Are you a convert to Islam, or a child who is new to Islam? You have to know how to perform Salah because this is the main worship of Muslims.
Salah is one of the pillars of Islam that must be carried out by every Muslim who has reached the age of puberty (limitations imposed by sharia law). Salah is the main worship, and this is the opportunity for me to communicate with Allah, remember Allah, be grateful for His favors, and the time of prostration in Salah is the time when the servant is closest to his God.
Prostration is a form of humility in-front of Allah and we acknowledge as His servants. We have nothing but God who gives. It is also an important worship that we are responsible for the first time on the Day of Judgment. If our Salah is right, then other worship will be easily accounted for. So, Salah is a very important thing to pay attention to, learn properly to know how to perform Salah correctly and do it with full sincerity because of Allah alone.
Salah is the second pillar of Islam after “saying the two sentences of Shahadah“. An obligation to children who have reached the age of puberty or puberty. So in Islam it is commanded to learn the ordinances of Salah. Even at the age of 7 years, Islam has ordered parents (children’s guardians) to tell their children to be Salah, and at the age of 10 the children have done Salah correctly, and if they do not do Salah, then the parents or guardians are ordered by religion to beat them (give education). This is with the aim that at the age of puberty, the child has done Salah all the time (5 times a day and night).
How to Perform Salah
Here we have compiled a short way of how to perform Salah correctly, this Salah method is expected to be easy to understand by those who are just learning Salah. The Law of Salah and the procedure of Salah that we describe here are in accordance with the Shafi’e School.
Salah done 5 times in the day and night. Now, we can easily find out when a certain prayer time is just by using the internet. 5 Salah a day and a night are: Dhuhur 4 cycles or raka’at, Asr is 4 raka’at, Maghrib is 3 raka’at, Isha is 4 raka’at and Fajr Salah is 2 cycles or raka’at.
Before doing and performing Salah on the times, make sure we have fulfilled the Salah requirements, including Wudu (lets see how to perform wudu), wearing clothes that cover the awrah (male Awrah is between the belly button and the knee and must cover from above the navel to below the knee to make sure everything is covered properly). While Awrah woman is her whole body except the face and palms (front and back), and facing the Qibla (Kaaba). Another Salah condition is to stand in a holy place like using a holy prayer rug. This is not a matter of clean, but holy. The mean of Holy here is clean from najis such as animal dung, blood, pus, insect carcasses and others.
Furthermore, doing Salah must be done standing, except for those who are unable to stand, then they must sit, if not able to sit, then Salah obligatory to done by lying down, and if it is not possible to lie down, someone who has reached the age of puberty must Salah in a supine position.
As long as his mind is still healthy, a person must do Salah in a way that he can do.
So, how to perform Salah, lets follow the following Guides. These guides are the pillars of Salah:
How to Perform Salah by Follow Its Pillars
1. Salah Intentions (niyyat)
Intention is a pillar of the heart because the intention is in the heart. In the Shafie sect, the intention of Salah is in the heart, but it is recommended to say it verbally to help the heart.
If it is Salah dhuhur, then intend for dhuhur like: I intend to do Salah fardhu dhuhur 4 rakaat because of Allah. Do this in your heart while you are takbir (tabiratul ihram).
- Intention of Salah Asar: I intend Salah fardhu asar 4 rakaat because Allah.
- Intention of Salah Maghrib: I intend Salah fardhu Maghrib 3 rakaat because Allah.
- The intention of Salah Isya: I intend to Salah Fardhu Isha 4 raka’at because of Allah SWT
- Intention Salah Fajr (subuh): I intend Salah fardhu Fajr 2 raka’at because of Allah SWT.
The intention is a plan of Salah in the heart, you can intend Salah in Arabic or in any language you like because intention does not sound, there is no sound, it appears in the heart.
2. Standing Up Right
One of the pillars of Salah is standing, when doing Salah, we must stand except for those who are unable to stand, so he can do it while sitting as we explained above.
3. Takbiratul Ihram
This is the saying of Takbir when starting Salah and the intention of Salah should appear when you start takbir and end when takbir ends.
How to perform takbir ihram is to recite takbir (Allahu Akbar) while raising two hands, where both palms face the Qibla, and raise it to ear level, then place your two hands under the chest and above the navel. The position is the right hand above the left hand. This is something sunnat (recommended).
Why is it said Takbir Ihram? because all the deeds and things that are allowed outside Salah, now you are no longer allowed to do them, focus your memory on what you read (Salah Dua) by remembering the meaning of Salah Dua.
