Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim,
The second pillar of Islam is performing Shalah (prayer). The Muslim is enjoined to perform five obligatory prayers every day to keep himself in relation with his Lord, to invoke and implore Him, and to refrain himself from committing lewdness or indecency. These prayers not only ensure psychological rest to the Muslim in this present life, but they also pave the way to him to gain eternal happiness in the hereafter. So that on the Day of Judgment the account for the prayers will have to be rendered first.
The importance of prayer in Islam is great as it is the foremost duty of Muslims and one of the pillars on which the structure of Islam stands. It distinguishes Muslims from non-Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:
"What stands between a man and disbelief is the abandonment of prayer."
"Know that among your duties, prayer is foremost."
Allah SWT said in the Qur'an: "Verily, I am Allah. There is no god but I: So serve thou Me (only), and establish regular prayer for My remembrance". {QS. Ta-ha:14}
Prayer is the pillar of religion. It succeeds in importance the Shahadah Therefore, it is not only a duty on the Muslim to observe performing prayers from his maturity up to his death, but he should also order his household to perform it. He should also order his children to start practicing it from the time when they are 7 years old so that they may be accustomed to perform it. Allah Says:
" إن الصلاة كانت على المؤمنين كتابا موقوتا " النساء : من آية 103
“enjoined on the believers.” (Qur’an 4:103).Performing prayers at fixed times has been
As a Muslim we need to instill the love of Allah by performing shalah daily at early age. As a parent we are responsible to teach our children to practice the shalah to them and other Islamic duties. So that when they grow up they have a strong foundation of Islamic beliefs to fulfill their life.
The Prophet Muhammad SAW said, "If the son of Adam dies, his actions are ceased except three: A continuing charity, knowledge which benefits others, or a righteous son who supplicates for him." (Muslim and Ahmed)
In our graves, our wealth will be of no benefit to us. The success of our careers, and the level of our degrees will be of no value. How well we raised our children will. And yet so much of our time, so much of our learning and our efforts are spent for the sake of those things, which are fleeting.
In another Hadiith the Prophet Muhammad SAW said, "A servant will have his rank raised and will say: `O my Lord how has this come about for me?' He says, `Through your sons after you seeking forgiveness for you."' (Ahmed and Ibn Majah)
When we leave this world, what will we leave behind? What mark will we make? What will we send forward? What will we take? Our children will inherit this life. In their hands may lay our ultimate salvation-or our ultimate ruin. In their hands may lay the ultimate salvation or ruin of our Ummah. Shouldn't something that important demand our full attention?
Alhamdulillah when my son was four year (roughly) old and my daughter was three, I introduced to them to practice shalah together/jama'ah with me. I did shalat jama'ah everyday with them. From the beginning to the end of the shalah, I recited loudly with them, including shalat zuhur, and 'asr which are supposed to do quietly (sirriyyah) not jarriyyah (loudly). But I did that in the process of teaching my kids to recite the ayahs properly. By doing that they will learn one surah at a time. When they know and able to memorize it I recite another surah. I do that until they really memorize and recite it correctly.
I pray with them everyday and recite different surahs and it depends on which surahs they have problems. And from time to time when I have my monthly cicle, I ask my son to lead shalah for his sister. Masha Allah I remember when he did that for the first time when he was eight years old, he was very proud of himself.
One thing we have to remember not to pay your children to pray, or promise them large gifts if they pray. Instill in them a love for Allah that will motivate them internally to perform shalah and doing other good deeds. Social psychologists have shown that when people are given external rewards or motivation to do some activity, they enjoy doing that activity less and are less motivated, than if they are given no external reward but the reward is internally motivated.
Therefore to instill the love of Allah by doing shalah early is very crucial and there is no need to impose it if started early, Insha Allah. Imagine a child raised in a home where, aside from some cultural norms, Islam is essentially irrelevant. Parents are not serious about shalah and whatever Islamic practice they do perform is done more out of ethnic customs than Islam. Now imagine the child reaches puberty. A girl who was never really instilled with Islam before, is now forced to wear hijab. A boy whose life was never centered around Islam is now made to attend Shalatul-Jumuah. Will it surprise anyone if those kids rebel?
Consider, on the other hand, a child who was raised knowing and loving Qur'an, was taken to the masjid early on, and performed shalah alongside his parents. Would hijab or Shalatul Jumuah need to be imposed? Or would it only be a natural extension for a child whose very nature is Islam? Instill and reinforce love for Allah and His Messenger from the day they are born.
