PREPARING FOR THE SALAT

WUDU................. الوضوء 

Before performing Salat (prayer), you must perform Wudu.  Wudu is a ritual of cleaning required for Salat, and it helps you prepare your mind and body for it.

     The Sunni schools of thought perform Wudu in the following steps:

1. Declare the intention that it is for worship and purity.

2. Wash the hands up to the wrists three times.

3. Rinse the mouth with water three times.

4. Clean the nose by sniffing and blowing out water three times.

5. Wash the face fully three times.

6. Wash the right arm up to the elbow three times.

7. Wash the left arm up to the elbow three times

8. Wet both hands and wipe the head from front to the back once.

9. With your wet fingers and thumb wipe each ear around its curvature and back.

10. Wipe around the neck with wet hands.

11. Wash the right foot to the ankle three times.

12. Wash the left foot to the ankle three times.

Wudu is to be performed in the above order.  Once Wudu is done it will be valid for as many Salats as a person wishes on the condition that it is not broken.  Once the Wudu is broken it will have to be performed again before the next Salat.

WHAT BREAKS A WUDU?  

The Wudu is broken by one or more of the following:

1. Going to the bathroom (urinating, having a bowel movement, passing gas).

2. The flow of blood or pus from any part of the body, including the monthly periods of the female and the discharge of the semen of the male.

3. Vomiting.

4.  Falling asleep.

5.  Losing one's reason whatever the cause.

TAYAMMUM    التيـمم 

A substitute for Wudu 

The Tayammum is done in the following situations:

1. When a person is sick and cannot use water.

2. When a person does not have access to a sufficient amount of water.

3. When using water may hurt the person or cause a disease.

4. When doing Wudu would make the person miss a funeral prayer or Eid prayer, (which have no substitute).

HOW TO DO TAYAMMUM?  

The Tayammum is performed as follows:

1. Strike the palms of both hands lightly on pure earth, sand, or stone.

2. Wipe the face with the hands once in the same way as in Wudu.

3. Strike the hands again as in step one above.

4. Wipe the right arm up to the elbow with the left hand.

5. Wipe the left arm up to the elbow with the right hand.

ATHAN  ألأذان   

The Call for Salat

 It is good to say the Athan.  You say it step by step as follows:

When you recite the Athan for morning Salat, you add one more phrase twice following Hayya Ala Falaah .  The phrase required is:

IQAAMA.         الإقامه  

Entrance into Prayer

The Iqaama is similar to the Athan except for the addition of a new phrase.  The Iqaama must be said before each Salat be it by itself or by being preceded by the Athan.

You say the Iqaama step by step in the following order: 

(You have the option of saying the phrases once each except the first one (Allah is the Greatest      الله أكبر  ) which should be said twice.