Within Salaah there are certain actions that are obligatory (without which the Salaah is simply void), while other actions are necessary (which can be 'made up for' if initially omitted) while others that do not result in the Salaah becoming void or invalidated but reduce the rewards (thawaab) if missed and so on.
It is therefore important to know exactly which category an action falls within to ensure the Salaah is performed correctly. This is covered in more detail in the pages that look at individual actions in more detail.
Here we consider the categories that actions may fall into and explain the significance each category. A brief explanation of other terms used can be found in "Glossary".
Click on the individual tabs below to learn more about each category:
An Obligatory (Fard) act of Salaah is an act:
- that must be performed.
- that if omitted (either deliberately or unintentionally) or performed incorrectly leaves the entire salaah void.
- the Prostrations of Forgetfulness (sujood al-sahw) is not sufficient to make up for the missed/incorrectly performed fard action.
It is obligatory for the person to repeat the salaah in its entirety again where a fard act has been omitted (intentionally or unintentionally or performed incorrectly).
Ignorance is not an excuse – it is fard al-'ayn (obligatory on each and every sane adult [baaligh] to have knowledge of those actions that are fard.
The fard actions in the prayer are 12 and are divided into two groups:
- those that are obligatory before and during the salaah (the Preconditions), and
- those that are obligatory within the salaah (the Integrals) itself.
There are 6 Preconditions. They may also be referred to as 'the Prerequisites' or in 'Arabic/Urdu as shart (singular) or shuroot/sharaa'it (plural).
There are 6 Integrals. They may also be referred to as 'the Pillars' or in 'Arabic/Urdu as 'Rukn' (singular) or 'Arkaan' (plural).
Click on the links below for further details.
A Necessary (Waajib) act in salaah is one:
- which is necessary to perform.
- which does not invalidate the salaah if unintentionally omitted (unlike omitting a fard action) and can be rectified (see below). However, where the omission is deliberate the person is sinful and it is necessary (waajib) to repeat the entire salaah.
If the act is missed unintentionally, the Prostrations of Forgetfulness (sujood al-Sahw) is waajib for the salaah to be validly completed; if the sujood al-Sahw is not performed, then it is waajib to repeat the whole salaah (i.e. it is waajib al-i’aadah).
If the act is missed deliberately, it is waajib to repeat the salaah (i.e. it is waajib al-i’aadah) and the person is sinful.
See here for details of waajib actions.
There are two types of Sunnah:
- Sunnah Mu’akkadah: (Emphatic Sunnah)
That which the Prophet ﷺ continuously performed but omitted once or twice, to show that it is non-obligatory.
To leave out a sunnah mu’akkadah act once without a valid reason is blameworthy and habitual neglect of it is isa’ah (an offensive act worthy of punishment).
- Sunnah Ghayr Mu’akkadah: (Non-emphatic Sunnah)
Those acts of the Prophet ﷺ which are sought by the Shari’ah for us to perform, so that leaving it is considered disliked but not to the extent that a warning of punishment has been established upon.
Its performance is rewarded and its non-performance is disliked (makrooh tanzeeh) but not punished.
See here for details of sunnah actions.
Recommended (mustahabb also known as mandoob/adab/awlaa/nafl): – An act that is preferred in the Shari’ah but one which if left out is not disliked.
Its performance is rewarded and its non-performance is not disliked.
See here for details of mustahab actions.
An act that is Makrooh is disliked in salaah. They are two types of makrooh acts:
- The Prohibitively Disliked (Makrooh al-Tahreem) - those actions which are necessary to avoid in salaah.
One who performs such an act is sinful and deserving of punishment. One who avoids such acts is rewarded.
Such acts are the opposite of waajib actions and therefore it is waajib to avoid all such acts in salaah.
Therefore, if such an act is performed it will mean that repeating the salaah has become waajib and the sujood al-sahw is not sufficient.
- The Disliked (Makrooh al-Tanzeeh) – those actions which are disliked in the Shari’ah and should be avoided in salaah.
There is no punishment for such acts but it is desirable to abstain from them and one who does do so is rewarded.
Such acts are the opposite of Sunnat Ghayr Mu'akkdah actions.
See here for details of makrooh actions.
Are those actions that immediately invalidate the salaah.
See here for details of nawaaqid actions.