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These are the practices that our Prophet performed continuously and rarely left. (They are not fard and wajib) These are also called Sunnah Huda. (Sayyid Sharif al-Jurjani, at-Ta`rifat, Beirut 1403/1983, p. 122; Damad, Majma`ul-Anhur, Istanbul 1328, I, 12; Ibn Abidin, Raddu`l Mukhtar Cairo 1272-1324, I, 70) Some scholars think Sunnah muakkadah were performed continuously by our Prophet . (Ibn Nujaym, al-Bahru`r-Raiq, Cairo 1311, I, 17-18)

Performing sunnah muakkadah means reaching perfection in religion. (Sayyid Sharif al-Jurjani, ibid, p. 122). These sunnahs were rendered legitimate in order to compensate for our shortcomings in fard practices. Ibn Abidin, ibid, I,191) Because of this, leaving these sunnahs are considered as ridiculing our religion. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, ‘’I will not intercede for  the person who leaves my sunnahs.“ Leaving sunnah muakkadah is close to haram. The person who leaves sunnah cannot get the intercession of Prophet. Leaving sunnah mentioned above means not performing sunnah consistently without any excuse. For example, washing ablution (wudu) organs once and making this behavior a habit. This person becomes sinful (Ibn Abidin, ibid, I, 70-71).

A person who performs sunnah muakkadahs gains thawab (rewards of good deeds) (Jurjani, ibid, p. 122). Two rakahs before Fajr (morning prayer), four rakahs before Zuhr (afternoon prayer) and two rakahs after it, two rakahs after maghrib (sunset prayer), two rakahs after Isha (night prayer) are examples of sunnah muakkadah. (al-Mawsili, al-Ikhtiyar, Istanbul 1987, 465; Alauddin al-Haskafi, ad-Durrul-Muntaqa (in the margins ofMajma`ul-Anhur) I,130) Our prophet states that if a person performs these 12 rakats continuously, he will get a mansion in Jannah (heaven)  (Tirmidhi, Salat, 189; Nasai, Qiyamul-Layl, 66; Ibn Majah, Iqamah, 100).

Praying in congregation is also sunnah muakkadah. It is reported that our Prophet does not approve leaving this sunnah without an excuse. (al-Mawsili, ibid, I, 57; Damad ibid, I,107).

Also washing hands that are thought to be dirty (Ibn Abidin, ibid, I, 75), using miswak while performing wudu (ibid, I, 77), washing mouth and nose thoroughly (ibid, I, 79), washing hands and in between fingers properly (ibid, I, 80), washing ablution organs three times (ibid, I, 80), reciting adhan from a high place (ibid, I, 257) are examples of sunnah muakkadah.

These are the sunnahs that our Prophet (p.b.u.h.) sometimes performed and sometimes abandoned. To perform the sunnahs in this category brings one thawabs (rewards of good deeds). A person who leaves this sunnah is not punished or blamed. (Sayyid Sharif al-Jurjani, at-Ta`rifat, Beirut 1403/1983, p. 122; Ibn Nujaym, al-Bahru`r-Raiq, Cairo 1311, I, 17-18) The first sunnahs of Asr (afternoon ) and Isha (night) prayers are sunnah ghair muakkadah. Sunnah Zawaids, like our prophet‘s way of wearing his clothes and shoes, sitting, standing up, combing his hair, in other words, his attitudes and behaviors are in this category of sunnah. (Ibn Abidin, Raddul-Mukhtar, Cairo 1272-1324, I, 321)

1- Whatever comes out from private parts (anus and urinary tract). The following phrase in the sixth verse of al-Ma’idah; “When you come from the toilet….” and  the following answer of the Prophet (PBUH) to the question, "what is hadath?": “it is whatever comes out from private parts (anus and urinary tract) show that whatever comes out from private parts like urine, feces, fart, wadi (a thick white secretion discharged after urination), madhi (a white sticky fluid that flows from the sexual organ when thinking about sexual intercourse or foreplay, and so on),  sperm and worm break wudu.

2- Loss of consciousness through sleeping, fainting, becoming insane, getting drunk, etc. However, the wudu of a person who sleeps without moving while sitting is not invalidated. (Muslim, Wudu, 2; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 1, 256).

3- blood, pus or yellow liquid coming out from any part of body and spreading around. If the amount of blood that comes from the mouth is equal to or more than saliva, it invalidates wudu.

4- Vomiting a mouthful. For, the Prophet (PBUH) stated “Vomiting breaks wudu” (Tirmidhi, Taharah, 64). If vomiting is not mouthful, wudu is valid.

5- Having a sexual intercourse.

6- In spite of not not having a complete sexual intercourse, physical contact of a man and a woman with thin clothes or without clothes, and their sexual organs touching each other.

7- When one who has made tayammum finds water.

8- Audible laughter during prayer. For, the Prophet stated the following; “When one of you laugh loudly during a prayer, he/she has to renew both the prayer and wudu”. Laughter outside of a prayer does not invalidate wudu.

When one doubts first time whether he/she has washed some of his/her organs or not, he/she should wash those organs again. However, if he/she always doubts, such doubt has no importance. It is regarded as he has completed making wudu. If one who cannot remember certainly whether his/her wudu has been broken or not and remembers that he/she has made wudu, it means his/her wudu is valid. For, something known certainly cannot be eliminated by doubts.

In addition, it is stated by scholars that it is better for a person who doubts whether his/her wudu has been broken or not when he is not praying to renew wudu in terms of taqwa but if he doubts whether his/her wudu has been broken or not while praying, he does not have to leave the prayer to renew wudu.

Jama’ah means community and gathering, coming together.

Prayer in congregation is the salah that Muslims perform together following the imam, the person in front of them.

Five daily prayers, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and known as “the pillar of the religion”, need to be performed collectively due to the importance that Islam gives to jama’ah.

