Correct Method of Performing Salah According to Sunnah

This excerpt is taken from the book Ṣaḥīḥ Ṣalāh Nabawī ﷺ, authored by al-Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAzīz, published by Maktabah Dār al-Andalus.

The Importance of the Sunnah Method​

❀ Performing Ṣalāh according to the method of the people of knowledge, as taught by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, is obligatory. Allah Almighty says:

فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَمَا عَلَّمَكُمْ
[Al-Baqarah: 239]

Translation:
“Then remember Allah as He has taught you.”

❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

صلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي

Translation:
“Pray as you have seen me praying.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Adhān, Bāb al-Adhān lil-Musāfirīn: 631

❀ He ﷺ further said:

Translation:
“On the Day of Resurrection, the first deed to be accounted for will be Ṣalāh. Whoever’s Ṣalāh is correct (i.e., according to the method of Muḥammad ﷺ) will be successful, and whoever corrupted his Ṣalāh (i.e., did not pray according to the Prophetic method) will be unsuccessful.”

Reference: Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 413; Sunan al-Nasā’ī: 466 (Ṣaḥīḥ)

Statement Regarding Takbīr al-Taḥrīmah​

❀ Ṣalāh begins with Takbīr al-Taḥrīmah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

تحريمها التكبير وتحليلها التسليم

Translation:
“The prohibition (of worldly actions) in Ṣalāh begins with the Takbīr, and its permissibility (ends) with the Taslīm.”

Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 61; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 3; Sunan Ibn Mājah: 275 (Ṣaḥīḥ)

❀ While starting Ṣalāh, only Allāhu Akbar should be said; no other statement is permissible.

Statement Regarding Qiyām (Standing)​

❀ Ṣalāh should be performed standing. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

صل قائما، فإن لم تستطع فقاعدا، فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنب

Translation:
“Pray standing; if you are unable, then sitting; and if you are unable, then on your side.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1117

❀ If one begins Ṣalāh standing but later becomes unable to stand, he may sit. Likewise, if one is sitting and later gains strength to stand, he should stand.

Rafʿ al-Yadayn (Raising the Hands)​

❀ Raise both hands up to the shoulders. Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما said:

رأيت النبى ﷺ افتتح التكبير فى الصلاة، فرفع يديه حين يكبر حتى يجعلهما حذو منكبيه

Translation:
“I saw the Prophet ﷺ begin the prayer with Takbīr and raise his hands until they were level with his shoulders.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 738; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 390

❀ Raising the hands up to the earlobes is also permissible.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 391

❀ Touching or holding the ears with the hands is not proven from any authentic ḥadīth.

❀ Three methods are permissible:
① Raising the hands and saying Takbīr together
② Raising the hands first, then saying Takbīr
③ Saying Takbīr first, then raising the hands

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 738; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 390; Ibn Khuzaymah: 456

❀ During Rafʿ al-Yadayn, the fingers were neither tightly joined nor widely spread.

Reference: al-Mustadrak lil-Ḥākim 1/234; Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 753; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 240; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah: 459

No Difference Between Men and Women in Rafʿ al-Yadayn​

❀ There is no authentic evidence distinguishing men and women in the manner or height of raising the hands.

التفرقة لم يرد ما يدل على التفرقة فى الرفع بين الرجل والمرأة

Translation:
“There is no evidence indicating a distinction between men and women regarding raising the hands.”

Reference: Fatḥ al-Bārī 2/222; ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd 1/263

Folding the Hands​

❀ Sayyidunā Sahl ibn Saʿd رضي الله عنه said:

كان الناس يؤمرون أن يضع الرجل يده اليمنى على ذراعه اليسرى فى الصلاة

Translation:
“The people were commanded to place the right hand over the left forearm in prayer.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 740

❀ Sayyidunā Wā’il ibn Ḥujr رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ placed his right hand over the back of his left hand, wrist, and forearm.

Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 727 (Ṣaḥīḥ)

Position of Folding the Hands​

❀ The hands should be folded on the chest. This is established from authentic aḥādīth:

① Ḥadīth of Wā’il ibn Ḥujr رضي الله عنه:​

صليت مع رسول الله ﷺ ووضع يده اليمنى على اليسرى على صدره

Translation:
“I prayed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he placed his right hand over his left upon his chest.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah 1/243, ḥadīth: 479

② Ḥadīth of Hulb رضي الله عنه:​

رأيت النبى ﷺ ... يضع هذا على صدره

Translation:
“I saw the Prophet ﷺ placing his hands upon his chest.”

Reference: Musnad Aḥmad 5/226, ḥadīth: 22313

③ Another narration of Wā’il ibn Ḥujr رضي الله عنه:​

أنه رأى النبى ﷺ وضع يمينه على شماله ثم وضعهما على صدره

Translation:
“He saw the Prophet ﷺ place his right hand over his left, then place them upon his chest.”

Reference: al-Sunan al-Kubrā lil-Bayhaqī 2/30, ḥadīth: 2336

④ Statement of Ṭāwūs رحمه الله:​

كان النبى ﷺ يضع يده اليمنى على يده اليسرى ثم يشد بينهما على صدره وهو فى الصلاة

Translation:
“The Prophet ﷺ would place his right hand over his left and hold them firmly upon his chest in prayer.”

Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 759 (Ṣaḥīḥ)

Reality of Narrations About Folding Hands Below the Navel​

❀ Narrations regarding folding the hands below the navel are extremely weak.
Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله stated:

متفق على ضعفه

Translation:
“There is consensus on its weakness.”

❀ Ḥanafī scholars such as ʿAbd al-Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī, Ibn al-Humām, and Ibn Nujaym رحمه الله agreed with this.

❀ Ibn Nujaym رحمه الله said:

Translation:
“There is no authentic ḥadīth specifying the location of folding the hands except the narration of Ibn Khuzaymah.”

Opening Supplications (Duʿā’ al-Istiftāḥ)​

❀ After Takbīr, recite any one of the following supplications:

اللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَايَ...

Translation:
“O Allah! Distance me from my sins as You have distanced the East from the West...”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 744

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ...

Translation:
“Glory and praise are Yours, O Allah...”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 399; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 242

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا...

Translation:
“Allah is the Greatest, abundantly...”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 601

❀ Duʿā’ al-Istiftāḥ is recited only at the beginning of Ṣalāh.

Statement Regarding Recitation​

❀ Recite Taʿawwudh:

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ...

Translation:
“I seek refuge in Allah, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from the accursed Satan...”

Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 775; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 242 (Ṣaḥīḥ)

❀ Then recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ...

Reference: al-Fātiḥah: 1–7

Translation:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate...”

❀ Every worshipper must recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in every rakʿah.

لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتاب

Translation:
“There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah.”

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 756; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 394

Āmīn and Further Recitation​

❀ Say Āmīn after Sūrah al-Fātiḥah.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 782; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 410

❀ After al-Fātiḥah, recite any portion of the Qur’an.

How Much to Recite in One Rakʿah​

❀ One may recite multiple sūrahs, part of a sūrah, a single verse, or repeat one verse.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 772; Sunan al-Nasā’ī: 1011

Reciting the Same Sūrah in Both Rakʿahs​

❀ It is permissible.

Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 816 (Ḥasan)

Pauses During Recitation​

❀ Two pauses are established:
① After Takbīr, before recitation
② After completing recitation, before rukūʿ

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 744; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 598; Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 778

Responding to Certain Verses​

❀ Responding to verses of tasbīḥ, duʿā’, or istiʿādhah is established in voluntary prayers.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 772

Volume of Recitation​

❀ Do not raise the voice to cause disturbance.

ولا يرفع بعضكم على بعض فى القراءة

Translation:
“Do not raise your voices over one another in recitation.”

Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 1332 (Ṣaḥīḥ)

Recitation in the Last Two Rakʿahs​

❀ In the third and fourth rakʿahs, reciting only Sūrah al-Fātiḥah is sufficient, though additional recitation is permissible.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 776; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 451

Sujūd al-Tilāwah​

❀ If a verse of prostration is recited in Ṣalāh, one should perform sujūd.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1078

❀ If the imām performs it, the followers must also perform it.

(Further details will be mentioned in the chapter on Sujūd, under “Sujūd al-Tilāwah.”)