كتاب الصلاة ( Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat

(146)Chapter: The Obligation To Perform The Salat (Prayers) (1)   

             باب الصَّلاَةِ مِنَ الإِسْلاَمِ

Talhah b. 'Ubaid Allah said:
A man from among the people of Najd with disheveled hair came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The humming sound of his voice could be heard but what he was saying could not be understood. He came closer and it was then known that he was asking about Islam.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Five times of prayer each day and night:
He asked: Must I observe any more than them?
He replied: No, unless you do it voluntarily.
He (Talhah) said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned fasting during the month of Ramadan.
He asked: Must I observe anything else? He replied: No, unless you do it voluntarily.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned Zakat to him.
He asked: Must I pay anything else? He replied: No, unless you do it voluntarily.
The man then turned away saying: I swear by Allah, I shall not add anything to this or fall short of it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The man will be successful if he speaks truth.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ أَبِي سُهَيْلِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ طَلْحَةَ بْنَ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ أَهْلِ نَجْدٍ ثَائِرَ الرَّأْسِ يُسْمَعُ دَوِيُّ صَوْتِهِ وَلاَ يُفْقَهُ مَا يَقُولُ حَتَّى دَنَا فَإِذَا هُوَ يَسْأَلُ عَنِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ خَمْسُ صَلَوَاتٍ فِي الْيَوْمِ وَاللَّيْلَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ هَلْ عَلَىَّ غَيْرُهُنَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَذَكَرَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صِيَامَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ هَلْ عَلَىَّ غَيْرُهُ قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَذَكَرَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الصَّدَقَةَ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَهَلْ عَلَىَّ غَيْرُهَا قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَأَدْبَرَ الرَّجُلُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَزِيدُ عَلَى هَذَا وَلاَ أَنْقُصُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ أَفْلَحَ إِنْ صَدَقَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)

Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)  صحيح   (الألباني)حكم     :
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 391
In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 1
English translation : Book 2, Hadith 391

This tradition has also been reported by Abu Suhail Nafi' b. Malik b. Abi 'Amir through a different chain of narrators. It adds:
He will be successful, by his father, if he speaks the truth; he will enter Paradise, by his father, if he speaks the truth.

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْمَدَنِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي سُهَيْلٍ، نَافِعِ بْنِ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَبِي عَامِرٍ بِإِسْنَادِهِ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ ‏ "‏ أَفْلَحَ وَأَبِيهِ إِنْ صَدَقَ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَبِيهِ إِنْ صَدَقَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
  شاذ بزيادة وأبيه   (الألباني)حكم     :

Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 392
In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 2
English translation : Book 2, Hadith 392

(147)Chapter: The Times Of As-Salat(2) باب فِي الْمَوَاقِيتِ

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Gabriel (ﷺ) led me in prayer at the House (i.e. the Ka'bah). He prayed the noon prayer with me when the sun had passed the meridian to the extent of the thong of a sandal; he prayed the afternoon prayer with me when the shadow of everything was as long as itself; he prayed the sunset prayer with me when one who is fasting breaks the fast; he prayed the night prayer with me when the twilight had ended; and he prayed the dawn prayer with me when food and drink become forbidden to one who is keeping the fast.

On the following day he prayed the noon prayer with me when his shadow was as long as himself; he prayed the afternoon prayer with me when his shadow was twice as long as himself; he prayed the sunset prayer at the time when one who is fasting breaks the fast; he prayed the night prayer with me when about the third of the night had passed; and he prayed the dawn prayer with me when there was a fair amount of light.

Then turning to me he said: Muhammad, this is the time observed by the prophets before you, and the time is anywhere between two times.

