The Waajibaat(Obligatory Components) of Salah

The important requirements (obligations) of the Salah (prayer)

• The obligatory components of Salah (prayer) are all those acts that must be performed. If any of these obligations are left out, then one will have to perform the Sujood as-Sahwe (Sujood for forgetfulness) as a form of atonement.

The Waajibaat of Salah are:

• Recitation of takbeer(الله أكبر) Allaho akbar to move from one act to the next, such as for performing the rukoo’ or sujood, Abdullah bin Mas’ood said:

وعن ابن مسعود قال: كان رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – يكبر في كل خفض ورفع ، وقيام وقعود.. (احمد الترمذي والنسائي)

“I saw the Prophet saying takbeer (hggi Hfv) in every going down, rising up, standing and sitting.” [Ahmad, Tirmidhi & an-Nasa’)]

• Glorifying Allah( سبحان ربى العظيم) at least once, while in rukoo”. Hudhayfah narrated:

عن حذيفة بن اليمان رضي الله عنه قال: صليت مع رسول الله ﷺ فركع ، فقال في ركوعه : سبحان ربي العظيم ، وفي سجوده : سبحان ربي الأعلى. (النسائي)

“The Prophet ﷺ used to say: ‘All praise is due to Allah, the Most Great.’ while bowing down, and ‘All praise be to Allah, the Most High, in his prostration. [an-Nasa]

• Praising Allah at least once whille is in Sujood (prostration):

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي الأَعْلَى

“My Rabb, the Most High is free from imperfection.”

• Saying,(سمع الله لمن حمده) “Allah hears him who praises Him” by both the imaam and those who pray behind him. Aboo Hurayrah said: “Allah’s Messenger ﷺ used to say

عن أبي هريرة .. كان رسول الله ﷺ إذا قال سمع الله لمن حمده قال : اللهم ربنا ولك الحمد ..(البخاري ومسلم)

“Allah hears from him who praises Him’ when he raises his head from bowing, then he used to say: ‘O Allah! Our Lord! All the praises are for You,’ while standing.” [al-Bukhaani & Muslim]

• Saying: (ربنا لك الحمد) “O Allah! Our Lord! All the praises are due to You,” as in the previous hadeeth, for the imaam and those praying behind him. Also, the Prophet ﷺ said:

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه ، أن رسول الله ﷺ قال : إذا قال الامام سمع الله لمن حمده فقولوا ربنا لك الحمد ..(البخاري ومسلم)

“When the imaam says during the prayer: ‘Allah hears him who praises Him,’ say: “O Allah ! Our Lord! All the praises are for You.” [al-Bukhaari & Muslim]

• Reciting supplication between the two prostrations by saying:

عَن بَنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، أَنَّ النَّبِيِّﷺ كَانَ يَقُولُ بَيْنَ السِّجْدَتَيْنِ: «اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي، وَارْحَمْنِي، وَاهْدِنِي وَعَافِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي (أبو داوود والترمذي)

‘O Allah! Forgive me, grant me your Mercy, guide me, bestow on me my well-being. and bestow Your Bounty on me.” [Aboo Daawood & Timmidh]

A person may also recite the following supplication:

عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ رضي الله عنه أن النبي ﷺ كَانَ يَقُولُ بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي ، رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي (ابن ماجه و الحكيم)

“O my Lord, forgive me, O my Lord, forgive me.” [Ibn Maajah & al-Haakim]

• The first tashahhud must be recited.
• Sitting for the first tashahhud, as the Prophet ﷺ said to Rifaa’ah bin Rafi’:

إذا أنت قمت في صلاتك فكبر الله تعالى ثم اقرأ ما تيسر عليك من القرآن وقال فيه فإذا جلست في وسط الصلاة فاطمئن وافترش فخذك اليسرى ثم تشهد… (أبو داوود والبيهقي)

“When you stand in prayer, say takbeer to Allah and then read what Allah permits you from the Qur’aan. When you sit down in the middle of the prayer (for tashahhud), do not hurry and sit on your left leg then say the tashahhud.” [Aboo Daawood and al-Bayhaqee]

• The obligations (waajibaat) of the Salah as mentioned above are important to ensure the correct performance of the Salah. As has been mentioned previously, all these obligations must be performed, or else the Salah of a Muslim is nullified. All Muslims must aspire to perform Salah as prescribed by the Qur’aan and the Sunnah as shown by the Prophet.
• Note: Some aspects such as saying “O Allah! Our Lord! All the praises are due to You, after the rukoo” and the supplication between the two Sujood are considered to be from amongst the sunan (Sunnah acts of Salah), rather than from amongst the waajibaat.

Learning from the lesson

1. All obligations of Salah must be carried out.
2. If any obligations are forgotten, Sujood sahwe will be necessary.
3. The obligations ensure the correct performance of Salah.
4. If a Pillar of Salah is forgetten, one has to repeat Salah.