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When in Ruku ( Top
)
When you bend for Ruku’, watch out for the
following:
1. Bend the upper part of your body
upto a point where the neck and back nearly
level up. Do not bend any more or less then
that.
2. While in Ruku’, do not bend the
neck to the limit that the chin starts
touching the chest, nor raise it is high that
the neck goes higher than the waist level.
Instead, the neck and the waist should be in
one level.
3. In Ruku’, keep feet straight. Do
not place them with an outward or inward
slant.
4. Place both hands on your knees in a
way that fingers on both hands stay open. In
other wards, there should be space between
every two fingers when you thus go on to hold
the right knee with your right hand and the
left knee with your left hand.
5. In the state of Ruku’, wrists and
arms should remain stretched straight. They
should not bend, curve or sag.
6. Stay in Ruku’, at least for a time
during which
could be said
three times calmly and comfortably.
7. In the state of Ruku’, the ayes
should be looking towards the feet.
8. Body weight should be evenly
distributed on both feet and both knees should
be parallel to each other.
Returning to the standing position from
Ruku ( Top
)
1. While returning from Ruku’, back
to the standing position, see that you stand
straight leaving no sag or droop in the body.
2. In this position as well, eyes
should be fixed on the spot where you do your
Sajdah.
3. Three are those who simply make a
‘gesture’ of rising from the Ruku’
instead of rising fully and standing upright
when it is time to do so and who, in that
every state, when their body is still bent
downwards, go on to do their Sajdah - for them
it becomes obligatory that they make their
Salah all over again. Therefore, abstain from
it very firmly. Unless you make sure about
having become perfectly straight in your
standing position, do not go for Sajdah.
When gowing down for Sajdah ( Top )
Remember the following method when gowing down
for Sajdah:
1. Bending the knees first of all, take
them towards the prayer floor in a way that
the chest does not lean forward. When the
knees have already been rested on the floor,
the chest should then be lowered down.
2. Until such time that the knees have
come to rest against the floor, abstain, as
far as possible, from bending or lowering the
upper part of the body. These days negligence
in observing this particular rule of etiquette
while getting ready to go for Sajdah has
become very common. Many people would lower
down their chest right from the start and go
on to do their Sajdah. But, the correct method
is what has been stated in #1 and #2 above.
Unless it be for a valid reason, this method
should not be bypassed.
3. After having rested your knees on
the floor, place your hands first, then the
tip of the nose, then the forehead.
In Sajdah ( Top
)
1. While in Sajdah, keep your head in
between your two hands in a way that the end
of the two thumbs come parallel to the
ear-lobes.
2. In Sajdah, fingers on both hands
should remain close together, that is, the
fingers should be adjacent to each other
leaving no space in between them.
3. The direction of the fingers should
be towards the Qiblah.
4. The elbows should stay raised off
the floor. It is not correct to rest the
elbows on the floor.
5. Both arms should stay apart from
armpits and sides. Never keep them tucked in.
6. Do not, at the same time, poke your
elbows far out to your right and left causing
discomfort to those making Salah next to you.
7. The thighs should not come in contact
with the stomach-wall. The stomach and the
thighs should stay apart.
8. During the entire Sajdah, the
nose-tip should continue to rest on the floor.
9. Both feet should be placed upright
on the floor with heels showing on top and all
fingers turned flat on the floor in the
direction of the Qiblah. Those who cannot turn
all their fingers because of the physical
formation of their feet, they will still do
well to turn them as much as they can. It is
not correct to place the fingers vertically on
the floor just for no valid reason.
10. Be careful that your feet do not
lift off the floor during Sajdah. Some people
would their Sajdah while none of the fingers
on their feet come to rest on the floor even
for a moment. This way the obligation of
Sajdah is not liquidated at all, as a result,
the Salah too becomes invalid. Be very
particular in abstaining from this error.
11. In the state of Sajdah, the least time
you can give yourself should be sufficient
enough to say
three times, calmly and comfortably. Raising
the forehead immediately after having rested
it on the floor is prohibited.
In between the two Sajdahs ( Top )
1. Rising from the first Sajdah, sit up
straight, on the hams, calmly and comfortably.
Then go for the second Sajdah. Doing the
second Sajdah after raising the head just a
little bit and without becoming straight is a
sin. If one does it like that, it becomes
obligatory that the Salah be made all over
again.
2. Spared out the left foot (like the
blade of a hockey stick) and sit on it. Let
the right foot stand vertically with fingers
turned towards the Qiblah. Some people let
both feet remain in upright position and sit
on the heels. This method is not correct.
