Steps to Perform Salah

1. Prepare for prayer. 

Preparing for prayer includes cleaning yourself, wearing clean clothes, and finding a clean and pure place to pray.

2.  Stand to face the Qibla.

The Qibla is the direction towards the Kaaba. Some compasses modified for this purpose are now available. Many hotel rooms also have the Qibla direction marked somewhere on the roof.

3. Make the intention to pray.

You need to know which prayer of the day you are performing.
An example would be to think:  "I will perform 2/4 rakaat farz/sunnat/nafil of the fajr/zuhr/asr/maghrib/isha/ prayer".

5. Perform the Takbiratul Ihram.

This starts the prayer. Raise your hands, palms facing forwards, up till your ear lobes (or to your shoulders if you are a woman), and say الله أَكْبَر (Allahu Akbar = God is The Greatest).
- as shown in the picture (a)

6. Perform Qiyam.

Qiyam is where you stand up, your hands folded across your chest. Recite the Surah Al Fatiha and another short portion of the Qur'an.

(Stand up straight, with your hands folded. Your right hand should be over your left, and they should overlap till the wrists only. Men place their folded hands below their navel, and women at chest level(Three of the Sunni schools of Islamic law: the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali groups pray with their hands folded. Malikis pray with their arms at their sides. If you are a Shiite, stand with your arms at your sides)
- as shown in the picture (b)

7. Perform Ruk'u.

The ruku is basically a bow. You unfold your hands and bow, then placing your hands on your knees. Your back should become parallel to the ground. It is essential to completely bow, not just tilt your body at 45o to the vertical. Say الله أَكْبَر (Allahu Akbar)as you perform this step. When you are in ruku, recite سبحان ربى العظيم (Subhan rabbi alAdheem - All praise to Allah, the Great) thrice.
- as shown in the picture (c)

8. Rise up.

Then start to stand up saying, "Samee Allahoo Layman Hamidah - Rabbana Lakal Hamd" Start to say Samee when leaving Rookh (bowing poster) and end with Hameedah when you are fully errect. Wait a little.
- as shown in the picture (d)

9. Perform Prostration.

Say الله أَكْبَر (Allahu Akbar) and prostrate, placing your forehead, palms, and knees on the ground. The bases of both feet's fingers need to touch the ground. Your forehead must be bare - a covered forehead invalidates prayer. Recite سبحان ربى الأعلى (Subhan rabbi alAla - Glory be to my Lord, the Most high) thrice. A woman's elbows may touch the ground, but men must keep their elbows raised above the ground.
- as shown in the picture (e)

10. Rise to a sitting position, saying الله أَكْبَر (Allahu Akbar).

When you are in this position, you must keep your eyes at your lap. Men turn up the heel, and bend the toes, of the right foot. Women keep both their feet, soles up, under their body.
- as shown in the picture (f)

11. Prostrate again, saying الله أَكْبَر (Allahu Akbar). 

The second prostration is identical to the first Prostration.
- as shown in the picture (g)

12. Rise up to proceed to the next raka'at, saying الله أَكْبَر (Allahu Akbar).

The second raka'at is identical to the first one up till the second prostration, but without the Takbiratul Ihram.
- as shown in the picture (a)

* Perform the Tasyahhud at the end of the second raka'at. After the second prostration, stay in a sitting position and recite the Tashahhud (also known as Tahiyat) and then the Salawat

Atta-hiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibatu As-salamu 'alaika ayyuh-an-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-ullahi wa barakatuhu As-salamu 'alaina wa 'alaa 'Ibaadillah-is-salihin. Ash-hadu-al-la-Ilaha illAllahu wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluh.

Meaning: 

All worships - oral, physical and momentary - are for Allah. Allah's peace be upon you, O Prophet, and His mercy and blessings. Peace be on us and on all righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

* Now read this Durood Sharif, "Allah Humma Salle Ala Mohammadiyon Wa Ala Ale Mohammadin Kama Sallaita Aala ibraheema Wa Ala Aalay ibraheema inna Ka Hameedum Majeed. Allah Humma Baarik Aala Mohammadiyon Wa Ala Ale Mohammadin Kama Barakta Ala ibraheema Wa Ala Ale ibraheema inna Ka Hameedum Majeed."

