The Prophetic Actions (Sunnahs) of Prostration (Sujoud)

1- separating between his upper arms and waist.

2- separating his abdomen from his thighs.

3- separating his thighs from his legs.

4- separating between his knees in prostration.

5- making his feet standing erect.

6- putting the internal part of his fingers on ground.

7- the feet should be joined together while prostrating.

8- putting the hands beside the ears.

9- the hands should be open.

10- the fingers should be joined together.

11- the fingers should be directed toward qibla.

12- sitting between the two prostrations. it has two shapes:

a. ik'aa': holding the feet erect and sitting on the heels.

b. ifterash: holding the right foot erect and spreading out the left one. in the first tashahhud (sitting between every two raka's), he bends his left foot and sit on it and erect the right one. the second tashahhud has three shapes:

i. erecting the right one, making the left foot under his right leg, and putting his posterior on ground.

ii. as the first one, but he does not erect the right one, he makes it in the same direction of the left one.

iii. erecting the right foot, entering the left foot between the leg and thigh of the right leg.

13- putting the hands on thighs "the right hand on the right thigh, and the left hand on the left thigh, the hands should be open and the fingers should be joined.

14- moving the index finger "up and down' from the start to the end of the tashahhud.

15- turn face right and left upon finishing prayer by tasleem.

16- the rest sitting (isteraha i.e. sitting for a while without saying any glorifications, after the second prostration of the first and third rak'as).

· there are (25) actual sunnahs in each rak'a i.e. the total number of sunnahs in the obligatory prayer is (425) sunnahs.

· the total sunnahs in the non-obligatory prayer (25) sunna in each rak'a i.e. the total sunnahs in the non-obligatory prayers during the day and night is (625) sunnahs if we applied such prophetic actions every rak'a.

· the muslim may increase the number of rak'as in al duha prayer and increase the number of sunnahs.

There are sunnha deeds (prophetic actions) which are repeated once or twice only:

1. Raising the hands up while pronouncing takbirat al ihram (the initial "allah akbar" by which the prayer is opened).

2. Raising the hands in the third rak'a in the prayers which consist of two sittings of tashahhud.

3. Moving the index finger (up and down) from the start to the end of tashahhud, whether the first or the second one.

4. Turning face right and left when ending the prayer.

5. The rest sitting (isteraha): it is repeated twice in the prayer which consists of four rak'as and once in the other prayers, whether obligatory or non-obligatory.

6. Tawarok: (erecting the right foot, putting the left foot under the right leg, and putting the posterior on the ground) in the second sitting of tashahhud in the prayer which consists of two sittings of tashahhud.

· These sunnahs are repeated once, except moving the index finger in the sitting of tashahhud, it is repeated twice in the obligatory prayers, except al fajr prayer, and the rest sitting is repeated also twice in the prayer which consists of four rak'as; accordingly, the total is (34) sunnahs.

· These sunnha deeds are repeated except two of them; the second and the last one, in each non-obligatory prayer; accordingly, the total is (48) sunnahs.

therefore, dear brother, try to practice such prophetic sayings and deeds in order to gain more blessings and rewards and reach the highest ranks in paradise.

The Sunnah of Ruko' (Bowing)

1- grasping his knees by his hands and separating between the fingers.

2- stretching the back on flat manner.

3- making the head in the same level of the back i.e. avoiding lowering or raising it.

4- separating his upper arms from his waist.

Essential Prayers Sunnah

1-Raising both hands with the first takbeera.

2-Raising both hands before bowing for ruku'.

3-Raising both hands after standing from ruku',

4- and after standing for the third rak'a in the prayers that have four rak'as.

5-Sticking fingers together flat in all the  mentioned sunnahs.

6-Fingers should be facing the qiblah (prayer direction; that is facing the ka'ba).

7- Raising the hands to the shoulder height or by the ears.

8- While reciting place the right hand over the left or holding the left arm with the right hand.

9- Looking towards the sujoud (prostration) place.

10-Make a space between the foot ( nearly as shoulder width).

11-Concentrating on the meaning of the words while recitation.

Verbal Sunnahs of Prayer

1-Opening du’aa (supplication): saying after the opening takbeer (saying: allahu akbar, i.e. allah is the greatest) : (o allah, glorified be you, a glorification that is associated with your praise, blessed be your name, exalted be your greatness and there is no god but you). narrated by the four scholars.

and there is another du’aa (o allah, distance me from my sins, just as you have distanced the east from the west. o allah, purify me from my sins, just as a white dress is purified from filth. o allah, wash me from my sins with ice, water and hail). narrated by al-bukhari and muslim. one should choose one of the supplications that were narrated as an opening du’aa and say it.

2- Saying (i take refuge with allah from the outcast devil) before reciting.

