How to Perform Ablution and Prayer up to the Closing Salam

Question:
His Eminence Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz, may Allah preserve him, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings. After that:
I have a question that has greatly confused me, and I wish you would be kind enough to answer it in detail. May Allah reward you with good.
I am a committed Muslim woman who does good and avoids evil, but I have not been performing the prayer. This is due to confusion, as the people in Iraq are divided into two groups: one called the Shi'ah and the other called the Sunnah. Each group’s prayer differs from the other’s, and each claims that their prayer is the most correct. If I pray with the Shi'ah or the Sunnah group, doubt does not leave me. Therefore, I ask you to inform me about the prayer, from the ablution to the closing salam.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. After that:
I ask Allah for you and all your sisters in Allah for success and guidance. First, I advise you to adhere to what the people of the Sunnah and the community are upon, and let the standard be what Allah and His Messenger said. The standard is the great Book of Allah, the Qur'an, and what is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in his hadiths and his biography, peace and blessings be upon him. The people of the Sunnah are the most deserving of this, and they are the ones who have been granted success in this matter. They are the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and those who followed them with excellence.
Among the Shi'ah there are many errors and great mistakes. We ask Allah for guidance for us and for them so that they may return to the Book and the Sunnah, and so that they may abandon the religious innovations they possess. So I advise you to adhere to what the people of the Sunnah and the community are upon, and to remain steadfast upon it until you meet your Lord upon the path of the Sunnah and the community.
As for what concerns the prayer, it is obligatory for you to pray, and you may not abandon it; for it is the pillar of Islam and the second of its great pillars. The correct practice is what the people of the Sunnah do in the prayer and other matters. So you must pray as the people of the Sunnah pray, and you must beware of being lax in this. The prayer is the pillar of Islam, and abandoning it is disbelief and misguidance. So it is obligatory for you to beware of abandoning it, and it is obligatory for you and every Muslim man and woman to hasten to it and to preserve it in its times, as Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [al-Baqarah: 238] And He, the Exalted, said: [al-Baqarah: 43] And He, the Exalted, said: [al-Nur: 56].
You must pay attention to the prayer, strive to preserve it, and advise those with you to do the same. Allah has promised Paradise and honor to those who preserve it. He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Mu'minun: 1-2]. Then He listed great attributes of the people of faith, concluding with His words, the Exalted: [Al-Mu'minun: 9-11]. This is a great promise from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to the people of prayer and the people of faith. And He, the Exalted, said in Surat al-Ma'arij: [Al-Ma'arij: 19-23]. Then He listed great attributes after that, and then He, the Exalted, said: Those are the ones who will be honored in Gardens [Al-Ma'arij: 34-35]. So we advise you to pay attention to the prayer and preserve it.

How to perform wudu':
As for what you asked about regarding ablution and how to perform the prayer, here is the answer:

First: Ablution is a condition for the validity of the prayer and is necessary. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [al-Ma'idah: 6] Thus Allah, the Exalted, commanded the believers in Surat al-Ma'idah. And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: So ablution is necessary. First, ablution begins with cleaning oneself after relieving oneself, if a person has defecated or urinated. One cleans oneself with water from one’s urine and feces, or cleans oneself with pebbles or stones or rough clean tissues from what has come out, three times or more, until the place is purified. The back passage and the front passage of the man and the woman are purified from the traces of feces and urine. Water is better, and if one combines both, cleaning with pebbles and cleaning with water, that is more complete and more perfect.
Then one performs the ablution according to the Shari'ah. The ablution begins with the invocation, saying: (In the name of Allah) at the start of the ablution. This is what is prescribed. A group of scholars made it obligatory to say: (In the name of Allah) at the start of the ablution. Then one washes the hands three times; this is the best. Then one rinses the mouth and inhales water into the nose three times with three mouthfuls. Then one washes the face three times, from the hairline on top to the chin at the bottom, and from ear to ear. This is how the face is washed. Then one washes the hands from the fingertips to the elbows, the joint of the arm from the upper arm. The elbow is to be washed. One washes the right hand then the left, for the man and the woman. Then after that, one wipes the head and the ears, for the man and the woman. Then after that, one washes the right foot three times, including the heels, then the left foot three times, including the heels, up to where the shin begins, so the heels are washed.
The recommended practice is three times for the rinsing of the mouth, the inhaling into the nose, the face, the hands, and the feet. As for the head, it is one wipe with the ears. This is the recommended practice. If one does not wash the face except once, covering it with water, and then covers the hands with water once, and likewise the feet, covering them with water once or twice, that suffices. But the best is three times.
It is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he performed ablution once, and twice, and three times. And it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he performed ablution with three times in some parts and two times in others. So the matter is broad, praise be to Allah.
It is obligatory to wash each limb once, covering it with water. One covers the face with water, including the rinsing of the mouth and the inhaling into the nose. One covers the right hand with water until the elbow is washed. And likewise the left hand, covering it with water. And likewise, one wipes the head and the ears, covering the head with the wiping. Then the feet: one washes the right foot once, covering it with water, and the left foot likewise, covering it with water, including the heels. This is what is obligatory. If one repeats it twice, it is better. If one repeats it three times, it is better. And with this, the ablution is completed.
Then one says: Thus the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) . And it is authentic from him that he said: Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih.
Al-Tirmidhi added with a good chain after that: So this is said after the ablution. The man says it and the woman says it, outside the bathroom.
And with this, you have known the ablution according to the Shari'ah, which is the key to the prayer, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): .

How to perform the prayer

Second: The prayer and its method: It begins with the takbir in the midday, afternoon, sunset, night, and dawn prayers. One says: Allah is the Greatest – the man and the woman – then one says: . This is the most concise of what has been reported in the opening supplications. Or one says: .
And this is the most authentic of what has been reported in the opening supplications. If one does this or that, all of it is valid. There are other opening supplications established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If one comes with any of them, it is valid. But these two opening supplications are among the most concise. If the man or the woman comes with one of them, it suffices. And this opening supplication is recommended and not obligatory. So if one begins the recitation immediately after the takbir, it suffices. But it is better to come with the opening supplication, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in that.

The manner of recitation in the prayer:
Then the man or the woman says after the opening supplication: I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Then one recites al-Fatihah, which is: [al-Fatihah: 1-7] Then one says: Ameen. And Ameen is not part of al-Fatihah, and it is recommended. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say it after al-Fatihah in the loud and the quiet prayers. He says: Ameen, and its meaning is: O Allah, accept.
Then one recites what is easy from the Noble Qur'an after al-Fatihah in the first and second rak'ahs of the midday prayer, the first and second rak'ahs of the afternoon prayer, the first and second rak'ahs of the sunset prayer, the first and second rak'ahs of the night prayer, and in both rak'ahs of the dawn prayer. One recites al-Fatihah and after it a surah or verses. The best in the midday prayer is to be from the middle of the last ten surahs, such as: [al-Ghashiyah: 1] and such as [al-Layl: 1] and such as [Abasa: 1] and such as [at-Takwir: 1] and such as [al-Infitar: 1] and the like.
And in the afternoon prayer, it is like that, but slightly lighter than the midday prayer. And in the sunset prayer, likewise, one recites after al-Fatihah what is easy from these surahs or shorter than them. If one recites longer in the sunset prayer at some times, it is better; for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) recited in the sunset prayer at some times with Surat at-Tur, and recited in it with al-Mursalat, and recited in it at some times with Surat al-A'raf, dividing it in the two rak'ahs. But mostly he recited in it from the short surahs of the last ten, such as: [al-Ghashiyah: 1], [al-Balad: 1] or [az-Zalzalah: 1] or al-Qari'ah or al-'Adiyat. There is no harm in that, but at some times he recited longer as mentioned.
In 'Isha', one recites as one did in Zuhr and 'Asr: reciting al-Fatihah and adding to it in the first and second rak'ahs, such as: [al-Buruj: 1] and [al-Tariq: 1] and [al-Ghashiyah: 1] and [Abasa: 1] and [at-Takwir: 1] and the like, or verses of that length in the first and second rak'ahs. Likewise, in Fajr, one recites an addition after al-Fatihah, but it is longer than the previous ones; so in Fajr, the recitation is longer than in Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, and 'Isha'. One recites in Fajr such as: [Qaf: 1] and [al-Qamar: 1] or less than that, such as al-Taghabun, as-Saff, and [al-Mulk: 1] and [al-Muzzammil: 1] and the like. So in Fajr, the recitation is longer than in Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, and 'Isha', following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If one sometimes recites less or more than that, there is no blame on him; because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he sometimes recited less than that. However, it is better to generally recite the long surahs in Fajr, emulating the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for the third and fourth rak'ahs of Zuhr and 'Asr, and the third rak'ah of Maghrib, and the third and fourth rak'ahs of 'Isha', one recites al-Fatihah in them and then says takbir for ruku'. However, it is reported regarding Zuhr that it indicates that he (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes recited more than al-Fatihah in the third and fourth rak'ahs. So if one sometimes recites more than al-Fatihah in the third and fourth rak'ahs of Zuhr, whatever is easy from the Noble Qur'an; that is good, emulating him (peace and blessings be upon him). This is the description of recitation in prayer.