Meaning:

(O Allah! Shower Your Blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad just as You showered Your Blessings on Ibraheem and the family of Ibraheem. Certainly, You alone are worthy of praise and are Glorious.

O Allah! Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad just as You Blessed Ibraheem and the family of Ibraheem. Certainly, You alone are worthy of praise and are Glorious)

Wait a little.

* Now read this dua, "Allah Humma Rabbana Aatina Fid Dunya Hasanah Wa Fil Akhirate Hasanah Wa Qina Azaban Naar." Wait a little.
- as shown in the picture (h)

27) Now turn your head towards right and say, "Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rehmatullah"

Now turn your head towards left and read the same as above, "Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rehmatullah"
- as shown in the picture (i &j)

Salah is complete now!

The five prayers of the day:

' Fajr - Prayer is offered between dawn and sunrise. It consists of two raka'at sunnah, followed by two raka'at farz.

' Zuhr - Prayer is offered between true noon and the time when an object's shadow equals it in size. It consists of four raka'at pre-farz sunnah, four raka'at farz, two raka'at post farz sunnah, and two raka'at nafil.

' Asr - Prayer is offered between the time when an object's shadow equals it in size, to just before sunset. It contains four raka'at pre-farz sunnah, and four raka'at farz.

' Maghrib - Prayer is offered between sunset to the time when twilight disappears. It contains three raka'at farz followed by two raka'at post-farz sunnah and two raka'at nafil.

' Isha - Prayer is offered between the time when the twilight disappears and mdnight. It consists of four raka'at pre-farz sunnah, 4 raka'at farz, two raka'at post-farz sunnah, two raka'at nafil, and three witr.

Ablution (Wudhu) before Prayer

"O believers! when you stand for prayer wash your face and hands to the elbows, wipe your head and wash your feet to the ankles”

(Qur'an: 5:6)

Hadith:

Allah's Messenger said, The key to Paradise is prayer, and the key to prayer is cleanliness (Ablution).

How to perform Ablution:

1.First, make the Niyyah (intention) in your heart that this act of Wudu is for the purpose of preparing for Salah, and say: "Bismillah" (in the name of Allah).

2.Wash both hands up to the wrists (starting with the right hand) three times, making sure that water has reached between the fingers.

3.Take water with your right hand, put it into your mouth and rinse thoroughly three times.

4.Take water with your right hand, splash it into your nose and blow it out three times. (Use the left hand if necessary to help blow it out).

5.Wash your whole face three times repeatedly. (The whole face includes: the right ear to the left ear, and the forehead to the bottom of the chin).

6.Wash the right arm thoroughly from wrist to elbow three times, and make sure that no part of the arm has been left unwashed.  Repeat with the left arm.

7.Move the palms of the wet hands lightly over the head, starting from the top of the forehead to the back of the head, and passing both hands over the back of the head to the neck, and then bringing them back to the forehead.

8.With the same water, rub the grooves and holes of both ears with the wet index fingers, while also passing the wet thumbs behind the ears from the bottom upward.

9.Finally, wash both feet to the ankles three times, starting with the right foot.  Make sure that water has reached between the toes and covered the rest of the foot.

Hadith:

Allah's Messenger (pbuh) saying, 'If a man performs ablution perfectly and then offers the compulsory congregational prayer, Allah will forgive his sins committed between that (prayer) and the (next) prayer till he offers it.' "

Things that will break the Wudu:

1.Natural discharges: urine, stool, gas, etc.

2.Falling asleep.

3.Unconsciousness of any kind.

Hadith:

My uncle asked Allah's Messenger (pbuh) about a person who imagined to have passed wind during the prayer. Allah' Apostle replied: "He should not leave his prayers unless he hears sound or smells something."

Atheist vs. Believer of Allah (STORY)

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God.

Atheist (Barber): “I don’t believe that God exists.”

Believer: “Why do you say that?” asked the customer.

Atheist: “Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can’t imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things.”

Believer: The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. 

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again.

Believer to barber: “You know what? Barbers are not exist.”

Atheist: “How can you say that?” asked the surprised barber. “I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!”

Believer: “No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers are don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.”

Atheist: “Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me.”

Believer: “Exactly!”- affirmed the customer.
“That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don’t go to Him and do not look for him.