Performing salah in congregation is definite by the Holy Book, Sunnah and Ijma (Consensus). Allah Ta’ala adressed our Prophet as follows: “When thou (O Messenger) art with them, and standest to lead them in prayer, let one party of them stand up (in prayer) with thee taking their arms with them.” (an-Nisa, 4/102) The Prophet (s.a.w.) explains the virtue of jama’ah salah as follows: “The salah performed in congregation is twenty-seven times more virtuous than the salah performed individually.” (Bukhari, Adhan 30; Salat 87; Muslim, Masajid 245; Abu Dawud, Salat 48; Tirmidhi, Salah 47). In another narration, this virtue is mentioned as twenty-five times. (Ibn Majah, Masajid, 16). The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) also said,

“If one performs wudu properly, goes to the mosque just for salah,  he/she ascends one degree and one of his sins is deleted for every step and  he/she takes until he/she arrives the mosque.” (Abu Dawud, Salah, 8)

At least two people are necessary for prayer in congregation. And this is formed by a person along with the imam. We understand this from the following hadith of the Prophet (s.a.w.): “Two or more people are  jama’ah” (Bukhari, Adhan 30)

One of those two people must be the imam and the other must follow him for prayer in congregation. It does not matter whether the person following the imam is a man, woman or sane child. For, our Prophet (s.a.w.) called those two people as jama’ah. A mad person and a child who is not sane are not accepted as part of jama’ah. For, they are not responsible for performing salah and they are regarded as almost absent. (al-Qasani, Badaiu's-Sanayi, Beirut 1394/1974, I, 156)

Five daily salahs and the sunnahs like tarawih and kusuf can be performed both in congregation and individually. However, it is necessary for the Friday prayer and eid prayers to be performed in congregation. For, one of the conditions of the validity of those salahs are congregation.

One person is enough along with the imam is enough for the eid prayer. As for the Friday prayer, this number cannot be fewer than two people except the imam.

It is permissible for women to perform prayers in congregation among themselves but this is makruh. If they do so, the woman who is the imam stands in the middle of the first line. (al-Marghinani, ibid, I, 56)

It is makruh for young women to go to jama’ah salah performed with men (if it causes mischief). However, there is no objection for old women. (al-Marghinani, ibid, I, 57)

If only two people perform salah in congregation, the person following the imam needs to stand on the right side of the imam. If there are two people following the imam,  he stands in front of them. If there is a man and a woman following the imam, the man stands on the right of the imam and the woman stands behind the imam at the back. If there are two men and a woman, the men stand behind the imam and the woman stands behind these men. It is not permissible for men to follow a woman or a child, and to perform salah behind them. (Marghinani, I, 56)

The arrangement of straight and close rows (ranks) and standing shoulder shoulders to shoulder  in prayers in congregation is an issue that our Prophet (s.a.w.) gave great importance to.  Therefore, the imam must check the lines before starting salah.

The imam must lead the salah in a moderate time. It is not convenient to weary the jama’ah by lengthening the salah  or to hurry by making the salah shorter. However, if a certain jama’ah wants  the salah to be prolonged, it is not wrong to prolong the salah.
If there are women and little children in the jama’ah salah, men stand in the first line(s); women stand behind them and at the back the children line up. It invalidates the salah of a male imam if a woman who follows the imam stands next to the imam without a curtain etc between them. (al-Marghinani, ibid, I, 57)

The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) mentioned the virtue of the jama’ah salah on various occasions; plenty of hadiths were heard from him on that issue. Some of these are as follows:

“A salah performed in congregation is twenty or more times virtuous than as a salah performed at home or at the market individually.” (Ibn Majah, Masajid, 16)

“A salah performed in congregation is twenty-seven times more virtuous than a salah performed individually.” (Bukhari, Adhan 29; Salat 87; Muslim, Masajid 249; al-Muwatta, Jamaaa, 1; Ibn Majah, Masajid, 16).

“If people knew the virtue of the night and morning salahs, they would come to the mosque even by crawling.” (Ibn Majah, Masajid, 18)

“A person who performs the night salah in congregation, he/she will be regarded as if he/she has spent the half of the night worshipping. A person who performs the night and morning salahs in congregation, he/she will be regarded as if he/she has spent the whole night worshipping. (Abu Dawud, as-Salah, 45)

On the one hand, the Prophet (s.a.w) encouraged jama’ah salah, on the other hand, he criticized the ones who leave jama’ah as follows:

“I swear by Allah that I wish in my heart that I shall order people to perform salah and they shall carry out this; after that, I shall order a man to lead people to perform the salah. After this order, I shall take some men with loads of wood to the ones who have not come to the congregation and burn their houses while they are in them.” (al-Muwatta', Jama'ah 3; Ibn Majah, Masajid, 17)

“I swear that some people will either abondon leaving jama’ah or Allah will seal their hearts. After that, they will surely be heedless people. (Ibn Majah, Masajid, 17) 

Salah has been performed in congregation since the times of our Prophet (s.a.w.) up to now because of this significant virtue; and the mosques built for this purpose have been social institutions along with the other functions they carry out. Salah in congregation is sunnah al-muakkada according to Hanafi madhhab;  it is fard al-kifaya - sunnah al-muakkada- according to Shafi’i madhhab; according to Maliki madhhab, it is sunnah al-muakkada- fard al-kifaya; it is fard al-’ayn according to Hanbali madhhab and Dawud az-Zahiri. (Tajrid as-Sarih Translation, II, 604).

It is necessary for a person who wants to join a prayer in congregation to have the strength to perform salah with others, not to be naked and to be muqim (a resident). If someone becomes the imam for his wife and his children at home, he can obtain the virtue of jama’ah and gain thawab. However, it gains him more thawabs to perform salah in congregation in a mosque. If salah in congregation is not performed openly anywhere, performing salah performed at homes and at shops without an announcement, will not save people from the responsibility of jama’ah. Firstly, it is necessary to invite the people of a town who do not perform salah in congregation to form a congregation with the adhan. In a community in which Islam dominates, if the Muslims do not come to the congregation after this invitation, it is necessary to resort to violence to force them to join the congregation. It is better to perform salah in a mosque that has more people in congregation. However, if the imam is from ahl al-bid’ah, that is, if there is a situation showing his fisq (disobedience to Allah) but not his kufr (unbelief), then it is better to perform salah in a mosque that has fewer people in congregation. There are some excuses that prevent going to the mosque to perform salah in congregation. In fiqh, they are called “Excuses that make it permissible not to go to the mosque to perform prayers”. These excuses are as follows:

- To be so ill as not to be able to walk, to be paralyzed, to be old, to be blind, to have an amputated arm or leg.

Apart from these, people’s legitimate, important excuses concerning their conditions can make it permissible not to go to the mosque like a person who must stay with an ill person at home.  The person whom the congregation follows in prayer is called the imam; his duty is calledhis duty is called imamah; following the imam is called iqtida; those who follow the imam are called muqtadis; the straight line formed by muqtadis is called saff.  When the congregation follows the imam, they have to make the movements after the imam. For example, they follow the imam while bowing down, standing up from ruku, prostrating, etc. Even if there is one person apart from the imam, salah can be performed in congregation.

