Real-Life Stories on the Power of Istighfar (With Authentic References)

 

               How to perform salah (Islamic prayer rituals) - 

                                    a guide for beginners

Do you know how to perform salah in the most perfect way? It is important to learn how to pray in Islam, as it is the greatest act of worship, performed with the mind, heart, and body. Prayer is the act of a Muslim being extremely humble before his Lord, Allah. He shows by his prayers that he is ready to live in complete obedience to Allah. The word "Muslim" means "one who is obedient to Allah" and "one who has submitted his will to Allah". By praying five times every day, a Muslim can keep renewing his remembrance of Allah.

Learning to pray is the first step toward fulfilling the most important duty and obligation in Islam after the two testimonies. It is also one among the five pillars of Islam; The Messengerﷺ - said: “Islam is built on five things: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, establishing prayer, Zakath (the arms), Sawm(fast) and the Hajj (the Pilgrimage).”

He who did not pray during the time of the Prophet (May peace be upon him) was not considered a Muslim. Men usually attended the Masjid to pray. Women also used to attend the Masjid as per their convenience. What distinguishes a Muslim from a non-muslim is prayer. Therefore, we should not consider those who neglect their prayers as Muslims. Do not treat them as you would treat Muslims. Abandoning the prayer is the nature of a disbeliever who disobeys Allah. This highlights the penultimate importance of prayer in Islam.

Both young and old should worship. The Prophet ﷺ commanded that parents should teach their children how to perform salah when they are seven years old. Therefore, from the age of seven, all children should be accustomed to Salah. For that, they must have learned the rules of prayer. The Prophet ﷺ also commanded the parents to beat their children if they do not perform the Salah after the age of ten. See what the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Order your children to pray; when they are seven years old and beat them (if they don’t do) at the age of ten” [Sunan Abu Dawud]

In Islam, it has been decreed that if one is unable to stand due to illness, one should sit and pray, and if one is unable to sit, one should lie down and gesture. From this view, we can understand the importance of prayer in Islam.

A Muslim believes that God will hold us accountable for all our deeds on the Day of Resurrection. But the first question is about prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said about this:

“On the Day of Judgment, the first trial of a slave is his prayer”[Sunan Tirmidhi].

The only way to escape on the Day of Resurrection is to prove that you have put your maximum effort to perform your daily Salah perfectly.

Therefore, this guidebook will help you to learn how to perform salah, the importance of prayer in Islam, Qur’anic verses and hadith about prayers, as well as other fundamentals of salah.