The prophet's manner of performing prayers

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• He should raise his head from prostration saying: " Allahu Akbar " and lays his left foot flat on the ground and sits upon it, keeping his right foot erected, his hands on his thighs and knees, and says:

"رب اغفر لي و ارحمني و اهدني و ارزقني و عافني و اجبرني"

" O my Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me . provide me with your blessings and console me." The worshipper should feel tranquility during this pause.

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• To prostrate again saying
• الله أكبر "" Allahu Akbar" and repeating during his prostration what he did and said in the first prostration.

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• Then the worshipper raises his head saying الله أكبر " Allahu Akbar" taking a pause similar to the pause between the two prostrations; this is called " the pause for rest." It is recommended for the worshipper to do such a pause, but there is no sin if he desists from it, Then the worshipper rises up and stands supporting on his knees, or on the ground if he cannot support himself on the knees, reads the Fatihah ( The opening Sura of the glorious Quran ) and some other verses of the Quran and do as just as he did in the first Rakaah ( unit of prayer). Those who pray behind the Imam should not compete with him in the prayer actions as the Prophet ( peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said:

((إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم به فلا تختلفوا عليه, فإذا كبر فاكبروا,وإذا ركع فاركعوا, و إذا قال :سمع الله لمن حمده,فقولوا: ربنا ولك الحمد . و إذا سجد فاسجدوا.))
Which means :
The imam is to be followed, if he says : "Allahu akbar" which means" Allah is Great" then say the same after him. If he bows in "Ruku" bow after him, If he says : "Samia-l-lahu liman hamidah" which means "Allah hears him who praises Him", them say : "Rabbana wa laka-l-hamd" which means "Our Lord! All praises are for Thee"; and if he prostrates, then prostrare after him". (Bukhari V:1 P.37)

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• if the prayer consists of two Rakaat (two units of prayer ) as the morning prayer "Fajr", Feast prayer " Eid", or the Friday prayer "Jumu'a", the worshipper sits after the second prostration, with his right foot erect, sitting on his left foot laid down, putting his right hand on his right thigh, all his fingers close-fisted save the index finger which he uses to point put as a sign for his monotheistic belief, and his left hand is put on his left thigh. There is nothing in the way , if the worshipper keeps both the little and ring gingers closed, while rounding his thumb and middle finger in a ring-shape, and uses his index finger at point out as a sign for his monotheistic belief. It has been related that the Prophet. May peace and blessings of Allah be on him, had practiced both of these ways, thus, it is advisable for the worshipper to perform the first way once and the other on the second time.

The worshipper reads the Tashahud while sitting and says :
" التحيات لله و الصلوات و الطيبات , السلام عليك أيها النبي و رحمة الله وبركاته السلام علينا و على عباد لله الصالحين , أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله , و أشهد أن محمدا عبده ورسوله , اللهم صل على محمد و على آل محمد كما صليت على ابراهيم و آل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد و بارك على محمد و على آل محمد كما باركت على إبراهيم , آل إبراهيم. إنك حميد مجيد ."
" A;- tahiyatu lilahi wasalawatu watayibatu Assalamu aluka ayuha-n-nabiyu wa rahmat-u-llahi wa barakatuhu. Assalamu alayina wa ala ibadi-l-lahi-s-salalihiyn> Ashadu ala ilaha ila lahu wa ashadu anna muhmmadam abdoho wa raswuloh. Allahuma saliy ala Muhammad wa ala aali Muhamad, Kama salayata ala Ibrahima wa aali Ibrahim. Inaka Hamidon Majid. Wa barik ala Mohammad wa la aali Muhammad kama barkta ala Ibrahima wa aali Ibrahima. Inaka Hamidon Majid."
This mwans: " Greeting. Prayers and the good things of life belong to Allah. Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be on you, O Prophet. may peace be upon us and on the devout slaves of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. O Allah, bless Muhammad and his family as You blessed Ibraahim and his family. You are the Most-Praised, The Most-glorious. O Allah, bestow Your grace on Muhammad and his family as You bestowed it on Ibrahim and his family. You are the Most praised, The Most-glorious."
After reciting the Tashahud, the worshipper asks Allah's protection from four evil, he should say:
"اللهم اني أعوذ بك من عذاب في جهنم و من عذاب القبر ومن فتنة المحيا و الممات و نم فتنة المسح الدجال ."
" My Lord, I ask your protection from torment of the Hell. Torment of the grave the trials in life-time and after death, and from the imposter Antichrist," The worshipper may ask Allah for prosperity in this worldly life and in the Hereafter, supplicate Allah to bestow His favors on his parents and other Muslims, He could do this in both obligatory and optional prayers. It has been reported by Ibn massoud that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him. Taught him how to recite the Tashahud and told him that the worshipper should invoke Allah and ask him for the more beloved wishes which he likes, or, as it has been related in other wordings, the worshipper should ask Allah for whatever he wishes. In this manner ,the servant can ask Allah for all the prosperities of this worldly life and the life to come. The worshiper terminates his prayer by turning his face to the right saying:
((السلام عليكم و رحمة الله ))
"As-salamu alai kum wa rahmatu allah” and to the left saying this salutation which means "Peace and blessings of Allah be on you."

