of both feet. Ibn ‘Abbaas reported that Allaah’s Messenger (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “I have been ordered to prostrate on seven limbs: on the forehead – and he pointed to his nose – the (palms of the) hands, the knees and the toes of the feet.” [Reported by Al Bukhaaree and Muslim]
• The fingers have to be pointing toward the Qibla.
• The toes have to be pointing to the Qibla.
• Arms should be off the floor, relaxed at the side of the body. Not tight against the body but also not spread out far from the body.
• “O you who believe! Bow and prostrate (in prayer).” [Surah Al-Hajj: 77]

7. Sitting up from the Sujood

• When you sit back up, your back has to become upright again before you go into the second Sujood.
• Put your left foot down so that you are sitting on your left heal, and your right foot goes out from under you, to the right, and flat to the floor. This way your toes of both feet will stay pointing to the Qibla.

8. Recite Tashahhud (words of witness) after 2 rak’ahs (Tashahhud al wusta)

• Recite the final Tashah-hud after 4 rak’ahs (Tashah-hud al akheer) while sitting
• Ibn Mas’ood (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) said: “Before the tashahhud was made obligatory on us, we would say: ‘As-Salaamu ‘alaa Allaahi min ‘Ibaadihi. As-Salaamu ‘alaa Jibreel wa Mikaa’eel.’ [Peace be on Allaah from His servants. Peace be on Jibreel and Mikaa’eel]. So the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Do not say: Peace (Salaam) be on Allaah, for indeed Allaah, He is As-Salaam. Instead say: At-Tahiyyaatu Lillaahi was-Salawaatu wat-Tayyibaat. As- Salaamu ‘alayka ayyuhaan-Nabee wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh. As-Salaamu ‘alaynaa wa ‘alaa ‘Ibaadillaahis-Saaliheen. Ash-hadu an Laa Ilaaha IllaaAllaah wa Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasooluh.’ [“All acts of praise, supplications, and good are for Allaah. Peace be on you O Prophet, and also the mercy and blessings of Allah. Peace be on us, and on the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that no one has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.”]” Bukhari

9. Sending Salat on the Prophet (peace be upon him) (Salat al-Ibrahimiya)

• “Allaahumma Salli ‘alaa Muhammadin wa ‘alaa Aali Muhammadin kamaa Salayta ‘alaa Ibraaheema wa ‘alaa Aali
  Ibraaheema Innaka Hameedun Majeed.”

10. Conclude the prayer with the words of peace (Tasleem)

• "Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah, Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah"

11. Do the above acts in order (Tarteeb)

• You can’t do Sujood before Ruku’

12. To do the above pillars in the a state of tranquility (Tama’neena)

• Abu Hurairah (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) said: “One day we were sitting with the Prophet when a man entered and prayed. [Then he rose from prayer] and greeted the Prophet with Salaam. So the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told him: ‘Go back and pray for you have not prayed.’ This occurred three times, and finally the man said: ‘I swear by the One who sent you as a prophet in truth, I cannot do better than this, so teach me (the correct way to pray).’ So the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘When you get up to pray, say the Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar). Then recite what is easy for you from the Qur’aan. Then bow until you feel tranquility bowing. Then rise until you feel tranquil standing. Then prostrate until you feel tranquility whilst prostrating. Then rise from it until you feel tranquility sitting.
  Then do this in all of your prayers.’”

Tips on Praying at the Masjid

• You are coming into the prayer hall and the Imam has already started the Prayer: Say “Allahu Akbar” and put your hands on your chest. If the Imam was in another position, you then go into the same position as the Imam. It is sunnah to say a second “Allahu Akbar” when you go into that position.
• If you were praying in the Women’s prayer hall and the speakers stopped working so you couldn’t hear the Imam anymore, leave your Prayer and pray again alone. Because if you tried to look to see what position they are in now, you would be making too many movements in your Salat which invalidates the Prayer.