EASY GUIDE FOR NEW MUSLIMS

HOW TO PERFORM PRAYER

Following is a description on how to perform the morning prayer. It consists of two units and each unit is called a Rakah:

·         One enters the prayer by raising  hands up to the ears and saying  "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is Great) as seen in the picture to the right.

·        Then lower your hands and place the right hand over the left one about  the navel.

·       Then recite in a low voice:

·        "Subhanakalla-humma wa bihamdik, wa tabarakas-muka, wa ta'ala jadduk, wa  La Illaha Ghayruk". meaning 'Glory be to You, O Allah, and Yours is the praise and blessed  is your Name, and exalted is Your Majesty, and there is no  god  besides  You'. 

Then recite:

·        "Audhu billahi minash shaytanir rajeem"

·        meaning 'I seek refuge of Allah from the condemned Satan'.

Then recite the Opening Chapter of the Quran (Sura Fatiha) .

·        " Bismillahir rahmanir raheem. Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil Aalamiin.  Ar-Rahmanir Rahiim. Maaliki yawmid-diin. Iyyaaka nàbudu wa iyyaaka nasta in. Ihdinas Siraatal Mustaqiim - siraatal-ladhiina an amtaalayhim-gayril-magdhuubi-alayhim-waladdaaalliin"

·        meaning 'In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be  to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds.  Most Gracious,  Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgement.  You alone  we worship,  and Your  aid alone we seek.  Show us the straight way. The way of those  on whom You have bestowed Your grace, those whose portion is not wrath  and who go not astray.

Then read any portion of the Quran.  Example, recite Chapter 112 (Sura Ikhlas)

·        " Bismillahir rahmanir raheem. Qul hu-wallaahu Ahad, Allaahus Samad. Lam  yalid, wa lam yuulad. walam yakulla huu kufuwan ahad."

·        meaning 'Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah the Eternal, Absolute.  He  begets not, nor is He begotten.  And  there is none like unto Him'

Then say

·        "Allahu Akbar"

·        meaning 'Allah is Great'

Then bow down, bending your head and back straight at a right angle, while putting both hands on the knees. This position is called Ruku, and in this position recite three times:

·        "Subhana Rabbiy al-Adeem"

·        meaning 'Glory to my Lord the Great'

Then return to the standing position while saying

·        "Sami alahu Liman Hamidah, Rabbana Lakal Hamd"

·        meaning 'Allah accepts any who are thankful to Him; Our Lord, praise be  to You.  When saying this the hands remain on the sides.

Then say "Allahu Akbar" and prostrate yourself with toes of both feet,  both knees, both hands and the forehead and nose touching the ground.  This position is called Sujud.  Recite three times:

·               "Subhana Rabbiy al- Ala"

·                meaning 'Glory to my Lord, the Most High'. 

Return to the sitting position while saying "Allahu Akbar" and after a brief pause prostrate once more saying:

·        "Allahu Akbar".  Recite :

·       "Subhana Rabbiy al-Ala" three times while in prostration.

Then stand upright again saying "Allahu Akbar". This completes one unit or one Rakah.

While standing in the second unit (Rakah) again recite Sura Fatiha and  some other verses from the Quran, bowing, prostrating and repeating what  you did and said during the first Rakah.  However, after the second  prostration, instead of standing up, you should sit upright and recite the following:

·        "At-tahiyyato, lillahi was salawato wattayyibat..  As-salamu alayka  ayyuhan nabiyu wa rahmatulllahi wa baraktuh.  As-salamu alayna wa ala  ibadillahis saliheen.  Ashhadu an la ilaha illallahu, wa ashhadu anna  Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh" (while saying this last sentece you should extend the index finger on your right hand to re-emphazise the oneness of God). 

·        meaning: 'All reverence, all worship, all sanctity are to Allah.   Peace be upon you, O prophet, and the mercy of God and His blessings.   Peace be upon us all and on the righteous servants of God.  I bear  witness that there is no god but Allah alone, and I bear witness that  Muhammad is His servant and Messenger..

Then recite:

·        "Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad,  kama sallayta ala Ibraheema wa ala ali Ibraheem, fil alameena innaka hameedun majeed.   Allahumma barik ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad,  kama barakta ala Ibraheem wa ala ali Ibraheem, fil alameena innaka hameedun majeed"

·        meaning: 'O Allah, exalt our leader Muhammad and the people of our  leader Muhammad, as You did exalt our leader Abraham and the people of  our leader Abraham.  O Allah, bless our leader Muhammad and the people  of our leader Muhammad, as You did bless our leader Abraham and the  people of our leader Abraham, verily You are Praiseworthy, and Glorious'

And lastly say a short supplication such as the following:

·        "Rabbana atina fiddunya hasanatun wa fil akhirati hasanatun wa khina  adhabannar"

·        meaning: 'O Allah, bestow on us the best in this world and the best in  the hereafter and save us from the

punishment of the hellfire'.

You finish your prayer by saying "as-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah"

while turning your face to the right and again saying “as-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah” while turning your face towards the left.  Meaning,  ‘peace and mercy of Allah be upon you'.

This completes the morning prayer of two Rakah (units)

The early afternoon, late afternoon and night (dhuhur, asr and isha) prayers consists of four rakah  each.  The  first two rakah of these prayers are performed in the same manner as the  morning prayer.  But after reciting the Tashahhud   you should stand and  continue to pray the third rakah(unit) reciting only sura Fatiha  and not joining it with other passages of the Quran.  Then in the fourth  rakah, sit down as you did in your second rakah and recite the Tashahhud,  Durud,  supplication and ending  the prayer as above.

Sunset prayer (Maghrib) prayer consists of three rakah.  First two rakah  are the same as above.  Stand up for the third rakah reciting surah Al Fatiha, then complete this rakah as you did the fourth rakah above.