Salah, prayer, is the second pillar. The Islamic faith is based on the belief that individuals have a direct relationship with God. Salah can he performed alone; it is meritorious to perform it with another or with a group. It is permissible to pray at home, at work, or even outdoors; however it is recommended that Muslims perform salah in a mosque.
Pillars of Islamic Prayer (Arkan As-Salaah)
- Qiyam: Standing while praying obligatory prayers for any capable person
- Takbeeratul-Ihraam: Saying the opening Takbeer (Allahu akbar), at the beginning of prayer
- Reciting Al-Fatihah: Reading surah al-Faatihah
- Rukoo’ (bowing): Rukoo, which refers to bending with both hands on the knees while making your upper body parallel to the ground if you can
- Standing upright from Rukoo’
- Sujood (twice): Prostration (Sujood), place your palms, forehead, nose, knees, and toes on the ground.
- Sitting between the two Sujood: Sitting between the two Sajdah. The right way to do so is by sitting on the left foot and holding the right foot upright with the toes pointing towards the Qiblah.
- Sitting for the last Tashahud: Sitting for the final Tashahhud and salaam.
- Reciting the last Tashahud: Saying the final Tashahhud (Including durood ibrahim)
- Tasleem: Saying the two Salaams after finishing the final tashahhud, which means to say “As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah (Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah)”.
- Calmness in doing each act: (Doing all the physical pillars easily without pushing yourself)
- Making acts in order: Doing all the pillars of prayer in the right order. If one forgets to perform and one of them then he/she should go back and perform what he forgot to do.
Note: If one intentionally leaves a pillar he must repeat his Salaah. If one un-intentionally leaves a pillar he must return and make the missed pillar, then at the end of the Salaah makes sujood us-sahu (sujood to make up for forgetfulness).
