Part 13

The fourth integral part of prayer is bowing in every rak‘ah; Allah, Exalted be He, says: “O you who have believed, bow and prostrate...”

Moreover, bowing during prayer is authentically stated in the Sunnah (Prophetic Tradition), so it is an integral part of prayer according to the Quran, Sunnah, and consensus’.

Proper bowing during prayer is done by bending one’s body forward so that one’s hands can reach one’s knees in normal cases (i.e. when one's hands are neither longer nor shorter than normal), Otherwise, one tries to bend one’s body in a degree similar to that of normal cases as much as possible. It is also sufficient for one praying while sitting to bend one’s face instead, so that it is aligned with one's knees.

The fifth and the sixth integral parts of prayer are rising following

bowing, and standing upright, as the Prophet (PBUH) used to do so while performing prayer; he (PBUH) said:

The seventh integral part of prayer is prostrating, ic. making one’s

forehead touch the ground, as well as the other organs of prostration, namely the nose, the hands, the knees and the bottom of the toes. Prostration is to be done twice in each rak ‘ah; it isa Divine command, as Allah, Exalted be He, says, “..And prostrate...” (Qur’an: Al-Hajj: 77) It is also a Prophetic command according to many hadiths,’” for he (PBUH) said, as mentioned above:

The organs of prostration are seven as previously mentioned (the forehead and the nose together, both hands, both knees, and the bottom of the toes of both feet). Each of them has to touch the ground well, as much as possible. In fact, prostration is the greatest integral part of prayer; the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“The state in which a servant is nearest to his Lord is while prostrating himself”

Thus, the Prophet (PBUH) teaches us that prostration is the optimum state that draws one near to the Lord, Allah.

The eighth integral part of prayer is raising oneself from prostration and

sitting erect between the two prostrations; Imam Muslim related that *Xishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:

“When he (the Prophet) raised his head after prostration, he did not prostrate himself (again) until he had sat erect”

The ninth integral part of prayer is being tranquil while performing all

the actions of prayer, Tranquility here means performing the acts of

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prayer serenely, humbly and submissively, moving as less as possible. The Qur'an and Sunnah state that the prayer of one who does not perform it in a state of tranquility and devotion is deemed incomplete, and it is obligatory for one to re-perform it in this case.

The tenth and the eleventh integral parts of prayer are the Final Tashahhud “ and the posture of sitting for it. It is authenticated that the Prophet (PBUH) used to recite Tashahhud during prayer and never abandoned it, ” so we must follow in his footsteps, as he (PBUH) said:

Ibn Mas’ dd (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Before Tashahhud was decreed, we used to recite instead...”"; the phrase “was decreed” here implies that it is obligatory to recite Tashahhud in prayer.

The twelfth integral part of prayer is invoking Allah to confer His blessings upon Muhammad, by saying:

Whatever is recited more than this is an act of the Sunnah, not an obligatory act.

The thirteenth integral part of prayer is observing succession when performing the above-mentioned integral parts of prayer, as the Prophet (PBUH) used to perform them successively, and he (PBUH) commanded Muslims to follow his example while performing prayer, saying, as mentioned above:

In addition, when the Prophet (PBUH) taught the one, who performed prayer improperly, the right way of performing prayer, he pointed out the aforesaid acts successively, one after another’.

The fourteenth integral part of prayer is concluding prayer with taslim, for the Prophet (PBUH) said:

So, after taslim, what has been unlawful to be done during prayer (such as eating, drinking, talking, etc.) becomes lawful once again, as taslim is decreed as a sign of the end of the prayer.

Gentle reader, you should be aware that a Muslim should never neglect any of the aforesaid integral parts of prayer. As for the opening takbir, if it is not pronounced, then prayer is not begun, and one thus will not be considered in a state of prayer. Regarding the other integral parts of prayer, intentional negligence of any of them causes prayer to be invalid. However, if it is inattentively neglected, such as bowing or prostrating, and one remembers that before starting another rak'ah, one then performs whatever one has inattentively missed. But, if one remembers after the following rak'ah has been started, the previous rak ‘ah (one of whose integrals is inattentively neglected) will be null and the following one will take its place. Still, prayer is not invalidated in the latter case, provided that one performs the two prostrations of forgetfulness even if one realizes the missed integral part after fastim. In case the forgotten integral part is the Final Tashahhud or one of the two taslims, and one remembers it after concluding prayer with taslim, one can re-perform it, perform the two prostrations of forgetfulness, and then say taslim. However, if the forgotten part is something other than the Final Tashahhud or one of the two taslims, such as bowing or prostrating, one makes up for it by performing a whole rak’ ah then performing the two prostrations of forgetfulness, provided that there is no long interval between ending prayer and remembering the forgotten integral, or that one’s ablution is not invalidated by then. Otherwise, the whole prayer must be re-performed.