Teaching your kids to perform shalah, you need to explain what is shalah, what to do before praying, and how to do it, etc.
# To perform prayer, one should be clean, wearing clean clothes and perform prayer in a clean place.
The Muslim should always cleanse himself by pure water. He should remove all traces of stool, urine, or any other dirt. Before prayer the Muslim should perform Wudu (ablution).
The five obligatory daily prayers are the Morning Prayer (Fajr), the noon prayer (Zuhr), the afternoon prayer (Asr), the evening prayer (Maghrib) and the night prayer (Ishaa).
The time due to Morning Prayer begins at true dawn and extends until the sun rises. It should not be delayed beyond this span of time. The time for noon prayer starts from the Zawal (a little after the sun passes the meridian) and extends till one’s shadow becomes equal to its own length plus the length of its noon- time shadow. The time enjoined for afternoon prayer starts after the end of noon-prayer time and extends until the sun turns yellow. One must hasten to perform it while the sun is still bright. The time for Maghrib prayer begins soon after sunsets and lasts till the disappearance of the twilight. Its performance should not be delayed. The time for Ishaa prayer begins after the disappearance of the twilight and lasts till midnight. If a Muslim delays one of these five prayers, he commits a grievous sin. He should turn to Allah in repentance and refrain himself from recommitting it. The Qura’n warns those who delay their prayers from its fixed times.
"فويل للمصلين الذين هم عن صلاتهم ساهون "سورة الماعون الآية 4-5
“Woe unto those who pray but delay their prayers from its stated fixed time” (Quran 107: 7-4).
# Performance of Wudu' (Ablution)
Wudu' is the act of washing those parts of the body that are generally exposed. The water should be pure clean and fresh with no change in its colour, taste and smell. Wudu' is done as follows:
1. Make a full intention of performing the Wudu' for offering prayer and recite.
"بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم"
“Bismillahir – rahmanir – rahim“, (in the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful).
2. Wash hands up to the wrists three times, passing the fingers in between each other.
3. Rinse your mouth with water three times.
4. Rinse the nostrils with water, sniffing up water and blowing it out.
5. Wash the face from the forehead to the chin bone and from ear to ear three times.
6. Wash the right arm followed by the left up to elbows three times.
7. Brush up the whole head with wet hands.
8. Pass the wet tips of the index fingers inside and the wet tips of the thumbs outside the ears.
9. Wash the feet up to the ankles three times. The right foot is washed first and then the left, taking care to wash in between the toes.
The same Wudu' may be used for several prayers. However, if a Muslim urinates, defecates, passes wind or loses his consciousness for any reason after Wudu' he should re-perform it again before prayer.
Performance of Shalah
A prayer consists of either two, three or four Raka’at: A Raka’at is performed in the following way:
1. Stand straight, facing the direction of Ka’bah in Makkah, and make the Niyyat (the intention) in your mind of what prayer you are about to offer, preferably uttering t to yourself, Raise both hands up to the ears and say:
"الله اكبر "
“Allahu – Akbar”, (Allah is Great).
Bring them down or place the right hand upon the left below the chest and above the navel.
2. Recite the Opening Chapter of the Holy Qura’n (the Fatihah):
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم . الحمد لله رب العالمين . الرحمن الرحيم . مالك يوم الدين . إياك نعبد وإياك نستعين . أهدنا الصراط المستقيم . صراط الذين أنعمت عليهم غير لمغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين . ( سورة الفاتحة .
Alhamdu lillahi rabbil aalamiin, arr-ahmanir-rahim, maliki yawm-id-diin, iyyaka na’abudu wa iyyaka nasta'iin; ihdinas-siratal mustaqiim, sirat-alla-zina an'ammta alayhim ghairil magh-duubi alayhim wa-lad-daaliin (amiin).
The meaning of this glorious surah can be translated as follows:
“In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Most-Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds The Most–Merciful the Most Compassionate. The Master of the Day of Judgment: You Alone we worship, and you Alone we ask for help. Show us the straight way, the way of those whom you have blessed, who have not incurred your displeasure, nor gone astray.”
These verses of Qur'an, and all other verses, should be recited in Arabic language.
Then recite a passage from the Holy Qur’an. For this purpose any one of the small chapters may be selected as, for instance, the chapter termed, ‘The Unity,”
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
(( قل هو الله أحد * الله الصمد * لم يلد ولم يولد * ولم يكن له كفوا أحد ))
Bismillahir rahmanir rahim
“Qul Huwallahu ahad, Allahus samad, lam Yalid wa lam yulad, wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad”.