Ruku':
Then he bows, saying (Allahu Akbar), and he straightens his back in ruku' and is calm, and does not hasten. He places his hands on his knees with his fingers spread apart, and he levels his head with his back and says: Subhan Rabbi al-Azim, Subhan Rabbi al-Azim, Subhan Rabbi al-Azim, Subhanaka Allahumma Rabbana wa bihamdika, Allahumma ighfir li; due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in ruku': Subhan Rabbi al-Azim. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: And all of this is recommended, and the obligatory is to say Subhan Rabbi al-Azim once. If he repeats it three or five times or more, it is better. It was also reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to say in ruku': , Subuh Quddus Rabb al-Mala'ikah wa al-Ruh. If he says something like this, it is good, following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Rising from ruku':
Then he raises himself from ruku' saying, "Sami' Allahu li man hamidah," if he is an imam or praying alone, and he raises his hands as he did when bowing, opposite his shoulders or opposite his ears when he says, "Sami' Allahu li man hamidah." Then, after he stands upright and straightens, he says: This is established from the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) action and words. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) approved a person he heard saying: So he (peace and blessings be upon him) approved him for that and said: or as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said. There is no difference in this between a man and a woman. If he adds to this and says: , that is good; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say it sometimes.
And the meaning of "la yanfa'u dha al-jad" is: and the wealth of the wealthy among you does not benefit him; for all are poor in need of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). And "al-jad" is fortune and wealth.
And as for the one praying behind an imam, he says: "Rabbana wa laka al-hamd," when raising himself from ruku', and he raises his hands as well, opposite his shoulders or opposite his ears when raising, saying: "Rabbana wa laka al-hamd," or "Rabbana laka al-hamd," or "Allahumma Rabbana laka al-hamd," or "Allahumma Rabbana wa laka al-hamd." All of this is prescribed for the imam, the one praying behind him, and the one praying alone. But the imam says: (Sami' Allahu li man hamidah) first, and so does the one praying alone, then he comes with the praise after that. As for the one praying behind an imam, he says it after finishing ruku'; he says when raising: (Rabbana wa laka al-hamd) and he does not say the tasmi' (Sami' Allahu li man hamidah), according to the correct and chosen position indicated by the hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
And the obligatory is to straighten in this pillar and not hasten. So if he raises and straightens and is calm standing, he places his hands on his chest; this is the best. Some scholars said he lets them hang down, but the correct is that he places them on his chest, placing his right palm over his left palm on his chest, as he did before ruku' while standing. This is the Sunnah, as it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he was standing in prayer, he placed his right palm over his left palm on his chest in prayer. This is established from the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr, and this is also established from the hadith of Qabisa al-Tai from his father, and it is established as mursal from the hadith of Tawus from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is the best, and this is the Sunnah. If he lets his hands hang down in his prayer, there is no blame and his prayer is valid, but he left the Sunnah. It is not befitting for a believer, male or female, to quarrel or dispute over this. Rather, it is befitting for a student of knowledge to inform his brothers of the Sunnah without disparaging the one who let his hands hang down, and there should be no enmity or hatred between him and others who let their hands hang down, because it is a voluntary Sunnah. It is not befitting for the brothers, neither in Africa nor elsewhere, to dispute over this and have hatred. Rather, teaching should be with gentleness, wisdom, and love for his brother as he loves for himself. This is what is befitting in these matters. And it is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari from Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) he said: Abu Hazm, the narrator from Sahl, said: I do not know him but that he narrates that from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
So that indicates that the one praying, if he is standing, places his right hand on his left forearm, and the meaning is on his palm and wrist and forearm; because this is the combination of it with the narration of Wa'il ibn Hujr. So if he places his palm on the wrist and forearm, he has placed it on the forearm; because the forearm is part of the arm. So he places his right palm over his left palm and on the wrist and forearm, as explicitly stated in the hadith of Wa'il mentioned. And this includes standing before ruku' and standing after ruku'.
This upright position after bowing is one of the pillars of the prayer, so it is necessary. Some people may rush, so that as soon as they rise, they go down into prostration, and this is not permissible. It is obligatory for the one praying to be upright after bowing, to be at rest, and not to rush. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he stood up after bowing, would be upright and stand for a long time until the one saying: He has forgotten. And so it is between the two prostrations. It is obligatory for the one praying in the obligatory prayer and the voluntary prayer not to rush, but to be at rest after bowing and to recite the prescribed dhikr. And so it is between the two prostrations; he does not rush, but is at rest and upright as he is, and he says between them: My Lord, forgive me, My Lord, forgive me, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did.