3. While sitting, both hands should be
placed on the things but fingers should not
taper down onto the knees., instead, the far
ends of the finger tips should reach only as
far as the beginning edge of the knee.
4. While sitting, let your eyes be on
the lap.
5. Sit for a time during which
could be said at least once and if your can
sit for a time during
could be recited, it is better. But, reciting
this during Fard (obligatory) Salah is not
necessary. It is better to do so in Nafl Salah.
The second Sajdah and rising from it ( Top
)
1. Go on to do your second Sajdah in
the same manner by first placing both hands on
the floor, then the nose-tip, then the
forehead.
2. The complete from of Sajdah should
be the same as mentioned in connection with
the first Sajdah.
3. When rising from Sajdah, first raise
the forehead off the floor, then the nose-tip,
then the hands, and then the knees.
4. While rising, it is better not to
learn for support off the floor, however,
should it be difficult to get up from the
floor because of body-weight, sickness or old
age, making use of the floor for support is
also permissible.
5. After you have risen back to your
standing position, recite
before Surah al-Fatihah in the begining of
each raka’ah.
In Qa’dah ( Top )
1. The method of sitting in Qa’dah
shall be the same as mentioned in connection
with the method of sitting between Sajdahs.
2. When you reach
while reciting
raise the shahadah finger (the fore-finger or
the index finger) with a pointing motion and
let it fall back at
3. The method of making a pointing
motion is that you make a circle by joining
your middle finger and the thumb, close the
little finger and the ringfinger (the one next
to it), then raise the shahadah finger in a
way that it is tapered towards the Qiblah. It
should not be raised up straight in the
direction of the sky.
4. However, lower the shahadah finger
while saying
but retain, right through the end, the initial
formation of the rest of the fingers you
already had when making the pointing motion.
When turning for Salam ( Top
)
1. When turning for Salam on both
sides, you should turn your neck just enough
that your cheeks become visible to the person
sitting behind you.
2. When turning for Salam, eyes should
be towards the shoulders.
3. When turning your neck to the right
to say
make an intention that you are offering your
Salam greetings to all human beings and angles
on your right. Similarly, while turning for
Salam to the left, have the intention of
offering your Salam greeting to all human
beings and angels present on your left.
The method of Du’a ( Top
)
1. The method of Du’a is that both
hands be raised high enough so that they come
in front of the chest. Let there be some space
between the two hands. Do not bring the hands
close together nor keep them far apart.
2. When making Du’a, keep the inner
side of the hands turned towards your face.
Salah For Women ( Top
)
The method of Salah describe earlier is for
men. The Salah as offered by women differs
from that of men in the following aspects.
Women should be careful about what is required
of them:
1. Before they begin their Salah, women
should make sure that their whole body, except
the face, the hands and the feet, is covered
with clothes.Some women offer their Salah with
the hair on their head remaining uncovered.
Some have their wrists left uncovered. Some
women use scarfs so thin or small that their
hair tresses are visible dangling down
underneath. If, during the Salah, any part of
the body, even if it be equal to one-fourth,
remains uncovered for a time during which one
could say
(Subhana Rabbi-al-Azim) three times, the Salah
itself would not be valid. However, should the
uncovered portion be less than that, Salah
would take place but the sin shall stay.
2. For women, making Salah in the room
is better than doing it in the verandah and
doing it in the verandah is better than doing
it in the courtyard.
3. While starting the Salah, women
should not raise their hands upto their ears,
instead, they should raise them upto their
shoulders, and that too, from within the scarf
or other outer wrap being used. Hands should
not be taken out of this cover.
4. When women fold their hands on the
chest, they should simply place the palm of
their right hand on the back of the left
forehand. They should not fold their hands on
the navel like men.
5. In Ruku’, women are not required
to straighten their backs fully like men.
Women should bend less as compared to men.
6. In the position of Ruku’, men
should open up their fingers while placing
them on the knees, but women are required that
they place their hands on the knees with
fingers close together, that is, there be on
space between fingers.
7. Women should not stand on legs
absolutely straight, instead, they should
stand with knees slightly bent forward.
8. In Ruku’, men are required to keep
their arms stretched, away from the sides.
But, women should stand with their arms close
to their sides.
9. Women should stand with both feet close
together. Specially, both their knees should
just about be joined together. Let their be no
separating distance between legs.
10. While doing Sajdah, the method
prescribed for men is that they should not
lower their chest until such time that their
knees come to rest on the floor. But this
method is not for women. They can, right from
the start, lower their chest and go for Sajdah.