In the Name of Allah the Compassionate, the Most Merciful
“Say: He is Allah, the One, Allah, the eternally besought of all.
He begets not no is He begotten. And there is none comparable
Unto Him“.
3. Say: “Allahu-Akbar” and bow down in Ruku' and say thrice:
"سبحان ربي العظيم "
Subhan Rabbiyal-aziim (How glorious my Lord the Great).
4. Assume the standing position, letting the hands remain on the sides and say:
" سمع الله لمن حمده "
Sami’allahu liman hamidah
" ربنا ولك الحمد"
Rabbana wa Lakal – hamd
(Allah has listened to him who has praised Him; Our Lord, praise be to you)
5. Saying” Allahu-Akbar” and prostrate to perform the Sujud, saying thrice:
" سبحان ربي الأعلى"
Subhan Rabbiyal-a’la (All glory be to my Lord, the Most High)
6. Raise yourself sitting for a which in a reverential posture, termed Jalsah (sitting) and say once.
" اللهم اغفر لي و ارحمني"
Allahummaghfirli warhamni. (O Allah ! forgive me and have mercy upon me).
7. Perform the second sajdah exactly in the same way as the first one. This finishes one Raka’at.
8. Say “ Allahu Akbar, stand estraight once again, repeat all that done in the perfomance of the first Raka’at.
9. After the second Raka’at second Sajdan is over, say “Allahu-Akbar” and sit down in the reverential posture and recite.
التحيات لله و الصلوات و الطيبات السلام عليك أيها النبي ورحمة الله و بركاته. السلام علينا و علي عباد الله الصالحين . أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله و أشهد أن محمد عبده و رسوله
“At-tahiyyato lillahi wassalawato wat-taiyyibat. Assalamu alaika ayyuhannabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakathu assalamu alaina wa’ala’ibadillah –is saliheen. Ash-hand alla ilaha illalah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadun abdubu wa rasooluh”.
All Worships and praises are for Allah’s peace be upon you, O prophet, his mercy and His blessings too. Peace be on us and on all righteous servants of Allah. I testify that there is no God save Allah and testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
10. If more than two Raka’at are to be performed, say “Allahu Akbar”, stand up again, and complete one two Raka’at as the case may be, sit down in the reverential posture which is also obviously adopted if the prayer consists of two Raka,at only. In that reverential posture, recite in addition to Tashahhud, the Salawat
اللهم صل علي محمد وعلي آل محمد كما صليت علي إبراهيم وعبي آل إبراهيم وبارك علي محمد وعلي آل محمد كما باركت علي إبراهيم وعلي آل إبراهيم انك حميد مجيد
“Allahumma salli’ala Muhammadin wa’ala ali Mihammadin kama sallayta ala Ibrahim wa’ala ali Ibrahim, wa barik 'ala Mihammadin wa’ala 'ali Muhammadin kamma barakta 'ala Ibrahim wa’ala 'ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majiid”.
O, Allah have mercy on Muhammad and those related to Muhammad, just as You had mercy on Ibrahim and on those related to Ibrahim. O. Allah bestow Your blessings on Muhammad and on those related to Muhammad as You had bestowed it on Ibrahim and those related to Ibrahim. Surely, You are The Praisworthy, The Great.”
11. Turn your face to the right and say السلام عليكم ورحمة الله Assalamu-alaykum wa rahmatullah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah). Then turn it to the let and repeat the same. Here the prayer is complete.
Morning prayer is two rak’ast. Zuhr, Asr and Isha prayers are four rak’ats while maghrib prayer is three rak’ats. All verses of the Qur'an and other verses should be recited in Arabic.
Al-Kawthar (108)
سورة الكوثر
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
أنا أعطيناك الكوثر * فصل لربك وأنحر * إن شانئك هو الأبتر *
Bimillàhir rahmànir
Nnà a’tainakal kawthar.
Fa salli lirabbika wanhar
Inna shàni’aka huwàl abtar.
Meaning:
IN the name of Allah, The Compassionat the Most Merciful.
In deed we have given you the Kawther (Abundance or fountain);
So pray to your Lord and make sacrifice.
Surely your hater is the one cut off.
To practice these short surahs, try to recite one surah anytime they go to bed along with other du'as before they sleep. This good habits will bring a good dream in their sleeping.
