(FRIDAY PRAYER (Salat AL-Jumuᶦa

FRIDAY PRAYER (Salat AL-Jumuᶦa)

It is a different, not shortened prayer. You must perform one prayer unit, at least, to make it valid.

If you missed the second prayer unit, and came after the leader had raised from bowing down, your Friday prayer would not be valid and you should perform the noon prayer (four prayer units) instead of it.

Its provision:

It is an individual duty on every male Muslim.

Its legitimacy:

It has been made obligatory in Makkah in the Night Journey of Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Jerusalem and his Ascent to the Seventh Heaven, along with the five prayers, but the Prophet has performed it only after migration. 
He did so because one of its validity conditions is that being in public and in a group, and circumstances in Makkah did not allow that. 
The Prophet performed the first Friday prayer at the entry of AL-Madinah among the members of Salim ibn ᶦAouf tribe, after several days of his arrival in AL Madinah.

God says ﴾O you who have believed, when [AL Adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuᶦah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew﴿Chapter of Friday. Verse NO 9

●Ibn Masᶦud reported: The Prophet said about people who are absent from Friday prayer: “I was about to command a person to lead people in prayer, and then burn those who absent themselves from Friday prayer in their houses.” [Muslim].

Conditions of its obligation

Islam, adulthood, mindfulness, maleness, residence, and healthy body.

Conditions of its validity

1) Number of praying persons must be forty resident males.

2) It must be performed at noon.

If one of the two previous conditions was not met, it would be performed, instead, as a noon prayer (four units). It must not be performed by following the radio or T.V.

Its obligations and pillars

1- Two speeches before prayer. The leader stands during them, if possible, and sits between them.

2- Two prayer units.

*The first speech must include praising God, saying “Pray and peace be upon His Messenger.”, recommendation of God fear and reciting some of the Holy Qurᶦan.

*The second speech must include what previously mentioned in the first speech, in addition to invocation for believers.

*An orator must be male, and if he is exhausted after delivering the two speeches, another person can lead people in the prayer.

●Ibn ᶦUmar said that the Messenger of Allah used to deliver two speeches on Friday and sit down between them. [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

Sunnah practices on Friday (Sunan AL Jumuᶦah)

❶Bathing and applying perfume before going to the mosque. Also, trimming the nails, hair cutting, and wearing white clothes.

●It was narrated from Ibn AL-Sabbaq (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah said on a Friday, “Muslims! Allah has made this day a festival day, so take a bath and it will not harm whoever has perfume to apply some of it, and use a tooth-stick.” [Ibn-Majah].

❷Going early to the mosque.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said, “Whoever takes a bath on Friday, like the bath which is obligatory after sexual discharge and then 
goes (to the mosque), he is like one who offers a she-camel as a sacrifice to seek the pleasure of Allah, whoever comes in the second hour is like one offers a cow, whoever comes in the third hour is like one offers a ram with horns, whoever comes in the fourth hour is like one who offers a hen, and whoever comes in the fifth hour is like one who offers an egg. 
And when the prayer leader comes out (ascends the pulpit), the angels (who write the names of those who come to the mosque before the coming of the leader) close (their record) in order to listen to the speech.” [Muslim].

❸Listening carefully to the speech.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: “When you tell your companion (on Friday) to be silent while the leader is delivering the speech, you are guilty of idle talk.” [Muslim].

❹The leader should shorten his speech and prolong the prayer.

●ᶦAmmar ibn Yasir (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “Prolonging prayer and shortening the speech indicate the religious knowledge of the person.  Make your prayer long and your speech short.” [Muslim].

❺Friday voluntary prayer (Sunnat AL Jumuᶦah) is after the obligatory Friday prayer, and it is four prayer units.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: “When anyone among you performs prayer after the Friday prayer, he should pray four prayer units.” [Muslim]. 

