How to Pray

1. When rising to perform prayer, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to face the qiblah, raise his hands, with the palms and the fingers facing the qiblah, and say:
   «الله أكبر».
   "ALLĀHU AKBAR" (ALLAH IS THE MOST GREAT).
2. Then, he would hold his left hand with his right hand and place them both on his chest.
3. He would then recite the opening supplication, noting that he did not adhere to one supplication all the time, thus, it is permissible to recite any of the opening supplications that are proven to be reported from him including the following:
   «سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك، وتبارك اسمك، وتعالى جَدُّك، ولا إله غيرك».
   "Subhānak Allāhumma wa bihamdik, wa tabārak-asmuk, wa ta‘āla jadduk, wa la ilāha ghayruk" (Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. Blessed is Your Name and Exalted is Your Majesty, and there is none worthy of worship but You).
4. Then he would say:
   «أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ، بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ».
   "A‘ūdhu billāhi minash-shaytānir rajīm, bismillāhir rahmānir rahīm" (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed devil. In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful).
5. After that, he would recite Surat al-Fātihah and would say: "Āmīn" (amen) after reciting its last verse.
6. Then, he would recite whatever he wished from the Qur’an, an audible recitation in the Fajr prayer and the first two Rak‘ahs of the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers, and an inaudible one in the rest. His recitation in the first rak‘ah of every prayer would always be longer than the second rak‘ah.
7. He would then raise his hands as he did at the beginning of prayer, and say: "Allāhu Akbar" (Allah is the Most Great), after which he would bow, placing his hands on his knees with his fingers spread out, keeping a tight grip on them, extending his back, with his head in alignment with it, without raising or lowering it. While in this position, he would say:
   «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ» 3 مرةً،
   "Subhāna rabbiyyal-‘azhīm" (Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent) once, and the minimum level of perfection is to say it three times as previously mentioned.
8. Then he would raise his head while saying:
   «سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ»،
   "Sami‘allāhu liman hamidah" (Allah hears whoever praises Him), while raising his hands as he raised them when making rukū‘.
9. When standing upright, he would say:
   «سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ»، «اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ، مَلْءَ السَّمَاءِ، وَمَلْءَ الْأَرْضِ، وَمَلْءَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا، وَمَلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ بَعْدُ، أَهْلَ الثَّنَاءِ وَالْمَجْدِ، أَحَقُّ مَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ، وَكُلُّنَا لَكَ عَبْدٌ، لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَلَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ، وَلَا يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ» .
   "Allāhumma rabbana wa lakal-hamd, hamdan kathīran tayyiban mubārakan fīh, mal’as-samāwāti wa mal’al-ardi wa mal’a ma baynahuma wa mal’a ma shi’ta min shay’in ba‘d, ahluth-thanā’i wal-majd, ahaqqu ma qālal-‘abd, wa kulluna laka ‘abd, la māni‘a lima a‘tayt, wala mu‘tiya lima mana‘t, wala yanfa‘u dhal-jaddi minkal-jadd" (O Allah our Lord, praise is due to You, praise that is abundant, good, and blessed, that fills the heavens and the earth, that fills what exists between them, and that fills anything You desire afterward. O Worthy of praise and glory, which is the most truthful thing to be said by a slave and we are all slaves to You. None can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, and the greatness of the great will be of no avail to them against You). He used to stay in that upright position for a long time.
10. Then, he would make takbīr and fall in prostration, without raising his hands. He used to prostrate on his forehead, nose, hands, knees, and toes; facing the qiblah with his fingers and toes. He would keep a balanced position in his prostration, resting his forehead and nose on the ground, resting on his hands, while raising his elbows, keeping his arms away from his sides, lifting his abdomen off his thighs, and his thighs off his legs, and saying during his prostration:
    3 «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى»
    "Subhāna rabbiyyal-a‘la" (Exalted is my Lord, The Most High) once, and the minimum level of perfection is to say it thrice, as previously mentioned. He would then recite the supplication, which was reported from him.
11. Then, he would raise his head while saying: "Allāhu Akbar" (Allah is the Most Great). After that, he would spread his left foot and sit on it, while erecting the right foot, putting his hands on his thighs and saying:
    «اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي، وَارْحَمْنِي، وَاجْبُرْنِي، وَاهْدِنِي، وَارْزُقْنِي».
    "Allāhumma ighfirli warhamni wajburni wahdini warzuqni" (O Allah, forgive me, have mercy upon me, console me, guide me, and provide for me)².
12. Then, he would make takbīr and prostrate, doing the same things done in the first prostration.
13. Then, he would raise his head while saying takbīr and would rise on the front parts of his feet while leaning on his knees and thighs.
14. When standing upright, he would start the recitation, performing the second rak‘ah just as the first one.
15. Then, he would take the position of iftirāsh, the same position between the two prostrations, for saying the first tashahhud. He would put his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh, making the shape of a ring with his right thumb and his middle finger, while pointing with and looking at the forefinger, and saying:
    «التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ»
    "At-tahiyyātu lillāhi was-salawātu wat-tayyibāt, as-salāmu ‘alayka ayyuha an-nabiyyu wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh. As-salāmu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibādillāhi as-sālihīn. Ash'hadu alla ilāha illallāh, wa ash'hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh" (Greetings, prayers, and good things are due to Allah. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, O Prophet. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger). He used to make that sitting a short one.
16. Then, he would rise while saying takbīr and he would perform the third and fourth rak‘ahs, which he used to make shorter than the first two rak‘ahs, reciting in them Surat al-Fātihah.
17. Finally, he would take the position of tawarruk during the last tashahhud. "Tawarruk" means spreading the left foot and extending it from the right side while erecting the right foot and resting his rear on the ground.
18. Then, he would say the last tashahhud, which is like the first one, and he would add:
    «اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، وَبَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ».
    "Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala āli Muhammadin kama sallayta ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Hamīdun Majīd. Wa bārik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala āli Muhammadin kama bārakta ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Hamīdun Majīd" (O Allah, exalt the mention of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You exalted the mention of the family of Abraham; indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious; and bestow Your blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You bestowed Your blessings upon the family of Abraham; indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious).
19. Then, he would seek refuge with Allah from the torment of Hellfire and the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the trial of the Anti-Christ, followed by the supplications, which are reported in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

At the end, he would make taslīm (the greeting of peace ending the prayer) by turning his head first to the right, saying:
«السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ»،
"As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh" (May Allah's peace and mercy be upon you). then to the left as well. He would start Taslīm while facing the Qiblah and end it when his head is turned to the left.