The first sujud:
Then after this praise and eulogy and straightening and calmness after ruku', he goes down to prostrate saying: Allahu Akbar, without raising the hands, because what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not raising in this position. So he prostrates on his seven limbs: his forehead and nose, this is one limb, his two palms, and on his two knees, and on the toes of his feet. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is how the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did.
And the best is to bring his knees forward before his hands when he goes down to prostrate; this is the best. Some scholars held that he brings his hands forward, but the stronger is that he brings his knees forward then his hands; because this is established from the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) , and it came in another hadith from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: So this was difficult for many scholars, so some said: he places his hands before his knees, and others said: rather, he places his knees before his hands. And this is what contradicts the prostration of the camel; because the prostration of the camel begins with its hands; so if the believer prostrates on his knees, he has contradicted the camel. And this is in accordance with the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr. And this is the correct: that he prostrates on his knees first.
Then he places his hands on the ground, then he places his forehead on the ground as well; this is what is prescribed. So if he raises, he raises his face first, then his hands, then he stands up; this is what is prescribed that came in the Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is the combination of the two hadiths. And as for his saying in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah: , the apparent -and Allah knows best- is that it is a turning over, as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned. The correct is that he places his knees before his hands, so that the end of the hadith matches its beginning, and so that it agrees with the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr and what came in its meaning.
In this prostration, he says: "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High," and he repeats it three, five, or more times. However, if he is the imam, he must consider the congregation so as not to burden them. As for the one praying alone, it does not harm him if he prolongs it somewhat. Likewise, the one praying behind the imam follows his imam, glorifying and supplicating to his Lord in prostration until the imam rises. It is a recommended practice (sunnah) for the imam, the one behind him, and the one praying alone to supplicate in prostration, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): And as for prostration, strive in supplication, for it is likely that it will be answered, meaning it is highly probable that it will be answered. It also came in another hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: .
Therefore, the Qur'an is not recited in bowing or in prostration. Recitation is done while standing for those who are able, and while sitting for those who are unable to stand; they recite while sitting. As for bowing and prostration, there is no recitation in them, but rather glorification of the Lord and magnification of Him. In prostration, there is an addition to that, which is supplication. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in his prostration and say: He supplicated with this supplication because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate with it, as narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. It is also established in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: .
This indicates to us the legitimacy of frequent supplication in prostration by the imam, the one behind him, and the one praying alone. Each of them supplicates in his prostration along with the glorification, that is, along with saying: "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High," and along with saying: ; based on what preceded in the hadith of A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) with the two Shaykhs, al-Bukhari and Muslim (may Allah have mercy on them). She said: .
It is prescribed in prostration to pay attention to supplication for important matters in this world and the Hereafter. There is no harm in supplicating for one's worldly needs, such as saying: "O Allah, provide me with a righteous wife," or a woman saying: "O Allah, provide me with a righteous husband," or good offspring, or lawful wealth, or similar needs of this world. One should also supplicate for what concerns the Hereafter, which is the greater and more important; such as saying: "O Allah, forgive me all my sins, the small and the large, the first and the last, the open and the secret. O Allah, rectify my heart and my deeds, and grant me understanding in Your religion. O Allah, I ask You for guidance and uprightness. O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and wealth. O Allah, forgive me, my parents, and the Muslims. O Allah, admit me into Paradise and save me from the Fire," and similar supplications. One should increase in supplication in prostration, but without prolonging it in a way that burdens the congregation. If he is the imam, he must consider them. He also says in his prostration: "Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise be to You. O Allah, forgive me," as mentioned before, two or three times, as the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) did.

