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Straight answers on prayer and purification, illustrated step by step. Where the schools of thought differ, we give each position rather than choosing one.
Prayer
How to pray salah, step by step
An illustrated step by step guide to praying salah, with artwork for both men and women, covering every position from takbir to tasleem.
9 min readHow many rakahs is each prayer?
The rakah count for Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha, including the sunnah and witr prayers around them.
6 min readWhat is the Tashahhud, and when do you say it?
The Tashahhud in Arabic, transliteration and English, when it is said in the prayer, and the wording each school uses.
6 min readSurah Al-Fatiha: text, transliteration and meaning
Al-Fatiha in Arabic with transliteration and English meaning, why it is recited in every rakah, and what the schools say about reciting it behind an imam.
7 min readWhat breaks your prayer?
What invalidates salah, from speaking and laughing to movement and losing wudu, and where the four schools differ.
10 min readWhat is sujud as-sahw, and when do you do it?
The prostration of forgetfulness: when it is needed, whether it comes before or after the tasleem, and what to do when you lose count.
8 min readWhat is witr, and how do you pray it?
How binding witr is, how many rakahs, the different valid forms, when its time ends, qunut, and what to do if you sleep through it.
8 min readWhat do you say after the prayer?
The adhkar said after each obligatory prayer, in Arabic with transliteration and meaning, and when each one is said.
7 min readPurification
How to perform wudu, step by step
An illustrated step by step guide to wudu, with artwork for both men and women, plus what is obligatory and what is sunnah in each school.
8 min readWhat breaks your wudu?
What invalidates wudu, and where the four schools of thought agree and differ, including sleep, touching, and bleeding.
7 min readWhen is ghusl required, and how do you perform it?
What makes ghusl obligatory, how to perform it correctly, and what the four schools say about the obligatory and recommended parts.
8 min readWhat is tayammum, and when can you use it?
When tayammum replaces wudu or ghusl, how to perform it, what surfaces are valid, and what invalidates it across the four schools.
7 min readCan you wipe over socks instead of washing your feet?
Masah over khuffayn and socks: the conditions, the time limits, how to do it, and whether ordinary cotton socks qualify.
8 min readPrayer times
What is Islamic midnight, and can you pray Isha after 12am?
Islamic midnight is the midpoint between sunset and dawn, not 12:00. How to work it out, and when Isha actually ends in each school.
8 min readWhat time does Fajr end?
Fajr ends at sunrise, not at a fixed clock time. How the window is calculated, and what to do if you wake up after it has closed.
6 min readSpecial circumstances
How do you pray when you are travelling?
Shortening the prayer, combining two prayers, what counts as a journey, and how long the concession lasts, with each school's position.
13 min readHow do you make up missed prayers?
Qada: making up a prayer you have missed, whether order matters, and what to do when you have years of missed prayers behind you.
8 min readCan you pray sitting down?
When praying seated is allowed, praying on a chair, how to perform ruku and sujud when you cannot stand, and what each school says.
8 min read