Few questions about Salat

[Tehvid]

Hi, I started to pray since almost 2 weeks now, but there are still some confusions in my mind.
So I ask you few questions.

1. I pray 2-4-4-3-4 rakats, I read there are other rakats to pray, what is the number of rakat to have a valid prayer?
2. After Fatiha, I recite An Nas, but do I have to do it for all 4 rakats or only 2 first?
3. About praying out loud, when do we pray out loud? Is it really out loud or whisper? Can we pray silently?

I hope you'll give some of your time to answer my interrogations. :)

[Signor]

Assalamu Alaikum

1. I pray 2-4-4-3-4 rakats, I read there are other rakats to pray, what is the number of rakat to have a valid prayer?

The correct order for the prayers is the following:

Fajr: 2 Sunnah Mu'khadda, 2 Fard

Dhuhr: 4 Sunnah Mu'khadda, 4 Fard, 2 Sunnah Mu'kkadda, 2 Nafil

Asr: 4 Sunnah Ghayr Mu'khadda, 4 Fard

Maghrib: 3 Fard, 2 Sunnah Mu'khadda, 2 Nafil

Isha: 4 Sunnah Ghayr Mu'khadda, 4 fard, 2 Sunah, 2 Nafil, 3 Witr, 2 Nafil

Prayers (Salat) are primarily of two types; (i) obligatory- Fardh and (ii) voluntary(extra)-nafil.

Obligatory or compulsory - Fardh prayers are those which are to be offered at any cost what so ever and in any condition except when one looses its conscious. These obligatory prayers constitute 17 rakaat in number as follows:

Fajr: 2 rakaat
Dhur: 4 rakaat
Asr: 4 rakaat
Maghrib: 3 rakaat
Isha: 4 rakaat
Total: 17 rakaat

Voluntary (extra) - nafil prayers are those which are not obligatory but are offered by some one at his free will, to please Allah.
These voluntary - nafil prayers are categorized into 3 types by Islamic scholars while emphasizing their importance;

a) Sunnah prayers, further classified into; i) Mu'akadda and ii) Ghair Mu'akadda
b) Nafil prayers, and
c) Wajib prayers.

Sunnah Mu’akadda prayers are those non-obligatory prayers for which the Prophet :saws: was very particular and he:saws: emphasized his followers to offer them. But one should remain mindful that to offer sunnah Mu’kadda prayers is highly rewarding but one is not accountable if he does not offer these prayers. These prayers are as follows:

Fajr: 2 rakaat ( before 2 Fard)
Dhur: 4 rakaat (before 4 Fard) + 2 rakaat (after Fard)
Asr: No rakaat
Maghrib: 2 rakaat (after 3 Fard)
Isha: 2 rakaat (after 4 Fard)
Total: 12 rakaat

Sunnah Ghair Mu’akadda prayers are those non-obligatory prayers which the Prophet:saws: was neither particular nor emphasized to offer them. These prayers may be as follows:

Fajr: None
Dhur: None
Asr: 4 rakaat (before 4 Fard)
Maghrib: 2 rakaat (before 3 Fard)
Isha: 4 rakaat (before 4 Fard)

Nafil prayers are purely voluntary but Islamic scholars, for reasons best known to them, have prescribed them as follows:

Fajr: None
Dhur: 2 rakaat after 2 sunnah Mu’akadda
Asr: None
Maghrib: 2 rakaat after 2 sunnah Mu’akadda
Isha: 2 rakaat after 2 sunnah Mu’akadda

Wajib prayer is also obligatory, but to a lesser degree. Witr prayer, after Isha, is considered Wajib by certain schools of thought, while some consider it as Sunnah Mu’akadda. Though its omission is strongly reprehensible, it does not specifically incur punishment.

2. After Fatiha, I recite An Nas, but do I have to do it for all 4 rakats or only 2 first?

When Fardh rakaa'h are four(in Zuhr,Asr' and Isha),this will be done for first two.
When Fardh rakaa'h are two or three(Fajr and Maghreb),this will be done for both.

Entire Salaah book
http://islamicbulletin.org/free_down...orm_Salaah.pdf

3. About praying out loud, when do we pray out loud? Is it really out loud or whisper? Can we pray silently?

Reciting Prayer Silent or/and Out Loud

And Allah Knows Best!

[greenhill]

On your second question, only for the first 2 rakaat do you read a second surah (you can read for the 3rd and 4th too if you so wish)

On your third question, as far as I know, you read out loud (not too loud) for the evening prayers (Maghrib and 'Isya). Zuhur and 'Asar is silent. Not sure about Subuh though...

Peace :shade:

[Tehvid]

Thanks for your answers and links this answers my questions, for now I'll keep to Fardh prayers.

