A Concise Explanation of the statements in Salaah (The Prayer)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

A Concise Explanation of the statements in Salaah (The Prayer)

Compiled by : Abu Abdillah Khadhr Al Amreekee

Takbeer

الله أكبر

Allaah is The Greatest (Statement of Allaah’s Greatness, and Loftiness.)

The Opening Suplication (Dua al-Istiftaah)

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ تَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ وَلاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ

Glory to be you O Allaah and all of the praises.

(Praising and glorifying Allaah by believing in and declaring His perfection as His is absolute perfection. Coupling that with His right to All praise, as there is none that has virtue except that He is the One who bestowed it upon him. His praise is true from His slaves coming from their love and awe of Him)

Blessed is Your name and high is Your status.

(The mentioning of the blessing of His name as He is the One who, when you ask Him, he gives you And when you call upon Him, He answers. Then mentioning His high status and sanctity and reaffirming His perfection)

And there is no one and nothing that has the right to be worshiped beside you.

(Completing by the realization that Due to His unique and supreme attributes, there is no one and nothing that has the right to be worshiped beside Him)

Another Opening Suplication (Dua al-Istiftaah)

اللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَاىَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ اللَّهُمَّ نَقِّنِى مِنْ خَطَايَاىَ كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ اللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْنِى مِنْ خَطَايَاىَ بِالثَّلْجِ وَالْمَاءِ وَالْبَرَدِ

O Allaah, please separate and distance between me and my sins, the way you have separated and distanced between the east and west. O Allaah, please purify me of my sins the way that white clothes are made pure of filth. O Allaah, please wash me of my sins with water, snow, and ice.

Seeking refuge from Shaytaan (Isti’aathah)

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

I seek refuge with Allaah from Satan, the Outcasted (The oppressive, sinful one, who does not benefit from admonition or warnings).

Basmalah

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In The Name of Allaah The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

(Seeking of the blessings of, and purification of intentions for, The Most High Creator of all that exists, by mentioning His greatest name, which is followed on by the rest of His innumerable names of perfection. The vastly merciful Who bestows His Mercy upon who He wills from His creation.)

Surah Al-Faatihah

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

All Praise is due to Allaah the Lord and Master of all that exists.

الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The Most Merciful, The One Who shows Mercy.

مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

The Absolute Master of The Day of Reckoning.

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

We only worship You, alone, and we only seek help from You.

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

Please show us The Straight Path.

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ

The path of the ones who You have blessed with Your favors. Not the path of the ones who Your Anger is upon (because of them turning away from Your Guidance), nor the path of the misguided ones (who are willfully unaware of The Guidance You have sent).

Other selections from the Qur’aan recommended to recite after reciting Surah Al Fatihah:

Surah al Ikhlaas (“Purity” of intentions for Allaah and clarification of His right to be worshiped alone)

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

Say: He is Allaah, The One True God.

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ

Allaah, The One that all are in need of while He is free of need of anyone else. The Forever existing.

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

He does not make Himself to have offspring, nor was He ever born.

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

And there is nothing that comes close to being like Him.

Surah al Falaq – “Daybreak”

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ

Say: I seek refuge with The One Who created, owns and orders the daybreak.

مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ

From whatever evil that exists in His creation.

وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ

From the evil of the night, as it becomes dark.

وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ

From the evil of the sorcerers and witches who blow into their knots.

وَمِنْ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ

and from the evil of the envious ones at their times of envy.

Surah anNaas- “Mankind”

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ

Say: I seek protection with the Creator, Provider, and Guide of mankind.

مَلِكِ النَّاسِ

The Owner and Commander of mankind

إِلَهِ النَّاسِ

The One, due to His Perfection, truly has the right to be worshiped by mankind.

مِنْ شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ

From the whisperings of the whisperer (the devil who runs away when The All Powerful is mentioned.)

الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ

Who whispers in the breasts of mankind

مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ

Of jinns and men.

Tasbeeh (that is said while bowing)

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّىَ الْعَظِيمِ

Glory be to My Lord The Most Great.

(Declaration of Perfection of our Creator, Sustain-er, Owner and Commander, and that there in no one and nothing greater than Him.)

Tasmi’ (that is said as one stands from bowing)

سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ

Allaah hears those who praise Him.

(Acknowledgment of the fact that Allaah answers the prayers of those who praise Him.)

Tahmeed (that is said after tasmi’)

رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ

Our Lord, for you, all of the praises.

(We obey You our Lord and Disposer of our affairs, and declare Your Greatness out of awe and love.)

Tasbeeh (which is said while in prostration)

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّىَ الأَعْلَى

Glory be to my Lord The Most High

(Declaration of the Perfection of our Creator, Sustain-er, Owner and Commander. And that He is The Most High, literally, as well as in His Domination, His Complete Ability, and Faultless Characteristics.)

Istighfaar (said two times between the two prostrations)

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي

Oh my Lord, please forgive me, Oh my Lord, please forgive me.

(Acknowledgment of our sinfulness, either by mistaken understandings or by stubbornly following desires)

Tashahhud

(said after the prostrations in the second unit of prayer before standing for third unit of prayer, and at the end of the prayer.)

التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ

السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

All of the Praises (verbal worship) and prayers, (actions of worship) are the sole right of Allaah. As well as all good, (be it from speech like praises and mentioning of Allaah and all righteous speech or actions, or monetary sacrifices. All of that is not to be shared with, or done for the pleasure of, other than Allaah).

May Allaah give peace, safety, and His Mercy to the Prophet (Muhammad, and addressing him). May Allaah give us and all of His righteous slaves Peace and Safety.

I bear witness that there is no one and nothing that has the right to be worshiped other than Allaah. I also bear witness that (the prophet) Muhammad is His slave and His messenger (who was sent to teach the people how to worship Allaah).

Salaah upon The Prophet (stated after the tashahhud in the last unit of prayer)

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ

إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ.

O Allaah please give good mention to Muhammad and the family and followers of Muhammad, as you have given good mention to the family and followers of Ibraaheem. Surely You are The One worthy of all praise, The Majestic (The Honorable, The Lofty, The Most Great)

O Allaah, please bestow Your blessings and favors upon Muhammad, and upon the family and followers of Muhammad as You have bestowed your blessings and favors upon the family and followers of Ibraaheem. Surely, You are the One worthy of all praise, The Majestic (The Honorable, The Lofty, The Great)

Seeking refuge and safety from four things (stated before completion of the prayer)

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّى أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ

O Allaah, I seek Your protection from the punishment of the grave, and from the punishment of the Hellfire, from the trails of life and death, and from the evil of the trails of the al-Maseeh al-Dajjaal (the Trickster that will travel throughout the Earth close to The Day of Resurrection)

Tasleem (with which the prayer is ended after completion of that which has preceded)

السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ

May The Peace, and Mercy of Allaah be upon you

(A prayer for total peace, safety, and the tremendous Mercy of Allaah, The All-powerful, The Vastly Merciful)

الحمد لله رب العالمين