Undoubtedly, a salah in congregation is superior in terms of thawab to a salah performed individually.  Some of the merits of salah in congregation are getting the Muslims together and inspring them the spirit of unity. It is possible to list these merits as follows:

1- Going to the mosque before the time of salah,

2- Revealing the indications of Islam,

3- Infuriating Satan by getting together to worship and by cooperating,

4- Refreshing of those who are lazy about worshipping, 

5- Being away from the attribute of hypocrisy and from having bad thoughts about others,

6- Neighbors' getting close to each other,

7- Meeting of the people of neighborhood at the times of salah,

8- Setting an example of the unity and cooperation that must exist among the Muslims and strengthening it. (Ibn Majah Translation and Explanation, II, 632

Is it permissible to pray while music is being played downstairs?

There is no obstacle for the validity of prayer where there is a noise like music either upstairs or downstairs. However, this diminishes the thawab (reward) of the prayer to the degree that it distracts the concentration. For, Allah (SWT) says "Establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise." (Taha, 20/14). The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ordered us not to offer prayers sleepily since praying consciously is not possible during prayer when one is sleepy. In a sense, the prayer is communication with Almighty Allah and talking with Him. It is necessary to avoid anything that disconnects or weakens this contact and to worship as if seeing Him.

However, if other people make noise and prevent the praying person from concentrating in prayer, the responsibility will belong to the noisemaker but not to the praying one.

While performing a ritual prayer, does it invalidate our prayer if we recite aloud when we are to read silently or if we smile during the prayer?

What will happen if we quit the supplications that we have to read during the prayer?

It is necessary for an imam to recite al-Fatiha and additional verses loudly in the first two rak'ahs of fard prayers of fajr (morning), maghrib (evening) and isha (night) prayers. And it is also necessary for both the imam and the congregation and an individual who prays alone to read secretly in all prayers except Friday and eid prayers. The prayer does not become invalid if wajib parts are abandoned. If abandoning is because of forgetting, it is compensated with sajdah as-sahw. If it is done intentionally, it is a bad deed and one falls into sin. Yet, the prayer is still valid.

If one reads the verses so loud as one or two people around him can hear, this is not accepted as reading aloud, on the contrary, it is accepted as reading silently. Reciting loudly, for instance, according to Ibn Abidin, occurs when everybody in the first line of the congregation hears (Mehmet Zihni Efendi, 250). Or, it can be said that whispering is accepted as reading silently and reciting loudly is reading aloud. Smiling silently while praying does not make prayer invalid if lips do not move. If lips trembls and laughing occurs so loud as the person himself hears, the prayer becomes invalid. Laughing out loudly  invalidates both the prayer and ablution (wudu). If what is meant by supplications are al-Fatiha and and additional chapter or verses, one has to perform sajdah as-sahw when he skips them in order to complete the prayer. For, reading them are wajib. If Subhanaka, glorifications, Salli and Barik supplications and at-tahiyyat are meant, sajdah as-sahw is not necessary when they are skipped because it is sunnah to read them.

The stated times are fard for fard prayers and their sunnah prayers, witr prayer, taraweeh and eid (religious festival) prayers. The fard prayers are fajr-morning prayer, zuhr–noon prayer, asr-afternoon prayer, maghrib-sunset prayer and isha-nightfall prayer. The jumua prayer replaces the noon prayer on Friday. It is necessary to know the times of prayers so that they will be valid when they are performed. These times are appointed by the Quran and Sunnah.

1) The Time of the Fajr-Morning Prayer

The time period between the second fajr and the sunrise is the time of morning prayer. The second fajr (the break of dawn) is brightness that spreads out at the east horizon in the morning. With this brightness, the time of the morning prayer starts, the time of isha-nightfall finishes, and the time for fasting begins. So, this brightness is called as fajr as- sadiq (the real dawn). The opposite of this is the first fajr. This is a whiteness whose both sides are dark, and that spreads out like a longitudinal line in the middle of the east horizon upwards. This whiteness disappears in a short time, and darkness follows it. Then, the second fajr rises. This first fajr is called as fajr al-kadhib (the false fajr) because it does not show the actual morning, and it is not real brightness. This fajr is accepted as night. With this brightness, neither the time of the isha-nightfall prayer finishes, nor the time of the morning prayer starts. During this time, drinking and eating are permissible for those who want to fast.

For, our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated the following; “There are two kinds of fajr; One is (fajr as-sadiq) in which eating and drinking (for fasting) are forbidden, and prayer is licit/permissible. The other is (fajr al-kadhib) in which eating and drinking (for fasting) are licit/permissible, and the morning prayer is forbidden (As-San’ani, Subulus-Salam, 2. impression, n.d., I,115). The time of the morning prayer is from the rise of second fajr to the sunrise (Bukhari, Mawaqit, 27; Abu Dawud Salat, 2; Ibn Maja, Salat, 2; Nasai, Mawaqit-Times, 15; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, II, 210, 213, 223)).

2) The Time of the Zuhr-Noon Prayer

The time of the noon prayer starts when the sun starts to move to the west from its zenith in the sky and continues until the shadow of everything is as long as that thing. The shadow of the objects when the sun is at its zenith (fay az-zawal) is not included in it. This time of the noon is called as the first afternoon (asr al-awwal). This is the view of Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad, Shafii, Malik and Ahmad bin Hanbal. According to Abu Hanifa, the time of noon prayer continues until the shadow of objects doubles except fey az-zawal (the shadow of an object when the sun is at its zenith). With this, the time of noon prayer finishes, and the time of the afternoon prayer starts. This is called asr ath-thani (the second afternoon).

Muslims who come to Mecca from all over the world to perform their worship of pilgrimage (Hajj) should try to perform their prayers in the Kaaba.

In order to calculate the fold of the shadow of the objects, the length of the shadow of the objects at the time of zawal is taken as basis, and it is added to the extended shadow.

The evidence of the most of the fiqh scholars is the following hadith; When Gabriel (Peace be upon him) was teaching the times of prayers to the Prophet, he performed the noon prayer on the second day when the shadow of everything was as long as their height. (Abu Dawud, Salat, 2; Tirmidhi, Mawaqit-Times-, 1; Nasai, Mawaqit,6, 10,15; Ibn Hanbal, I, 383, III, 330; Malik, Muwatta, Salat, 9).

