Laws of Salaat

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Laws of Salaat

LAWS OF SALAAT

ALLAH TA’ALA SAYS IN THE QUR’AAN:

"And truly it (Salaat) is severe except for the humble ones who know that they have to meet their Lord and that unto Him will they return."

"Woe on to the worshippers who are heedless of their Salaat who want but to be seen in Salaat."

ABU HURAIRAH (radhiyallahu anhu) NARRATES:

Once the Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) asked his companions: "Do you believe that dirt can remain on a person bathing five times a day in a river running infront of his door?" "No!" replied the companions, "No dirt can remain on his body." Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) remarked: "So exactly similar is the effect of Salaat offered five times a day with the grace of Allah it washes away all the sins."

ABDULLAH BIN QURT (radhiyallahu anhu) NARRATES:

That he heard Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) saying Salaat will be the first thing to be reckoned for on the Day of Qiyaamah. If this is found satisfactory, then the rest of the deeds will come out such and if this is not so, the remaining deeds are sure to be found wanting.

NABI (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) SAID:

"He who safeguards his Salaat. It shall be a light, a proof for him and a means of salvation for him on the Day of Qiyaamah. And there will be no light, proof and a means of salvation for he who does not safeguard his Salaat. He shall be along with Firoun, Hamaan and Ubay bin Khalaf.

NAMAAZ CHART AND TIME-TABLE

	Tot. # of Rakaats	Sunnat	Fardh	Sunnat	Nafl	Witr Waajib	Nafl	Times of Salaat
FAJR	4	2	2					From dawn till sunrise.
ZOHAR	12	4	4	2	2			After midday till the shadow of any object becomes twice its size plus the original shadow of midday.
ASR	8	4	4					When Zohar ends till sunset.
MAGHRIB	7		3	2	2			After sunset till whiteness of horizon disappears
ESHA	17	4	4	2	2	3	2	Approx. one and a half hours after sunset till dawn.
JUMMA	14	4	2	4+2	2			Zohar time.

NOTE: The Sunnats before Fajr, Zohar and Juma’ and the Sunnats after Zohar, Maghrib, Esha and Juma’ are all Muakkada, while those before Asr and Esha are Ghair Muakkada.

Besides, the above mentioned Salaat there are also some well known Nafl Salaat which have tremendous reward as has been stated in many Ahadith.

NABI (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) SAID REGARDING THESE:

Ishraaq Salaat – "He who performs Fajr Salaat with Jamaat and remains seated engaged in Zikr until sunrise and then perform two rakaats will obtain the thawaab of one Haj and one Umrah."

Chaast Salaat – "There is charity on each joint of everyone of you in the morning. So every Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Lailaha-ill-allah and Allahu Akbar is an act of charity. To command with good and forbid what is prohibited is also an act of charity and only two rakaats of Chaast which he performs will suffice.

Awaabeen Salaat – Hadhrat Amir bin Yasir (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) offered six rakaats after Maghrib himself and said that whosoever offers six rakaats after Maghrib will have all his sins forgiven even though they are as much as the foam of the ocean.

Tahajjud Salaat – The most excellent Salaat after the obligatory Salaat is the Salaat in the depth of the night. Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) also said: "Perform your Salaat during the night for it was the practice of the pious before you. It is a means of gaining nearness to Allah Ta’ala, a compensation for sins and a barrier from sin.

CHART AND TIMETABLE

	Minimum	Maximum	Time of Salaat
Ishraaq	2	4	10 to 15 min after sunrise.
Chaast	2	12	Before midday.
Awwabeen	6	20	After Maghrib
Tahajjud	4	12	Last part of night till dawn

MAKROOH TIMES OF ALL SALAAT AND SAJDAH-E-TILAWAT

1) Sunrise

2) Midday

3) Sunset

MAKROOH TIMES FOR NAFL SALAAT ARE AS FOLLOWS:

From the beginning of Fajr time to 10-15 minutes after sunrise.
Zawwaal time.
After Fardh of Asr Salaat till after Fardh of Maghrib Salaat.

CONDITIONS OF SALAAT

To make wudhu or ghusl if necessary.
Cleanliness of body, dress and place.
Facing towards the Qiblah.
Covering the private parts.
Intention of Salaat.
Performing at prescribed times.