What a great act of worship prayer is, and how glorious are its words and actions! May Allah grant us success in establishing it regularly and observing it perfectly!

B-The Obligatory Acts of Prayer There are eight obligatory acts to be observed during prayer:

1All the takbirs of prayer - other than the opening takbir - are among the obligatory acts, not the integral parts, which have to be observed during prayer. The example for this is the transition takbirs.

2Tasmi*,” which is only obl igatory to be said by the imdam or by one praying alone, not the one(s) led in prayer.

3Tahmid,” which is obligatory to be said by the imam, the one praying alone, and the one(s) led in prayer, for the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“When the imam says, ‘Allah listens to the one who praises Him, you should say, ‘O our Lord, to You be (all) the praise.”

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4Saying, “Subhana Rabbiyal-‘Azim” (i.e. “Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great”) only once while bowing; it is an act of the Sunnah (Prophetic Tradition) to say it three times at least, or ten times at most, for the sake of perfecting prayer.

5Saying, “Subhana Rabbiyal-A ‘la” (i.e. “Glory be to my Lord, the Most High”) only once while prostrating; it is also an act of the Sunnah to say it up to three times.

6Invoking Allah saying, “O my Lord, forgive me,” once between the two prostrations, and it is an act of the Sunnah to say it up to three times.

“(All) compliments, prayers and good things are due to Allah; peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the Mercy of Allah and His blessings (be upon you). Peace be upon us and upon the pious servants of Allah. I testify that there is no deity (worthy of worship) but Allah, Alone, with no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.”

Or the like of what is reported to have been observed by the Prophet (PBUH).

8Sitting for reciting the First Tashahhud, as reported to have been regularly observed by the Prophet (PBUH), who said:

It is worth mentioning here that prayer is invalidated if one abandons any of the aforesaid eight obligatory practices of prayer intentionally, as one thus alters and distorts prayer. Yet, if one does not perform any of them by remissness or ignorance, it is obligatory for one to offer the two prostrations of forgetfulness instead, as a way of making up for one's negligence of an obligatory practice of prayer whose nonperformance is forbidden.

They are divided into two types; verbal and physical practices of the Sunnah, abandoning any of which does not invalidate prayer, unlike the previous two sections (the integral parts and the obligatory acts of prayer).So, there are two kinds of the acts of the Sunnah (Prophetic Tradition) to be observed during prayer:

There are many verbal acts of the Sunnah to be observed during prayer, among which are the opening invocation of prayer, seeking refuge with Allah from Satan, saying Basmalah,” ta’min,” and reciting some of the Qur'an following reciting Al-Fatihah (the Opening Chapter of the Quriin) in the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer, the Jumu'ah (Friday) Prayer, the ‘Id (Feast) Prayer, the Eclipse Prayer, and in the first two rak’ahs of the Maghrib (Sunset) Prayer, the Isha’ (Night) Prayer, the Zuhr (Noon) Prayer, and the ‘Agr (Afternoon) Prayer.

Among the verbal acts of the Sunnah of prayer is saying, following tahmid:

“(Our Lord, to You be (all) praise) with which are filled the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, and whatever You will afterward.”

It is only an act of the Sunnah to say, “Subhdna Rabbiyal-'Azim” (Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great) while bowing and “Subhéna Rabbiyal-A‘la” (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High) while prostrating; such verbal acts may be said more than once. Moreover, it is an act of the Sunnah to say more than once, between the two prostrations, “O Allah! Forgive me.’ Also, among the verbal acts of the Sunnah to be observed during prayer is to invoke Allah saying, following the Final Tashahhud:

“O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the torture of the Fire, from the torture in the grave, from the trial of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of Al-Masihud-Dajjal (Antichrist).”

In addition, one can invoke Allah with other invocations that the Prophet used to say in the Final Tashahhud.

There are physical acts of the Sunnah to be observed while performing prayer, such as raising one’s hands (so that the thumbs be near the ears) when saying the opening takbir; the same is to be observed before bowing, and also when standing upright after bowing. It is also an act of the Sunnah to put one’s right hand on the left one, putting the latter either on the chest or under the navel when rising from bowing. Moreover, it is an act of the Sunnah to keep looking at the position of prostrating during prayer, Also, one is to put one’s hands on one’s knees while bowing, straightening one’s back (as if forming a right angle), and making one’s head in alignment with one’s back without lowering or raising the head. During prostration, it is an act of the Sunnah to keep one’s abdomen apart from one’s thighs, and one’s thighs apart from one’s legs, making one’s forehead, nose and the rest of the aforesaid seven parts of prostration well settled on the ground (or the place of prayer).

