Lesson 3: The pray in Islam
Please watch this video about how to pray, it will be useful…
There are five prayers which must be performed by the Muslims and are called “obligatory” prayers. It is a great sin to neglect performing any of these obligatory prayers. Among the merits of performing the obligatory prayers is that one’s small sins, which may be committed between prayers, are forgiven. The Prophet , may Allah raise his rank, said:
“ من توضا فاحسن الوضوء خرجت خطاياه من جسده حتى تخرج من تحت اظافره“ رواه مسلم
Which means: “Whoever makes a complete wudu’, his sins will depart his body, until they leave from under his nails” (Muslim).
The Fajr (or Subh) prayer is two rak^ahs. The Dhuhr Prayer is four rak^ahs. The Asr prayer is four rak^ahs. The Maghrib prayer is three rak^ahs . The Isha’ prayer is four rak^ahs.
How to pray
1. Facing the Qiblah: It is obligatory to stand directing your chest to the honorable Qiblah. The Qiblah is the Ka ^ bah in Makkah.
2. Intention: It is obligatory to intend in your heart performing the obligatory Dhuhr prayer. Do that while saying الله اكبر Allahu akbar (God is great).
An example is to say in your heart “I intend to pray the obligatory Dhuhr prayer”.
3. The Opening Takbir: It is obligatory to say Allahu akbar at least as loud as you can hear yourself, while raising your hands next to your ears. Raising your hands is a recommended part.
4. Standing: It is obligatory to stand in the obligatory prayer when able. It is recommended to hold the wrist of the left hand with the right hand, placing both above the navel.
5. Reciting the Fatihah: It is obligatory to recite the Fatihah (the first chapter of the Qur’an) at least as loud as you can hear yourself. It is an obligation to recite the Fatihah properly.
6. The Ruku^” (Bowing): It is obligatory to bend at the waist until your palms can reach your knees and stay still in this position for at least the time it takes to say سبحان الله subhanallah. It is recommended upon bending to raise your hands next to your ears and say Allahu akbar. Also it is recommended while in ruku^, to say three times: سُبحانَ رَبِّيَ العظيمsubhana Rabbiyal- ^Adhim (Praise be to my Great Lord).
7. The I^ tidal (Straightening up): It is obligatory to straighten your back and stay still in this position for at least the time it takes to say subhanallah. It is recommended while raising your trunk to raise your hands next to your ears and to say سَمعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ sami^ allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears who praises Him). While your back is straight up it is recommended to say رَبّنَا لَكَ الحَمدُ Rabbana lakal-hamd (0 our Lord, to You the praise is due).
8. The Sujiud (Prostration): It is obligatory to go down to the floor and prostrate by pressing your bare forehead, and putting your palms, knees, and pads of the toes on the floor. Both feet are kept vertical with the heels up and the toepads down touching the floor. Stay still in this position for at least the time it takes to say subhanallah.
9. The Sitting between the two Sujuds: It is obligatory to raise your trunk from prostration and sit, staying still in this position for at least the time it takes to say subhanallah. An alternate recommended way of sitting is to rest the buttocks on the heels of both feet which are kept as in sujud.
It is recommended that the hands be placed on the thighs at the knees with the fingers extended and spread slightly towards the Qiblah.
It is recommended to say Allahu akbar while coming to sitting.
Also, it is recommended while sitting to say:
10. It is obligatory to perform a second sujud from your sitting position. This sujud is similar to the first sujud.After the second sujud is fulfilled you have completed the first rak^ah (cycle) of the prayer.
11. It is obligatory to stand up for the second rak^ah . It is recommended while doing so to say Allahu akbar. Repeat steps 5 to 10. This ends your second rak^ah.
12. It is recommended at this time to sit up from sujud, recite the Tashahhud , and say اللهم صلى على محمد Allahumma salli ^ala Muhammad at least as loud as you can hear yourself. It is recommended to sit as An alternate way of sitting is to rest the buttocks on both crossed feet. It is also recommended to keep both hands on your thighs. The fingertips of your left hand should be spread towards your knee. In this sitting, the fingers of the right hand are lightly fisted except for the index finger which is extended slightly down. The index finger is lifted slightly at saying إلاّ الله illallah (in the Tashahhud) and is kept as such until the end of this sitting .
13. It is obligatory to stand up and do two more rak^ahs in the same way that you did from steps 5 to 11. It is recommended while rising for the third rak ^ah to raise your hands next to your ears and say Allahu akbar. However, raising the hands is not recommended while rising for the fourth rak^ah .
14. Upon completion of the second sujud of the last rak^ah, it is obligatory to sit up, recite the Tashahhud, and say Allahumma salli ^ala Muhammad.
It is recommended to keep the hands as in step 12. However, after the index finger is lifted slightly at saying illallah it is kept as such until the end of the prayer.
For this sitting it is also recommended to pass the left foot past the right leg and place the buttocks on the floor, keeping the right foot as in sujuji.
Afterwards, it is recommended to say al tashahod. Then it is recommended to say a supplication such as:
Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil- ‘akhirati hasanah, wa qina ^adhaban-nar, which means: “0 our Lord, grant us in this life and in the Hereafter good things, and protect us from the torture of the Hellfire”.
15. The Ending Salam: It is obligatory to say 
as-assalamu ^alaykum at least as loud as you can hear yourself. It is recommended to say
as- salamu ^alaykum wa Rahmatullah first to one’s right and then to one’s left .
By saying this your prayer is ended.
What is Said in the Sitting (Tashahhud)
At-Tashahhud was-Salatul-’Ibrahimiyyah
At-Tahiyyatul-mubarakat, as-salawatut-tayyibatu lillah. AsSalamu ^alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-Salamu ^alayna wa ^ala ^ibadillahis-salihin Ashhadu alla ‘ilaha illallah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah. (End of the Tashahhud)
Allahumma salli ^ala Muhammad, (This completes the obligation) wa ^ala ‘Ali Muhammad, kama sallayta ^ala ‘Ibrahim, wa ^ala ‘Ali ‘Ibrahim. ‘Innaka Hamidum Majid. Allahumma barik ^ala Muhammad, wa ^ala ‘Ali Muhammad, kama barakta ^ala ‘Ibrahim, wa ^ala ‘Ali ‘Ibrahim. ‘Innaka Hamidum Majid.
“Adapted from http://www.sunna.info/prayer/TheBasicsoftheMuslimsPrayer.php“
