As-Salah – etiquettes

As-Salah is the 2nd pillar of Islam. It is the first act of worship made compulsory to those
whoever believed in the Oneness of Allah and in the Prophethood of Muhammad (‫صلى‬
‫) هللا عليه وسلم‬. The importance of prayer is demonstrated through many of the Qur’anic
verses and Prophet’s statements. It is the one of the most virtuous deed. Such all things
you had studied in previous year.
Let us understand some more etiquettes of salah this time. While doing salah, we must
follow the systematic order that mentioned in hadeeths. Perfecting the rows when we
stand for prayer in congregation is very clearly an important matter in Islam. The
Sunnah is for the imam to stands in front by himself while the followers stand behind
him in straight lines. It is obligatory for the Muslims to make their rows straight and
compact and to close the gaps between them. Making the rows straight and compact is
achieved by standing foot-to-foot and shoulder-to-shoulder. Foot-to-foot does not mean
your two feet next to each other as some people misunderstand. It means your left foot
next to the foot of your neighbor on your left and your right foot next to the one on your
right.
The Prophet ‫ )صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬said:
‫ َفإِنَّ َتسْ ِو َي َة الصَّفِّ مِنْ َت َم ِام الصَّال ِة ) رواه البخاري‬, ‫صفُو َف ُك ْم‬
ُ ‫َس ُّووا‬
“Straighten your rows, for straightening the rows is part of perfecting prayer.” (Bukhaari,
Muslim)
The first row should first be completed before starting a second row, and so on. When
the children and women attending the congregational prayer the practice of the
Messenger of Allah (saws) in setting the rows was that the men formed the rows
immediately behind the imam leading the prayer; then the rows of children (below the
age of puberty) were formed after the rows of men; and then the rows of women after
the children.
The distance between the imam and the first row, or between the different rows, is such
that the persons in each raw may be able to prostrate themselves, so that their head
may be almost at the feet of the front row

after the iqamah has been called out by the mu’adhin, imam enter to prayer by saying
“ALLAHU AKBAR” in a loud voice.
Before offering the prayer, one must have in mind the intention to offer the specified
prayer, for instance, for the purpose of worshipping Allah.
ِ ‫إ َّن َما األَ ْع َمال ُ ِبال ِّن َّيا‬
‫ت‬
Indeed all actions are based on the intentions
The place of intention is the heart, uttering the intention verbally is a bid’ah which goes
against the Sunnah.
After the thakbeerathul ihram by the imam, the whole congregation, like the imam,
raises hands to shoulders or ears while uttering thakbeer in low voice. Both the imam
and the followers then recite the opening supplication (‫)دعا االفتتاح‬. After which, along with
the imam, it is recommended the followers to recites surah Al-Fatiha and say Ameen
after imam has said ameen. Prophet ordered to say the ameen in a loud voice.
َ ‫ َفإِ َّن ُه َمنْ َوا َف َق َتأْمِي ُن ُه َتأْم‬، ‫ َفأ َ ِّم ُنوا‬، ‫إِ َذا أَم ََّن اإْل ِ َما ُم‬
‫ ُغف َِر لَ ُه َما َت َق َّد َم مِنْ َذ ْن ِب ِه‬، ‫ِين ْال َماَل ِئ َك ِة‬
After this, the imam recites in a loud voice any portion of the Holy Quran. The imam is
the leader of the congregation, so the followers should not precede him; they should
await him till he performs the next action.
‫ور َة‬
َ g‫ص‬ ُ ‫ور َت ُه‬ ُ ُ ‫ َل هَّللا‬g‫ار أَ ْو َيجْ َع‬g
َ g‫ص‬ َ ‫ ُه َر ْأ‬g‫ َل هَّللا ُ َر ْأ َس‬g‫ام أَنْ َيجْ َع‬g
ٍ g‫س ِح َم‬ ‫إْل‬ ْ َ َ َ َ َ
ِ g‫ َل ا ِ َم‬g‫أ َما َي ْخ َشى أ َح ُد ُك ْم أ ْو اَل َي ْخ َشى أ َح ُد ُك ْم إِذا َر َف َع َرأ َس ُه َق ْب‬
‫ار‬ٍ ‫ِح َم‬

The Prophet said, “does the person who raises his head before the imam, not fear that
Allah may turn his head into the head of a donkey?”

The Imam who leads prayers should be mindful and caring about the state of the
congregation which he leads. He must adjust the length of the prayer in such a way that
it will not cause any trouble to the followers. Prophet prohibited such behaviors in many
hadeeths about lengthening the duration of prayer that will cause discomforts to
believers.
Salaah is a form of worship in which one communicates with Allah. When any one of
you is engaged in prayer, you must keep in mind that you are in an intimate
conversation with your Lord. That is why it’s very important that you maintain calmness,
tranquility and humility. Prophet strictly prohibited doing salah in hasty manner. One
must not rush through salaah, but rather, you should observe each position in a
respectful manner. To do this, make sure your bones settle properly, before moving on
to the next position. We need more presence in prayer, more control over our
wandering minds and desires from the beginning to the end of the prayer.
There are many more rules concerning salaah, and you have taken the first step
towards improving on your Prayers. May Allah accept our worship. Ameen.