As for Abu Hanifa’s evidence, it is the following hadith; “Perform the noon prayer when the weather gets cool. For, the intensity of the temperature reminds the temperature of Hell (Bukhari, Mawakit, 9, 10, Adhan, 18). The time of the highest temperature in Arabia is the time when the shadow of everything is as long as their length. So, it is regarded as ‘recommended (mustahab)’ to delay the noon prayer to coolness in summers. (al-Mawasil, al-Ikhtiyar, I, 38, 39; Zuhayli, ibid I, 508).

The time of Jumua-Friday prayer is the same as the time of the noon prayer.

3) The Time of the Asr-Afternoon Prayer

The time of the afternoon prayer starts when the time of noon prayer finishes, and  finishes with the sunset. According to the most of the Islamic scholars (mujtahid), when the shadow of everything becomes as long as their height, and according to Abu Hanifa, twofold of their height, the time of the afternoon prayer starts. It continues until the sunset according to the consensus of Islamic scholars. For, the Prophet (PBUH) stated the following: “A man who manages to perform a rak'ah of the afternoon prayer before the sunset, he is regarded to have caught the afternoon prayer.” (Malik, Muwatta, Wuqut-Times-, 5; Abu Daw’ud, Salat, 5; Ibn Maja, Salat, 2; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, II, 236, 254).

According to the most of the Islamic scholars, it is makrooh to delay the afternoon prayer to the time when the sun gets yellow. For, the Messenger of Allah stated the following; “Prayer performed at this time is the prayer of hypocrites. For, a hypocrite sits and waits for the sun. When it enters between the two horns of Satan (when the sun is about to set), he performs the afternoon prayer very quickly as four rak'ahs, and he mentions Allah a little (Malik, Muwatta, Qur’an, 46).”

According to the most of the Islamic scholars, the middle prayer mentioned in the Qur’an is  the afternoon prayer. The evidence is the following hadith narrated by Hz Aisha; “The Messenger of Allah recited the verse, ‘Guard strictly your habit of prayers especially the middle prayer (al- Baqara, 2/238), and said, ‘The middle prayer is the afternoon prayer.” (Abu Dawud, Salat, 5; Ibn Hanbal, V, 8; Ibn Kathir, Mukhtasaru Tafsiri Ibn Kathir,thq. M. Ali as-Sabuni, Beirut 1981, I, 218). The reason why the afternoon prayer is called the middle prayer is because it is between two prayers of night and two prayers of daytime.

4) The Time of the Maghrib-Sunset or Evening Prayer

The time of the evening prayer starts with the complete setting of the sun globe, and finishes with the disappearance of the twilight. According to Abu Hanifa, the twilight is a whiteness that appears after the redness on the west horizon in the evening. According to Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad, the other three sects (Shafii, Maliki, Hanbali), and another narration from Abu Hanifa, the twilight is a redness appearing on the horizon. When this redness disappears, the time of evening prayer finishes. The evidence is the following statement of Ibn Umar: “The twilight is the redness on the horizon.” (as-San’ani, Subutus-Salam, I, 106). The accepted fatwa in Hanafis is Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad’s view.

5) The Time of the Isha-Nightfall Prayer

The time of the isha prayer starts with the end of the twilight, and continues until the second fajr (the break of dawn). With the break of the second fajr, the time of isha finishes. The evidence is the following hadith narrated by Ibn Umar; “The twilight is the redness. When it disappears, it becomes fard to perform the prayer. (as-San’ani I, 114) Another evidence is the following hadith narrated by Abu Qatada; “There is no fault in the state of sleeping. The fault belongs to a man who has not performed the prayer until the time of the next prayer starts.” (Muslim, Masajid, 311).

It is recommended to delay the isha prayer until the third of the night passes. It is permissible to delay the isha prayer until the half of the night,  and it is makrooh to delay it until the second fajr if there is no any excuse. For, in a such situation, There is a risk of missing the prayer.

The beginning of the time of the witr prayer is after the isha prayer, and it ends shortly before the second fajr.

For a man who is not sure whether he can wake up or not, it is more meritorious to perform the witr prayer before sleeping. Yet, for a man who is sure that he is going to wake up, it is more meritorious to delay it until the end of the night.

According to the preferred view, the time of taraweeh is after the isha prayer and continues until the morning prayer. Taraweeh prayer can be performed both before the witr and after it. However, if taraweeh is performed before the isha prayer, it needs to be performed again. The time of the eid prayers starts after the karahah time ends after the sunrise and continues until the time of istiwa (the time of the zenith point of the sun on the sky). If the eid al-fitr prayer cannot be performed because of an excuse before the time of istiwa on the first day, it can be performed on the second day up to the time of istiwa; it cannot be performed on the third day even if there is no excuse. As for the eid al-adha prayer, it can be performed on the second day if it cannot be performed because of an excuse on the first day. If it cannot be performed on the second day either, it can be performed on the third day up to the time of istiva. Delaying eid prayers to the second or third day without any excuse is a nasty deed. These eid prayers can never be performed after the time of istiva and zawal. Furthermore, they have no qada (they cannot be performed afterwards) (for the times of the prayers, see Ibn al Humam, Fath al-Qadir, I, 151-160; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Mukhtar, I, 321-342; al-Maydani, al- Lubab, I, 59-62; ash-Shirazi, al-Muhazzab, I, 51-54; Ibn Qudama, al-Mughni, I, 370-395; az-Zuhayli, ibid I, 506, ff).

The manners of prayer is an issue that comes after sunnah in terms of importance. They are also called "mustahab" (recommended). This is just like finishing a work perfectly; smoothing the material and  completing the polishing immaculately. The absence of them do not bring any sins to man but their existence increases the thawab (reward) and, so to speak, enables him to get good marks and brownie points in the end. The important manners like these are as follows:

1. Not to take the eyes off from the place of sajdah (prostration). (In ruku (bowing down), one should look at the top of his feet; while sitting, he should look at the direction of his hands.)

2. If he yawns, he should try not to open his mouth.

3. In the opening takbir, man should take his hands out of his sleeves.

4. He should avoid coughing as much as possible.

5. Standing up when "hayya ala's-salah" (come to the prayer) is uttered in prayers with congregation.

6. When "qad qamati's-salah" (the prayer has begun) is uttered, imam should start the prayer, (There are scholars who say that it is better for him to start after iqamah finishes.

