By: Dr Nayef Al Mubarak

Translation: Bilal Abu Yunus

Prayer Guide

140 Acts of Prayer

Ordered by time of occurrence
with the specific rulings for
each praying person
 Prayer Guide

This is a step-by-step prayer guide that consists of the different acts of prayer. In it
you will find different acts and its rulings: the obligatory acts, the Sunnah ones, the
recommended ones, the disliked ones and the acts that invalidate the prayer.
You will also learn that rulings may differ depending on the type of person
praying: some rulings are specific for the imam, some are specific for the munfarid
(person praying alone) and some are specific for the person following the imam.

This guide is a brief overview; for more details and further rulings, please refer to
the website of FaqihNafsak (see last page of this PDF).
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Intention
.1
The imam + munfarid + follower
✓
.2 Cancelling the intention 
Opening takbir
.3
The imam + munfarid + follower ✓
Standing for the opening takbir
.4 in the obligatory prayers
The imam + munfarid + follower
✓
Saying that takbir out loud
.5
The imam + munfarid + follower ✓
Raising the hands for the
.6
opening takbir ✓
Letting the arms hang by
.7
the sides (sadl) ✓
Seeking refuge and saying
.8
the basmala 
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Supplication before reciting

.9
al-fatiha 
Reciting al-fatiha in every
.10 rak’at ✓
The imam + munfarid only

Standing for the recitation

of al-fatiha
.11
The imam + munfarid in obligatory
✓
prayers only

Reciting al-fatiha out loud or

silently where appropriate ✓
.12 Major
The imam + munfarid in obligatory
prayers only sunnah

Saying “Amin” after

al-fatiha
.13
The imam in silent prayers + followers
✓
in silent and loud prayers

.14 Saying “Amin” silently ✓

 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Supplicating before a surah

.15
or during its recitation 
Reciting a surah (whatever is
easy from the Qur’an)
.16
The imam + munfarid only in the first ✓
two rak’ats

.17 Standing for a surah ✓

Reciting the surah out loud or
.18
silently where appropriate ✓
Finishing the recitation of
.19
the surah ✓
The followers remaining
.20
silent in the loud prayers ✓
Lengthening the recitations of
Subh and Dhuhr, making it of
.21 middle length for ‘Isha and ✓
shortening it for ‘Asr and Maghrib
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Repeating the same surah

.22 in two rak’ats 
Obligatory prayers only

Reciting two surahs in one

.23 rak’at 
Obligatory prayers only

Putting the hands on the

.24
waist during the standing 
Raising one foot and resting
.25 it on the other one without 
necessity
Putting the feet together
.26
during the standing 
Doing takbir for ruku’
.27
(“Allahu akbar”) ✓
Saying it as you go down
.28
for ruku’ ✓
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Ruku’ (minimum: the palms

.29 near the knees) ✓
The imam + munfarid + follower

Placing the hands on the

.30
knees and grasping the knees ✓
Straightening the back and
.31
neck during ruku’ ✓
Straightening the knees
.32
without bending during ruku’ ✓
.33 Tranquillity in ruku’ ✓
.34 Extra tranquillity in ruku’ ✓
Spreading the elbows away
from the waist in ruku’ (al-
.35 ✓
tajnih)

.36 Doing tasbih in ruku’ ✓

 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

.37 Supplicating in ruku’ 

.38 Reciting the Qur’an in ruku’ 
Rising from ruku’
.39
The imam + munfarid + follower ✓
Standing straight after
.40
rising from ruku’ ✓
Tranquillity after rising
.41
from ruku’ ✓
Saying:
َ ُ َ َ
.42 ‫هللا ِِل ْن َح ِم َد ُه‬ ‫س ِمع‬ ✓
The imam + munfarid only

Saying it as you rise

.43
towards the standing ✓
Saying:
َ ‫َرَّب َنا َو َل َك‬
ُ‫الح ْمد‬
.44 ✓
Munfarid + follower only
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

The takbir for sujud

.45
(“Allahu akbar”) ✓
Saying it as you go down
.46
for sujud ✓
Placing the hands before
.47
the knees when prostrating ✓
Sujud on a part of the forehead
.48
The imam + munfarid + follower ✓
Settling the forehead and
.49
nose on the floor ✓
Sujud on the clothes that the
.50
praying person is wearing 
.51 Tranquillity in sujud ✓
Making the hands level
.52
with the ears in sujud ✓
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate
Keeping the stomach away from
the thighs and spreading the arms
.53
away from the body in sujud ✓
Men only

Having the buttocks higher

.54
than ones head in sujud ✓
.55 Extra tranquillity in sujud ✓
.56 Doing tasbih in sujud ✓
.57 Supplicating in sujud ✓
Reciting Qur’an in sujud
.58
Which is not a supplication 
.59 Takbir for rising from sujud ✓
Saying it as you rise for the
.60
sitting ✓
Sitting straight after rising
.61
from sujud ✓
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Tranquillity after rising

.62
from sujud ✓
Sitting between the two
.63 moments of sujud ✓
The imam + munfarid + follower

The specific sitting position

.64
(al-tawarruk) ✓
Sitting up on the balls of the
.65
feet 
Spreading the thighs during
.66 the sitting ✓
Men only