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ فُلاَنِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ، - قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ هُوَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَيَّاشِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ - عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، عَنْ نَافِعِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مُطْعِمٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ أَمَّنِي جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ عِنْدَ الْبَيْتِ مَرَّتَيْنِ فَصَلَّى بِيَ الظُّهْرَ حِينَ زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَكَانَتْ قَدْرَ الشِّرَاكِ وَصَلَّى بِيَ الْعَصْرَ حِينَ كَانَ ظِلُّهُ مِثْلَهُ وَصَلَّى بِيَ - يَعْنِي الْمَغْرِبَ - حِينَ أَفْطَرَ الصَّائِمُ وَصَلَّى بِيَ الْعِشَاءَ حِينَ غَابَ الشَّفَقُ وَصَلَّى بِيَ الْفَجْرَ حِينَ حَرُمَ الطَّعَامُ وَالشَّرَابُ عَلَى الصَّائِمِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْغَدُ صَلَّى بِيَ الظُّهْرَ حِينَ كَانَ ظِلُّهُ مِثْلَهُ وَصَلَّى بِيَ الْعَصْرَ حِينَ كَانَ ظِلُّهُ مِثْلَيْهِ وَصَلَّى بِيَ الْمَغْرِبَ حِينَ أَفْطَرَ الصَّائِمُ وَصَلَّى بِيَ الْعِشَاءَ إِلَى ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ وَصَلَّى بِيَ الْفَجْرَ فَأَسْفَرَ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَىَّ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ هَذَا وَقْتُ الأَنْبِيَاءِ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَالْوَقْتُ مَا بَيْنَ هَذَيْنِ الْوَقْتَيْنِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Grade: Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani)  حسن صحيح   (الألباني)حكم     :
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 393
In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 3
English translation : Book 2, Hadith 393

Ibn Shihab said:
'Umar b. 'Abdul 'Aziz was sitting on the pulpit and he somewhat postponed the afternoon prayer. 'Urwah b. al-Zubair said to him: "Gabriel informed Muhammed (ﷺ) of the time of prayer". So 'Umar said to him: "Be sure of what you are saying". 'Urwah then replied: "I heard Bashir b. Abu Mas'ud say that he heard Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari say that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)say:
'Gabriel came down and informed me of the time of prayer, and I prayed along with him, then prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, reckoning with his fingers five times of the prayer.'
I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offering the Duhr prayer when the sun had passed the meridian. Sometimes he would delay it when it was sever heat ; and I witnessed that he prayer the 'Asr prayer when the sun was high and bright before the yellowness had overcome it; then a man could go off after the prayer and reach Dhu'l-Hulaifah before the sunset, and he would pray Maghrib when the sun had set ; and he would pray the 'Isha prayer when darkness prevailed over the horizon; sometime he would delay it until the people assembled; and once he prayer the fair prayer in the darkness of dawn and at another time he prayed it when it became fairly light; but later on he continued to pray in the darkness of dawn until his death; he never prayed it again in the light of the dawn."

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted from al-Zuhri by Ma'mar, Malik, Ibn 'Uyainah, Shu'aib b. Abi Hamzah, and al-Laith b. Sa'd and others; but they did not mention the time in which he (the Prophet) had prayer, nor did they explain it. And similarly it has been narrated by Hisham b. 'Urwah and Habib b. Abu Mazruq from 'Urwah like the report of Ma'mar and his companions. But Habib did not make a mention of Bashir. And Wahb b. Kaisan reported on the authority of Jabir from the Prophet (ﷺ) the time of the Maghrib prayer. He said: "Next day he (Gabriel) came to him at the time of the Maghrib prayer when the sun had already set. (He came both days) at the same time."

Abu Dawud said: Similarly, this tradition has been transmitted by Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: "Then he (Gabriel) led me in the sunset prayer next day at the same time."

Similarly, this tradition has been narrated through a different chain by 'Abd Allah b. 'Amr b. al-'As, through a chain from Hassan b. 'Atiyyah, from 'Amr b. Shu'aib, from his father, on the authority from the Prophet (ﷺ).

