Book of Namaz

THE RUKNS OF NAMÂZ
The fards within the namâz are called (Rukn). Their number is
five.
1- QIYÂM: is the first of the five rukns of namâz. Qiyâm means
to stand. When standing, the two feet must be four times a finger’s
width apart from each other. He who is too ill to stand performs
namâz sitting, and if he is too ill to sit he lies down on his back and
performs it with his head (by moving, nodding, etc., his head). A
pillow must be put under his head so that his face will be towards
the qibla, instead of skyward and if lying, he bends his knees, he
does not outstretch his legs towards the Qibla.
A person who is too ill to stand, or who will feel dizzy or have
a headache or toothache or pain on some other part of his body or
cannot control his urination or wind-breaking or bleeding when he
stands, or who fears that his enemy may see (and harm) him or his
belongings may be stolen when he stands, or whose fast will break
or speech will be slurred or awrat parts will be exposed, in the case
that he stands, he performs namâz sitting. For the rukû’ one bends
forward a little. For the sajda they put their head on the ground. If
a person cannot put his head on the ground, while performing
namâz by sitting, he bends a little for the rukû’ and bends even
more for the sajda. If his bending for the sajda is not more than his
bending for the rukû’, his namâz will not be sahîh. If he puts a
stone or a piece of wood on the ground and makes sajda on them,
he will be sinful, even though his namâz will be accepted. That is,
it is makrûh tahrîmî.
2- QIRÂAT: It is fard to recite an âyat of the Qur’ân al-karîm
while standing at every rak’at of the sunnats and of the witr, and at
two rak’ats of the fard when performing namâz individually. It
brings more thawâb to recite a short sûra.
As qirâat, it is wâjib to recite the Fâtiha sûra at these parts of
ritual prayers and to also recite a sûra or three âyats at every rak’ât
of sunnats and of witr prayer and at two rak’ats of the fard. In the
fard, (i.e. Prayers of namâz that are obligatory), it is wâjib or
sunnat to recite the Fâtiha and the (other) sûra at the first two
rak’ats. Additionally, it is wâjib to recite the Fâtiha before the sûra.
If one of these five wâjibs is forgotten, it is necessary to make
sajda-i sahw.
When making the qirâat, it is not permissible to recite
translations of the Qur’ân al-karîm.
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