Salah: The Complete Hanafi Prayer Guide

This guide sets out the five daily prayers according to the Hanafi school, the way they are taught in the classical primers used in madrasas: the number of rak'ahs, what is fard, wajib, sunnah and mustahab, and the full method from the first takbir to the salam.

• 7Conditions
• 6Fard acts
• 14Wajib acts
• 21Sunnah acts
• 5Mustahab acts

Sources. The lists follow Ta'lim al-Islam (Mufti Muhammad Kifayatullah), Nur al-Idah (Imam ash-Shurunbulali) and Bahishti Zewar (Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi). Recitations are cited to their hadith collections. For a ruling on your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.

Rak'ahs of each prayer

The fard rak'ahs of the five daily prayers add up to 17. With the three wajib rak'ahs of Witr, the minimum each day is 20. The Sunnah Mu'akkadah rak'ahs add up to 12: 2 before Fajr, 4 before and 2 after Zuhr, 2 after Maghrib and 2 after Isha.

Fard, Wajib, Sunnah, Mustahab

• Fard: obligatory. If a fard act is left out, the prayer is not valid and must be repeated.
• Wajib: necessary. If one is left out by mistake, Sajdah Sahw makes up for it. If it is left out on purpose, the prayer must be repeated.
• Sunnah Mu'akkadah: the regular practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Leaving it without a reason is blameworthy.
• Sunnah Ghayr Mu'akkadah and Nafl: rewarded when performed; no blame if left.
• Mustahab: preferred acts that complete the prayer and add to its reward.

The 7 conditions before salah (Shara'it)

These must be in place before the prayer begins. Without any one of them the prayer does not start.

1. The body is pure: wudu has been made, or ghusl where it is required, and there is no impurity on the body.
2. The clothes are pure.
3. The place of prayer is pure.
4. The satr is covered. For a man this is from the navel to below the knees. For a woman it is the whole body except the face, the hands and the feet.
5. The time of that prayer has entered.
6. Facing the qiblah.
7. Niyyah: the intention in the heart for the particular prayer. Saying it with the tongue is not required.

The 6 fard acts inside salah (Arkan)

1. Takbir Tahrimah: saying Allahu Akbar to begin.
2. Qiyam: standing, for one who is able.
3. Qira'ah: reciting from the Quran, at least one verse.
4. Ruku: bowing.
5. Both sajdahs in every rak'ah.
6. Qa'dah Akhirah: the final sitting, for as long as it takes to read the Tashahhud.

Together with the seven conditions, these are the 13 fard of salah that children memorise.

The 14 wajib acts

1. Keeping the recitation of the Quran in the first two rak'ahs of a fard prayer.
2. Reciting Surah al-Fatihah in every rak'ah of every prayer. In the third and fourth rak'ah of a fard prayer it is sunnah.
3. Reciting a surah, one long verse or three short verses after al-Fatihah in the first two rak'ahs of a fard prayer and in every rak'ah of Witr, sunnah and nafl prayers.
4. Reciting al-Fatihah before the surah.
5. Keeping the order: recitation, then ruku, then the sajdahs, and the rak'ahs in sequence.
6. Qawmah: standing upright after ruku.
7. Jalsah: sitting upright between the two sajdahs.
8. Ta'dil al-Arkan: being still and unhurried in ruku, qawmah, sajdah and jalsah.
9. Qa'dah Ula: the first sitting, after two rak'ahs, in a prayer of three or four rak'ahs.
10. Reciting the Tashahhud in both sittings.
11. For the imam: reciting aloud in Fajr, Maghrib, Isha, Jumu'ah, the two Eids and Tarawih, and quietly in Zuhr and Asr.
12. Ending the prayer with the words of salam.
13. In Witr: the takbir for Qunut and reciting Dua Qunut.
14. In the two Eid prayers: the six additional takbirs.

The 21 sunnah acts

1. Raising both hands to the ears before Takbir Tahrimah. Women raise them to the shoulders.
2. Keeping the fingers as they naturally are and the palms facing the qiblah while raising the hands.
3. Not lowering the head while saying the takbir.
4. The imam saying each takbir aloud, as loudly as the congregation needs.
5. Placing the right hand over the left below the navel. Women place them on the chest.
6. Reciting the Thana.
7. Reciting the Ta'awwudh.
8. Reciting Bismillah before al-Fatihah.
9. Reciting only al-Fatihah in the third and fourth rak'ah of a fard prayer.
10. Saying Amin after al-Fatihah.
11. Reciting the Thana, Ta'awwudh, Bismillah and Amin quietly.
12. Reciting the length of Quran that is sunnah for each prayer.
13. Saying the tasbih at least three times in ruku and in sajdah.
14. In ruku, keeping the back and head level and holding the knees with the fingers spread.
15. On rising from ruku, the imam saying Sami'a-llahu liman hamidah, the follower saying Rabbana laka-l-hamd, and one praying alone saying both.
16. Going into sajdah by placing the knees first, then the hands, then the forehead.
17. In jalsah and qa'dah, laying the left foot flat and sitting on it, keeping the right foot upright with its toes towards the qiblah, and resting the hands on the thighs.
18. Raising the index finger at ash-hadu an la ilaha in the Tashahhud and lowering it at illa-llah.
19. Reciting Durood Ibrahim after the Tashahhud in the final sitting.
20. Reciting a dua after the Durood.
21. Turning the face for salam to the right first, then to the left.

