THE SUNNAH ACTS OF SALAH

• Reading Azan
• Lifting up the hand at the first takbir to the levels of the ears (for males) and to the levels of the shoulders (for females)
• Clasping the hands immediately after the takbir (Allahu Akbar). Females place their hands on their chests, right hands over the left, flat; and the males put the right palms over the back of the left hands by holding the left wrists with the thumbs and little fingers of the right hands.
• Reading the Thana (subhanakallahumma…),
• Reciting Ta’awwuz and Tasmiyah (in the first rakah),
• Reciting Tasmiyah before Surah Al-Fatihah in each rakah,
• Saying Amin after the Fatihah,
• Reading takbir (Allahuakbar) when bowing, prostrating, rising from Sajdah, returning to Sajdah and standing up from Sajdah,
• Reciting the tasbih “subhana rabbiyal azim” thrice, while at Ruku’ (bowing position)
• Placing the fingers slightly open on to the knees and holding them, at Ruku’ the head being at the same level with the back (for males),
• Placing the hands on the knees without open fingers, the heads not being at the same level with the back (for females),
• Imam reciting ‘sami Allahu liman hamidah’ whilst standing up from Ruku’,
• Musalli reciting both ‘sami Allahu liman hamidah’ and tahmid of qawmah while standing up from Ruku’ if he is praying alone,
• Reading the tasbih of Sajdah (Subhana rabbiyal a’la) thrice at Sajdah (prostration),
• Keeping the fingers joined to one another while making Sajdah,
• Lifting up the elbows from the ground and the abdomen from the thighs (for males),
• Crouching on the ground, touching the abdomen to the thighs and placing the forearms with elbows on the floor next to the body,
• Placing the hands without tightening them or loosening them on the thighs whilst sitting (at qa’dah),
• Sitting on the left foot and raising the right foot on its toes which are bent facing the qiblah (for men),
• Sitting on the left hipbones by putting the right thigh over the left and bringing out the feet, which should face qiblah. (for females),
• Reciting Salatu (durood) Ibrahim upon Nabi (S.A.W.) in the final sitting,
• Beginning to making Salam from the right.

(Ilm Al-Hâl, Fazilet Publishing)