The Prophetic Practice Regarding Commencing the Islamic Prayer (As Salaat)

The Prophet (SWAS) said "all actions are by intention, and every man shall have what he intended", so when we pray we should bring into our mind what we are about to do, i.e. what prayer they are praying, whether it is obligatory or not, and other characteristics of the prayer before we begin. 

After intention in the heart and mind, Prophet Muhammad (SWAS) would commence the prayer by saying:

الله أكبر

Allahu Akbar

Allah (God) is the Greatest

This statement is called the takbeer. 

He (SWAS) has been reported to teach a person who did not pray properly that "Verily, the prayer of a person is not complete until he has made ablution which has included (the washing of ) the necessary parts of the body and he then said: Allahu Akbar i.e. the takbeer". He (SWAS) also said, "The Key to prayer is purification; it is entered by takbeer and exited by tasleem (saying of salaams, i.e. the last actions in the Islamic prayer).

The Prophet (SWAS) used to raise his voice when he said the takbeer such that it was audible to those behind him in the congregation. When the Prophet (SWAS) fell ill, Abu Bakr (RA) used to magnify the takbeer by pronoucing it louder so that the congregation can hear it properly. The Prophet (SWAS) instructed "When the Imam says Allahu Akbar then say Allahu Akbar".

Sometimes he (SWAS) would raise his hands when he pronounced the takbeer, while someitmes he (SWAS) raised them before or after it. He (SWAS) would raise his hands with his fingers neither spaced out nor together, putting his hands level with his shoulders, although sometimes he (SWAS) raised them all the way to his ears.

After the takbeer, he (SWAS) used to place the right hand over the left and was very particular that the right hand is always over the left and not vice versa in prayers. He (SWAS) used to place his right hand on the palm, wrist and forearm of his left hand and instructed that his companions do the same. Sometime he (SWAS) used to grasp his left hand with his right in this manner. He (SWAS) used to place his hands on his chest and explicitly forbade putting one's hand on the waist during prayer by demonstrating what he (SWAS) forbade.

Prophet Muhammad (SWAS) used to incline his head during the prayer and fix his sight towards the place of prostration on the ground. His sight did not leave the place of prostration until he (SWAS) completed the prayer. He (SWAS) strickly warned not to look up in the sky nor away from the place of prostration while praying. He (SWAS) advised to pray as if we see Allah (God) and he (SWAS) said "if you do not see Him (God), surely He (God) sees you". 

He (SWAS) did not like to pray on something that had marks that might divert his attention subliminally during the prayer, nor did he (SWAS) like to pray towards any object in the room which would have patterns or marks that could divert his attention from the prayer. 

Furthermore, he (SWAS) prohibited prayer when food has been served or when one has the urge to relieve oneself of urine or faeces.

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