❻Frequent invocation, alms, and saying prayers for the Prophet, as Friday is one of the great days.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday, on it Adam was created, on it he was made to enter Paradise, on it he was expelled from it. And the Hour will occur on no day other than Friday.” [Muslim].

●Abu- Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah said while talking about the merits of Friday, “There is an hour (opportune time) on Friday and if a Muslim gets it while praying and asks something from Allah, then Allah will definitely meet his demand.” And he (the Prophet) pointed with hand to indicate that this period of time is very short.

●It was narrated from Aus ibn Aus (May Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet said, “Among the best of your days is Friday. So, on that day pray (invoke many blessings) for me, for such prayers are displayed to me.” [Abu-Daoud].

❼It is not permissible to perform optional night prayer on the night preceding Friday, or fast on Friday, as it is considered a festival.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “Do not choose the night preceding Friday among all other nights for performing optional night prayer (Tahajjud), and do not choose Friday among all other days for fasting, unless it coincides with the days one regularly fasts.” [The Two Scholars].

●Abu- Hurairah narrated that: The Messenger of Allah said, “None of you should fast on Friday unless he fasts before it, or he fasts after it.”

Excuses which allow absence from Friday prayer

Extreme hot or cold weather, illness, and fear for honor and body. 

Group prayer

GROUP PRAYER

Its provision:

Shafii sees that it is an emphasized Sunnah. Others see that it is a sufficiency duty on men, and Sunnah for women, and it is better for women to perform it at their homes.

Group prayer excellence:

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said, “A man’s prayer in a group is twenty-five times more rewarding than his prayer at home or in his shop, and it is because when he performs his ablution properly and proceeds towards the mosque with the purpose of performing prayer in a group, he does not take a step without being raised a degree (in rank) for it and having a sin remitted for it, till he enters the mosque. 
When he is performing prayer, the angels continue to invoke Blessings of Allah on him as long as he is in his place of worship in a state of ablution. 
They say: ‘O Allah! Bestow Your blessings upon him, be Merciful to him.’ And one is regarded in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer.” 

[AL-Bukhari].

●Abu-AL Dardaᶦ (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, “If there are three men in a village or in the desert among whom prayer is not offered (in a group),the Devil must have certainly overcome them. Therefore, stick to the group prayer, for the wolf eats a solitary sheep that stays far from the flock.” [Abu-Daoud]. 

The Messenger meant by “the wolf eats a solitary sheep that stays far from the flock.” that the Devil sneaks into the one who prays alone.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said: “By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, I was about to order for collecting firewood (fuel), and then order someone to pronounce the call to the prayer, and then order someone to lead the prayer, then I would go from behind and burn the houses of men who did not present themselves for the group prayer.”

[AL Bukhari and Muslim].

Group prayer provisions

❶Group prayer should be in mosque, which is the best place for prayer, or in any clean place. It is better to perform the obligatory prayer in mosque, then perform the voluntary prayer following it (the Sunnah) at home.

●It was narrated from Ibn ᶦUmar (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “Offer some of your prayers at home; do not make them graves.” [AL-Bukhari].

●It was narrated from Zaid ibn Thabit (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said: “O people! Perform your (voluntary) prayers in your homes because the best prayer of a man is that he performs at home, except the obligatory prayer.” [AL Bukhari].

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❷If you came to prayer while the leader was bowing down in the first prayer unit and had not raised his head yet, you would say the intention text, for example: “I have intended to pray three prayer units of the obligatory sunset prayer in a group… Allah is the Greatest.” Say: “Allah is the Greatest.” again and bow down. If the leader had not raised his head from bowing down yet, it would have been considered a prayer unit. Performing bowing down is the core of considering it a complete prayer unit.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said, “If you come to pray while  we are prostrating ourselves, you must prostrate and do not consider it anything (prayer unit). And if you come to pray, while we are still bowing down, and bow with us, you have been present at the prayer.” [Abu-Daoud and AL Hakim].

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❸A man leads men and women; a woman leads women only.

