Chapter on the Prerequisites of the Prayer

The worshipper must first attain purification from both ritual impurity (ḥadath) and physical filth (najasah), as explained earlier, and he must cover his ʿawrah. For a man, the ʿawrah is everything beneath the navel down to and including the knees.

The entire body of a free woman is ʿawrah except for her face, hands, and feet. As for a female slave, whatever is ʿawrah in a man is likewise ʿawrah for her, and her abdomen and back are also ʿawrah; the rest of her body is not.

If a person cannot find anything with which to remove the impurity, he prays with it and does not repeat the prayer afterward.

If he has no garment, he prays unclothed while seated, indicating the bowing and prostration with gestures. Should he pray standing, it is valid, though the first method is better.

He must form the intention for the specific prayer he is about to perform, allowing no action to intervene between that intention and the opening takbīr. He should face the qiblah unless he fears danger; in that case he prays facing whatever direction he is able.

If the qiblah is uncertain and no one is present to ask, he makes his best judgment and prays. Should he learn after finishing that he had erred, he need not repeat the prayer. If he realizes the mistake while still praying, he turns to the qiblah and continues the prayer from that point.