The 5 mustahab acts

1. For men, taking the hands out of the sleeves or shawl when raising them for Takbir Tahrimah.
2. For one praying alone, saying the tasbih of ruku and sajdah more than three times.
3. Keeping the eyes on the place of sajdah while standing, on the feet in ruku, on the tip of the nose in sajdah, on the lap while sitting and on the shoulder at each salam.
4. Holding back a cough as far as possible.
5. Keeping the mouth closed when a yawn comes, and covering it with the back of the hand if it opens.

Method of salah, step by step

The example is a two-rak'ah prayer. The extra steps for three and four rak'ahs follow it.

1. Standing and intention

Stand facing the qiblah with wudu, feet about four fingers apart. Make the intention in the heart, for example: "I intend the two fard rak'ahs of Fajr for Allah."

2. Takbir Tahrimah

Raise both hands until the thumbs are level with the earlobes, palms towards the qiblah, and say Allahu Akbar. Then place the right hand over the left below the navel.

3. Thana, Ta'awwudh, Bismillah

4. Recitation

Recite Surah al-Fatihah and say Amin quietly. Then recite a surah or at least three short verses, for example Surah al-Ikhlas. Behind an imam the follower stays silent and does not recite.

5. Ruku

Say Allahu Akbar and bow. Hold the knees, keep the back level and the head in line with the back.

6. Qawmah

Rise and stand fully upright with the arms at the sides.

7. First sajdah

Say Allahu Akbar and go down: knees first, then hands, then the nose and forehead between the hands. Keep the toes bent towards the qiblah, the elbows off the ground and the stomach away from the thighs.

8. Jalsah and second sajdah

Say Allahu Akbar and sit upright for a moment with the hands on the thighs. Say Allahu Akbar again and make the second sajdah in the same way. One rak'ah is now complete.

9. Second rak'ah

Say Allahu Akbar and stand without pushing off the ground with the hands, unless there is a need. Recite Bismillah, al-Fatihah and a surah, then perform ruku, qawmah and both sajdahs as before. The Thana and Ta'awwudh are not repeated.

10. Final sitting

After the second sajdah, sit and recite the Tashahhud, raising the index finger at the testimony. Then recite the Durood and a dua.

11. Salam

Turn the face to the right and say the salam, then to the left and say it again.

Three and four rak'ahs

• In the first sitting, after two rak'ahs, recite only the Tashahhud, then stand with Allahu Akbar.
• In the third and fourth rak'ah of a fard prayer, recite only al-Fatihah.
• In the third and fourth rak'ah of a sunnah, nafl or Witr prayer, recite a surah after al-Fatihah in every rak'ah.
• In the last rak'ah, complete the final sitting with the Tashahhud, Durood and dua, then make salam.

Witr prayer

Witr is wajib, three rak'ahs with one salam, prayed after the fard and sunnah of Isha. Pray two rak'ahs, sit for the Tashahhud and stand. In the third rak'ah recite al-Fatihah and a surah, then raise the hands to the ears with Allahu Akbar, fold them again and recite Dua Qunut quietly. Then go into ruku and complete the prayer.

Someone who has not yet memorised Dua Qunut may read Rabbana atina fi-d-dunya hasanatan wa fi-l-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhaba-n-nar until it is learned.

Differences for women

• At the first takbir, raise the hands to the shoulders, without taking them out of the covering.
• Place the hands on the chest, the right palm over the back of the left.
• In ruku, bow only as far as needed for the hands to reach the knees, keep the fingers together and the arms close to the sides.
• In sajdah, stay close to the ground: stomach against the thighs and forearms resting on the floor.
• In sitting, bring both feet out to the right side and sit on the left hip.
• Recite quietly in every prayer.

What breaks salah (Mufsidat)

• Speaking, on purpose or by mistake, even a little.
• Greeting someone or replying to a greeting.
• Eating or drinking.
• Laughing aloud.
• Turning the chest away from the qiblah without an excuse.
• An amount of movement that would make an onlooker think the person is not praying (Amal Kathir).
• A mistake in recitation that changes the meaning.
• Wudu breaking, or the satr staying uncovered for the length of one pillar.
• Leaving out a fard act.
• Crying aloud over pain or a worldly matter.

Disliked acts (Makruhat)

• Playing with clothes, the body or anything else.
• Looking around or up at the sky.
• Praying while pressed by the need to use the toilet, or when food is ready and the heart is drawn to it.
• Cracking the knuckles or interlacing the fingers.
• Resting the forearms flat on the ground in sajdah, for men.
• Praying facing a picture of a living being, or with one on the clothes.
• Praying with the head uncovered out of laziness, for men.
• Rushing so that the positions are not held still.

Sajdah Sahw

Sajdah Sahw becomes wajib when a wajib act is left out by mistake, delayed or repeated, or when a fard act is delayed or repeated. Examples are forgetting the first sitting, or forgetting to add a surah after al-Fatihah.

Method. In the final sitting recite the Tashahhud, make one salam to the right, then perform two sajdahs. Sit again and recite the Tashahhud, Durood and dua, and finish with salam on both sides.

If a fard act was left out, Sajdah Sahw does not repair the prayer and it must be repeated.