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ الْمُرَادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ اللَّيْثِيِّ، أَنَّ ابْنَ شِهَابٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ كَانَ قَاعِدًا عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَأَخَّرَ الْعَصْرَ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ لَهُ عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ أَمَا إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ أَخْبَرَ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم بِوَقْتِ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ اعْلَمْ مَا تَقُولُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُرْوَةُ سَمِعْتُ بَشِيرَ بْنَ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ الأَنْصَارِيَّ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ نَزَلَ جِبْرِيلُ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرَنِي بِوَقْتِ الصَّلاَةِ فَصَلَّيْتُ مَعَهُ ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَهُ ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَهُ ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَهُ ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ يَحْسُبُ بِأَصَابِعِهِ خَمْسَ صَلَوَاتٍ فَرَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلَّى الظُّهْرَ حِينَ تَزُولُ الشَّمْسُ وَرُبَّمَا أَخَّرَهَا حِينَ يَشْتَدُّ الْحَرُّ وَرَأَيْتُهُ يُصَلِّي الْعَصْرَ وَالشَّمْسُ مُرْتَفِعَةٌ بَيْضَاءُ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَدْخُلَهَا الصُّفْرَةُ فَيَنْصَرِفُ الرَّجُلُ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ فَيَأْتِي ذَا الْحُلَيْفَةِ قَبْلَ غُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ وَيُصَلِّي الْمَغْرِبَ حِينَ تَسْقُطُ الشَّمْسُ وَيُصَلِّي الْعِشَاءَ حِينَ يَسْوَدُّ الأُفُقُ وَرُبَّمَا أَخَّرَهَا حَتَّى يَجْتَمِعَ النَّاسُ وَصَلَّى الصُّبْحَ مَرَّةً بِغَلَسٍ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فَأَسْفَرَ بِهَا ثُمَّ كَانَتْ صَلاَتُهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ التَّغْلِيسَ حَتَّى مَاتَ وَلَمْ يَعُدْ إِلَى أَنْ يُسْفِرَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَرَوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ مَعْمَرٌ وَمَالِكٌ وَابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ وَشُعَيْبُ بْنُ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ وَاللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ وَغَيْرُهُمْ لَمْ يَذْكُرُوا الْوَقْتَ الَّذِي صَلَّى فِيهِ وَلَمْ يُفَسِّرُوهُ وَكَذَلِكَ أَيْضًا رَوَاهُ هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ وَحَبِيبُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْزُوقٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ نَحْوَ رِوَايَةِ مَعْمَرٍ وَأَصْحَابِهِ إِلاَّ أَنَّ حَبِيبًا لَمْ يَذْكُرْ بَشِيرًا وَرَوَى وَهْبُ بْنُ كَيْسَانَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقْتَ الْمَغْرِبِ قَالَ ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ لِلْمَغْرِبِ حِينَ غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ - يَعْنِي مِنَ الْغَدِ - وَقْتًا وَاحِدًا ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَكَذَلِكَ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِيَ الْمَغْرِبَ يَعْنِي مِنَ الْغَدِ وَقْتًا وَاحِدًا وَكَذَلِكَ رُوِيَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ حَسَّانَ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏
  (حديث أبي مسعود) حسن، (حديث جابر) صحيح، (حديث أبي هريرة) حسن، (حديث عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص) حسن   (الألباني)حكم     :

Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 394
In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 4
English translation : Book 2, Hadith 394

Hadith: The Black Dog is a Devil

Hadith: The Black Dog is a Devil

salam alaykum:

Omar Farouq wrote in message <7fsnf6$si8$1@waltz.rahul.net>...

>Assalaamu &alaykum, >
>This one is for Dien Rice. He challenged Zaharuddin to bring forth a >mutawaatir hadith that is disputed. Here is one: >
>The English is copied MSA-USC's collection, and can be verified by anyone, >except perhaps Abujamal, as we've seen before. >
>Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Number 1032:

The translation given is practically unreadable, so I am translating it again:

Abd Allah ibn al-Samit said: Abu Dharr said:
Allah's Messenger -- Allah bless and salute him! -- said:

"When one of you stands in prayer, what definitely constitutes a barrier for him is an object placed in front of him of the same height as the back of a camel-saddle. If it is not in front of him and of the same height as the back of a camel-saddle, then some [stray] donkey, or some woman passing, or some black dog will cut off his prayer."

I said: "O Abu Dharr! What is it that makes a black dog different from a red or yellow dog?"

He replied: "O dear cousin! I asked Allah's Messenger -- Allah bless and salute him! -- the exact same question. He said that the black dog is a devil."

Notes on the legal rulings based on this hadith and its meaning:

The passing of the above-mentioned in front of the person at prayer does not invalidate his prayer according to the vast majority of the Imams of Law, Salaf and Khalaf (early and late authorities) who concur that the meaning of "will cut off his prayer" is not literal but means: "will make his prayer imperfect" due to the distraction they will cause in people's hearts, while Imam Ahmad considered that only the passing of a black dog actually invalidates it. This was mentioned by Imam al-Nawawi in Sharh Sahih Muslim and al-Mubarakfuri in Tuhfa al-Ahwadhi.

Some of the narrations mention "the dog that bites indiscriminately"
(al-kalb al-`aqur). Others: "The jet-black dog" (al-kalb al-aswad al-bahim). The gist of the reference seems to be that a wild-looking dog, or one known to be dangerous, has the greatest potential for distracting attention, and

Allah knows best.

Notes on the classification of this hadith:

It is a sahih but lone-narrator (ahad), not mass-transmitted (mutawatir) hadith. The least number of Companion-narrators required to make a sahih hadith mutawatir is ten according to al-Suyuti in his book al-Azhar al-Mutanathira fi al-Ahadith al-Mutawatira, whereas this hadith has less than five: Abu Dharr, Abd Allah ibn Mughaffal, Ibn Abbas, and A'isha. Therefore it is not included in al-Kattani's definitive collection of mutawatir-only hadiths entitled Nazm al-Mutanathir.

