The Complete Method of Offering Ṣalah (Ḥanafi): A Step-by-Step Guide

Method of Ṣalāĥ (Ḥanafī)

Stand erect facing the Qiblaĥ in the state of Wuḍū with a distance of four fingers between feet. Now raise both hands making thumbs touch the ear-lobes. Fingers should neither be too close together nor too wide apart; instead, they should remain in a normal position, palms facing the Qiblaĥ. Eyesight should be focused at the place of Sajdaĥ. Now make a firm intention (in your heart) of the Ṣalāĥ that you are about to offer. To say it verbally is better (for example, “I intend to offer four Rak’āt for today’s Farḍ Ẓuħar Ṣalāĥ.”) If you are in a Jamā’at, add the words “following this Imām.”

Now, utter Takbīr-e-Taḥrīmaĥ (اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ) lowering your hands and fold them below navel with right palm on the back of left wrist joint, three middle fingers straight on the back of left forearm and thumb and small finger making a loop on either side of wrist. Now recite Šanā like this:

سُبْحٰنَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالٰى جَدُّكَ وَلَا اِلٰهَ غَيْرُكَ

Glory is to You Yā Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ! I praise You, Blessed is Your name, Your greatness is lofty and none is worthy of worship except You.

Then recite the Ta’aw-wuż:

اَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطٰنِ الرَّجِيْمِ

I seek refuge of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ from the accursed satan.

Then recite the Tasmiyaĥ:

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Commencing with the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

Then recite the whole of Sūraĥ Fātiḥaĥ:

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ۝١ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ ۝٢ مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ ۝٣ اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ ۝٤ اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ ۝٥ صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۝٦ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّيْنَ ۝٧

All praises due to Allah, Sustainer of the entire creation. The Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. Owner of the Day of compensation. May we worship You alone, and seek help from You alone. Enable us to walk the straight path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favour. Not of those who have been subjected to wrath, and not of those who went astray.

(Kanzul Īmān [Translation of Quran])

After you finish Sūraĥ Fātiḥaĥ, utter اٰمِیْن (Āmīn) in low volume and then recite either three short Ayāħs or one long Āyaħ that is equivalent to three short Ayāħs or any Sūraĥ such as Sūraĥ Ikhlāṣ.

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Commencing with the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

قُلْ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ ۝١ اَللّٰهُ الصَّمَدُ ۝٢ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُوْلَدْ ۝٣ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهٗ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌ ۝٤

Declare He is Allah, He is one. Allah is absolute self-reliant. He has no progeny, nor is He born from anyone. And there is none equal to Him.

Now bow down for Rukū’ uttering اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ. Hold knees firmly with both palms and keep fingers spread out. The back should be straight and head should also be in the straightness of the back (not lower or higher than the back); in Rukū’, focus eyesight at feet. Recite سُبْحٰنَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيْمِ¹ at least three times in Rukū’. Then utter the Tasmī’ سَمِعَ اللّٰهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهٗ² and stand erect; the standing after Rukū’ is called Qawmaĥ. If you are a Munfarid then utter اَللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ³.

¹ Glory to my Magnificent Rab عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

² Allāĥ عَزَّوَجَلَّ heard whoever praised Him.

³ O Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)! O our Rab All praises are for You only.

Then, go down for Sajdaĥ uttering اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ placing your knees first on the ground, then hands and then head (nose first and then the forehead) in between your hands. Make it sure that your nasal bone (not just the tip of your nose) and your forehead properly rest on the ground; in Sajdaĥ, focus eyesight at nose; keep arms separated from sides, belly from thighs and thighs from shins (but if you are in a Jamā’at then keep arms close to sides).

The tips of all ten toes should be towards Qiblaĥ with their soles flattened with the ground. Your palms should be flat on the ground with fingers facing Qiblaĥ, but do not keep the forearms touching the ground.

Now recite سُبْحٰنَ رَبِّيَ الْاَعْلٰى at least three times; then lift your head (forehead first then nose), then hands and sit up straight; keep your right foot upright with its toes facing Qiblaĥ; lay your left foot flat and sit on it; place your palms on your thighs close to your knees with your fingers facing Qiblaĥ and their tips by the knees.

