FEW RULES CONCERNING NAMAZ

Tashahhud

1109. * In the second unit of all obligatory prayers, and in the third unit of Maghrib prayers and in the fourth unit of Zuhr, Asr and Isha prayers, one should sit after the second prostration with a tranquil body, and recite tashahhud thus: "Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan 'Abduhu wa Rasuluh, Alla humma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammad". And it will be sufficient if one recited the tashahhud this way: Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lahu was ash hadu anna Muhammadan Sallal lahu Alayhi Wa Aalihi Abduhu Wa rasuluh.

It is also necessary to recite tashahhud while offering Witr (in Namaz-e-Shab) prayers.

1110. The words of tashahhud should be recited in correct Arabic, and in usual succession.

1111. * If a person forgets tashahhud, and rises and remembers before Ruku, he should sit down to recite it, and then stand up again. He will then continue with his prayers. After the prayers, it is a recommended precaution that he should perform two Sajda-e-Sahv for the additional standing. But if he remembers this in Ruku or thereafter, he should complete the prayers and after the salam of prayers, should, as a recommended precaution, perform the qadha of tashahhud. He should perform two sajdatus sahv for the forgotten tashahhud.

1112. It is Mustahab to sit on the left thigh during tashahhud, and to place the upper part of the right foot on the sole of the left foot and to say: 'Al-hamdu lillah' or 'Bismillahi wa billahi wal-hamdu lillahi wa khayrul asma'i lillah' before reciting tashahhud.

It is also Mustahab to place one's hands on one's thighs, with joined fingers, and to look at one's laps, and to say this after tashahhud and salawat: Wa taqabbal shafa'atahu warfa' darajatahu.

1113. It is Mustahab for women to keep their thighs close to each other when reciting tashahhud.

Salam in the Prayers

1114. While a person sits after reciting tashahhud in the last Rak'at, and his body is tranquil, it is Mustahab to say: Assalamu 'alayka ayyuhan Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Then he should say: Assalamu Alaykum and as a recommended precaution add to it Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh. Alternatively, he can say: Assalamu Alayna Wa Ala Ibadi llahis Salihin. But if he recites this Salam, then as per obligatory precaution, he must follow it up with saying: Assalamu Alaykum.

1115. If a person forgets the salam of prayers, and remembers when the form of namaz has not be disrupted, nor has he performed any act, which if done intentionally or forgetfully, invalidates the prayers (e.g. turning away from Qibla), he should recite the salam and his prayers will be valid.

1116. * If a person forgets the salam of prayers, and remembers after the form of prayers has been disrupted, or after he has performed an act which if done intentionally or forgetfully, invalidates the prayers (e.g. turning away from Qibla), his prayers are in order.

Tartib (Sequence)

1117. If a person intentionally changes the sequence of the prayers, for example, if he recites the other surah before reciting Surah al-Hamd, or performs the two Sajdah before Ruku, his prayers are void.

1118. * If a person forgets a rukn (elemental part) of the prayers, and performs the next rukn, like, before performing Ruku if he performs the two Sajdah, his prayers would become void, as a measure of precaution.

1119. If a person forgets a rukn, and performs an act after it which is not a rukn, like, if he recites tashahhud without performing the two Sajdah, he should perform the rukn and should recite again the part which he performed erroneously, earlier than the rukn.

1120. If a person forgets a thing which is not a rukn, and performs a rukn which comes after it, like, if he forgets Surah al-Hamd and begins performing Ruku, his prayers is in order.

1121. If a person forgets an act which is not a rukn, and performs the next act which too, is not a rukn, like, if he forgets Surah al-Hamd and recites the other Surah, he should perform what he has forgotten, and then recite again the thing which he mistakenly recited earlier.

1122. If a person performs the first Sajdah thinking that it is the second one, or performs the second one under the impression that it is the first Sajdah, his prayer is in order; his first Sajdah will be treated as the first one, and his second Sajdah will be treated as the second one.

Muwalat (Maintenance of Succession)

1123. A person should maintain continuity during prayers, that is he should perform various acts of prayers, like, Ruku, two Sajdah and tashahhud, in continuous succession, and he should recite the Zikr etc. also in usual succession. If he allows an undue interval between different acts, till it becomes difficult to visualise that he is praying, his prayers will be void.

1124. If a person in namaz forgetfully allows a gap between letters, or words, and if the gap is not big enough so that the form of the prayers is disrupted, he should repeat those letters or words in the usual manner, provided that he has not proceeded to the ensuing rukn. And he will repeat those lines which were read in continuation. But if he has already got into the ensuing rukn, then his prayers are in order.

1125. * Prolonging Ruku and Sajdah, or reciting long Surahs, does not break Muwalat.

Qunut

1126. It is Mustahab that qunut be recited in all obligatory and Mustahab prayers before the Ruku of the second Rak'at, and it is also Mustahab that qunut be recited in the Witr (Namaz-e-Shab) prayers before Ruku, (although that prayer is of one Rak'at only).

In Friday Prayers there is one qunut in every Rak'at. In Namaz-e-Ayaat, there are five qunut, and in Eid Prayers there are five qunut in the first Rak'at, and four in the second Rak'at. In the prayers of Shafa' ,which is a part of Namaz-e-Shab, qunut is to be performed with the niyyat of Raja'.

1127. It is also Mustahab that while reciting qunut, a person keeps his hands in front of his face, turning the palms facing the sky, and keeping both, the hands and the fingers, close together. It is Mustahab to look at the palms in qunut.

1128. Any Zikr in qunut is sufficient, even if he says, 'Subhanallah' only once. It is, however, better to make the following supplication: La ilaha illallahul Halimul Karim, La ilaha illallahul 'Aliyyul 'Azim, Subhanallahi Rabbis samawatis sab', wa Rabbil 'arazinas sab', wama fi hinna wama bayna hunna, wa Rabbil 'arshil 'azim, wal hamdu lillahi Rabbil'alamin.

1129. It is Mustahab that qunut is recited loudly. However, if a person is offering prayers in congregation, and if the Imam can hear his voice, it will not be Mustahab for him to recite qunut loudly.

1130. If a person does not recite qunut intentionally, there is no qadha for it. And if he forgets it, and remembers before reaching Ruku, it is Mustahab that he should stand up and recite it. And if he remembers while performing Ruku, it is Mustahab that he should perform its qadha after Ruku. And if he remembers it while performing Sajdah, it is Mustahab that he should perform its qadha after Salam.