Rulings of Salaah

An Obligatory (Fard) act of salaah is an act:

that must be performed completely.
that if omitted (either deliberately or even unintentionally) or even performed incorrectly leaves the entire salaah unfulfilled.
the Prostration of Forgetfulness (sujood al-sahw) is not sufficient to make up for the missed/incorrectly performed fard.

It is obligatory for the person to repeat the salaah in its entirety where a fard act has been omitted (whether intentionally or unintentionally) or performed incorrectly.

The fard actions 12 and divided into two types:

those that are obligatory before and during the Salaah ( Preconditions), and
those that are obligatory within the Salaah (Pillars, Integrals) itself.

Click here for the Preconditions and here for the Pillars.

A Necessary (Waajib) act in the prayer is one:

which is necessary to perform, and
which does not invalidate/leave the salaah unfulfilled if unintentionally omitted. However, where the omission is deliberate the person is sinful and it is necessary to repeat the entire prayer.

If a waajib act is missed unintentionally, sujood al-sahw (Prostrations of Forgetfulness) is waajib at the end of the prayer in order for the prayer to be validly completed. If the sujood al-sahw is not performed in this instance, then it is waajib to repeat the whole prayer.

Click here link for further details on sujood al-sahw

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.

The following acts are waajib:

Takbeer al-Tahreemah

To say the words “Allahu Akbar” at the commencement of the prayer.

Qiyaam

To perform qiyaam before rukoo'.

Qira'at

To recite surah al-fatihah entirely in every raka'ah of every (including nawaafil) salaah. It is, however, not waajib to recite surah al-fatihah entirely in the last two rak’at of a four raka'at fard salaah.
To recite another surah (Chapter) or three short ayaat (verses) or one long ayah (verse) equal to three short verses after surah al-fatihah.
To pray surah al-fatihah only once.
Not to pray anything except ameen and bismillah between surah al-fatihah and commencing praying another surah/ayah.
To ensure that there is no delay between reciting surah al-fatihah and nd commencing praying another surah/ayah.
To perform sajdah al-tilawah if an ayah of sajdah is recited; see here
To go into rukoo' as soon as the qira’at has been completed (if the delay is more than the time it would take to recite "Subhaan-Allah" three times then sujood al-sahw is necessitated).
For the imaam to recite audibly in the first two raka'at of Fajr, Maghrib and 'Ishaa' prayers and silently in the remainder (i.e. in all four raka'at of Zhur and Asr, and the third rak'ah of Maghrib).
For the muqtadi to remain silent at the time of the Imam’s recitation.

Rukoo'

To be motionless (stationary) in rukoo' for the duration it takes to say "Subhan-Allah" once.
To perform rukoo' before sujood.
To perform rukoo' only once in a raka'ah.
To stand up for qawmah as soon as the rukoo' has been completed (if the delay is more than the time it would take to recite "Subhaan-Allah" three times then sujood al-sahw is necessitated).

Qawmah

To be motionless (stationary) in qawmah for at least the duration it takes to say "Subhaan-Allah" once.
To go into sujood as soon as the qawmah has been completed (any pause should be less than it takes to recite "Subhaan-Allah" three times).

Sujood

To be motionless in each sajdah for at least the duration of saying "Subhaan-Allah" once.
For three toes of both feet to be firmly grounded such that the 'belly' of the toes are in contact with the ground.
Not to perform more than two sujood in each raka'ah.
To go into jalsah (or stand up for next the raka'ah) as soon as the sajdah has been completed (if the delay is more than the time it would take to recite "Subhaan-Allah" three times then sujood al-sahw is necessitated).

Jalsah

To be motionless (stationary) in jalsah for at least the duration it takes to say "Subhaan-Allah" once.
To perform the second sajdah as soon as the jalsah has been completed if the delay is more than the time it would take to recite "Subhaan-Allah" three times then sujood al-sahw is necessitated).

Qa'dah Oola

To recite tashahhud entirely.
Not to recite anything other than tashahhud in the qa'dah oola of a fard, sunnah al-mua'kkadah, or witr prayer.
To immediately stand up for the third raka'at on completing reciting tashahhud.
To perform qa'dah oola only at the end of the second raka'ah (i.e. it is not to be performed at the end of either the first or third raka'ah).
To stand up for qiyaam as soon as the qa'dah Oola has been completed (if the delay is more than the time it would take one to recite "Subhaan-Allah" three times then sujood al-sahw is necessitated).