>So now, Dien Rice, this hadith is both Marfuu&, Muttasil, contains one or more >of the sahaaba in the chain of narration, which renders it what? According to >you and your anonymous *majority of scholars* this type of hadith cannot be >disputed. Rejecting it would be kufr.

Rejecting this sahih hadith would not be kufr because, as we just said, it is not mass-transmitted; but it would constitute a sin.

Ahl al-Sunna concur, unlike the Mu'tazila, that authentic lone-narrator reports are obligatory to believe and put into practice. Al-Qari relates, on this point, the consensus of the Companions and the Successors. Where scholars differ is whether the same hadiths convey certainty of knowledge (al-'ilm al-yaqînî) or only the compelling assumption of truth (al-zann al-ghâlib). These two categories differ insofar as obligatory practice and belief based on certainty of knowledge cannot be denied except on pains of apostasy, while the denial of obligatory practice and belief based on reports compellingly assumed to be true do not constitute apostasy but constitute sin. The scholars do concur that if one disbelieves in a sound lone-narrator report one commits a grave transgression (fisq) and is even considered misguided (dâll), but does not leave the fold of Islam. Al-Shafi'i, al-Risala (p. 460-461): "If one disbelieves in them [lone-narrated reports], we do not say to him: 'Repent!'" This is clearly unlike disbelief in a mass-transmitted report or in a verse of the Qur'an.

>Well Dien, guess who disputed that hadith? It was the prophet's own wife >Ayesha, Ummu -l mu'mineen: > >Volume 1, Book 9, Number 493: >

>Narrated 'Aisha:

Again, the translation is inaccurate, so I will translate myself from al-Bukhari's version (Book of Sala, Ar. # 478):

`A'isha said: "Are you [the narrator of that hadith] equating us [women] with dogs and donkeys? It happened to me more than once that I was lying down in bed, and the Prophet -- Allah bless and salute him! -- would come in, the bed being between us, and pray. Disliking to stand up in his face, I would slink down towards the bottom of the bed until I cleared my bedcover."

Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari mentioned that al-Bukhari adduced this hadith to show that the fact that a man at prayer faces a woman does not necessaily distract him.

Among the benefits of `A'isha's narration of the Prophet's behavior -- Allah bless and salute him -- are the following:

1. An important elaboration on the general legal rulings inferred from the previous hadith, specifying that distraction is not an inevitable fact for all people. This is confirmed by another narration from `A'isha in Bukhari states that at other times she would continue to sleep, and that the Prophet -- Allah bless and salute him -- would touch her lightly upon prostrating so that she would withdraw her legs to make way for him, then she would stretch them again when he got up.

2. The clarification that women are less likely to cause distraction because they can take care to avoid whatever causes it, especially a spouse, as this situation is the likeliest to occur frequently in the life of Muslims.

3. The teaching that one should not mindlessly equate women with animals in the course of relating this authentic hadith.

But Allah Almighty knows best.

Blessings and peace on the best of creation, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his Family and all his Companions.

Salatu-l-Fajr

1. The Early Morning Prayer (Salatu-l-Fajr)

In this prayer two units (Rak’ahs) are offered first as supererogatory (Sunnah). These are followed by two other units as obligatory (Fard). Both supererogatory and obligatory units are offered in the same manner except that, when declaring the intention, one has to distinguish between the two kinds. This is the description of performance:
 
Act 1. One stands in reverence and humility, facing the Qiblah, raising his hands up to the ears, and says his intention by heart “Nawaytu Osalli Sunnata Salati-Fajr or Farda Salati-Fajr (As the case may be);
 
This means: I declare my intention to offer the supererogatory or obligatory (as the case may be) prayer of morning.
 
And then the prayer begins by pronouncing "Takberatul-Ihram": "Allah Akbar" God is the Greatest.
 
Then he lowers his arm and places the right hand over the left hand, right above the navel. (This position of the hands is in accordance with one school of law. Other positions are preferred by other schools. However, these are minor differences and do not affect the validity of the prayer. In fact, all such differences are considered as conveniences and facilities rather than hindrances and restriction.) This the waquf position (standing position).
 
