Day 8: Intention, Takbeer and Raising the Hands

When you stand for salah, facing the kaabaah, make the niyyah (intention).

1: Intention
He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to say: All actions are by intention, and every man shall have what he intended.

2: Takbeer

Then he (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would commence the prayer by saying:

Allahu akbar
Translation: ”Allaah is the Greatest”

He(sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) ordered “the man who prayed badly” to do likewise as has been mentioned, and he said to him: Verily, the prayer of a person is not complete until he has made an ablution which has included the necessary parts of the body and has then said: ‘Allaahu Akbar’.

He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would also used to say: The key to the prayer is purification, it is entered by takbeer and exited by tasleem.

Also, “he (Peace be upon him) used to raise his voice for the takbeer such that those behind him could hear.”

But, “when he (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) fell ill Abu Bakr used to raise his voice to convey the takbeer of the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) to the people.”

He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would also say: When the Imaam says: Allaahu Akbar, then say: Allaahu Akbar.

3: Raising the Hands

He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would raise his hands sometimes with the takbeer, sometimes after the takbeer, and sometimes before it.
“He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would raise them with fingers apart [not spaced out, nor together]”, and “he(Peace be upon him) would put them level with his shoulders”, although occasionally, “he (Peace be upon him) would raise them until they were level with [the tops of] his ears.”

May Allah make us steadfast in offering our salah and accept it from us, ameen