The cleaning which is made in order to perform some worships in Islam and a worship by itself is called ablution (wudu). The word Abdast used in Turkish is a compound noun formed by the words "ab" meaning water and "dast" meaning hand in Persian. The word "wudu" which is the Arabic meaning of it, is used in hadiths. In the Qur'an, the words which are used within the meaning of cleanliness are "taharah" and "zakah". The word wudu means beauty and cleanliness. Thus, before starting to pray, man needs to beautify his inner world and clean his body properly.

The following verse refers to the obligatory (fard) state of ablution in Islam; "O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles..." (al Maeda, 5/6). We see that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not do anything without making ablution (Elmalılı, Hak Dini Kur`ân Dili, II, 1583).  However, ablution is not rendered fard for all deeds and worships but only for some worships firstly salat. But it is sunnah for a Muslim to have ablution all the time.

First of all, ablution is an important worship that Islam orders in order to get rid of any dirt and impurity that keep man away from both material and spiritual dirtiness. The easiest place for the microbes to proliferate is the mouth. Cleaning the organs, beginning from the mouth, hands, face and feet five times a day shows the importance that Islam gives to cleanliness. In this way, hundred years ago, Islam insisted on cleanliness and aims to protect man from any material and spiritual dirt and microbes. In addition to this, a man who makes ablution feels spiritually clean and comfortable and worships with this good and clean feeling. This also ensures the cleanliness of the spirit. When the servitude for Allah, which is the purpose of creation, starts with such a deed of cleaning, the value of the pleasure and comfort that it gives to man is endless.

Thanks to ablution, man comes into the presence of Allah after being cleaned bodily and spiritually. With such a cleaning, he leaves behind all tirednesses and weights.

By performing ablution, many graces and beauties that are both worldly and otherworldly are gained. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says the following about ablution.

"When a Muslim washes his face while performing ablution, with drops of water, all of his sins committed with the organs of his face are washed away; all of his mistakes and sins that are committed with hands and feet are washed away when he washes his hands and feet, and by this way he becomes completely clean. He even becomes purified of sins which are at the bottom of his eyelashes and nails. The doors of Paradise are opened for the person who performs ablution by fulfilling the manners and rules and says the following by facing the qiblah: "Ashadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh",; he enters Paradise through whichever door he wishes." (Muslim, Taharah, 32, 33; Tirmidhi, Taharah, 2).

Mustahab means (something that is) liked and welcomed. They are the sunnahs that are less strong and the deeds that the Prophet occasionally did. Sunnahs and mustahabs are also called "nafilah" (supererogatory). Nafilah means extra or additional. That is, a person who performs a sunnah prayer does something additional to his main duty. For instance, an authorized person says to Ahmed, "Abdullah is a poor person. Give him a suit." Ahmed gives Abdullah a suit along with a shirt, sweater and socks in addition.

We can explain fard, wajib, sunnah and mustahab by giving the following example: The head and torso of a person can be likened to fard, his arms and legs to wajib, his ears, hair and nails to strong sunnah, his eyebrows  and body hair to less strong sunnah, the cleanliness and plainness of his color to mustahab. When this example is considered, the principles and pillars of worship are fard. A man without a head cannot exist as a man; similarly, a prayer without wudu, and prostration cannot be called a salah (prayer).

It is a word uttered after the prayers meaning let it be, accept our prayers and it is true. It is especially uttered at the end of the chapter of al-Fatiha in salah (prayer). It is one of the words accepted as a verbal noun in Arabic. There are some opinions that the word is of Hebrew origin. The Christians and the Jews who use the same word as “amen” state that the word is derived from the Syriacword "amin". Although the word is uttered in salah, it is known that it does not exist in the Qur’an. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) especially ordered that "amin" be recited after reading al-Fatiha in salah. He said, “After the imam completes al-Fatiha and recites amin, you, too, recite "amin". The former sins of those people, who utter "amin" at the same time as the angels’ uttering "amin", are forgiven. (Muslim, Salah, 72; Abu Dawud, Salah, 167-168; Tirmidhi, Mawaqit ass-Salah, 116).

According to these hadiths, it is sunnah to recite "amin" after al-Fatiha in salah. According to Abu Hanifa, it is sunnah to say "amin" silently by both the imam and the congregation; according to Imam Shafi’i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, it is sunnah to recite it with the imam aloud. (Sunan Abu Dawud Translation and Commentary, Istanbul 1988, III, 470-474).

Wajib means essential, necessary. The term wajib only exists in Hanafi madhhab (school of law). It is just like fard. They are the obligations that Allah wants us definitely to perform via His or our Prophet’s words. There are differences between fard and wajib. Firstly, there is a trace of doubt over the fact that those words belong to our Prophet or not and what exactly we are demanded to do. Because of these doubts, they are not exactly fard. Secondly, a person who denies wajib does not become  a disbeliever but he commits a sin. For example, sacrificing an animal is not a fard but it is a wajib. For, the Quran says. “ Therefore, turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice.” (al-Kawthar, 108:2) It is certain that sacrificing is an order from Allah but it is questionable how to sacrifice.

It means unpleasant, ugly, abominable. As a term, like in wajib, the things that are not wanted to be done or preferred by the uncertain words of Allah and his Messenger (p.b.u.h) are called makruh. What is meant by uncertain words of Allah is that the meanings understood by those words are not certain. What is meant by uncertain words of the Prophet is that the meanings are not certain and it is not certain whether they were uttered by the Prophet or not. More serious makruh is close to haram and is called Makruh Tahrimi . The less serious makruh is close to halal (permissible) and is called Makruh Tanzihi .For example delaying the Asr (afternoon prayer) deliberately and praying it while sun is setting is makruh tahrimi. Wiping the nose with right hand is Makruh Tanzihi . As a general rule, not doing something that is wajib is makruh tahrimi; not doing something that is makruh tahrimi is also wajib. Not doing sunnahs and mustahabbs (recommended) is Makruh Tanzihi; not doing things that are Makruh Tanzihi is sunnah or mustahabb .