Sitting between the two prostrations:
Then he rises from the prostration saying "Allahu Akbar," and sits with his left foot flat and his right foot upright, placing his right hand on his right thigh or on his knee, spreading his fingers on his knee, and placing his left hand on his left thigh or on his left knee, spreading his fingers on it. This is the sunnah. He says: , as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say. It is recommended that he also say: "O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, heal me, provide for me, and keep me safe," because this is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him). If he adds more, there is no harm, such as saying: "O Allah, forgive me and my parents. O Allah, admit me into Paradise and save me from the Fire. O Allah, rectify my heart and my deeds," and the like. However, he should increase in supplication for forgiveness between the two prostrations, as reported from the Prophet.

The second sujud:
Then, after that, he prostrates the second prostration saying: "Allahu Akbar," and prostrates on his forehead, nose, both palms, both knees, and the tips of his toes, as he did in the first prostration. He straightens himself in prostration, raising his belly from his thighs and his thighs from his lower legs, and separating his upper arms from his sides. He straightens himself in prostration. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So the sunnah is that he straightens himself, placing his palms on the ground and raising his arms from it, not spreading them like a dog or a wolf or the like. Rather, he raises them and raises his belly from his thighs, and raises his thighs from his lower legs, so that he is straight in prostration, and so that he is elevated and straight, placing his palms on the ground and raising his arms from the ground, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded this, and as he (peace and blessings be upon him) did. Then he says in his prostration: "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High," and repeats it three times or more, and supplicates as mentioned before in the first prostration.