FARDH – COMPULSORY FACTORS OF SALAAT

Takbeer-e-Tahrima (To say Allahu Akbar at the beginning).
Qiyaam (Standing posture).
Qiraat (To recite at least three short aayats or one long aayat).
Ruku – (To bow down).
Two Sajdahs (To prostrate).
Qa’dah Akheerah (To sit for the time taken to read Tashahud at the end).

NB: If anyone misses any Fardh act their Salaat will become NULL & VOID hence it has to be repeated.

WAAJIB – NECESSARY FACTORS OF SALAAT

To recite Surah Faatihah in all rakaats, however in the third and fourth rakaats of any Fardh Salaat it is Sunnat and not Waajib.
Fixing the first two rakaats of Fardh Salaat for Qiraat.
Qiraat after Surah Faatihah in the first two rakaats of Fardh Salaat and all rakaats of other Salaats.
To recite Surah Faatihah before any other Surah.
To maintain order in Qiraat, ruku and sajdah.
Qaumah (To stand erect after ruku).
Jalsa (To sit between two sajdas).
To perform all parts of Salaat without any haste.
Qa’dah Ula (To sit for Tashahud after 2 rakaats in a 3 or 4 rakaat Salaat.)
To read Tashahud in the Qa’dahs.
For the Imaam to read aloud in Fajr, Maghrib, Esha, Jumaah, Eid and Taraweeh Salaats.
To end with Salaam.
To recite Dua-e-Qunoot in the third rakaat of Witr Salaat.

NB: If a person misses any one of the Waajib acts by mistake then SAJDA-SAHW becomes Waajib and if it is missed out deliberately it CANNOT be restored by SAJDA-SAHW and the salaat will be VOID.

Method of making Sajda-Sahw: In the last qaidah after Tashahud to make one Salaam to the right then perform two sajdas, then complete as normal i.e. Tashahud, Durood, dua after Durood and Salaam.

SUNNAT FACTORS OF SALAAT THOSE ACTS WHICH NABI (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) DID IN SALAAT

To raise the hands for Takbeer-e-Tahrema.
While raising the hands keep the fingers raised and palms facing the Qiblah.
To keep the head straight when saying takbeer.
Saying all the Takbeers aloud by the Imaam.
To fold the right hand around the left hand below the navel.
To recite Subhana-kalla-humma, i.e., Thanaa.
To recite the complete A’athuzu.
To recite the complete Bismillah.
To recite Surah Faatihah only in the 3^rd and 4^th rakaats of Fardh Salaat.
To say Aa’meen.
To recite Thanaa, Ta’ooz and Aameen silently.
To recite as much Qiraat as is Sunnat for every Salaat.
To say Tasbeeh at least three times each in ruku and sajdah.
To keep the back and the hand at the same level while holding the knees with the fingers in ruku.
For the Imaam to say Sa-me-al-laa-hu-li-man hamida in Quama followed by Rabbana la kal hamd by the muqtadi. The munfarid should say both.
While going into sajdah, first place knees then hands then forehead on the ground.
In Qa’da and Jalsa to sit on the left foot which is lying horizontally on the ground while placing the right foot vertically with the toes towards the Qiblah and both hands on the thighs.
To raise the index finger of the right hand as one says Ash-ha-du-al-laa-ilaha.
To recite Durood after Tashahud.
To recite the Dua after the Durood.
To turn the face to the right and the left for salaam.

NB: If a person misses any Sunnat, the Salaat will be CORRECT although MAKROOH.

WHO IS THE WORST THIEF?

Abdullah bin Qatadah (radhiyallahu anhu) narrates that the Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) once said: "The worst thief is the one who steals from his Salaat." Upon which the companions enquired: "How can one steal from his salaat Ya Rasulullah?" Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) replied: "When one does not do his ruku and sajda properly."

This article consists only of some masaa’ils pertaining to salaat. For further Masaa’il refer to the following books: Kitaab-us-Salaat, Bahishti Zewar, Taleemul Haq, Our Namaaz, etc. or ask your local Ulama. Please treat this Deeni article and other Deeni articles with respect.

Prepared by: Madresa Maseehul-Uloom