As it is known, in order for wudu (ablution) to be valid, the water must penetrate the outer surface of wudu organs, that is, the skin and nail. Anything that prevents this penetration is also an obstacle for the wudu. The thing which remains in the organ after applying henna is only the color, there is no a bulky material that prevents the penetration of the water. Nail polish covers the nail like a fish scale and prevents the water from penetrating it. So it is also an obstacle for the wudu. (Mehmed Zihni Efendi, Nimet-i Islam 45) Thus, it is clearly stated in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) books that the fish scale is an obstacle for wudu. (Wahba az-Zuhayli, al-Fiqh al Islami I/239)

Performing the dhikr and dua silently is sunnah. For, the dhikr and dua were not performed loudly during the era of bliss and four caliphs (al-Khulafa ar-Rashidin). However, if the congregation (jamaah) is ignorant, it should be performed loudly until it is taught, after it is taught, it should performed silently.

Since the new people of present time who do not know how to perform dhikr and dua join congregation (jamaah), it is much better that the dhikr and dua are performed loudly by the muezzin.

The sunnah salah that is performed in the mid-morning.

Duha, as an Arabic word, lexically means “touch of the sun, perspiration, having mid-morning meal”.

The word “dahwatun” means progressing of the day, the rising of the sun a bit; the word duha means mid-morning, day light. In this sense, duha is mentioned in the Qur’anic verses listed below.

1- “Or else did they feel secure against its coming in broad daylight while they played about (carefree)? (al-A'raf, 7/98)

2- Moses said: "Your tryst is the Day of the Festival, and let the people be assembled when the sun is well up." (Taha, 20/59)

3- “I swear by the early hours of the day” (ad-Duha, 93/1)

4- “The Day they see it, (it will be) as if they had tarried but a single evening, or (at most till) the following morn!” (an-Naziat, 79/46)

As a fiqh term,duha is the time that comes after about two hours following the sunrise. This time goes on just before the sun’s inclination to the west. This time is called “duha time”. In Islam, there is duha (mid-morning) salah that is mandub and that is performed during this period. Duhâ salah is not mentioned in the Qur’an. This salah is mentioned in some hadiths. In his book named Mu'jamu'l-Kabir, Tabarani reports via Abu'd-Darda that our Prophet said: “A person who performs a two-rakah duha salah will not be heedless. A person who performs a four-rakah duha salah will be among  the ones who worship Allah. If a person who performs this salah as six rakahs, this salah will be sufficient for him/her as duha salah that day. And if a person performs this salah as eight rakahs, Allah regards him/her as a person who obeys himself. If a person performs this salah as twelve rakahs, Allah builds him/her a mansion in Paradise.” (at-Tahtawi, 321)

The following hadiths are also narrated about duha salah: Umm Hani said,“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) performed an eight-rakah salah on the day of the conquest of Mecca. This salah was duha salah.” Abu Huraira said, “My friend, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), advised me three things; I will not give them up until I die: To fast three days every month, to perform duha salah, to sleep after performing witr salah” (Tajrid as-Sarih Translation, IV, 151). Hadrat Aisha said: “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) performed duha salah as four rakahs and increased it as he wished.

As for the fiqh decrees of duha salah, it is mandûb to perform this salah as four rakahs or more. This salah can be performed up to twelve rakahs. Also there are some scholars who say at least two rakahs, at most twelve rakahs, the average and the mostvirtuous is eight rakahs. The great muhaddith Hakim said, “I made friends with hadith imams who had profound knowledge and who were hadith hafizes. As their knowledge on that issue wascredible, I saw them perform duha salah as four rakahs. I have the same opinion. (Tahtawi, 321) On the other hand, although scholars state different views about whether it is more virtuous to perform duha salah regularly or to perform it from time to time, the preferred view is that it is more virtuous to perform it regularly.

As for the time of duha salah, this time starts about two hours after the rising of the sun and ends just before the sun inclines to the west slightly from the middle of the sky.

It means the manner and attitude and way that are followed. When the phrase the sunnah of the Prophet is used, the prophets’ path and way of life, in other words, Islam as a whole is understood. The deeds that the Prophet usually did and demanded us to do but stated that they were not fard are called sunnah al-muakkadah. The deeds that he mostly left are called sunnah ghayr muakkadah. For example cleaning your teeth with miswak, performing prayers in congregation, performing the sunnahs of Fajr (morning prayer), Zuhr (noon) and Maghrib (sunset ) prayers are sunnah al-muakkadah. The sunnahs of Asr (afternoon) and Isha (night) prayers are sunnah ghayr muakkadah. A person who performs sunnahs gains thawab (reward of good deeds) and is likely to attain the intercession of our Prophet on Judgment Day. The person who abandons them without excuse are not regarded as sinners but they are not welcomed on Judgment Day. Sunnahs are like extra coupons that are given along with actual coupons. Besides their advantages, they complete fards’ shortcomings.  However, if we miss fards we cannot replace fards with sunnahs. A person who denies sunnah in its first sense and is not on the path of our Prophet becomes an unbeliever according to Islamic scholars.

Fard (obligation) is divided into two in terms of a person who is a Muslim.

1) Fard al-Ayn: It’s the fard that is the duty of every Muslim.

2) Fard al-Kifayah: When some Muslims fulfill the duty, others are not held responsible for it. (Ömer Nasuhi, Istılahatı Fıkhıyye Kâmusu, 1, 33)

Fard al-Ayn precedes Fard al-Kifayahin terms of virtue and good deeds. For, if something is general its hardship decreases. When it becomes specific, it will be harder. When Fard al-Kifayah is abandoned, all people are held responsible for it. (Ibn Abidin, Raddu`l-Mukhtar, I, 42)

Fards are the obligations that Allah tells us to perform firmly via his own words or via Prophet Muhammad‘s (p.b.u.h) words. The obligations that each Muslim has to perform are called “Fard al Ayn”; in other words fardhs for all individuals. Obligations that are expected to be performed by enough members in the Muslim community are called “Fard al-Kifayah”; in other words a fardh that requires to be performed by a sufficient number of Muslims. As you can see, in Fard al Ayn, the important thing is that every Muslim must perform the obligation himself / herself. In Fard al-Kifayah, the important thing is the performance of the obligation. A person who performs obligations earns thawab (rewards of good deeds). A person who does not perform obligations becomes a sinner and deserves punishment. A person who denies them becomes a kafir (disbeliever). For example, people are commanded to cover their private parts by definite commands; so, it is a fardh. Women’s heads have to be covered too. A woman that covers her head because Allah wants so gains thawab and deserves a reward in the hereafter. A woman who accepts Allah’s fardh and knows that it is necessary to cover her head but does not do so commits a sin. If she does not repent and does not ask to be forgiven, she will be punished in the hereafter. A woman who does not cover her hair, or covers her hair but does not accept the command of covering the head becomes an unbeliever. She has to repent and renew her faith.

