A Textbook on the Prayer Description of the Prophet's Prayer By Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pray as you have seen me pray." The Companions who received that instruction had watched him pray; every generation since depends on what they narrated. Imam al-Albani spent years gathering and authenticating those narrations from the books of Sunnah, and the result is one of the most widely used books on salah in the English language.

A Textbook on the Prayer: Description of the Prophet's Prayer by Shaykh Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani presents a complete, evidenced account of the Prophet's prayer from beginning to end — covering every position, every recitation, and every movement with the specific hadith that establishes it. Where the scholars of hadith have differed, al-Albani notes the strongest position and explains why.

What This Book Covers

From the Opening Takbeer to the Tasleem

Every element of the prayer is covered in sequence: the intention, the opening takbeer and its manner, the opening supplication (istiftah), the recitation of al-Fatihah and its obligation, what follows it in each rak'ah, the descriptions of ruku' and the tasbihat within it, the rising from ruku' and the supplication at that point, the sujood and its conditions and descriptions, the sitting between prostrations, the tashahhud and its wording, the salah upon the Prophet, the final supplication before tasleem, and the tasleem itself.

Variant Narrations and Sunnah Practices

Al-Albani documents the variant authentic narrations for each element — different opening supplications, different positions for the hands, different wordings of tasbihat — so the reader understands what is established by the Sunnah and what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes did differently for variety.

Common Errors Addressed

The textbook format means al-Albani also addresses errors and misunderstandings directly, comparing what is established by the Sunnah with common practices that lack evidence.

About the Author

Shaykh Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani (1914–1999) devoted his life to the science of hadith — gathering, grading and authenticating narrations across the major collections, and working to return the practice of the ummah to what is established in the Sunnah. Published by Dar as-Sunnah Publishers.

Who This Book Is For

Every Muslim who wants to verify that their prayer matches the Prophet's prayer with evidence in hand. Essential for students of fiqh and hadith, for anyone who has questions about specific elements of salah and wants to know what al-Albani authenticated as established from the Sunnah, and for those teaching Islamic practice and needing a reliable, evidenced reference.

Continue Reading

Once you know how the prayer should be performed, Common Mistakes Regarding Prayer identifies where people go wrong, and Prayer According to the Qur'an and Sunnah is the fuller single-volume reference covering the special and voluntary prayers. For the inward dimension, see Ibn al-Qayyim's Inner Dimensions of the Prayer, or browse the full salah collection.