Prayer

Conditions, Pillars and Obligations of the Prayer

A prayer is valid when its conditions are met before it begins and its pillars are performed within it. Scholars classify its parts into conditions (shurut), pillars (arkan), obligations (wajibat) and Sunnahs, so that a Muslim knows what makes a prayer valid and what only perfects it.

The conditions (before the prayer)

Being Muslim, sane and of the age of discernment.
Purity from minor and major impurity (wudu or ghusl).
Purity of the body, clothing and place of prayer from filth.
Covering the ‘awrah: for men from the navel to the knees, for women the whole body except the face and hands.
Facing the Qibla.
The time of the prayer having begun.
The intention for the specific prayer.

The pillars (within the prayer)

If a pillar is omitted, the rak‘ah is not valid and must be made up. The pillars commonly listed are:

Standing, for those able, in obligatory prayers.
The opening takbir (Allahu akbar).
Reciting al-Fatihah in every rak‘ah.
Bowing (ruku‘) and rising from it.
The two prostrations and sitting between them.
Calmness (tuma’ninah) in each position.
The final tashahhud and sitting for it.
The taslim.
Keeping the order of the pillars.

The obligations

In the Hanbali school, obligations are acts that, if forgotten, are compensated by the prostration of forgetfulness: the takbirs of movement, the words of ruku‘ and sujud, “Sami‘allahu liman hamidah”, “Rabbighfir li” and the first tashahhud. The Hanafi school has its own list of wajibat, also compensated by sujud al-sahw.

What invalidates the prayer

Losing wudu during the prayer.
Deliberately speaking about something unrelated to the prayer.
Eating or drinking.
Laughing out loud.
Many continuous movements without need.
Turning away from the Qibla with the whole body.
Deliberately omitting a pillar or a condition.

Sunnahs of the prayer

Raising the hands at the takbirs, placing the right hand over the left, the opening supplication, reciting a surah after al-Fatihah in the first two rak‘ahs, and the supplications before the taslim are Sunnahs: their omission does not invalidate the prayer, but they complete it.

The time of prayer: early, late and combined

Praying at the beginning of the time is best: asked about the most beloved deed to Allah, the Prophet ﷺ answered, “Prayer at its proper time” (al-Bukhari). Two exceptions are reported: delaying Isha somewhat into the night, and delaying Dhuhr in intense heat until it cools (al-Bukhari).

A prayer offered before its time has begun is not valid and must be repeated, even if it was performed perfectly. Travellers, and according to many scholars the ill and people facing real hardship, may combine Dhuhr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha.

In brief

Conditions come before the prayer: purity, covering the ‘awrah, the Qibla, the time and the intention.
Pillars are inside the prayer and cannot be skipped.
Forgotten obligations are made up by the prostration of forgetfulness.
Talking, eating, laughing aloud and losing wudu invalidate the prayer.
Praying early in its time is best.

Questions and answers

Is a prayer valid if I forget a Sunnah?

Yes. Forgetting a Sunnah does not affect validity. Forgetting an obligation is compensated by sujud al-sahw, and a pillar must be performed.

What if I discover that I prayed in the wrong direction?

If you made a genuine effort to find the Qibla, your prayer is valid. If you realise it during the prayer, turn and continue, as the people of Quba did when the Qibla was changed (al-Bukhari).

Useful tools

Qibla finder