Sitting in between two Sujūd is called Jalsaĥ. One must stay in this position for at least the amount of time in which سُبْحٰنَ الله can once be uttered (to utter اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْلِیْ¹ in Jalsaĥ is Mustaḥab).

Now, perform the second Sajdaĥ uttering اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ in the same way as the first one.

Now, raise the head first; then stand up with the support of your toes placing your hands on your knees. Do not lean hands unnecessarily on the ground while standing up. You have now completed one Rak’at.

¹ “Yā Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ forgive me.”

In the second Rak’at, start with بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ and then recite Sūra-e-Fātiḥaĥ and another Sūraĥ, then do the Rukū’ and Sujūd as you did in the first Rak’at.

After completing the second Sajdaĥ (of the second Rak’at) sit up straight with your right foot upright and your left foot flat.

To sit after the second Sajdaĥ of the second Rak’at is called Qa’daĥ.

Recite Tashahħud in Qa’daĥ:

اَلتَّحِيَّاتُ لِلّٰهِ وَالصَّلَوٰتُ وَالطَّيِّبٰتُ ؕ اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ اَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهٗ ؕ اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلٰى عِبَادِ اللّٰهِ الصّٰلِحِيْنَ ؕ اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ ۝ وَاَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُوْلُهٗ ۝

All types of worship i.e. oral, physical and monetary are for Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Salutation be upon you Yā Nabī صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم and the mercy and blessings of Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Salutation be upon us and the pious men of Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ and I testify that Muḥammad صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم is His (distinguished) Servant and Rasūl صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم.

When you are about to utter the word لَا in Tashahħud, form a circle with the middle finger and thumb of your right hand and put the tips of your ring-finger and the pinkie at palm; as soon as you begin to utter the word “لَا” (immediately after “اَشْهَدُ اَنْ”), raise your index finger without waving it side to side. When you reach اِلَّا put it down and straighten your all fingers out instantly. If you are offering more than two Rak’āt, stand erect uttering اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ.

If it is Farḍ Ṣalāĥ, recite only بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ and Sura-e-Fātiḥaĥ in the third and fourth Rak’āt, an additional Sūraĥ is not needed. The rest of the acts must be performed in the same way as before.

However, if it is a Sunnaĥ Ṣalāĥ or Nafl Ṣalāĥ, then Sūraĥ shall be added after Sūraĥ Fātiḥaĥ in the third and fourth Rak’āt (You must remember that if you are offering the Ṣalāĥ following an Imām, you cannot recite anything in the Qiyām of any Rak’at, you must stand quietly). Once you have offered all four Rak’āt, sit in Qa’daĥ-e-Ākhiraĥ, and then recite Tashahħud and the Durūd-e-Ibrāhīm عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَامُ.

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلٰى اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلٰى اِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلٰى اٰلِ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ اِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ ۝ اَللّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلٰى اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلٰى اِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلٰى اٰلِ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ اِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ ۝

O Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ send Durūd on (our Master) Muḥammad صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم and on his descendents as You sent Durūd on (our Master) Ibrāhīm عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَامُ and his descendents. Indeed you alone are praise worthy and Glorious. O Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ shower Your blessings on (our Master) Muḥammad صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم and his descendents as You showered blessings on (our Master) Ibrāhīm عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَامُ and his descendents. Indeed You are praise worthy and Glorious.

Then recite any Du’ā-e-Māšūraĥ e.g.

(اَللّٰهُمَّ) رَبَّنَا اٰتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّفِي الْاٰخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ۝٢٠١

(O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ) Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of hell-fire.

Then, to finish the Ṣalāĥ, first turn face towards right shoulder saying اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ and then towards left shoulder saying the same words. Now your Ṣalāĥ has completed.

(Bahār-e-Sharī’at, pp. 504-506, vol. 1, etc.)