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[faithandpeace]

Assalamu alaikum. I have a question. Is the volume of the salat any different for females praying alone than for males or is it the same? At the masjid I pray very quietly with the other sisters regardless of what the brothers are doing (i.e. whether they are doing it out loud such as fajr or quietly such as asr). As I do most of my salat at home which I believe is recommended for sisters, I am not sure whether I am supposed to pray fajr, maghrib, and isha out loud like the brothers do at the masjid or whether all prayers for sisters regardless of location (home or masjid) are to be done quietly? I have yet to see any clarification on any of this.

[Signor]

Assalamu alaikum. I have a question. Is the volume of the salat any different for females praying alone than for males or is it the same? At the masjid I pray very quietly with the other sisters regardless of what the brothers are doing (i.e. whether they are doing it out loud such as fajr or quietly such as asr). As I do most of my salat at home which I believe is recommended for sisters, I am not sure whether I am supposed to pray fajr, maghrib, and isha out loud like the brothers do at the masjid or whether all prayers for sisters regardless of location (home or masjid) are to be done quietly? I have yet to see any clarification on any of this.

Waalikum Assalaam

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (3/38)

A woman may recite out loud in prayers where Qur’aan is recited out loud, but if there are men present, she should not recite out loud,unless they are her mahrams,in which case she may do that.

Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (3/390)

With regard to women, most of our companions said that if she is praying on her own, or in the presence of other women or men who are her mahrams, she may recite out loud, whether she is leading other women in prayer or praying alone. But if she is praying in the presence of non-mahram men she should recite silently… This is our opinion… al-Qaadi Abu al-Tayyib said: The ruling on saying Allaahu akbar in prayers where Qur’aan is recited out loud and prayers where it is recited silently is the same as the ruling on reciting Qur’aan.

Original Link:http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/9063/ameen

[Tehvid]

I have another question, this time about Tashahhud, if it's a 4 rakat, i have to recite it twice, one after the second rakat and one at the last one?
What about if there is 3 rakat, is it also one after the second rakat and one at the third?
If it's a 2 rakat, I read we must recite darood where we bless the prophet after Tashahhud, is it only for Fajr prayer?

[Signor]

Assalamu Alaikum

if it's a 4 rakat, i have to recite it twice, one after the second rakat and one at the last one?

Yep,That's the way to do it.

What about if there is 3 rakat, is it also one after the second rakat and one at the third?

Tashahhud in second rakaa'h,after which you stand up for the remaining rakah,then Tashahhud once again in third one followed by Durood Ibrahim.

If it's a 2 rakat, I read we must recite darood where we bless the prophet after Tashahhud, is it only for Fajr prayer?

You read it right.

[Tehvid]

Tashahhud in second rakaa'h,after which you stand up for the remaining rakah,then Tashahhud once again in third one followed by Durood Ibrahim.

Ok, so I understand now, but I have a last question, do I have to recite Durood Ibrahim during a 4 rakat Salat or only during Fajr and Maghrib?
I'm a bit confused about it.

[Signor]

do I have to recite Durood Ibrahim during a 4 rakat Salat or only during Fajr and Maghrib?

In a four rakah(like Zuhr, Asr & Isha) Salah you stand up for the remaining rakah after Tashahhud in second rakah,then sits again for Tashahhud followed by Duroud in fourth rakaah.

Also keep in mind for a four rakaah salaat,you don't need to recite a small Surah or atleast three verses of a big Surah after reciting Surah Fatihah in last two rakaah.

[Signor]

I forgot to add,Duroud Ibrahim will be recited in every last rakaah of a Salaat.So for Fajr its in second one,For Zuhr,Asr&Isha it will be fourth one,For Maghreb its in third one.

[Tehvid]

Ok thanks Signor, now I have all the keys to perform correct Salat.
For the Surah after Fatiha, I recite An Nas for the first 2 rakats of each prayer, I'm going to learn some others since I know this one by heart now.

[Signor]

Ok thanks Signor, now I have all the keys to perform correct Salat.
For the Surah after Fatiha, I recite An Nas for the first 2 rakats of each prayer, I'm going to learn some others since I know this one by heart now.

You are most welcome akhee.:)

Feel free to question more.

[Tehvid]

If everything keeps on the good way I'll start to attend Jumua in mosque, is the prayer different?
Also about Arabic language, do we have to learn to read it or to understand and speak it?

[Signor]

If everything keeps on the good way I'll start to attend Jumua in mosque, is the prayer different?

Jumaa'h prayers consists of two fard.The little difference you will find is Imam reciting Surah Fatihah followed by Surah of his own choice loudly in both rakaats,all you need to do is to listen them silently or you can recite only Surah Fatihah with him in your heart,That's it.Rest of Salaat remains same.

