Important Rulings of Salat — Questions and Answers
This page gathers the rulings (masa’il) a Shia Muslim needs most often: praying in congregation, the recitation, the conditions of the prayer, the things that invalidate it, doubts, the traveller’s prayer and the qada of missed prayers. Every answer follows the well-known verdicts of the maraji‘ of the Ja‘fari school as set out in Tawdih al-Masa’il; where your own marja‘ taqlid differs on a detail, his ruling is the one to follow.
Praying in Congregation (Jama‘at)
Q. How many people are needed for a congregational prayer?
For the five daily prayers, two people are enough: the imam and one follower (ma’mum) — even if the follower is a woman or a discerning child. For the Friday prayer (Salat al-Jumu‘ah) at least five people are required, the imam and four others. Congregation is highly recommended for the daily prayers; the narrations say a single rak‘ah in congregation is better than many prayed alone.
Q. How is the intention made when praying behind an imam?
Intend the prayer as usual, adding that you are following this particular imam. For example: “I pray three rak‘ahs of Maghrib, following this imam, obligatory, seeking nearness to Allah.” In Arabic:
أُصَلِّيْ صَلَاةَ الْمَغْرِبِ ثَلَاثَ رَكَعَاتٍ، مُقْتَدِيًا بِهٰذَا الْإِمَامِ، أَدَاءً وَاجِبًا قُرْبَةً إِلَى اللّٰهِ
Uṣallī ṣalātal-maghribi thalātha rakaʿāt, muqtadiyan bi-hādhal-imām, adā’an wājiban qurbatan ilallāh.
You need not know the imam’s name, but you must have a specific imam in mind — “whoever is leading” is not enough. The imam must be adult, sane, of legitimate birth, just (‘adil), able to recite correctly, and a man if men are praying behind him.
Q. Does the follower recite Surah al-Hamd and the second surah?
No — not in the first and second rak‘ah. The imam’s recitation stands for the follower’s. In the loud prayers (Fajr, Maghrib, Isha), if you can hear the imam’s voice — even without making out the words — you must keep silent and listen; if you cannot hear him at all, you may recite quietly yourself, and it is recommended to do so. In the quiet prayers (Zuhr, Asr) the follower does not recite al-Hamd and the surah; he may say a dhikr quietly instead, such as سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ. Recitation of the two surahs belongs to the imam alone.
In the third and fourth rak‘ah the follower must recite for himself, quietly, either the Tasbihat al-Arba‘ah or Surah al-Hamd, exactly as when praying alone.
Q. What else does the follower recite?
Everything apart from the recitation of the first two rak‘ahs: the dhikr of ruku‘ and sujud, the tashahhud, the salam, and the qunut, are all recited by the follower himself, along with the imam.
Q. How closely must the follower keep to the imam?
The follower’s actions — bowing, prostrating, rising — must not precede the imam’s; he moves with the imam or just after him. He must not lag so far behind that he is no longer “following”. If he goes into ruku‘ or sajdah before the imam by mistake, he should return to the previous position and go again with the imam; if he did it deliberately, the prayer as congregation is spoilt. In words, the follower may say the dhikrs before or after the imam, except the takbirat al-ihram, which must be said only after the imam has said his; and the follower should not say the salam before the imam.
Q. What if I join the congregation late?
If you reach the imam while he is in ruku‘ and manage to bow while he is still bowing, you have caught that rak‘ah.
If the imam is in the third or fourth rak‘ah and you join in his qiyam, you must recite al-Hamd and the surah yourself; if there is not enough time to finish before his ruku‘, recite al-Hamd alone, and if not even that, wait and join him in ruku‘.
If the imam is in the final tashahhud, you may say the takbir, sit in tajafi (half-raised, on the toes and fingertips) to gain the reward of the congregation, and when the imam gives the salam, stand and begin your own prayer.
When your rak‘ahs remain after the imam has finished, complete them alone, reciting al-Hamd and the surah yourself.
Q. Can women join the congregation, or lead one?
Yes. Women stand behind the men’s rows (or separated from them). A woman may lead other women in prayer, but may not lead men.
The Recitation
Q. When praying quietly, must I move my lips?
Yes. Whether you are praying alone or in congregation, “quietly” means reciting with the tongue and lips so that you can hear yourself. Reciting in the heart alone is not recitation, and a prayer recited only in the heart is invalid.
