How to pray: conditions, the 13 pillars and the recitations step by step

1The place of prayer

Allah says: "Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers at fixed times" (Surah an-Nisa' 4:103), and "Guard the prayers, and the middle prayer" (Surah al-Baqarah 2:238). Prayer also restrains from indecency and wrongdoing (Surah al-'Ankabut 29:45).

The way of praying is taken from the Prophet's ﷺ own practice. He said: "Pray as you have seen me praying" (Sahih al-Bukhari 631). When a man prayed hastily, he told him to repeat it three times, then taught him: say takbir, recite from the Quran, bow until at rest, rise and stand straight, prostrate until at rest, and sit until at rest (Sahih al-Bukhari 757). This hadith is the basis of the pillars and of stillness (tama'ninah).

2The five obligatory prayers and their times

In Malaysia, use the prayer timetable published by JAKIM or your state Islamic religious department; see also prayer times (deen2u.com). Travellers may combine and shorten prayers under their conditions — see travel prayer (deen2u.com).

3Conditions of obligation and of validity

Conditions of obligation — who is required to pray:

• Muslim
• Having reached puberty
• Sane
• Free of menstruation and nifas
• The message of Islam has reached them

Conditions of validity — what must be in place before and throughout the prayer:

1. Free of minor and major ritual impurity — see Wudu and obligatory bath guide.
2. Body, clothes and place free of filth (najis).
3. Covering the awrah — men: between the navel and the knees; women: the whole body except the face and the hands. See Awrah and boundaries.
4. The time has begun — known for certain or with strong likelihood from a timetable.
5. Facing the qiblah (Surah al-Baqarah 2:144), except in voluntary prayer on a vehicle while travelling or in extreme fear.
6. Knowing the obligatory parts of the prayer, and not taking an obligatory part to be sunnah.

4The 13 pillars of prayer (Shafi'i school)

The pillars hold the prayer up. If one is left out deliberately the prayer is void; if forgotten, it must be done again (with sujud sahwi). This list of 13 pillars is the one commonly taught in Malaysia; some books count stillness (tama'ninah) as separate pillars, giving a higher number, but the content is the same.

5How to pray step by step, with the recitations

The example below is the Subuh prayer (two rak'ahs). For a three- or four-rak'ah prayer, add the first tashahhud after the second rak'ah, then rise for the next rak'ah. The recitations are given in transliteration as an aid only.

1. Stand facing the qiblah and make the intention. The intention is in the heart at the takbir. The usual wording (sunnah in the Shafi'i school, to help the heart): "Usalli fardas subhi rak'ataini mustaqbilal qiblati ada'an lillahi ta'ala" — "I intend to pray the obligatory Subuh, two rak'ahs, facing the qiblah, on time, for the sake of Allah the Exalted."
2. Takbiratul ihram — raise both hands level with the shoulders and say "Allahu akbar" (Allah is the Greatest). Then place the right hand over the left (Sahih al-Bukhari 740).
3. Opening du'a (iftitah) (sunnah). The wording usual in Malaysia: "Allahu akbaru kabira, walhamdu lillahi kathira, wa subhanallahi bukratan wa asila. Wajjahtu wajhiya lilladhi fataras samawati wal ard, hanifan musliman wa ma ana minal musyrikin. Inna solati wa nusuki wa mahyaya wa mamati lillahi rabbil 'alamin, la syarika lahu, wa bidhalika umirtu wa ana minal muslimin." Meaning: "Allah is the Greatest, truly great; abundant praise be to Allah; glory be to Allah morning and evening. I have turned my face to the One who created the heavens and the earth, upright and in submission, and I am not of the polytheists. My prayer, my worship, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds; He has no partner; with this I have been commanded and I am of the Muslims." Both parts are narrated in Sahih Muslim (Kitab al-Masajid and Kitab Salat al-Musafirin). Other opening du'as are also authentic, for example "Allahumma ba'id baini wa baina khatayaya..." (Sahih al-Bukhari 744).
4. Ta'awwudh (sunnah): "A'udzu billahi minasy syaitanir rajim" — "I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed."
5. Recite al-Fatihah (pillar) — see its text and meaning in the next section — then "Amin".
6. Recite a surah or some verses (sunnah) in the first two rak'ahs, for example Surah al-Ikhlas.
7. Ruku' — say takbir raising the hands, and bow until the back is level and the palms rest on the knees. Say three times: "Subhana rabbiyal 'azim" — "Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent" (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 262). In Malaysia "wa bihamdih" (and with His praise) is commonly added.
8. I'tidal — rise saying "Sami'allahu liman hamidah" (Allah hears whoever praises Him), then stand straight and say "Rabbana lakal hamd" (Our Lord, to You is all praise) (Sahih al-Bukhari 722 and 789).
9. Sujud — say takbir and go down into prostration on the seven parts. Say three times: "Subhana rabbiyal a'la" — "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High" (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 262); "wa bihamdih" is commonly added.
10. Sit between the two prostrations — sitting iftirash (on the left foot, the right foot upright) and say: "Allahummaghfir li, warhamni, wa 'afini, wahdini, warzuqni" — "O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, keep me well, guide me and provide for me" (Sunan Abu Dawud 850, hasan). The longer wording common in Malaysia is also narrated in the Sunan collections.
11. Second prostration, like the first. Then rise for the second rak'ah and repeat steps 5 to 11 (without the opening du'a).
12. Qunut in Subuh — in the Shafi'i school it is sunnah to recite the qunut du'a in the i'tidal of the second rak'ah of Subuh. The Hanafi and Hanbali schools do not practise it regularly in Subuh.
13. Final tashahhud — sit tawarruk and recite: "At-tahiyyatul mubarakatus salawatut tayyibatu lillah. Assalamu 'alaika ayyuhan nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Assalamu 'alaina wa 'ala 'ibadillahis salihin. Asyhadu an la ilaha illallah, wa asyhadu anna Muhammadar rasulullah." Meaning: "All greetings, blessings, prayers and good things are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." This wording is narrated by Ibn 'Abbas (ra) in Sahih Muslim (Kitab al-Salah) and is the one chosen by the Shafi'i school; the wording narrated by Ibn Mas'ud (ra) differs slightly (Sahih al-Bukhari 831).
14. Salawat — "Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallaita 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid. Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid." Meaning: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3370). It is sunnah to make du'a afterwards.
15. Salam — turn to the right: "Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah" (Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah), then to the left (Sunan Abu Dawud 996).