It is not allowed for a woman to lead men.

The one who has performed ablution can pray behind the leader who has performed sand ablution.

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❹Priority, in prayer leading, is given to the one who is aware of prayer provisions perfectly, then to the best reciter, then to the most God fearing, then to the oldest one, then to the one whose clothes are the cleanest. If the prayer is performed in a house, priority in leading will be to the house owner. If it is performed in mosque, priority in leading will be to Sheikh AL Masjid (the religious scholar who is appointed to lead praying persons in that mosque).

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❺Arrangement of rows:

Men first, then boys, then women.

Priority is given to scholars and Qurᶦan memorizers to pray in the first row, in order to 
support the leader. 

If the leader forgot something in his prayer, they would say, “Exalted is God”to remind 
him. If he was mistaken in reciting, they would remind him.

And if something happened to him, they would be the nearest to
 him so 

that he appoints one of them as a successor to lead people and 
complete the prayer instead of him.

 ۞How to appoint a successor?

The leader walks backwards and points, without talking, to his successor. 

If the leader went out the mosque without appointing a successor, this prayer would be invalid.

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❻Leadership of the rebellious and
 the innovator of a heresy is disliked.

●It was narrated from Abi Masᶦud AL-Ansari that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, 

“A man who is well versed in the Book of Allah and can recite it better, should lead 
the prayer.” [Muslim].

●Abu-Masᶦud AL Badri reported: The Messenger of Allah used to gently pat our shoulders when we were 
standing in rows at the time of prayer and say, “Keep (the rows) straight and do not 
differ from 
each other; otherwise, your hearts will differ due to disaccord. Let those of you who 
are mature and prudent be nearer to me, then those 

who are next to them, and then those who are next to them.” [Muslim].

●Abu-Saᶦid AL-Khudri reported: When the Messenger of Allah saw that his companions 
tended to stand in the back rows, he said to them, “Come forward and be close to me 
and let those who come after you follow your lead. If people 
continue to lag behind, Allah will put them back.” [Muslim].

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that Allah’s Apostle (P.P.B.U.H) said, “The best rows
 for men are the
 first rows, and the worst ones are the last ones. And the best rows for women are the 
last ones, and the worst ones for them are the first ones.” [Muslim].

●Zainab AL-Thaqafiyyah reported: The Messenger of Allah said to us: “When any one of you comes to the mosque, she should not apply perfume.” [Muslim].

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❼If the group prayer started with a leader and one praying person, he would stand on the leader’s right. As for a woman, if she was alone, she would stand behind the leader.

●Ibn ᶦAbbas reported: “I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maymunah. The Prophet got 
up to pray at night. So, I got up and stood on his left. He took me by the head and made 
me stand on his right.” [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

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❽A leader must be careful not to prolong reciting, taking into account conditions of the praying persons behind him.

●It was narrated from Anas that Allah’s Apostle (P.P.B.U.H) said, 
“When I start prayer I intend to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I 
shorten it because of the distress caused to his mother
 by his crying.” 

●Jabir ibn Abd-Allah (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Muᶦadh ibn Jabal 
AL-Ansari led his companions in the night prayer and prolonged

 it for them, so a man complained about him to the Prophet. The Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) got 
angry and said thrice, “O Muᶦadh! Are you putting people to trial (Fitnah)? It would 
have been better if you had recited: ‘Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High’ (Chapter of 

the Most High), ‘By the sun and its brightness’ (Chapter of the Sun), ‘By the night 
when it covers’ (Chapter of the Night), for the old, the weak, 
and the needy pray behind you.” [The Two Scholars].

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Conditions of validity of following

 a prayer leader

1) A praying person must have the intention to follow the prayer leader.

2) The prayer of the leader and the praying person must have the same number of prayer units.

3) They must perform the prayer in the same place, so following a leader 

in the radio, or on T.V is not valid.

4) Knowing the leader movements during the prayer, like (bowing down, prostration, testification, etc) and following him, even by another person repeating what the leader 
says loudly.

