الرُّكُوعُ وَالسُّجُودُ وَالتَّشَهُّدُ

At every change of position, say "Allaahu akbar", except when rising from bowing.

1. Bowing (ar-rukuu') Back straight, head in line, hands on the knees, say (usually three times): سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ subḥaana rabbiya l-'aẓiim: "Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent" (Muslim 772).

2. Rising (al-i'tidaal) While rising: سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ sami'a llaahu liman ḥamidah: "Allah hears the one who praises Him." Standing: رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ rabbanaa wa laka l-ḥamd, ḥamdan kathiiran ṭayyiban mubaarakan fiih: "Our Lord, to You belongs the praise, abundant, good and blessed praise" (Bukhari 799). Behind the imam, say only "rabbanaa wa laka l-ḥamd" [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

3. Prostration (as-sujuud) Place seven parts of the body: the forehead with the nose, both hands, both knees, the tips of both feet (Bukhari 812, Muslim 490). Say (usually three times): سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى subḥaana rabbiya l-a'laa: "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High" (Muslim 772). "The servant is never closer to his Lord than when he is prostrating, so make much supplication in it" (Muslim 482). Supplicating in one's own language during the obligatory prayer [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

4. Sitting between the two prostrations رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي، رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي rabbi ghfir lii: "My Lord, forgive me" (Abu Dawud 874, Ibn Maajah 897) [À VÉRIFIER : numéros]. Then a second prostration, like the first. The rak'a is complete; stand up for the next (a short sitting before standing [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche]).

5. The tashahhud (after the 2nd rak'a and at the end) التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ at-taḥiyyaatu lillaahi wa ṣ-ṣalawaatu wa ṭ-ṭayyibaat, as-salaamu 'alayka ayyuha n-nabiyyu wa raḥmatu llaahi wa barakaatuh, as-salaamu 'alaynaa wa 'alaa 'ibaadi llaahi ṣ-ṣaaliḥiin, ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa llaah, wa ash-hadu anna muḥammadan 'abduhu wa rasuuluh "Greetings belong to Allah, and prayers and good things. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger" (Bukhari 831, Muslim 402). The formulas and the movement of the index finger (Muslim 580) [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

6. Prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ (final sitting) اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ allaahumma ṣalli 'alaa muḥammadin wa 'alaa aali muḥammad, kamaa ṣallayta 'alaa ibraahiima wa 'alaa aali ibraahiim, innaka ḥamiidun majiid. allaahumma baarik 'alaa muḥammadin wa 'alaa aali muḥammad, kamaa baarakta 'alaa ibraahiima wa 'alaa aali ibraahiim, innaka ḥamiidun majiid "O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibraahiim and the family of Ibraahiim; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibraahiim and the family of Ibraahiim; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious" (Bukhari 3370, Muslim 406).

7. A supplication before the salaam (recommended) اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ allaahumma innii a'uudhu bika min 'adhaabi jahannam, wa min 'adhaabi l-qabr, wa min fitnati l-maḥyaa wa l-mamaat, wa min sharri fitnati l-masiiḥi d-dajjaal: "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the evil of the trial of the false messiah" (Muslim 588).

8. The salaam To the right then the left (Muslim 582): السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ as-salaamu 'alaykum wa raḥmatu llaah. The Malikis often make a single salaam [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

After the prayer • أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ astaghfiru llaah, three times, then: اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ، تَبَارَكْتَ يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ allaahumma anta s-salaam wa minka s-salaam, tabaarakta yaa dha l-jalaali wa l-ikraam: "O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace; blessed are You, O Possessor of majesty and honour" (Muslim 591). • Subḥaana llaah 33 times, al-ḥamdu lillaah 33 times, Allaahu akbar 33 times (Muslim 597).

Exercise: pray two rak'as slowly, saying each formula and thinking of its meaning.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Each position has a meaning. Bowing is a gesture of respect, as people bow before a king, but we bow in this way only before Allah. Prostration is the peak of humility: the noblest part of the body, the face, touches the ground, and that is where the servant is closest to his Lord (Muslim 482). The tashahhud is a greeting: the companions first used to say "peace be upon Allah", and the Prophet ﷺ taught them this formula, which greets Allah, the Prophet ﷺ and all the righteous servants, "in the heavens and on earth" (Bukhari 831). By saying it, we pray for all the believers. The dhikr after the prayer prolongs it: a few minutes of calm before returning to one's activities. Whoever says the tasbiiḥ (33 + 33 + 33) then completes a hundred with "laa ilaaha illa llaahu waḥdahu laa shariika lah…" has their sins forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea (Muslim 597). Common mistakes: not staying still for a moment in bowing and prostration; lifting the forehead or nose during sujuud; resting the forearms on the ground (Bukhari 822, Muslim 493); rushing off after the salaam. Points where the schools differ: the wording of the tashahhud (Ibn Mas'uud here; 'Umar for the Malikis; Ibn 'Abbaas for the Shafi'is); the movement of the index finger; the resting sit before standing; one or two salaams; the formula on rising behind the imam; supplicating in one's own language; the way of sitting (iftiraash, tawarruk) [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

Lessons to draw from it • Stay still for at least one formula in each position. • Make prostration a moment of personal supplication. • Learn the tashahhud and the prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ in two weeks, one sentence a day. • Keep two minutes after each prayer for dhikr.

Key points to remember • Rukuu': "subḥaana rabbiya l-'aẓiim"; sujuud: "subḥaana rabbiya l-a'laa" (Muslim 772). • Rising: "sami'a llaahu liman ḥamidah", "rabbanaa wa laka l-ḥamd". • Seven parts of the body on the ground (Bukhari 812, Muslim 490). • Tashahhud (Bukhari 831, Muslim 402), prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ (Bukhari 3370, Muslim 406), salaam (Muslim 582).

The main message From bowing to the salaam, the prayer takes the believer through respect, humility and greeting: he finishes in peace, with Allah and with others, and carries that calm into his day.