The prescribed prayer is a worship starting with takbeer (saying Allah is the Greatest) and finishing with salam (salutation) and containing some specific acts and words. It is an expression of glorification, exaltation and praise toward Allah.

Five daily prayers/Salat are mentioned in more than ninety verses in the Qur'an. There were not five daily prayers (like in Islam) in former Shari'as (religious laws system). However there was a kind of prayer that has no appointed times. Five daily prayers were prescribed one and half years before the Hegira (Migration) on the night of Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessing be upon Him). According to a narration of Anas bin Malik, he stated the following as a summary:

“The five daily prayers were prescribed to the Prophet Muhammad as fifty times a day on the night of the Ascension. Then, they were decreased to five times a day. Then the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was addressed as follows (by Allah), "O Muhammad!  Our order has not changed. These five daily prayers are equivalent to fifty daily prayers for you. (Bukhari, the Prayers, 76, Anbiya,5; Muslim, Belief, 263; Ahmed bin Hanbal, V,122,143). It is determined with the following verse that tenfold reward is given for each good action; "Whoever comes with a good deed, he will be rewarded with tenfold. (Al-An'am, 6/160; also An-Naml, 27/89;Al-Qasas, 28/84). Before the five daily prayers were prescribed, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to worship Allah by meditating on the creatures of Allah and His Dignity. It is also narrated that he performed two rak'ah prayers in the mornings and evenings. Former communities also had the worship of prayers (salah). Here are some examples from the Qur’an; Luqman (Peace be upon him) ordered the prayers to his son (Luqman,31/17). When the Prophet Abraham was supplicating to Allah for the security of Hejaz, he mentioned about the prayers (Abraham,14/37). Almighty Allah wanted the prophet Moses to perform the prayers during the first revelation of him (Ta-Ha, 20/14).

The legitimacy of five daily prayers is based on the Scripture (the Quran), the Practices of the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH), and Consensus (the acceptance of all Islamic scholars and Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)).

Performing the prayers and giving the zakat/alms is ordered in the many verses of the Qur’an. “Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers Especially the middle prayer”(al-Baqara, 2/238). For such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times (An-Nisa, 4/103).

And they have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being True (in faith); to establish regular Prayer; and to practise regular Charity; and that is the Religion Right and Straight (Al-Bayyina, 98/5). So establish regular Prayer give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah! He is your Protector― the― Best to protect and the Best to help (Al-Hajj, 22/78).

Evidences from the Practices of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); there are many hadiths narrated about this topic. Some of them are as follows: According to what is narrated from Ibn Umar, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, "Islam is founded on five principles; testifying that there is no god but Allah and the Prophet Muhammad is His Messenger, performing the prayers, giving alms (zakah) pilgrimage to the Kaaba and fasting in Ramadan (Bukhari, Belief, 1,2; Muslim, Belief, 19-22).

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said the following to Muadh bin Jabal when sending him to Yemen; “You are going to a community that is from the people of the Book. Firstly, invite them to worship Allah. If they accept Allah, proclaim them that Allah prescribed you five daily prayers in a day. If they accept the prayers, proclaim them that Allah prescribed the zakat/alms to them to be given to the poor people from the rich ones. If they obey this, take it from them, (but) do not take the best goods of people; and avoid from the maledictions of the oppressed people because there is no barrier between the prayer of the oppressed person and Allah (Bukhari, Zakat, 41, 63, Maghazi, 60, Tawhid, 1; Nasai, Zakat, 1; Darimi, Zakat,I).

On the other hand, the Islamic community agree unanimously five daily prayers is fard (obligatory).

The five daily prayers is prescribed for each sane Muslim who has reached the age of puberty. However, children who are seven years old are commanded to perform the prayers. When they become ten years-old and do not perform the prayers, they can be beaten slightly. The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Command your children to perform the prayers when they are seven years old. When they become ten years old and  do not perform the prayers, beat them; and separate their beds at this age (Abu Dw’ud, Salat, 26; Ahmad bin Hanbal, II, 180, 187).

The number of the obligatory prayers in a day is five. Only the eid prayers, and witr prayer are wajib. The following hadith about a bedouin is the evidence of the five daily fard prayers; “During a day and night, the number of the prescribed prayers is five. When the bedouin asked ‘Are there any other obligations on me?’ The prophet answered:

“No, you do not have any other obligations except what you perform as supererogatory. Then, the bedouin said, ‘I swear by Allah that I will neither decrease nor increase them. Thereupon,, our Prophet (PBUH) said, "If he has told the truth (performs what he says), he will attain salvation (Bukhari, Belief, 34, Testifying, 26; Muslim, Belief,8,10,15,17,18; Abu Dawud, The Prayers,1)

If we are asked to explain Islam with just one word, we can say prayer/salah. So, the Messenger of Allah defined prayer as the pillar of the religion [al-Hindi I/278 (1372), from Abu Naim].

Men have been created to know Allah (Adh-Dhariyat 51/56; see also Ajluni, Kashfu’l Khafa N/173). The best sign showing that one knows Allah is the prayer.

The prayer has a collecting feature. There is a part from all kinds of worship in the prayer (Imam Rabbani explained this topic very well in his book, The Letters).

Our Creator regards prayer to be equal to belief (faith). When the Qiblah was changed, someone asked whether his prayers went for nothing. Allah used the word faith instead of prayer in the verse: “And never would Allah make your faith of no effect (al-Baqara, 2/143).

So, the Companions of our Prophet said, "we did not regard abandoning any kinds of worship except prayer equal to being an unbeliever."

There is no other deed except for prayer that gathers all people from the richest one to the poorest one in the same rank and that emphasizes that all people are equal before Allah as human beings.

As human body needs different nutrients and vitamins, his soul also needs nutrients and vitamins. The primary nutrient of the soul is prayer. As human body gets polluted, his soul also gets polluted. Prayer cleans and purifies both of these pollutions.

Prayer relieves man of the feeling of loneliness. Anyone who throws the universe and everything in it behind him when uttering “Allah is the Greatest” at least five times a day declares the following:

Even if the whole world is opposite me, Allah is enough for me. I do not accept anyone except Him who is worth of being worshipped.