5) The praying person must not be in front of the leader in place.

6) The praying person must not be faster than his leader in the prayer. Many warnings 
have been 
mentioned relating to that:

●It was narrated from Abi Hurairah that Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “The prayer leader is appointed to be followed, so do not differ from 
him. Recite AL-Takbeer (Allah is 
the Greatest) when he recites it, and bow down when he bows down. When he says, 
‘Allah hears the one who praises Him.’ then say, ‘Our Lord, to You be the praise.’ Prostrate when he prostrates.” [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

●It was narrated from Abi Hurairah that Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “Does not he, who 
raises his head before the leader, fear that Allah may transform his head into that of a donkey?” [AL-Bukhari].

۞Guidelines to be known

①The longer the way to the mosque, the greater the reward.

●It was narrated from Abi Musa AL-Ashᶦary that the Messenger of Allah said: “The person, who will receive the highest reward for prayer, is the 

one who comes to perform it in the mosque from the farthest distance.” [The Two Scholars].

●Jabir ibn Abd-Allah reported: Our houses were away from the mosque. Therefore, 
we decided to sell our houses so that we come near the mosque. The Messenger of Allah forbade us (to do so) and said: 
“There is for every step (towards
 the mosque) a degree (of reward) 
for you.” [Muslim].

②If you are in the mosque after you have already prayed, and a group prayer is 

going to be performed, repeat your prayer with them again.

●It was narrated from Mihjan that he was in a gathering with the 

Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) when the call to prayer was pronounced. The Messenger 
got up, prayed, then he came back and Mihjan was still sitting there. The Messenger said 
to him: “What prevented you from praying with people? Aren’t you a Muslim?” He 
said, “Of course, Messenger of Allah, but I have already prayed with my family.” The Messenger of Allah said, “When you come, pray with people, even if you have already prayed.” [AL-Nasaᶦi].

③Mosques have their holiness and sacredness, as they are houses Allah has ordered 

to be raised.

God says ﴾In mosques which Allah has ordered to be raised and that His name 
be mentioned therein, exalting Him within them in the morning and the 
evenings (36)[Are] men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer﴿
Chapter of Light (Surat An-Nur).

God also says ﴾And [He revealed] that mosques are for Allah, so do not invoke 
with Allah anyone﴿ Chapter of Jinns. Verse NO 18

۞Mosques are neither places for discussing issues of this world, nor cafes for talking 
with each other.

●It was narrated from Abi Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that Prophet 
(P.P.B.U.H) said, “If anyone hears a man inquiring in the mosque about something he 
has lost, he should say ‘May Allah

 not restore it to you’, for mosques are not built for this 

purpose.” [Muslim].

●It was narrated from Abi Hurairah that Allah’s Apostle (P.P.B.U.H) said, “When you see someone selling or buying in the mosque, say: ‘May Allah not profit your business.’”

[AL-Tirmidhi].

۞Whoever goes to the mosque must be clean and does not eat disgusting foods. 

God says ﴾O children of Adam, take your adornment at every mosque﴿
Chapter of the Heights.

●It was narrated from Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “He who has eaten onion or garlic or leek should not approach our mosque, 
because the angels are also offended by (the strong smells) that offend the children of Adam.” [Muslim].

●Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that Ataa ibn Yasar told him that 
the Messenger of Allah was in the mosque when a man 
came in with dishevelled hair and beard. The Messenger of Allah motioned with his hand 
that he should be sent out to groom his hair and beard. The man did so and then returned. 
The Messenger of Allah said, “Isn’t this better than that one of you come with his head dishevelled, as if he 

were a Devil?” [Malik].

۞Also quietness, calmness, and respecting holiness of the mosque
are necessary.