11. Women should do their Salah in a
manner that the stomach-wall come to rest
against the thighs and the arms stay close to
the sides. In addition to that, omen do have
to position their feet, upright, they should
spread them on the floor sliding them out
towards the right.
12. Men are prohibited to place their
elbows on the floor while making Salah. But,
women should place the whole arm, including
the elbows, on the floor.
13. When sitting between Sajdah and
when reciting
(at-Tahiyyaat), sit on the left hip, side both
feet out to the side and let the left foot
reset on the right calf of the leg.
14. Men are required that they be
careful about keeping their finger upon when
bending for Ruku’, and keeping then close
together in Sajdah, and then, leave them as
they are during the rest of the Salah, when
they make no effort either to close or open
them. But, it required of women, under all
conditions, that they keep fingers close
together, that is leave no space between them.
This is required all along in Ruku’, in
Sajdah, between two Sajdah and in the
Qa’dahs.
15. It is makruh (reprehensible) for
women to make a jama’ah (congregation) The
very act of offering their Salah alone is
better for them. However, should mahram-members
of the family be making their Salah with
jama’ah within the house, there is no harm
if they join in with them in the jama’ah.
But, in a situation like this, it is necessary
that they stand exactly behind men. They
should never stand next to them in the same
row.
The Masjid Some Essential Rules Of Conduct
( Top
)
1. While entering the Masjid, recite
the following Du’a:
( I enter with the name of Allah and with the
prayer that Allah bless His Messenger and
bestow upon him. O Allah, open for me the
doors of Thy mercy.)
2. Immediately on entering the Masjid,
make an intention that ‘I shall be in
I’tikaf for whatever time I stay in the
Masjid: By doing so, Insha’-Allah, the
spiritual reward of I’tikaf can also be
hoped for.
3. Following entry into the Masjid, it
is better to sit in the front row. But, in
case space in the front has already been taken
up, sit wherever you find an opening.
Advancing forward by leap-frogging people’s
necks is not permissible.
4. Salam greeting should not be offered
to those already sitting in the Masjid and
busy in Dhikr or recitation of the Qu’ran.
However, should one of them be not so engaged
and looking at you on his own, there is no
harm in offering such Salam greeting to him.
5. If you have to offer Sunnah or Nafl
Salah in the Masjid, select a spot where there
is the least likelihood of people crossing in
front of you. Some people start up their Salah
in the back rows while ample space remains
open in the front. Because of this act of
theirs, it becomes difficult for other to
cross over and they have to make a long detour
to reach open sitting spots. Offering Salah in
this manner is a sin in itself, and should a
person happen to cross in front of the person
making his Salah, then this sin of his
crossing over in that manner will also rest on
the shoulders of the person making such a
Salah.
6. After entering the Masjid, if you
find that you are there a little ahead of the
Salah timing, then, before you sit down, make
two raka’ahs with the intention of Tahiyyah
al-Masjid. This has great merit. If there is
not time for that, you can combine the
intention of Tahiyyah al-Masjid within the
Sunnah Salah. And if, you do not have the time
even to make your Sunnah Salah and the
jama’ah is ready, this intention could also
be combine with that of the Fard Salah.
7. As long as you sit in the Masjid,
keep doing Dhikr. Specially, keep reciting the
following Kalimah devotedly:
Sanctified
is Allah and for Allah is all praise and there
is no god but Allah is great.
8. Do not engage yourself in
unnecessary conversation while sitting in the
nothing else that may disturb those devoting
to their ‘Ibadah of Salah or Dhikr.
9. If the jama’ah is ready, fill in
the front rows first. If space is open in the
front row, it is not permissible to stand in
the back row.
10. From the time when the Iman takes
his place on the Mimber to deliver the Friday
Khutbah right through the end of the Salah, it
is not permissible for anyone to talk, make
Salah or to offer Salam to anyone or to answer
Salam offered. However, should anyone start
talking during this time, it is also not
permissible that he be asked to keep quiet.
11. Sit during the Khutbah as you sit
in Qa’dah when reciting at-Tahiyyat. Some
people sit hand folded during the first part
of the Khutbah and then place their hands on
the things during the second. This method is
baseless. One should sit with hands on the
thighs during both.
12. Abstain from everything that may
spread filth or smell in the Masjid or cause
pain to anyone.
13. When you see anyone doing something
wrong, ask him not to do so, quietly and
softly. Totally avoid insulting him openly, or
rebuking him, or quarrelling with him
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