Praise be to Allah, who made Prayer compulsory on his slaves and ordered them to establish it and
perform it well; who linked success and felicity to humility in Prayer; who made it the criterion to
distinguish between Iman and Kufr ; and who made it a restrainer from shameful and unjust deeds.
Prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, who was addressed in the Words of the
Exalted:
"And We have sent down to you the Message, that you may explain clearly to the people what is sent
for them"1, and who fully carried out this task. The Prayer was one of the most important things
which he explained to the people, verbally and practically, even praying on the pulpit once -
standing, bowing and prostrating, and then saying to them, I have done this so that you may follow
me and learn my prayer.2 He obligated us to copy him in his prayer, saying, Pray as you have seen
me praying.3 He also gave the good tidings to whoever prayed like him that such a person has a
covenant with Allah that He will enter him into the Garden, saying, There are five prayers which
Allah, Mighty and Sublime, has made compulsory: he who performs ablution well for them, prays
them at their proper times, and is complete in their bowings, prostrations and humility, he has a
guarantee from Allah that He will forgive him; but he who does not do so, has no guarantee from
Allah: if He wishes, He will forgive him or if He wishes, He will punish him.4
Prayers and peace be also on his family and his pious and just Companions, who passed on to us his
worship, prayer, sayings and actions (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), and who made these, and these
alone, a Madhhab and a path for them to follow; and also on those who follow in their footsteps and
tread their path until the Day of Judgment.
When I finished reading the book of prayer in At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb by al-Haafiz al-Mundhiri
(rahimahullaah) and teaching it to our brothers, four years ago, it became clear to us all the
important position of the Prayer in Islaam; and the reward, grace and respect awaiting those who
establish and perform it well; and that all this varies, depending on its closeness to the Prophet's
prayer (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). This is what he indicated in his saying, Verily the slave prays a
prayer of which nothing is written down for him except a tenth, ninth, eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth,
quarter, third or half of it.5 Therefore, I reminded the brothers that it is not possible for us to perform
prayer as it should be performed, or even approach that, unless we know the detailed description of
the Prophet's prayer (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), including its essentials, manners, forms,
supplications (du'aas) and remembrances (adhkaar), and then we make an effort to put that
knowledge into practice carefully, for then we could hope that our prayers would restrain us from
shameful and unjust deeds, and that the reward and blessings mentioned in the narrations would be
written down for us.

 Thus this book would, Allah Willing, gather whatever is relevant to each topic from the various contents of the books of Hadith and the books on the differences between the Madhhabs, such that the correct verdicts found in this book would not be found totally in any one Madhhab. Hence the one acting on it, Allah Willing, would be among those whom Allah had guided by His Grace to the Truth concerning that in which they differed, for Allah guides whom He will to a path that is straight.