QalaMishkatv0.1
Basics

Salah

The five daily prayers

الصلاة

The pillar of practical Islam. Five prayers a day, woven through the rhythm of light: dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset, and night. Start where you are and build from there.

Before you pray: the five conditions
Tick these off in your head and the prayer is valid.

  • 1Wudu

    Be in a state of ritual purity. If not, perform wudu (or ghusl when required) first.

  • 2Cover the body

    For men: at least from the navel to the knees. For women: the whole body except face and hands.

  • 3Face the qiblah

    Turn toward the Kaaba in Makkah. Phone apps and the position of the sun can both help when you are not sure.

  • 4Pray within the time

    Each prayer has a window. Pray inside that window, not before and not after, except for valid excuses.

  • 5Intention

    Hold in the heart which prayer you are about to offer (Dhuhr, Asr, etc.). It is not pronounced aloud.

Words you will hear

Quick definitions so the rest of this section reads cleanly.

Rakʿah

ركعة

A unit of prayer. One rakʿah is a full cycle: standing recitation, then bowing, then prostrating (twice). Each prayer is made of a set number of rakʿat.

Qiyam

قيام

Standing upright with the hands placed on the chest, right over left, while reciting al-Fatihah and another portion of the Quran.

Ruku

ركوع

Bowing at the waist with the back parallel to the ground, hands on the knees, fingers spread. The tasbeeh of ruku is recited here.

Iʿtidal

اعتدال

Rising back to standing fully erect after ruku before going down into prostration.

Sujud

سجود

Prostration. Seven body parts touch the ground: forehead (with the nose), both palms, both knees, and the inner sides of both feet. Done twice in each rakʿah.

Jalsah

جلسة

Brief sitting between the two prostrations.

Tashahhud

تشهد

The sitting in which one bears witness, sends salutations on the Prophet, and asks Allah for protection. Said at the middle and end of prayer.

Tasleem

تسليم

Turning the face to the right, then the left, saying as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh, to close the prayer.

Fard

فرض

Obligatory. The five daily prayers are fard.

Sunnah

سنة

Optional prayers the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform regularly. Their reward is great but missing them is not sinful.

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