Chapter: The Description of the Prayer

After setting out the pillars of the prayer, its obligations, and its verbal and physical sunnahs, we now wish to relate the complete manner of the prayer that gathers all of those elements, exactly as the texts depict the Prophet’s own prayer, so that it may serve as a model for every Muslim in fulfilment of his command: “Pray as you have seen me praying.” The order is as follows:

When the Messenger of Allah stood for prayer, he faced the qiblah, raised his hands with the fingertips directed toward it, and proclaimed: “Allāhu akbar.”

He then grasped his left hand with his right and placed them both on his chest.

Next he pronounced the opening supplication. A worshipper need not restrict himself to one form, for every authenticated duʿāʾ al-istiftāḥ is acceptable. Among them is: Subḥānaka Allāhumma wa bi-ḥamdik, wa tabāraka ismuk, wa taʿālā jadduk, wa lā ilāha ghayruk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allah; blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no deity besides You).

After that he said: Aʿūdhu billāhi min ash-shayṭān ar-rajīm (I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed), followed by Bismi-llāhi ar-Raḥmān ar-Raḥīm (In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful).

He would then recite the Opening Chapter of the Book (Sūrah al-Fātiḥah); when he finished it, he said, “Āmīn.”