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• In case of a three Rakat prayer ( prayer consisting of three units )as that of Maghrib prayer, (evening prayer), or a four-Rakaat prayer like that of noon prayer (Zuhr), Asr prayer ( late afternoon prayer) or, Isha prayer ( night prayer), the worshipper stands up after reciting the Tashahud according to the manner stated before, and raises his hands up to the level of his shoulders saying الله أكبر "Allahu Akbar". The worshipper puts his hands over his chest as it had been explained before and recites only the Fatiha, There is no objection if he adds to the Fatiha some other verses of the Quran while performing the third or fourth Rakaat ( units of prayer ) of noon prayer (Zuhr), because this was stated to be one of the manners adopted by the Prophet , may peace and blessings of Allah be on him, according to the tradition reported by Abi Saied.

After the third Rakaah of Maghrib prayer (evening prayer), and the fourth Rakaah of Zuhr (noon), Asr (afternoon) and Isha (night) prayers, the worshipper recites the Tashahud and terminates his prayer by saying: "السلام عليكم ورحمة الله . "

"As-salamu alai kum wa rahmatu allah”
while turning first to the right, and second to t he left as it has been explained before.
It is not an obligatory duty, but it is a recommendable prophetic tradition to invoke Allah after terminating the prayer by asking Him forgiveness thrice and saying before turning one's face towards his followers if he is the Imam:
(( اللهم أنت السلام و منك السلام تباركت يا ذا الجلال و الإكرام.))
Which means:
" O Allah, Thou art peace and from Thee is peace, Thou art blessed, O possessor of Glory and Honour."
It is advisable for the worshipper to say:
(( لا إله إلا الله و حده لا شريك له , له الملك و له الحمد و هو على كل شيء قدير , اللهم لا مانع لما أعطيت و لا معطي لما منعت و لا ينفع ذا الجد منك الجد , لا حول و لا قوة إلا بالله , لا إله إلا الله و لا نعبد إلا إياه له النعمة و له الفضل و هل الثناء الحسن لا إله إلا الله مخلصين له الدين و لو كره الكافرون .))
Which means:" There is no god but Allah. He is the One . He has no partner , His is the dominion and to Him alone is the praise, He has power over all things , O Lord, none may withhold what You have given and none nay give what you have withheld and the riches cannot avail a wealthy person with Thee, There is no might or power except by the support of Allah, There is no god but Allah and we do not worship but Him alone, To Him alone belong all bounties, to Him alone belong all grace, and to Him worthy praise is accorded There is no god but Allah, to Whom we are sincere in devotion, even though the unbelievers may detest it. "
It is also advisable to the worshipper to extol Allah 33 times by saying سبحان الله (Subhana Allah). Praise Him by saying الحمد لله ( Al Hmadu lil-allah ) 33 times also by worshipper completes his supplications to be one hundred by saying once:
(( لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شؤيك له , له الملك و له الحمد و هو على كل شيء قدير ))
Which means:
" There is no god but Allah . He is the One He has no partner. He is the dominion and to Him alone is the praise, He has power over all things."
The worshipper adds to that the recitation of the verse of the Throne " Ayat Al-kursiy", Surat Al-ikhlas, Surat El-Falq, and surat Al-Nas,. It is recommendable to recite these Suras thrice after the Fajr prayer (Morning prayer) , and the Maghrib prayer (evening prayer)because this was reported to be one of the traditions of the Prophet , peace and blessings of Allah be on him. As it had been stated before, all these after-prayer supplications are optional and not obligatory.
Every Muslim, whether be male or female, is recommended to pray 12 Rakaaat of supererogatory prayers every day: four of these Rakaat (units of prayers) are before noon prayer, two after it , two after Maghrib prayer , two after Isha (night) prayer and two before the morning prayer – these supererogatory prayers are called (Rawatib) which means: "Certain supererogatory exercises of optional prayers." The Prophet peace and blessings of Allah be on Him, preserved the performance of these optional prayers wherever he settled. During his travels, he used to practice the two optional Rakkat before the morning prayer (after the Isha prayer). There is no objection to perform these optional prayers in the mosque, but it is better to perform it at home , because the prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, said " The best of the prayers are those which are fulfilled at one's own home, with exception to obligatory prayers which should be performed in congregation at the mosque"
Observance of fulfilling these optional prayers is a means for gaining admission to paradise. The Prophet may peace and blessings of Allah be on him, said:
(( من صلى اثنني عشرة ركعة في يومه و ليلته تطوعا بنى الله له بيتا في الجنة ))
Which means:
"Whoever prays optionally twelve Rakaat every one day and night, Allah will reward him by an established dwelling in the paradise."
It is also advisable to the muslim to pray four optional Rakaat before Asr prayer (aftermoon prayer), two before Maghrib prayer (evening prayer), because this manner was reported to be one of the traditions of the Prophet , Allah, the Almighty says:
{ لقد كان لكم في رسول الله أسوة حسنة }
"Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar"
And the Prophet ( may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
(( صلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي ))
Which means:
" perform your prayer in the same manner as you had seen me doing."
Allah is He Who is Able to render us success and prosperity, and may Allah give His blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad son of Abdullah, his family, his companions and whoever follows his way till doomsday.

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( sheikh Abdul Aziz Abdullah Bin Baz )

IT IS PRINTED BY ANAS SHAKHATREH