3- Starting with allah’s name, i.e. saying (in the name of allah, the all-merciful, the ever-merciful).

4-Amen, after al-fatihah.

5-Reciting a sura (a chapter of qur’an) after al-fatihah in the first two rak’as (units of prayer) of fajr (dawn), jumu’ah (friday), maghreb (sunset), isha’ (evening) and the whole supererogatory prayers for the single. (as for this who prays behind imam, he should recite in the secret prayer, but, not in the open one).

6-Saying (as much as what fills the heavens, as much as what fills the earth, as much as what fills whatever is between them and as much as what fills whatever you will afterwards. you are the source of praise and glory. this is the most truthful thing to be said by a bondman and we are all your bondmen. o allah, there is no deterrent for what you gave, no giver for what you prevented, and neither wealth nor power can protect their owner from you). narrated by muslim. after rising from ruku’ (kneeling) and saying: o our lord, and all praise is to you.

7-Glorifying (allah) more than once in ruku’ and sujoud (prostration).

8-Saying (o my lord, forgive me) more than once between the two sajdahs (prostrations).

9- Supplication after the last tashahud (an invocation that is recited at the middle or end of the prayer while sitting) : (o allah, i take refuge with you from the torment of hell, the torment of the grave, the sedition of life and death and the sedition of antichrist). narrated by al-bukhari and muslim.

· It is desirable that the worshipper does not limit himself to glorification in sujoud, rather, he should add to it the supplication he wishes, for this hadith: (when a bondman prostrates, he is in the nearest point to his lord, thus, increase your supplication). narrated by muslim.

· There are other supplications, if anyone wants them, he may refer to {hissn al-muslim (the muslim’s fort)} al-qahtani’s book.

All verbal sunnahs are repeated in every rak’a, except the opening du’aa and the supplication after tashahud.

Thus, the total applied verbal sunnahs in the obligatory prayer, which consist of 17 rak’as, reaches 136 sunnah, if we say that there are eight repeated sunnahs in every rak’a.

And its total in supererogatory prayer, which is 25 rak’as according to what we have shown about the supererogatory prayers performed per day and night, reaches 175 applied sunnahs in the supererogatory rak’as. these may increase through qiyam (night prayers) and ad-dhuha (noon prayer), and thus, you apply these sunnahs more and more. 

· As for the verbal sunnahs, which do not repeat in prayer except once, these are:


1- opening du’aa.


2-  supplication after the last tashahud.


their total in obligatory prayers is 10 sunnahs.

* as for their total in supererogatory prayers performed per day and night and in which these two sunnahs repeat, it reaches 24 sunnahs and may increase through qiyam (night prayers), ad-dhuha (noon prayer) or tahhiyat al-masjed (mosque salutation), thus, one applies these sunnahs more and more, though they do not repeat in a prayer except once, he acquires more reward and becomes more adherent to the sunnah.  

Sitting after the Prayer

"the prophet -peace be upon him- used to sit in his praying corner after the dawn prayer till the sun rises". narrated by muslim

The Sunnah of Al Fajr Prayers

1- Short prayer: aisha (may allah be pleased with her) narrated that : "the prophet (pbuh) used to pray two light short rak'as between the athan (prayer call) and the start of the fajr prayer" (agreed upon as a correct narrative)

2- Recitation : in the first rak'a the prophet (pbuh) recited :"say (o muslims), "we have believed in allah, and whatever has been sent down to us, and whatever was sent down to ibrahîm, and shuaayb, and ishaq and yaaqûb (abraham, ishmael, isaac and jacob, respectively) and the grandsons, (i.e., the tribes) and whatever was brought down to mûsa and isa, (moses and jesus, respectively) and whatever was brought to the prophets from their lord. we make no distinction between any of them, and to him we are muslims."( al baqara :136)

and in the second rak'a he (pbuh) recited: "so, as soon as isa (jesus) perceived disbelief among them, he said, "who are my ready vindicators to allah?" (i.e., in the cause of allah) the disciples said, " we are the ready vindicators to allah; we have believed in allah, and bear (you) witness that we are muslims." (aal imran: 52)

 and in another narrative he (pbuh) recited:"say, "o population of the book, (or: family of the book, i.e., the jews and christians) come to a level word between us and you, that we worship none except allah, and that we do not associate anything with him, and that some of us do not take to themselves others (literally: some "others") as lords, apart from allah." so, in case they turn away, then say, "bear witness that we are muslims." (literally: we have surrendered "to allah")."

(aal- imran: 64) (narrated by imam muslim)

3-  Lying down: al bukhari narrated that the prophet (pbuh) used to lie down for a while on his right side after the sunnah of the fajr prayer.

 so if you pray the sunnah of fajr at home, lie down on your right side for a few minutes to be a follower of sunnah.