Allah, the Most High, Says:
“Verily, Salah (Prayers) is enjoined on the believers- to be performed-at fixed times.”
[Qur'an 4:103]
The Prayers are:
|
Prayer
|
Time |
Reg* or Opt** (before the Obligatory) Units |
Obligatory Units |
Reg* or Opt** (following the Obligatory) Units |
|
Fajr (early morning); 2 Obligatory units |
dawn – sunrise |
2* |
2 |
- |
|
Thuhr (noonday); 4 obligatory units. |
zawaal (sun passing its zenith) – time of next prayer (‘Asr) |
2* & 2* |
4 |
2 (2**) |
|
‘Asr (late afternoon), 4 obligatory units. |
time when shadow of a vertical stick equals its length – sunset |
4** |
4 |
- |
|
Maghrib (sunset); 3 obligatory units. |
sunset – disappearance of red twilight (glow) in the sky. |
2** |
3 |
2* |
|
Ishaa’ (night); 4 obligatory units |
disappearance of the red glow – midnight |
2* |
4 |
2*, 2*, 1* |
One Unit of Prayer (Rak’ah) constitutes certain actions: standing, bowing, prostrating, sitting, and prostrating.
If one misses an obligatory prayer due to sleep or forgetfulness, then the person must perform it a s soon as he/she wakes up or when he/she remembers it.
What Is To Be Done Before Performing Salah
1-Ritual Purity (Wudhu’ or Ghusl depending on the state of impurity;
2-Clean place.
3-Men to perform Obligatory Salah at the Mosque (except for a legal excuse; illness, etc.); rest of prayers at home.
4-Women to perform Salah in the innermost places at home (they are allowed to pray at the Mosques, but not mandatory).
5-Wearing loose clothes that does not shape the private parts for men (and extend down until above the ankle), while women cover their entire bodies except face and hands.
6-Standing close to a Sutrah in front of the Musalee (person in prayer) [Sutrah: an object like a pillar, sticking or laying down on the ground, set so that no human or animal can walk in front of the person performing Salah].
General Guidelines:
1-learn direction of Qiblah & times of prayer in your location (contact closest Sunni Mosque)
2-Learn the movements and shorter sentences. Practice what is to be said in prayers.
3-Work to learn the Recitation of the Opening Chapter in the Qur’an (the Faatiha).