6Al-Fatihah: text, transliteration and meaning

Al-Fatihah is a pillar in every rak'ah. The Arabic text below is copied unchanged from the deen2u.com Quran data (Tanzil Project, Uthmani edition). Transliteration cannot capture every Arabic sound; every letter, vowel and shaddah in al-Fatihah must be right, so learn it with a teacher.

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (1)

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ (2)

ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (3)

مَـٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ (4)

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ (5)

ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ (6)

صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ (7)

7Sunnah ab'ad and sunnah hai'ah

In the Shafi'i school the sunnah acts of prayer are of two kinds:

• Sunnah ab'ad — if missed, sujud sahwi is recommended: the first tashahhud and its sitting, the qunut in Subuh (and in witr in the second half of Ramadan), and the salawat in the first tashahhud.
• Sunnah hai'ah — if missed, no sujud sahwi is needed: raising the hands at the opening takbir, at ruku' and on rising from it; placing the right hand over the left; the opening du'a; ta'awwudh; "amin"; reciting a surah; takbir at each change of position; the glorifications in ruku' and sujud; the du'a between the prostrations; the brief rest sitting; and the second salam.

The prostration of forgetfulness (sujud sahwi) is two prostrations before the salam for forgetting a sunnah ab'ad, adding an act, or doubting the number of rak'ahs (take the smaller number, as that is certain). See sujud sahwi (deen2u.com).

8What invalidates the prayer

1. Speaking deliberately, even a little. Zaid ibn Arqam (ra) said the Companions used to talk in prayer until Surah al-Baqarah 2:238 was revealed, after which they were ordered to keep silent (Sahih al-Bukhari 1200).
2. Eating or drinking deliberately, even a little.
3. Excessive movement — three large consecutive movements (Shafi'i school) that are not part of the prayer.
4. Losing purity, minor or major.
5. Contact with filth that is not excused and not removed at once.
6. The awrah being exposed and not covered at once.
7. Turning the chest away from the qiblah.
8. Leaving out a pillar deliberately, or changing the intention (for example intending to leave the prayer).
9. Laughing out loud.
10. Getting ahead of the imam by two physical pillars, for a follower, without excuse — see Congregational prayer guide.
11. Apostasy.

9Khushu': the soul of prayer

"Successful indeed are the believers, those who are humble in their prayer" (Surah al-Mu'minun 23:1-2). Khushu' is not a pillar, but the reward of the prayer depends on it.

• Make wudu calmly and come early.
• Understand what you recite — that is why this guide gives the meanings.
• Look at the place of prostration; keep the phone and distractions away.
• Stillness: don't "peck" in ruku' and sujud.
• Remember that this prayer may be your last.

See also khushu' (deen2u.com).

10Prayer in the family

"And enjoin prayer upon your family and be steadfast in it" (Surah Taha 20:132). The Prophet ﷺ said: "Command your children to pray when they are seven years old..." (Sunan Abu Dawud 495). How to teach wisely and without harshness is explained at Educating the family.

• Pray together at home when not going to the mosque: the husband or father leads, the wife and children follow — see Congregational prayer guide.
• Women pray as men do in the pillars; in the Shafi'i school women are recommended to keep their limbs close together in ruku' and sujud, and to lower their voice if non-mahram men are present.
• Women in menstruation or nifas do not pray and do not make those prayers up. See Fiqh of menstruation and nifas.
• Missed prayers must be made up in the Shafi'i school, as soon as possible if missed without excuse. See missed prayers (deen2u.com).
• Illness or pregnancy: prayer is still obligatory as far as one is able — standing, sitting or lying down.

Sources & references