Allah-u Akbar = Allah  is the Greatest; so, I admit that He does not need my prayers.

The five daily prayers are a gift of Allah to through the Prophet; How can we refuse it?

Being a gift of the Ascension, prayer is assumed as the ascension of believers. Namely, prayer is an elevator that elevates man to the highest levels. Those who do not hold it remain in the lowest of the low.

Perhaps, the one who needs the prayers the least is the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (PBUH). However, he is the one who appreciates the meaning of the prayers the best. So, he sometimes performed prayers so much that his feet got swollen. Once, having a pity on him, Hz. Aisha asked him; “O Messenger of Allah, although Allah forgave all your sins in the past and future, why do you exhaust yourself?” The Prophet said,

“Should I not be a grateful servant? (Bukhari, Commentary 48, Tahajjud 6; Muslim, Hypocrites, 79,81). That means the prayers is a sort of thanks for bounties of Allah to us.

Then, we must understand better how the purity of the heart is. So, the purity of the heart necessitates performing prayers, not neglecting them.

Yet, there is a condition for all kinds of good effects of the prayers; performing them sincerely as if you are face to face with Allah, performing the prayers as if you are speaking with Allah. So, it is forbidden to passing in front of a person who is performing a prayer. It is rudeness to pass between two people who are speaking to each other.

Therefore, Allah mentions the people who perform prayers in awe (humbly) first among those attaining salvation.

“The Believers must (eventually) win through Those who humble themselves in their prayers; Who avoid vain talk; Who are active in deeds of charity; Who abstain from sex…(al-Mu’minun, 23/1-9).

Therefore, Allah says, “establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise (Ta-Ha, 20/14). Namely, the prayers are performed for remembering and mentioning Allah.

So, Allah says “For, Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds (Al-Ankabut, 29/45). Everybody can see this reality by performing prayers in awe (humbly) even in a day, not in a week or in forty days, but performing it with tranquility as much as possible.

So, when the Messenger of Allah got tired with the worldly works, he would say, “O Bilal, stand up and refresh us (Abu Dawud, Decency 78, Musnad V/364, 371). Namely, recite the call to prayer and we will pray.

Some of his Companions forgot everything except for Allah when they started to pray. Once an arrow was stuck into back of one of them. Because he could not bear the sorrow, no one could remove the arrow. Only when he started the prayers could they remove it; and he did not feel anything (for a similar example, see Kandahlawi, The Life of the Companions NI/605).

Another one donated his very precious garden of dates to the Messenger of Allah because he remembered the garden during the prayers, and it prevented him from remembrance of Allah.(see Kandahlawi ibid NI/544; Ibnu`l-Munzir, at-Targhib I/316. )

So, how can we abandon prayers? And how can we not accept being slaves of Allah. How do we think that we have a pity on our children when we do not make them perform prayers. The age of starting prayers is determined by the one who orders it. He makes His Messenger say, “Command your children to perform prayers when they are seven years old. When they become ten years old, beat them if they do not perform prayers, and separate their beds.”

In fact, it is very difficult to get used to the things that you did not start during childhood.

The one that is performed in the evening among the five daily salah - one of the five basic worships of Islam. Along with the other salahs, it became a binding religious duty in the event of Miraj, one and a half year before the Hegira. It gets its name from the time in which it is performed. Its obligatory part (fard) is three rak'ahs and it is fard al-ayn. Its sunnah is two rak'ahs and it is sunnah al-muakkadah.

The following is stated in the Quran: “So (give) glory to Allah, when ye reach eventide and when ye rise in the morning; Yea, To Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline.”(Surah ar-Room, 30/17-18)

The time of the evening salah starts with the sunset and continues up to the time when the day break disappears. According to Abu Hanifa, daybreak is the whiteness after the redness on the horizon in the evening. The time of the evening salah ends with the disappearance of this whiteness. According to Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, the time of the evening salah ends with appearance of this whiteness. The practice is based on the view of Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad. Nevertheless, if the salah cannot be performed at this time, it can be performed up to the disappearance of the whiteness arising after the redness.

The obligatory part (fard) of the evening salah is performed before its sunnah. Firstly, it is necessary to intend to perform the obligatory part of the evening salah. The salah is started by saying Allahuakber; then, “subhanaka",audhu basmala", “Surah Al-Fatiha”,  some ayahs or one of the short surahs (additional chapter) are read; after the ruku and the sajdahs of the second rak'ah, “Surah Al-Fatiha”and again some ayahs or one of the short surahs is read by standing (qiyam),and again after the ruku and sajdahs, the person sits down. (qa'da al-ula)*

After at-tahiyyatu is read, the person stands up for the third rakah; only “Surah Al-Fatiha” is read while standing; after the ruku and sajdahs, the person sits down again (qa`da al-akhira)*, at-tahiyyatu, salawat prayers and "rabbana atina" and "rabbanaghfirli" are read and salutations are performed. After that, the two-rakah sunnah is performed. In the sunnah of the evening salah, “Surah Al-Fatiha” and an additional chapter or some verses are read in each rak'ah; after sitting in the second rakah, the same prayers as the ones read in the qa`da al-akhira of the fard salah are read and salutations are performed.

The sunnah of the evening salah can be performed as more than two rakahs, too. It is mandub to perform as six rak'ahs..Salutations must be performed after two rakahs. These extra salahs are called as “awwabin”.

Because of the brevity of the evening salah’s duration, it must be performed quickly immediately after the adhan. So, short surahs should be read.

It is mandub to delay the evening salah if dinner is ready. If there is a risk of the time of the evening salah ending if dinner is eaten, it is not permissible to delay the salah.

Does reading quickly while performing a prayer invalidate it?

First of all, we should know that "moderation in all deeds is more favorable" (Suyuti, al Jamiu’s–Saghir (see Fayzu’l- Qadir IV/385). What is necessary in prayers is to perform by thinking, in khushu (humbly). Performing the prayer so quickly as not to think about what one is saying takes the spirit of the prayer. Allah says, "establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise" (Surah Taha, 20/14). In congregational prayers, the imam may tire the congregation if he prolongs the prayer. In such a situation, the moderate way should be followed. When a person performs the prayer by himself, he/she can prolong it long enough not to tire himself/herself. The moderate way in that case is to prolong it long enough not to tire himself/herself. So, it is better to act according to the situation.