Commentary on Worship and the Pillars of Islam

Bulugh al-Maram is organized thematically, beginning with purification and prayer, and Subul as-Salam follows this organization with detailed commentary on every section. The worship sections are the most extensively developed in both the original anthology and the commentary.

The purification sections contain hadiths on water categories, the conditions for wudu and ghusl, and the rules of tayammum (dry ablution when water is unavailable). As-San'ani's commentary on the hadith about the two-qullayn threshold for water purity engages directly with the dispute between the Shafi'i school (which accepts this threshold) and the Hanafi school (which uses different criteria). He defends the Shafi'i position as better supported by the authenticated hadiths while presenting the Hanafi argument fairly.

The prayer section of Subul as-Salam is the longest and most detailed. As-San'ani addresses every element of the prayer — from the conditions for its validity through the obligatory and recommended elements of its performance — with hadiths from Bulugh al-Maram and explanatory commentary. His treatment of the disputed questions (the position of the hands, the recitation of the basmalah, the form of the sitting tashahhud) presents all positions with their evidence and reaches conclusions based on his assessment of the strongest hadiths.

The zakah sections explain the hadiths specifying the nisab (minimum threshold) and rates for each category of zakatable wealth. As-San'ani addresses the practical questions that arise in applying these rules: what happens when a person's wealth passes through the nisab threshold during the year, how trade goods are valued for zakah purposes, and how the eight categories of recipients are to be understood in different contexts.

For hajj, Subul as-Salam provides a comprehensive commentary on the hadiths describing the pilgrimage rituals, explaining the sequence of actions and the legal rulings attached to each. As-San'ani's treatment of the ihram, tawaf, and stoning of the jamarat follows the text of Bulugh al-Maram closely while adding explanatory depth that makes the commentary accessible for students preparing to perform hajj for the first time.