Act 2. He then says in a low voice the following: "Du'a Thana" (Praise supplication):
 
“Subhanaka-l-lahumma wa bihamdik, wa tabaraka-smuk, wa ta’ala jadduk, wa La Ilaha Ghayruk. A’udhu bi-l-lahi mina-sh-shaytani-r-rajeem. Bismi-l-lahi-r-rah-mani-r-raheem
 
This means: “Glory be to You, O God, and Yours is the praise and blessed is Your name, and exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god besides You. I seek the refuge of God from the condemned devil. In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.” (This part is recommended. It is not absolutely essential for the completion of the prayer.)
 
Act 3. Then in a low or audible voice he recites the Opening Chapter of the Qur’an (al-Fatihah), followed by any passage from the Holy Book. (The Opening and examples of these short chapters and verses will be found later in this chapter.)
 
Act 4. Then he says: “Allahu Akbar,” (God is the Greatest ), bowing his trunk down at a right angle, placing the palms of his hands on the knees. This is the Ruku’ position (bowing position), and saying in a low voice:
 
“Subhana Rabbiya-l-Azeem”.
 
This means: “Glory to my Lord the Great”, (repeated three times).
 
After that the standing position is resumed with these words:
 
“Sami’ a-l-ahu Liman Hamidah; Rabbana Laka-l-Hamd
 
This means: ("God accepts any who are thankful to Him; Our Lord, praise be to You"). When saying this the hands remain on the sides.
Act 5. The worshipper then says: Allahu Akbar, prostrating himself with the toes of both feet, both knees, both hands and the forehead touching the ground. This is the Sujud position (prostration position) and is accompanied with these words:
 
"Subhana Rabbiya-l-A’La"
 
This means: "Glory to my Lord the most High", ( repeated three times).
 
Act 6. Then with the utterance of Allahu Akbar comes the Julus position (sitting position), a short rest in sitting posture: the outer side of the left foot and the toes of the right one, which are in an erect position, touching the ground and the two hands are placed on the knees.
 
After this a second prostration (Sujud) is repeated in the same way with the same utterances as in the first one. This completes one unit (Rak’ah) of the prayer.
 
Act 7. After the first unit the worshipper rises, saying Allahu Akbar, to assume a standing position for the second unit and recites the Opening (the Fatihah) followed by a Qur’anic passage as in the first unit.
 
Act 8. When he has finished the second bowing and the two prostrations in the same way as the first, he takes a sitting position as in Julus and recites the Tashahhud with its two parts. (This will be found later in this chapter.)
 
Act 9. Finally he turns his face to the right side saying these word: “Assalamu ‘Alaykum wa rahmatu-l-Lah (peace be on you and the mercy of God). Then he turns his face to the left side uttering the same greetings (Taslim).
 
This is how any prayer of two units (Rak’ahs), whether obligatory or supererogatory, is performed. When knowing how to perform this prayer in the right way, all other prayers will be found very easy. It should be pointed out that every move or every word in the Islamic prayer has a great significance attached to it and is symbolic of a very deep meaning.

The Tashahhud

2. The tashahhud

The First Part
 
At-tahiyyato-li-l-lah wa-s-salawato wa-t-tayyibat
As-salamu’alayka ayyuha-n-nabiy
Wa rahmatu-l-lahi wa barakatuh
Alsalamu ‘alayna
Wa ‘ala ‘ibadi–l-lahi-s-salihen
Ashhadu an la ilaha-illa-l-lah
Wahdahu la shareeka lahu
Wa ashadu ana Muhammadan
Abdahu wa rasulahu
           
This may be interpreted as follows:
          
    All reverence, all worship, all sanctity are due to God.
Peace be upon you, O prophet and the mercy of God and His blessings.
    Peace be upon us all and on the righteous servants of God.
I bear witness that there is no god but God alone,
    And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.
(This part is recited after the second unit in every prayer consisting of three or four units and then the worshipper stands up for the third unit.)
 
The Second Part
 
Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad
Wa ‘ala ale Muhammad
Kama sallayta ‘ala Ibraheem
Wa ‘ala ale Ibraheem
Wa Barek ala Muhammad
Wa ala ale Muhammad
Kama barakta al Ibraheem
Wa 'ala ale Ibrahem
Fil –‘ala Meena innaka hameeddun majeed
            
This may be interpreted as follows:
           
O God! Exalt Muhammad and the people of Muhammad,
   As You did exalt  Abraham and the people of Abraham.
And bless Muhammad and the people of Muhammad
   As You did bless Abraham and the people of Abraham
Indeed You are praiseworthy, and glorious.
 
           
(The two parts of the Tashahhud are recited in the last unit concluding any prayer, With the end of the second part followed by the peace greetings, the prayer is completed. The second part alone is recited in the funeral prayer after the third Takbeer.)