Qa'dah Akeerah

To recite tashahhud entirely.
To perform khurooj bi sun'ini as soon as one has completed reciting tashahhud, salaat al-ibraheemiyyah and dua' Mathoorah (any pause should be less than it takes to recite "Subhaan-Allah" three times).

Khuruj bi Sun'ihi

To say the word السَّلاَمُ.

The following acts are Sunnah:

Takbeer al-Tahreemah

For men to raise both hands to the ear lobes.
For women to raise both hands to the level of the shoulders.
To keep the fingers apart and straight in the natural state at the time of takbeer al-tahreemah and for the palms to be facing the qiblah.
To raise both hands before saying takbeer al-tahreemah.
To keep the head straight and facing the qiblah while pronouncing takbeer al-tahreemah.

Qiyaam and Qira'at

To keep four-finger space between the feet in qiyaam.
While standing, men place their right hand on top of their left hand, under the navel, circling the wrist with the thumb and small finger while women place their hands on their chest.
To recite thanaa’, ta`awwudh and tasmiyyah.
Performing these three (the thanaa’ , ta’wwudh and tasmiyyah) quietly.
Beginning with tasmiyyah (when reciting the surah al-fatiha each time).
Saying aameen quietly after surah al-fatihah.
Saying takbeer while going into rukoo'.

Rukoo'

To say the takbeer when going into rukoo'.
To recite the tasbeeh (glorification) three times.

Men: to keep the legs straight and for the back and head to be as straight as possible; to hold the knees firmly with the hands and to spread out the fingers.
Women: to bend only as much as is necessary for the hands to reach the knees; to hold the knees gently.

Qawmah

To recite tasmee' and tahmeed.
To recite Takbeer before going into sujood.

Sujood

To place the knees before the hands and placing the hands before the face when going into sujood; and reversing this order (i.e. lifting the face, then the hands followed lastly by the hands) when rising.
To recite tasbeeh of sujood three times.
To have all ten toes firmly grounded.
To recite takbeer going into sujood as well as returning from sujood (to jalsah/qiyaam).

Jalsah

To rest the fingers spread in their natural state on the thighs.

Men: for the bottom to rest on the left foot and for the right foot to upright with the toes bent towards the Qiblah.
Women: for the bottom to be on the ground and for the feet to emerge from the right side, with the left foot being under the right foot.

Qa'dah Oola

To recite the takbeer of sitting.

Men - for the bottom to rest on the left foot and for the right foot to upright with the toes bent towards the qiblah - the iftiraash manner.
Women - with one's posterior on the ground and the left foot on its side, emerging from under the right which is vertical - the tawarruk manner.

To rest the fingers spread in their natural state on the thighs except when pointing at the time of the testimony comes.
To make a ring with the thumb and middle finger, clenching the other two fingers and raising the index finger when reciting the shahadah in tashahhud; releasing them all when reaching "il-lalaahu".

Qa'dah Akeerah

To rest the fingers (spread them naturally).
To make a ring with the thumb and middle finger, clenching the other two fingers and raising the index finger when reciting the shahadah in sashahhud; releasing them all when reaching "il-lalaahu".
To recite salaat al-ibraaheemiyyah (Durood-e-Ibrahim) after tashahhud.
To recite a dua' ma'thoorah.

Khuruj bi Sun'ihi

To perform salaam in such a way that, when turning the face to the right and left, a person's cheeks would be seen by those behind them.
To make salaam first to the right and then to the left.

Recommended (Mustahabb): An act that is preferred in the Shari’ah but one which if left is it is not disliked.

Its performance is rewarded and its non-performance is not disliked.

The following actions are Mustahab:

Niyyah

To utter, in a soft voice, the niyyah.

Takbeer al-Tahreemah

Men: To take out the hands from the sleeves at the time of the takbeer al-tahreemah.

Qiyaam

Looking at the point of sajdah (prostration) during qiyaam.

Rukoo

To fix the gaze on the right foot.

Sujood

To look at the nose in sujood.

Jalsah

To recite "Allahumagh firlee warhamnee" (O Allah! Forgive me and have mercy upon me).

Qa'dah Oola

To fix the eyesight on the right thigh.