If you finds above difficult,then just give a try to a Friday congregation,it is very easy.

Also about Arabic language, do we have to learn to read it or to understand and speak it?

No,its not necessary but one can't neglect its worth.

What essential is that you can offer Salaat and recite Qur'an in Arabic.No burden till you able to do them properly.

[Tehvid]

Yesterday I went to sleep very very late and I missed 3 prayers today, I'll soon pray Maghrib, can I pray the missed prayers and yes in which order?

[Signor]

Assalamu Alaikum

If a prayer is missed, it is common practice among Muslims that it is to be made up as soon as it is remembered or as soon as one is able to do so. This is known as Qadaa'.He should pray the number of rak’ahs he would have prayed if he had offered it on time, no more and no less, and without changing the way it is done. If one misses the noon prayer because of a work meeting that could not be interrupted, one should pray as soon as the meeting is over. But if the next prayer time has already come, one should first perform the prayer that was missed, and immediately after it the “on time” prayer.The way in which the missed prayers are made up is the same order as the prescribed prayers. So whoever misses Zuhr and ‘Asr, for example, should pray Zuhr first, then ‘Asr.

[Tehvid]

Ok, I still have a question, I read that during tashahhud, when we recite the Shahada, we have to either do a circle on our knee or raise the finger while the rest of the hand is still on the knee, which one it the good way?

[greenhill]

I see the normal practice here is to rest your right hand shaped like a 'fist' on your knee except the index finger (which is not curled into the fist but resting on the knee) that is raised at the recitation of the shahada.

Hope this makes sense.

Peace :shade:

[Signor]

How should the finger be lifted in tashahhud?

With respect to how the finger should be raised, there are numerous hadîth about it, which has caused scholars to disagree as to which manner of doing so is preferred.

According to the Mâlikî, Shâfi`î, and Hanbalî schools of thought, the worshipper should clasp all of the fingers of his right hand together except for the index finger which he points with. Their evidence for this is the hadîth related by Ibn `Umar: “When the Prophet (peace be upon him) sat for tashahhud, he would place his left hand on his left knee and his right hand on his right knee and clasped his fingers together in a way known as “fifty-three” and pointed with his index finger.” [Sahîh Muslim]

(The term “fifty three” in the narration of Ibn `Umar refers to the act of clasping down the little finger and the ring finger and placing the thumb on the middle finger to form a ring.)

In another narration from Muslim, it reads: “He clasped all of his fingers together and pointed using the finger next to the thumb.” [Sahîh Muslim]

This is also supported by the hadîth related by Wâ’il b. Hajar, who said: “I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) hold down two of his fingers and making a ring, and pointing with his index finger, supplicating with it.” [Sunan Abî Dâwûd, Sunan al-Nasâ’î, Sunan Ibn Mâjah, and Musnad Ahmad]

This is similar to the hadîth related by `Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr: “When the Prophet (peace be upon him) sat for prayer, he would place his left hand on his left knee and his right hand on his right thigh and point with his index finger, placing his thumb on his middle finger.” [Sahîh Muslim]

It should be noted that if the worshipper places his thumb on his middle finger, this will likely form a ring.

Scholars of the Hanafî school of thought adopt the saying that the worshipper should leave all of the fingers of his right hand flat on his thigh and simply lift his index finger. They cite the hadîth of `Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr, as above mentioned, as evidence for this, specifically where he says: “…he would place his left hand on his left knee and his right hand on his right thigh…”

The correct view on the issue,as I see it, is that both manners of positioning the fingers of the right hand are valid:

1. The worshipper may clasp his other fingers together while pointing with his index finger.
2. The worshipper may leave his fingers lying flat on his thigh and point with his index finger.

Source: How to place one's hands and raise one's finger during tashahhud

If above doesn't answers your question,Kindly rephrase it.

[crimsontide06]

I'll give my opinion, I think it is good that you want to pray the extra prayers, I tried that but got frustrated/overwhelmed. It is best, when starting something new, to start out small....do the 5 prayers as you are supposed to, each day...once you have that down after a few weeks THEN you add the extra prayers. You cannot just jump into anything expecting to get it right everyday..this is why again, start out with the basics then work your way up.

[amirpalashi]

Salat

Salat is second requirement of ISLAM. It is a mathod of worship. It is a way of communication with Allah. A Muslim perform salat five times in a day uniting mind, soul and body.

a. Fajr: (dawan) the Fajr salat is performed before sunrise.

b. Dhuhr: (noon) the Dhuhr salat is farfomed in the midday when the sun starts drop from it's apex.

c. Asr: (afternoon) the Asr salat is performed at afternoon before sunset

d. Magrib: (evening) theMagrib salat is performed at evening after sunset.

e. Isha: (night) the Isha salat performed in night after one hour of Magrib.