●Abdullah ibn Abi Qatadah narrated: My father said, “While we were praying with the Prophet, he heard the noise of some people. After the prayer he said, ‘What is the matter?’ They replied, ‘We were hurrying for the prayer.’
 He said, ‘Don’t do that, whenever you come for the prayer, you should come with calmness, and pray whatever you get (along with the leader) and complete the rest 
which you have missed.” [The Two Scholars].

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Excuses that allow absence from group prayer

Extreme cold and mud, heavy rain, illness, fear of unfair person, presence 

of food at the time of the group prayer, a blind person who does not find a leader for him, 
and feeling the call of nature.

.●Ibn ᶦUmar reported: The Messenger of Allah used to command an announcer who made 
the call to prayer. He then announced: “Pray in your dwellings.” on a cold or rainy night during journey.

[AL-Bukhari].

 

Prayer validity conditions, pillars,and sunan

Prayer validity conditions, pillars,and sunan

Prayer Validity Conditions:

1) Purity of organs from uncleanness and impurity.
        
2) Ablution before prayer.

3) Being certain that it is time to pray.

4) Heading to Kaᶦbah direction (AL Qiblah), except in war.

5) Covering private parts with clean clothes.

The private parts of a man are between his umbilicus and knees; the private parts of a woman include all of her body, except her face and hands. There is a debate about covering her feet. In summary, she should wear a pair of socks when she prays outside her home.

6) Standing on a clean place. In the schools of Shafii, Malik, and Abu-Hanifah, prayer is disliked in graveyards, slaughterhouses, dumps, barns, public baths, on the road, and on the roof of AL-Kaᶦbah.

But Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal considered prayer in these places is invalid.

Note: There is an exemption from heading to AL-Kaᶦbah direction in fear prayer, and in voluntary prayer during travel.

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Pillars of Prayer

The Pillar of Prayer: Validity of prayer depends on it, and prostration of forgetfulness does not deputize for it.

1)Standing up: If a praying person is able to do it. Sitting is not permissible in obligatory prayer if  a praying person is able to stand up. If he was unable to stand up, he would pray sitting. If he was unable to sit, he would pray lying on his side. If he was unable to lie on his side, he would pray lying on his back with his face towards AL-Kaᶦbah direction and make gestures using his hands, head, and eyes referring to bowing down (Rukuᶦ) and prostration (Sujuud). For voluntary prayer, it is permissible to pray sitting, but Allah decreases its reward.

●Imran ibn Husain (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: “I asked the Prophet about who prays sitting down. He said, ‘Whoever prays standing up is better, and one who prays sitting down will have half the reward of one who prays standing up. And whoever prays lying down will have half the reward of one who prays sitting down.’” [AL-Bukhari].

2)Intention.

3)Saying “God is the Greatest”, as in case of consecration (Takbeerat AL-Ihraam). 

 When you say it, with your face towards AL-Kaᶦbah direction and raising your palms just in front of your shoulders, you already start prayer.

4)Reciting Chapter of the Opening: (In the name of Beneficent, Merciful God) is a verse of it.

It is seven verses.

●It was narrated from Ibadah ibn AL-Samit that the Prophet said, “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening Chapter (Fatihat AL Kitab).” [The Two Scholars].

●It was narrated from Abi- Hurairah that the Prophet said, “If you recited ‘All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe’, you should recite ‘In the name of Beneficent, Merciful God.’ It is the epitome or basis of the Qurᶦan, and epitome or basis of the Book, and the seven oft-repeated verses.”

5)Bowing down. 

6)Rising from bowing down. 

7)Standing up straight.

8)Prostration.

9)Rising from prostration. 

10)Sitting between the two prostrations. 

11)The last sitting, including testification and saying prayers for the Prophet in the last testification.

12)The first prayer-end greeting.

13)Performing pillars in the previously mentioned order.

14)Feeling at ease in bowing down, in the two prostrations, and in the sitting between them.