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In addition to the above, there are many verbal and physical acts of the Sunnah concerning prayer pointed out in details in juristic books. At any rate, it is not obligatory to observe these acts of the Sunnah during prayer; whoever observes them or any of them will be rewarded, and there is no sin on those who do not observe them, just like the ruling on all other acts of the Sunnah. We do not find any logical justification for the strictness and narrowmindedness observed by some youth nowadays when applying the acts of the Sunnah during prayer, which may lead them to perform it in a very strange manner. For instance, some of them may bow their heads while standing as if they were in a state of bowing. They may also put their hands on the upper part of the chest, under the neck, instead of putting them on the chest or under the navel as stated in the Sunnah, In addition, some of them are so strict in keeping themselves screened while praying (so that no one can pass in front of them) that they do not perform the supererogatory prayer in the same row (where they have offered a congregational prayer); they rather perform it elsewhere in the mosque provided it is a screened place. Some of those strict youth also stretch their heads forwards and their legs backwards during prostration that they look as if they were lying on the ground rather than prostrating. Furthermore, some of them, while being in a standing position, keep their feet wide apart in a way that disturbs those beside them. These are, in fact, strange practices that may lead to strictness and excessiveness, which are detestable in religion.

May Allah guide them and us to the straight path, and make us work accordingly.

2 Al-Bukhari (1117) [2/758], Aba Dawdd (952) [1/409] and Al-Tirmidhi (372) [2/208].

8 Al-Bukhari (757) [2/306] and Muslim (883) [2/329]. Concerning the Prophet's order to recite Al-Fatilah as reported in Sahih of Ibn Hibban (1787) [5/88].

13 Muslim (498) 14 (The Final) Tashahthud: Reciting, “(All) compliments, prayers and good things are due to Allah; peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the Mercy of Allah and His blessings (be upon you). Peace be upon us and upon the pious servants of Allah. I testify that there is no deity (worthy of worship) but Allah, Alone, with no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger. O Allah! Confer Your blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You conferred Your blessings upon Ibrahim (Abraham) and the family of Ibrahim. Verily, You are Praiseworthy and Honorable, And bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Verily, You are Praiseworthy and Honorable.” 15 ‘This may be concluded from a lot of fadiths such as that one related by Muslim (1110) [2/438]. 16 An-Nasa'i (1276) [2/247], Al-Bukhart (6328) [11/157] and Muslim (895) [2/337]. 17 Al-Bukhari (757) [2/306] and Muslim (883) [2/329]. 18 Muslim (1110) [2/438]. 19 Tasmi’: Saying “Sami ‘allahu liman hamidah” i.e. “Allah listens to the one who praises Him,’ when standing following bowing in prayer. 20 Tahmid (in prayer): Saying as a reply to tasmi, “Rabband-walakal-hama” i.e. “Our Lord, to You be (All) praise” 21 Al-Bukhari (689) [2/225] and Muslim (920) [2/351]. 22Basmalah: Saying, “Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim” i.e. “In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful” 23 Ta'min: Saying, “amin” i.e. “Amen” after the recitation of Al-Fatihah in prayer,

We have dealt with the integral parts, the obligatory acts, and the verbal and the physical acts of the Sunnah of prayer. Therefore, we would like now to point out the way prayer is performed, as stated to have been observed by the Prophet (PBUH), so as to follow the Prophet's example in this regard and in accordance with the hadith in which he (PBUH) said:

+ Whenever the Prophet (PBUH) stood for prayer, he faced the qiblah,' raised his hands making the palms face the qiblah, saying, “Allahu-Akbar, i.e. “Allah is the Greatest”

+ He (PBUH) then holds his left hand with his right one, putting it on his chest.

« Then, he (PBUH) says the opening invocation; he (PBUH) did not observe a certain opening invocations regularly, so it is permissible to say any of the opening invocation reported to have been said by the Prophet (PBUH). Among these invocations is:

“Glory be to You, O Allah, and to You be all praise, and Blessed is Your Name, and Exalted is Your Majesty, and there is no deity (worthy of worship) but You.”

“Iseek refuge with Allah from Satan, the expelled (from the mercy of Allah). In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.”

+ Then, he (PBUH) recites Al-Fatihah (the Opening Chapter of the Quran),

+ After that, he (PBUH) recites a surah (a long, a short, or a medium

one). It is narrated that he (PBUH) used to prolong reciting the Qur'an in the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer in particular. The Prophet also used to recite publicly in the first two rak ‘ahs of the Fajr (Dawn), the Maghrib (Sunset), the ‘Isha’ (Night) Prayers, and recite quietly to himselfin any other rak ‘ahs. Moreover, he (PBUH) used to make the recitation of the first rak ‘ah longer than that of the second one in every prayer.