Q. Can I switch to a different surah after starting one?
Yes — if you have started a surah and wish to leave it for another, you may do so as long as you have not reached its half. But if you have started Surah al-Ikhlas (Qul huwallahu ahad) or Surah al-Kafirun (Qul ya ayyuhal-kafirun), you may not switch to another surah, even after the Bismillah with the intention of that surah — except in the Friday prayer, where one may switch from them to Surah al-Jumu‘ah or al-Munafiqun. If you began them by mistake, thinking you were reciting a different surah, you may switch.
Q. Must the words be pronounced correctly?
Yes. Once you have memorised the prayer, learn its recitation from a competent scholar and correct the pronunciation of every word. Reciting the prayer with correct recitation and pronouncing the letters from their proper points of articulation (makharij) is obligatory; without it, the validity of the prayer is in doubt. A person who cannot yet recite correctly must keep trying to learn, and in the meantime prays as well as he can; if the time of prayer is short, he prays with what he knows.
Q. Can the prayer be recited in Urdu, English or any other language?
No. The prayer can be recited only in Arabic. Learn the translation as well and keep the meaning in mind while reciting, so that humility and attentiveness (khushu‘ and khudu‘) remain in the prayer — but the words themselves must be the Arabic ones.
Q. Should I say “Amin” after Surah al-Hamd, or fold my hands?
No. Saying “Amin” deliberately after al-Hamd invalidates the prayer in Shia fiqh, and so does folding one hand on the other (takattuf). The hands hang at the sides throughout the qiyam.
Q. Is the Bismillah said aloud in Zuhr and Asr?
It is recommended (mustahab) to say the Bismillah of both surahs aloud in the quiet prayers; the rest of the recitation is quiet.
Conditions of the Prayer
Q. On what may I place my forehead in sajdah?
On earth, or on what grows from the earth and is neither eaten nor worn: a clay tablet (turbah), stone, sand, wood, a straw or reed mat, leaves, and paper made from wood. The best is the turbah of Karbala. Sajdah is not valid on carpet, cloth, plastic, metal, asphalt, leather, or on anything edible or wearable. If nothing permissible is available, prostrate on whatever is available, in the order the rulings prescribe (for example clothing of cotton, then the back of the hand).
Q. What must be covered in prayer?
A man must cover the private parts; it is recommended to cover from the navel to the knees. A woman must cover her whole body and hair, except the face (the part washed in wudu), the hands to the wrists, and the feet to the ankles. The clothing must be tahir, must not be usurped, must not be from the parts of an animal whose meat is not eaten, and, for a man, must not be pure silk or embroidered with gold. Gold jewellery on a man invalidates the prayer.
Q. What if I don’t know the direction of the qibla?
Try to determine it — by a compass, a qibla app, the mihrab of a mosque, or by asking reliable people. If you still cannot, pray in the direction you think most likely. If you have no idea at all, praying in one direction is enough according to many maraji‘; praying in four directions is a recommended precaution.
Q. Can Zuhr and Asr, or Maghrib and Isha, be prayed together?
Yes. According to the Ahl al-Bayt (a), it is permissible to pray Zuhr and Asr one after the other, and Maghrib and Isha one after the other, without any excuse — the Holy Prophet (s) did so in Madinah without travel or rain. It is better to pray each in its own time of merit (fadilah), but combining is fully valid.
Q. What is the time of each prayer?
Fajr: from true dawn until sunrise.
Zuhr and Asr: from midday (when the shadow begins to lengthen) until sunset; the first four rak‘ahs of the time belong to Zuhr and the last to Asr.
Maghrib and Isha: Maghrib begins when the redness in the eastern sky after sunset has passed overhead — not at sunset itself; the time lasts until the middle of the night (halfway between sunset and true dawn). The first three rak‘ahs of the time belong to Maghrib and the last four to Isha.
Q. Can I pray in a moving car, train or aeroplane?
If you can keep still, face the qibla and prostrate properly, the prayer is valid. If not, wait until you can — unless the time will run out, in which case pray in the vehicle as best you can, facing the qibla at least for the takbir, and without repeating it afterwards.
Things that Invalidate the Prayer
Q. What breaks the prayer?
Anything that breaks wudu or ghusl.
Folding the hands (takattuf) as an act of worship.
Turning the whole body away from the qibla.
Speaking deliberately, even one word that is not dhikr, dua or Qur’an — replying to a greeting is an exception, since it is obligatory: reply with the same words.
Laughing aloud deliberately.