●Abu-Hurairah reported: “Allah’s Apostle entered the mosque and a person followed him. The man prayed and went to the Prophet and greeted him. The Prophet returned the greeting and said to him, ‘Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.’ The man went back and prayed in the same way as before, returned and greeted the Prophet who said, ‘Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.’ This happened thrice. 
The man said, ‘By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I cannot offer the prayer in a better way than this. Please, teach me how to pray.’ 
The Prophet said, ‘When you stand for prayer say AL-Takbeer (God is the Greatest) and then recite from the Holy Qurᶦan (of what you know by heart) and then bow till you feel at ease. Then raise your head and stand up straight, then prostrate till you feel at ease during your prostration, then sit with calmness till you feel at ease (do not hurry) and do the same in all your prayers.’” [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

Note: The previous tradition is called “The tradition of the man who performed his prayer badly”.

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The Sunnah Practices of Prayer (Sunan AL-Salah)

a) Before beginning of prayer:

1) Call to prayer (Adhan).            
2) Second call to prayer (Iqamah).

And both of them are for obligatory prayer only.

In the call to morning prayer, the caller says, “Prayer is better than sleep.” twice.

The caller to prayer must be a rational male Muslim.

●It was narrated from Malik ibn AL-Huwairith that the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said, “When the time for prayer comes, one of you should pronounce the call for it, and the oldest of you  should lead the prayer.” [The Two Scholars].

●Anas reported: “Bilal was commanded to say the phrases of the call to pray twice and the phrases of the second call once.” [AL-Bukhari].

b) After prayer entering:

1) The first testification (Tashahhud) after two prayer units.

2) Humility invocation (Qunut):

a) In morning prayer, after bowing down in the second prayer unit.

b) In separate prayer (Salat AL-Witr) in the second half of Ramadan.

●Malik ibn AL-Huwayrith reported: We came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, being young men of a similar age. We spent twenty nights with him. 
He thought that we desired our own people and he asked us about those of our family we had left behind, and we told him. 
He was merciful and kind, and said,“Go back to your family. Instruct and command them. Pray as you have seen me praying. When it is time for the prayer, then let one of you pronounce its call and let the oldest of you lead you in prayer.” [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

*An Educational Mission.

The Prophet was the first to apply the educational missions approach. If a tribe converted to Islam, they would send a delegation to AL-Madinah to experience Muslims’ life with the Prophet and his companions. 
Then the members of the delegation return to their home to disseminate what they have learnt, according to God’s saying ﴾And it is not for the believers to go forth [to battle] all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group[remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people when they return to them that they might be cautious﴿ Chapter of Repentance. Verse NO 122

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Non-Emphasized Sunnah Practices of Prayer

❶Raising palms in saying “God is the Greatest” as in case of consecration.

●It was narrated from Salim, from his father, that: The Messenger of Allah used to raise his hands until they were in level with his shoulders when he started to pray, when he 
said “God is the Greatest” for bowing, and when he raised his head from bowing. And he did not do that (i.e. raising his hands) in prostration.  [AL-Bukhari].

❷Saying “I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth, as a monotheist, and I am not of the polytheists.” after saying “God is the Greatest.”

❸Putting the right hand on the left hand under the chest.

❹Seeking refuge, then (Basmallah) which means saying “In the name of Beneficent, Merciful God” in reading Chapter of the Opening.

❺Saying “Ameen” in the end of the Opening Chapter.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Apostle (P.P.B.U.H) said: “When the reciter (AL-Imam) says ‘Ameen’, say ‘Ameen’, for if a person’s Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels, his previous sins will be forgiven.” [The Two Scholars].

❻Reciting a Chapter or verses after reciting the Opening Chapter according to a person’s ability.

Imam Shafii allowed reading from Qurᶦan (i.e. putting it in front of the praying person), but Abu-Hanifah objected to that. Ibn Hanbal allowed it in voluntary prayer only.

❼Loudness in the first two prayer units of sunset and night prayers, and in the two prayer units of morning, Friday, and the Two Festivals prayers.

❽Saying “God is the Greatest” between acts of prayer.