Reading Salah is mandatory in Arabic, and can invalidate Salah if you speak a language other than Arabic in Salah.
After Takbir IHram, it is recommended to recite the du’a Iftitah (we will explain on another occasion), and then continue with reading al fatihah.
4. Read Surah Al Fatihah
Pillars The next one is to read Surah al Fatihah as many as 7 verses by counting Basmallah as one of the verses.
Reading al-Fatihah is obligatory. one’s Salah is invalid if one does not recite Fatihatul Kitab.
So, it is obligatory for every Muslim to learn al-Fatihah by memorizing it. If a person cannot read al-Fatihah and has tried his best, cannot memorize it due to various factors including because he has just converted to Islam, then it is obligatory for him to recite 7 verses from other surahs.
Also, If that is also not possible, then he is obliged to read dhikr with the size of the verses from Surah Al Fatihah.
If you can’t read Surah Al Fatihah with no justifiable reason, then the Salah is not recognized.
After reading surah al-Fatihah, it is recommended to read another surah or several other verses. You can read al Ikhlas, al Falaq and others.
5. Ruku (bend)
Then bow or bend the body with two hands holding two knees while saying ALLAHU AKBAR. Keep your back straight like a plank (this is a perfect RUKU).
When in the bowing position, recite the tasbih which reads: “Subhana Rabbiyal ‘Adhiimi wa bihamdihi”, 3 times.
6. I’tidal (Standing up straight)
I’tidal is to return the body to a standing position while saying SAMI’ALLAHU LIMAN HAMIDAHU.
In this position there are duas that are recommended to be read, these are: “RABBANA LAKAL HAMDU MILUSSAMAA WAATI WAMIL UL ARDHI WAMIL UU MA SYI’TA MIN SYAI-IN BA’DU.
7. Prostrate (Sujud)
How to perform Salah: Doing the 7th pillar, this is prostration by going down from a standing position to a prostration position.
When in the prostration position, pay attention to your 7 limbs that must be attached to the floor (the Salah place). Two palms should touch Salah’s place (not hanging), Forehead should touch Salah’s place, your toes should be on Salah’s place, and two of your knees.
When in the prostration position, it is sunnat to recite the Tasbih: “SUBHANARABBIYAL ‘A’LA WA BIHAMDIHI” 3 times.
8. Sit between the two Sujood
The way to sit between these two sujoods is to place your buttocks on your left foot and straighten the sole of your right foot on the floor with your toes pressing on the floor.
Place both palms on the thighs (at the ends of the knees), fingers slightly apart. Keep your eyes on the sujood place (it’s have to do in a whole of Salah).
In this position you read The dua: RABBIGH FIRLI WARHAMNI WAJBURNI WARFA’NI WAHDINI WA’AFINI WA’FU’ANNI.
Then, Sujood again as you did before.
After getting up from the second sujood, then you stand up again as in point number: 2. But the takbir you recite is no longer called Takbir Ihram, but standing takbir. Do the same as above up to number 8.
Note: If your Salah is two raka’at, then two cycles, if your Salah is 4 raka’at then you have to do it 4 times round as in number 2 to number 8.
If your Salah is more than two raka’at, for example 3 raka’at or 4, then on the second raka’at before standing for the third raka’at, it is sunnat (recommended) to sit Tahiyat awwal (Sunnat Ab’adh)
9. Sit tahiyyat
10. Reading tahiyat dua (second Tahiyyat)
The minimum tahiyyat reading is:
ATTAHIYYATUL MUBAARAKATUSH SHALAWATUTH THAIYYIBATULILLAH, ASSALAMU’ALIKA AYYUHAN NABIYYU WARAHMATULLAH WABARAKAATUH. ASSALAMU’ALAINA WA ‘ALA ‘IBADILLAHIS SHALIHIIN. ASYHADU ALLA ILA HAILLAH, WA ASYHADU ANNA MUHAMMADAR RASULULLAH.
11. Shalawat to Prophet Muhammad SAW
At least the Shalawat readings are: ALLAHUMMA SHALLI ‘ALA SAYYIDINA MUHAMMAD WA ‘ALA AALI SAYYIDINA MUHAMMAD.
12. Say Salam
ASSALAMU ‘ALAIKUM WARAH MATULLAH
13. Tartiib
Tartiib is orderly as already mentioned one by one. The first is done first and the latter is done later. It can also be said that Tertib is not prioritizing the latter or not ending the former.