Qa'dah Akeerah

To fix the eyesight on the right thigh.
To add the word Sayyiduna before the name of the Prophet (Allah's blessings and peace are upon him) when reciting salaat al-ibraaheemiyyah.

Khuruj bi Sun'ihi

To fix the gaze on the right shoulder when performing salaam to the right and on the left shoulder when doing so to the left.

Makrooh Tahreemi (Prohibitively disliked): an act that is punishable and the one who avoids it is rewarded.

If a makrooh tahreemi act is performed, the error can not be corrected by performing sujood al-sahw and it is waajib (Necessary) to repeat to salaah. The salaah is said to be waajibul i’aadah.

Where makrooh is mentioned without qualification it usually means makrooh tahreemi (Prohibitively disliked).

The followings actions are makrooh tahreemi:

Looking around during the prayer.
Fidgeting with any part of one’s clothing or body, only slight movements; as all excessive movements invalidate the prayer.
Cracking the fingers.
Interlocking the fingers.
Spreading out the forearms on the ground in sajdah for a man.
A man praying in only a lower garment while having the ability to wear a shirt.
Gathering one's garment with both hands; for example, to lift the trousers with both hands when going into sujood even if it's to save it from dust.
Praying with the sleeves or trousers rolled up.
Draping a shawl (sadl) over the shoulders; there is no issue if one side is thrown over one’s shoulder and the other side remains hanging loose.
Placing a garment on one’s shoulders without entering the hands into its sleeves.
Praying towards the face of another human.
Praying in clothes with images of animate creatures.
Praying where pictures are in front, above, either side or behind oneself.
Yawning intentionally.
Stretching in prayer.
Raising the head to the sky.
For the follower to stand alone behind a row (saff) in which there is a sufficient gap for him to join.
Bowing or rising from rukoo' before the Imam, or prostrating or rising from sajdah before him.
Reciting the Qur’an behind the imam.
To continue to recite the Qur’an while moving into the bowing position.
To pray salaah while one needs to severely relieve himself (urination, excretion, or due to flatulence). If the jama’at (congregational prayer) has begun and one needs to go to relieve himself, he should do so first. If this state of exists before commencing salaah and there is sufficient time for one to relieve oneself and perform wudoo', then it is prohibited to even commence the salaah.

If the need to relieve oneself arises after commencing salaah and one fears that he/she will not have sufficient time to perform wudoo' and perform the salaah in the remaining time, then one should pray the salaah.

If the need to relieve oneself arises after commencing salaah and he/she has sufficient time to perform wudoo' and perform the salaah in the remaining time, then it waajib for him or her to break the salaah; if one continues with their salaah in such a state, one is sinful.

Makrooh Tanzeehi (Slightly disliked): an act that is discouraged without any punishment for one who performs such an act and reward for the one who avoids it.

Praying with one’s forearms uncovered.
A man praying with his head uncovered.
Turning one's toes or fingers away from the direction of the Qiblah.
Prostrating with one’s forehead covered by (something such as) a handkerchief.
Praying in clothes one would not wear in front of respectable people.
Closing one’s eyes (unless this is done to increase concentration).
Reciting a surah and then, in the next raka'ah, skipping a surah and reciting the following surah.
Saying the basmalah or aameen out loud.
Not placing a barrier (Sutra) in front of oneself in a place where people are expected to walk by.

The prayer is invalidated by:

Any kind or amount of speech regardless of whether this is accidental, intentional or deliberate.
To respond to speech even if it be with an invocation.
Giving or replying to salaam to another person.
Replying to someone who has sneezed.
Laughter that is audible to oneself. (If it is audible to others, it also nullifies ablution).
Moaning or groaning (saying Ah, or the like).
Crying audibly out of remorse or pain. However, if it is out of remembrance of Heaven or Hell, it does not affect the prayer.
Coughing without reason.
Any excessive action (where a person would have overriding opinion that the person is not in prayer).
Lifting both feet off the ground during a moment of the prostration.
Reciting from a copy of the Qur’an.
Eating - if one puts something into his mouth then any amount invalidates the prayer; if the food is already in the mouth, then it is invalidated if it is the size of a chickpea or more.
Drinking.
Turning the chest away from the Qiblah by 45 degrees or more.
A person having performed Tayammum seeing water he is able to use (as this automatically invalidates the Wudoo'.
Rising of the sun during the Fajr prayer.
Scratching the body using the hand three times in any position in a Raka'ah.