❾Glorification of Allah in bowing down and prostration.

❿Saying “Allah hears the one who praises Him.” after raising from bowing down.

●It was narrated from Ibn ᶦAbbas that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “I have been forbidden to recite the Qurᶦan in the state of bowing and prostration. As for bowing down, honor the Lord in it, and as for prostration, do your best in invocation, that is worthy of being accepted.” [Muslim].

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: “The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is in prostration. So increase invocation in prostrations.” [Muslim].

True Prostration:

Make your hands away from your face, and raise your elbows above the earth. As for a woman, she makes her body parts near each other.

●Maimunah bint AL-Harith, the mother of believers, reported: When the Messenger of Allah prostrated, he kept his hands so much apart from each other that when it was seen from behind, the armpits became visible.

●It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “Be moderate in prostration and do not rest your forearms along the ground like a dog.” [AL-Bukhari]. 

●Ibn Abbas reported from the Apostle of Allah: “I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: forehead, and then pointed with his hands towards his nose, hands, knees, and the extremities of the feet. And we were forbidden to fold back clothing and hair.” [The Two Scholars].

●Rifaa ibn Rafi (May God be pleased with him) reported: “One day we were praying 
behind the Messenger of Allah, when the Messenger of Allah raised his head from 
bowing down and said, ‘Allah hears the one who praises Him (Samiᶦ Allahu Liman hamidah).’ 
A man behind him said, ‘Our Lord, praise belongs to You- blessed, pure and abundant  praise (Rabbana wa laka AL-Hamd, Hamdan Kathiran Tayiban  Mubarakan fihi).’ When the Messenger of Allah had finished, he said, ‘Who was it who spoke just now?’ The 
man said, ‘I did, Messenger of Allah.’ And the Messenger of Allah said, ‘I saw more 
than  thirty angels rushing to it to see which one of them would record it first.’” 
[AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

⓫Putting hands on knees in the sitting for testification.          

 ۞Stretch the left hand.
 ۞Do not extend the right hand.
۞ Raise the right index finger.

●Ibn ᶦUmar reported: When the Messenger of Allah sat for testification, he placed his left hand on his left knee, his right hand on his right knee, and raised his right finger which    was next to his thumb, making invocation in this way, and he stretched his left hand on    his left knee. [Muslim].

⓬The second prayer-end greeting.

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 Humility (Qunut) in Morning Prayer

Imam Shafii allowed it, but Abu-Hanifah did not approve it. Ibn Hanbal sees that AL-   Qunut is a Sunnah which is performed in serious events or wars by humility to Allah and invocation against an enemy, as the Prophet has done.

I testify that our chief (Sayedona) Muhammad……

Scholars have disliked saying “I testify that our chief Muhammad….” in testification, according to the Prophet’s saying “Do not make me your chief in prayer.” and his 
saying in his traditions: “And I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Apostle.” 
And his saying “Say: ‘O Allah, bless Muhammad and his family.’”

On the other hand, Imam Shafii considered the tradition “Do not make me your chief in prayer.” a weak tradition, therefore he allowed to say “Our chief Muhammad.”
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Invalidators of Prayer

1) Change of intention: When a praying person decides, during the prayer, to change the type of the prayer, (for example: changing it from an obligatory prayer to a voluntary   prayer), or the number of prayer units.

2) When AL Kaᶦbah direction (AL-Qiblah) is at the back of the praying person.

3) When private parts are uncovered.     

4) Invalidation of ablution.

5) When there is an apparent uncleanness on the praying person or on his clothes.

6) Sudden menses or confinement.

7) A lot of action during prayer. For example: walking three steps in any direction, or when his movements are more than three in one prayer unit.

8) Eating, drinking, laughing in prayer, or saying words other than those of prayer.

*Abu-Hanifah sees that giggling in prayer invalidates prayer and ablution also.

*In all cases mentioned previously, a praying person has to give salutation and end his 

prayer.