The Seventy-Two Sunan of Ṣalāĥ: From Takbīr-e-Taḥrīmaĥ to the Final Qa'daĥ

Sunan of Takbir-e-Taḥrimah

1.     Raising hands for Takbīr-e-Taḥrīmaĥ

2.     Keeping fingers in their normal condition i.e. neither keep too close nor produce tension in them.

3.     The inside part of palms as well as that of fingers should face the Qiblaĥ.

4.     Not bowing head at the time of Takbīr

5.     Raising both hands up to ears before starting the utterance of Takbīr

6.     The same Sunan apply to the Takbīr of Qunūt and

7.     The Takbīrāt of the both Eīd Ṣalāĥ as well.

8.     Imām's uttering اَللّٰہُ اَکْبَر,

9.     سَمِعَ اللّٰہُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَه and

10. Salām loudly (raising voice louder than requirement is Makrūĥ).

11. Folding hands immediately after the Takbīr-e-Aulā is Sunnaĥ (after uttering Takbīr-e-Aulā, some people drop their hands to their sides or sway their arms backwards and then fold their hands; this is a deviation from Sunnaĥ).

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 520-522, vol. 1)

Sunan of Qiyām

12. Men should fold their hands beneath their navel with their right palm on the back of their left wrist joint, right thumb and small finger should be around left wrist and their remaining right hand fingers should be on the back of their left forearm.

13. Reciting Šanā first and then

14. Ta'aw-wuż (اَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ) and then

15. Tasmiyaĥ (بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ).

16. Reciting Šanā, Ta'aw-wuż and Tasmiyaĥ immediately one after the other.

17. Uttering all of them with low volume.

18. Uttering آمِیْن.

19. Uttering it (آمِیْن) in low voice also.

20. Reciting Šanā immediately after Takbīr-e-Aulā. (In Ṣalāĥ, Ta'aw-wuż and Tasmiyaĥ are linked with the Qirā-at, as the Muqtadī does not have to do Qirā-at either, it is not Sunnaĥ for him to recite Ta'aw-wuż and Tasmiyaĥ either; however, the Muqtadī missing one or more Rak'at should recite them while offering his missed Rak'at).

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 234, vol. 2)

21. Ta'aw-wuż should be recited in the first Rak'at only.

22. Tasmiyaĥ is Sunnaĥ at the beginning of every Rak'at.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 522, 523, vol. 1)

Sunan of Rukū'

23. Uttering اَللّٰہُ اَکْبَر for Rukū'

24. Uttering سُبْحٰنَ رَبِّیَ الْعَظِیْم three times in Rukū'

25. Man's holding knees with hands;

26. Spreading fingers wide apart and,

27. Keeping legs straight in Rukū' (some people bend their legs like a bow, this is Makrūĥ).

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 525, vol. 1)

28. In Rukū', the back should be so straight (horizontally) that even if a glass of water is placed on the back, the glass should remain still.

(Fath-ul-Qadīr, pp. 259, vol. 1)

29. In Rukū', the head should neither be higher nor lower (than the back) it should be in the straightness of the back.

(Hidāyaĥ, pp. 50, vol. 1)

The beloved Rasūl of Allāĥ صَلَّى اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم said, "The Ṣalāĥ of the one not keeping his back straight in Rukū' and Sujūd is insufficient (imperfect)."

(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, pp. 325, vol. 1, Ḥadīš 855)

The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم said, "Perform your Rukū' and Sujūd completely as, by Allāĥ عَزَّوَجَلَّ, I see you from behind my back."

(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, pp. 263, vol. 1, Ḥadīš 742)

30. It is better (for a Muṣallī) to utter اَللّٰہُ اَکْبَر while bending for Rukū' i.e. to utter Takbīr when he starts bending for Rukū' and finish it having bent completely. (Fatāwa-e-'Ālamgīrī, pp. 74, vol. 1) In order to do so, stretch the لام (lām) of Allāĥ, not the ب (bā) of Akbar or any other letter. Uttering اَللّٰہُ (Āllāhu), اَکْبَار (Ākbar) or اکْبَار (Akbār) will invalidate the Ṣalāĥ.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 218, vol. 2)

(Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 218, vol. 2)