Weeping aloud deliberately for a worldly matter (weeping from the fear of Allah does not invalidate).
Any act that destroys the form of the prayer, such as jumping or clapping.
Eating or drinking.
Saying “Amin” after Surah al-Hamd.
Doubts that invalidate the prayer (see below).
Adding or omitting a pillar, even by mistake; adding or omitting any other obligatory part deliberately.
Losing the condition of the prayer — for example one’s clothing becoming najis with no way to remove it.
Q. What is disliked (makruh) in prayer?
Turning the face slightly to a side, closing the eyes, playing with the beard or the hands, cracking the fingers, looking at the sky, praying while holding back urine or stool, praying when drowsy, standing with the feet too far apart, and praying facing a picture, an open door or a fire. None of these invalidates the prayer, but they reduce its reward and its humility.
Doubts in the Prayer
Q. What if I doubt how many rak‘ahs I have prayed?
Doubts that invalidate: any doubt about the number of rak‘ahs in a two-rak‘ah prayer (Fajr, the traveller’s prayer), in the three-rak‘ah Maghrib, or a doubt in which one side is “one” or “two” in a four-rak‘ah prayer before completing the second sajdah.
Doubts that are settled by Salat al-Ihtiyat (after the second sajdah): “two or three?” → treat as three, then one rak‘ah standing. “Three or four?” → treat as four, then one rak‘ah standing (or two sitting). “Two or four?” → treat as four, then two rak‘ahs standing. “Two, three or four?” → treat as four, then two rak‘ahs standing and two sitting.
“Four or five?” after the second sajdah → treat as four, then Sajdah al-Sahw. “Four or five?” while standing → sit down; it becomes “three or four” and is settled as above.
First pause and think; if a firm belief forms, act on it. A person who doubts very often (kathir al-shakk) ignores his doubts and assumes the prayer is correct. Doubt about a part after the time for it has passed — for example doubting the ruku‘ while in sajdah — is ignored.
Q. How is Salat al-Ihtiyat performed?
Immediately after the salam, without turning away or doing anything that breaks the prayer, make the intention of Salat al-Ihtiyat, say the takbir, recite Surah al-Hamd alone (quietly, without a second surah and without qunut), then ruku‘, two sajdahs, tashahhud and salam. If two rak‘ahs are due, do not recite the tashahhud after the first; stand, recite al-Hamd, ruku‘, two sajdahs, then tashahhud and salam.
Q. What if I forget a part of the prayer?
If a pillar (ruku‘, both sajdahs, takbirat al-ihram) is forgotten and not remembered before the next pillar, the prayer is invalid. Forgetting a non-pillar part — a sajdah, the tashahhud, speaking by mistake, salam in the wrong place — is repaired after the prayer by the qada of the forgotten part and the Sajdah al-Sahw, explained on its own page in this section.
The Traveller, Qada and Other Rulings
Q. How does a traveller pray?
A traveller prays the four-rak‘ah prayers (Zuhr, Asr, Isha) as two rak‘ahs (qasr); Fajr and Maghrib do not change. This applies when the journey is at least eight farsakh (about 44 km) in total, with the outward journey at least four farsakh, when you leave the limits of your town, intend the journey from the start, do not intend to stay ten days at the destination, are not travelling for a sin, and are not a person who travels for a living or travels very frequently. Someone who stays ten days or more in one place prays the full prayer there. Fasting is not obligatory on the traveller while praying qasr.
Q. What about prayers I have missed?
Every obligatory prayer missed after reaching maturity — or prayed invalidly — must be made up (qada), in the same form (full or qasr) as it was due at the time. It may be prayed at any time and in any order, though it is better to keep the order. The eldest son must perform the qada prayers his father missed, and by obligatory precaution his mother’s as well, or have them performed on their behalf.
Q. How do I attain concentration (khushu‘) in prayer?
Understand what you are saying: learn the meaning of al-Hamd, the surah and every dhikr and keep it in mind as you recite. Prepare before the prayer with wudu and a few moments of stillness, look only at the place of sajdah, and remember that you are standing before Allah. Praying at the beginning of the time, in congregation, and after the adhan and iqamah all help greatly.
Sources: Tawdih al-Masa’il of the maraji‘ (chapters on Jama‘at, Qira’at, Mubtilat, Shakkiyat, Salat al-Musafir and Qada); Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, Kitab al-Salat. Where the maraji‘ differ, follow your own marja‘ taqlid.
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّاٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