Part 5

65It is permissible for the imaam occasionally to make an aayah audible in the prayers where recitation is to be done silently. 66In Witr and Qiyaam al-Layl, he should recite silently sometimes and aloud sometimes, and he should be moderate in raising his voice. Tarteel – reciting at a measured pace 67The Sunnah is to recite the Qur’aan at a measured pace, not quickly or hastily. It should be read in a manner that clearly distinguishes each letter, beautifying the Qur’aan with one’s voice. He should observe the well known rulings of the scholars of Tajweed and he should not recite it in the innovated manner of singers or according to the rules of music. Prompting the imaam 68It is prescribed for the one who is praying behind the imaam to prompt the imaam if he hesistates in his recitation. 6 – Rukoo’ (bowing) 69When he has completed the recitation, he should pause briefly, to catch his breath. 70Then he should raise his hands in the manner described for takbeerat alihraam (the takbeer at the beginning of prayer). 71And he should say takbeer (“Allahu akbar”). This is obligatory. 72Then he should do rukoo’, bowing as deeply as his joints will let him, until his joints take the new position and are relaxed in it. This is an essential part of prayer. How to do rukoo’ 73He should put his hands on his knees, firmly, spacing the fingers out, as if he is grasping his knees. 74He should spread his back and make it level so that if water were poured on it, it would stay there (not run off). 75He should not lower or raise his head, but make it level with his back. 76He should keep his elbows away from his sides. 77In rukoo’, he should say “Subhaana Rabbiy al-‘Azeem (Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty) three times or more. There are others kinds of dhikr which may be said in rukoo’, some of which are long, some of medium length and some short. See Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 132, Maktabat al-Ma’aarif edition [The Prophet’s Prayer Described, p. 44]. Making the essential parts of prayer equal in length 78It is Sunnah to make the essential parts of prayer equal in length, so the rukoo’, the standing after rukoo’, the prostration and the sitting between the two prostrations should be make approximately the same in length. 79It is not permissible to recite Qur’aan in rukoo’ or in sujood. Straightening up from rukoo’ 80Then he should straighten up from rukoo’. This is an essential part of the prayer. 81Whilst straightening up, he should say, “Sami’a Allaahu liman hamidah (Allaah listens to the one who praises Him).” This is obligatory. 82He should raise his hands when straightening up, in the manner described above. 83Then he should stand straight until every vertebra has returned to its place. This is an essential part of the prayer. 84Whilst standing thus, he should say, “Rabbanaa wa laka al-hamd (our Lord, to You be all praise).” (There are other kinds of dhikr which may be said at this point. See Sifat al-Salaah, p. 135/The Prophet’s prayer described, p. 47). This is obligatory for every person who is praying, even if he is following an imaam, because this is the dhikr of standing after rukoo’, and saying “Sami’a Allaahu liman hamidah” is the dhikr of straightening up from rukoo’. It is not prescribed to put the hands one over the other during this standing, because this was not narrated (from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). For more details, see Sifat Salaat al-Nabi, 1 – Istiqbaal al-Qiblah (The Prophet’s Prayer Described – Facing the Ka’bah). 85He should make this standing equal in length to the rukoo’, as stated above. 7 – Sujood (prostration) 86Then he should say “Allaahu akbar” – this is obligatory. 87He should raise his hands sometimes. Going down on the hands 88Then he should go down into sujood on his hands, putting them down before the knees. This is what was commanded by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and it is proven that he did this, and he forbade imitating the manner in which a camel sits down, which is by kneeling with its forelegs first. [this appears to contradict the point he is trying to make] 89When he prostrates – which is an essential part of the prayer – he should put his weight on his palms and spread them out. 90He should keep the fingers together. 91And point the fingers towards the qiblah. 92He should put his palms level with his shoulders. 93Sometimes he should make them level with his ears. 94He should keep his forearms off the ground. This is obligatory. He should not spread them along the ground like a dog. 95He should place his nose and forehead firmly on the ground. This is an essential part of the prayer. 96He should also place his knees firmly on the ground. 97The same applies to his toes. 98He should hold his feet upright with his toes touching the ground. All of this is obligatory.