Sunan of Qawmaĥ

31. Keeping hands down to sides when standing after Rukū'.

(Fatāwa-e-'Ālamgīrī, pp. 73, vol. 1)

32. Imām's uttering سَمِعَ اللّٰہُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَه when standing from Rukū'

33. Muqtadī's uttering اَللّٰہُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَلَکَ الْحَمْد

34. Uttering both is a Sunnaĥ for Munfarid.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 527, vol. 1)

The Sunnaĥ will be fulfilled if the words رَبَّنَالَكَالْحَمْد are uttered but it is better to add the letter "و" after the word "رَبَّنَا"; uttering اَللّٰھُمَّ رَبَّنَا is better than uttering رَبَّنَا and adding both i.e. uttering اَللّٰھُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْد is better than uttering رَبَّنَالَكَ وَرَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْد.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 246, vol. 2)

35. A Munfarid should start uttering سَمِعَ اللّٰہُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَه while standing from Rukū' and, having stood erect, he should utter اَللّٰھُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْد.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 247, vol. 2)

Sunan of Sajdaĥ

36. Uttering اَللّٰہُ اَکْبَر when going down for Sajdaĥ

37. Uttering اَللّٰہُ اَکْبَر when returning from Sajdaĥ.

38. Uttering سُبْحٰنَ رَبِّیَ الْاَعْلٰی at least three times in Sajdaĥ.

39. Placing palms on the ground in Sajdaĥ

40. Keeping the fingers close together, facing the Qiblaĥ

41. When going down for Sajdaĥ, placing knees,

42. Hands,

43. Nose and

44. Forehead on ground in that order

45. Doing that in reverse order when returning from Sajdaĥ i.e.

46. Forehead,

47. Nose,

48. Hands and

49. Knees should be lifted from ground in that order.

50. During Sajdaĥ, it is a Sunnaĥ for men to keep their arms apart from sides and

51. Thighs apart from belly.

52. Not laying forearms on the ground. If you are in a Ṣaf (row) during Jamā'at, then do not keep arms away from sides.

53. Making the soles of all ten toes of both feet touch the ground in such a way that their tips face the Qiblaĥ.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 528-530, vol. 1)

Sunan of Jalsaĥ

54. Sitting between both Sujūd, which is called Jalsaĥ

55. Keeping the right foot upright and the left foot flat and sitting on the left foot

56. Keeping the toes of right foot towards the Qiblaĥ

57. Placing both hands on thighs.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 530, vol. 1)

Sunan of Standing for the Second Rak'at

58. After the completion of both Sujūd, it is a Sunnaĥ to stand up for the second Rak'at with the support of toes.

59. Placing hands on knees; however, there is no harm in placing hands on the ground for standing up due to weakness or pain in foot.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 262, vol. 2)

(Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 262, vol. 2)

Sunan of Qa'daĥ

60. After performing the Sujūd of the 2nd Rak'at, it is a Sunnaĥ for men to lay their left foot flat.

61. Sitting with both buttocks on the left flattened foot

62. Keeping right foot upright and

63. Keeping the toes of right foot towards the Qiblaĥ.

64. Keeping right hand on right thigh and

65. Left hand on left thigh

66. Leaving fingers in a normal state i.e. neither too close together nor too wide apart

67. Keeping fingertips close to the knees but one should not hold the knees

68. Raising the index finger of right hand while giving Shaĥadaĥ (Testimony) during اَلتَّحِیّات. Its method is as follows:

Fold ring finger and the pinkie, form a ring with the middle finger and thumb, raise the index finger while uttering "لَا" and do not shake it hither and thither, put it down while uttering اِلَّا and straighten all fingers.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 530, vol. 1)

69. Sitting in the second Qa'daĥ just like the first one. Reciting Tashaĥhud as well.

(Dur-re-Mukhtār, pp. 272, vol. 2)

70. Reciting Durūd Sharīf after Tashaĥhud. Reciting Durūd-e-Ibrāĥīm is preferable.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 531, vol. 1)

71. It is a Sunnaĥ to recite Durūd Sharīf after Tashaĥhud in the first Qa'daĥ of Nafl and Sunan-e-Ghair Muakkadaĥ.

(Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 281, vol. 2)

72. Reciting Du'ā after Durūd Sharīf.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 534, vol. 1)