.67 The second sujud ✓

.68 The acts mentioned from 50 till 58 are repeated again for the second sujud
Takbir for rising from sujud, for
.69
the next rak’ah or tashahhud ✓
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Connecting the positions

.70
with the takbir ✓
.71 The tashahhud ✓
.72 Sitting for the tashahhud ✓
The specific sitting position
.73
(al-tawarruk) ✓
Sitting up on the balls of the
.74
feet 
Separating the thighs
.75 during the sitting ✓
Men only

Placing the hands on the knees

.76 during the sitting and joining the
fingers in the specific manner
✓
Supplicating after the first
.77
tashahhud 
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Takbir after the tashahhud for

.78
the standing of the third rak’at ✓
Connecting the tashahhud and
.79 Recommended when standing straight
the standing with the takbir
Reciting an extra surah after
.80
the first two rak’ats 
Salat on the prophet ‫ﷺ‬
.81
After the last tashahhud only ✓
Supplicating after the
.82 second tashahhud and ✓
before the salam
Keep supplicating before
.83
the salam ✓
Saying the supplications
.84
and tashahhud out loud 
The salam (only one salam)
.85
The imam + munfarid + follower ✓
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Turning the head (slightly) to

.86
the right during the salam ✓
Sitting for the salam
.87
The imam + munfarid + follower ✓
Saying the obligatory salam
.88 out loud ✓
The imam + munfarid + follower

The follower supplicating

.89
after the salam of the imam 
Specifying one dua without
.90 doing any other dua 
In all places of dua

The follower giving salam

.91 to the imam and the person ✓
on his left
Intentionally doing a salam
.92 whilst in a state of doubt about 
the completion of the prayer
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Standing and sitting straight

.93
The imam + munfarid + follower ✓ Both have been mentioned before
Tranquillity and are repeated for extra emphasis
.94
The imam + munfarid + follower ✓
Performing the obligatory
.95 acts in the right order ✓
The imam + munfarid + follower

Al-Qunut
.96
in Subh prayer only
✓
Looking around with no
.97
need for it 
Interlocking of the fingers
.98
and cracking the knuckles 
Closing the eyes
.99 Except when there’s a fear of seeing 
something forbidden or distracting
Thinking about a worldly
.100
affair 
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Carrying something in the

mouth or sleeve
.101 It invalidates the prayer when it blocks the 
articulation of letters or distracts the praying
person from performing an obligatory act

.102 Playing with the beard 

Saying “alhamdulillah” after
.103
sneezing 
Responding to a mushammit
.104 (person supplicating for a 
sneezing person) by indication
Responding to a
.105
mushammit with speech 
Scratching the body
.106
without necessity 
.107 Smiling a little bit 
.108 Laughing with sound 
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

Intentionally leaving a
.109
minor sunnah 
Intentionally leaving a 
.110
major sunnah Forbidden, doesn’t invalidate

.111 Clapping hands 

Intentionally leaving a pillar
.112
of prayer 
Intentionally adding a pillar
.113
that is an action 
Intentionally adding a
.114
tashahhud 
Intentionally eating only or
.115 drinking only 
Even a morsel or a sip
Intentionally speaking, not
.116
to rectify the prayer 
Speaking a lot to rectify the
.117
prayer 
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

.118 Intentionally making noise 

Intentionally blowing air 
.119
through the mouth
Intentionally regurgitating food
.120 Even a small amount, even when it

exits in a pure state
The occurrence of one of 
.121
the nullifiers of wudu
Remembering the occurrence
.122 
of a nullifier of wudu

.123 Exposure of the heavy awrah 

Something impure falls on the

.124 praying person
When settled + he knows about it + able
to remove it + enough time to pray on time
Correcting the recitation of
.125 
someone other than the imam
Excessive movement during 
.126 the prayer
Even out of forgetfulness
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

.127
Little movement =
Measured by what is the custom
The occurrence of something

.128 that distracts you from
obligatory act in prayer
Remembering the first prayer

.129 of the two hadira prayers
during the second prayer
Adding two rak’ats in the 
.130
Subh prayer
Adding four rak’ats in any 
.131
other prayer than Subh
Remaining silent for someone
.132 speaking to you, when it is a =
small amount
Killing something harmful such
.133 as insects, when it wants to =
harm the praying person
Indicating something with a
.134 =
limb for a need
 Prayer Guide

Recom- Doesn’t
Act Obligatory Sunnah
mended
Disliked Invalidating invalidate

.135
Groaning a little due to pain =
When it’s a small amount
Crying due to khushu (i.e.
.136 =
presence of the heart)
Clearing the throat loudly
.137 for no need, a small amount =
When it’s a small amount
Closing the mouth for
.138 =
yawning
Spewing in clothes or
.139 =
something else
Swallowing something
.140 =
between the teeth
 Prayer Guide

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The FaqihNafsak series in the Maliki madhab

Jurisprudence topics taken from the relied upon books of the
Maliki madhab (with al-Sharh al-Kabir by the great scholar al-
Dardir as the main source) presented in an ordered fashion to
be a helpful resource for all.