The sitting for rest:
Then he says "Allahu Akbar" while rising and standing up for the second rak'ah. It is better for the one praying to sit for a light sitting after the second prostration, which some jurists call the sitting of rest. He sits on his left foot, which is flat, and raises his right foot, similar to his state between the two prostrations, but it is light and contains no dhikr or supplication. This is the best. If he stands up and does not sit, there is no harm, but it is better that he sits as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did. Some scholars said that this is done in old age and in illness, but the correct view is that it is a sunnah of the prayer, general for the imam, the one praying alone, and the one behind the imam, due to the generality of his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: Even if the one praying is young or healthy, it is recommended (mustahabb) according to the correct view, but it is not obligatory (wajib); because it is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he left it at some times, and because some of the Companions did not mention it in the description of his (peace and blessings be upon him) prayer; so that indicates its non-obligation.
Then he stands up for the second rak'ah saying "Allahu Akbar" when he rises from his prostration while sitting for the sitting of rest, or when he finishes the sitting of rest, he stands up and says: "Allahu Akbar." If he starts with the takbir and then sits, he should alert the congregation not to precede him until they sit and perform this sunnah. If he sits before he says the takbir and then rises with the takbir, there is no harm. The important thing is that this sitting is recommended (mustahabb) and not obligatory (wajib). If he says the takbir before it, he should direct the one behind him so that they do not precede him. If he sits first and then rises with the takbir, there is no need to alert them to that, except in the context of teaching the sunnah.

Standing and reciting in the second rak'ah:
Then, after he stands up for the second rak'ah, he does in it what he did in the first. He recites al-Fatihah, seeks refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, and mentions Allah. If he leaves out seeking refuge and is content with the first seeking refuge in the first rak'ah, there is no harm. If he repeats it, that is better; because it is with a new recitation, so he seeks refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, mentions Allah, and recites al-Fatihah. Then he recites with it a surah or verses, as he did in the first rak'ah. But the surah in the second rak'ah should be shorter than the first, as established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him).

The second ruku':
When he finishes the recitation, he says the takbir for bowing, as he did in the first rak'ah. He says "Allahu Akbar" while raising his hands, then places his hands on his knees with his fingers spread, as he did in the first rak'ah. He should be straight, with his head in line with his back. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do it. He says: "Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent," three, five, seven, or more times, but on the condition that it does not burden the congregation if he is the imam. It is recommended that he also say: "Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise be to You. O Allah, forgive me," as mentioned before. If he says: "Glory be to the One of might, sovereignty, majesty, and greatness," that is also good. And so is: "The Glorifier, the Holy, Lord of the angels and the Spirit." All of this is good, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did it in bowing and prostration.

Standing after the second ruku':
Then, after he performs the prescribed dhikr in bowing, he rises raising his hands saying: "Allah hears the one who praises Him," if he is the imam or praying alone. Then he does what was mentioned before in the first rak'ah.
Then he lowers himself into prostration as mentioned before, without raising his hands. He says the takbir when lowering himself for prostration and says in his prostration: "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High," and supplicates with what is easy, as mentioned before. Then he rises from prostration saying: "Allahu Akbar," and sits and says: "My Lord, forgive me," and he should be calm. He does what was mentioned before in the first rak'ah. Then he says the takbir and prostrates for the second time and does what was mentioned before.
The first tashahhud:
Then he rises and sits for the first tashahhud with his left foot flat and his right foot upright, like his sitting between the two prostrations. This is the best. However, whatever way he sits is sufficient if the prayer is four rak'ahs, such as Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha', or three rak'ahs, such as Maghrib. He performs the tashahhud: This is what is established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). If he performs something else from what is established in the authentic hadiths, it is sufficient, but this is better because it is the most established and most authentic. Then, after this, he says: .
Then he stands up for the third rak'ah. If he does not recite the prayer upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but stands up after the testimony when he says, "And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger," there is no harm, because some scholars said that the prayer upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not recommended here, but is only prescribed in the final tashahhud. However, the authentic hadiths indicate that it is prescribed here and there, so it is to be recited here—in the first tashahhud. This is the most correct view due to the generality of the hadiths, but it is not obligatory for him; rather, it is obligatory in the final tashahhud according to a group of scholars.

Standing in the third and fourth rak'ahs:
When he finishes the first tashahhud and prays upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), for this is the best, he stands up after it saying, "Allahu Akbar," raising his hands, as established in the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) in al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him), until he reaches the third rak'ah of Maghrib, and until he reaches the third and fourth rak'ahs of Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha. He recites al-Fatihah, and al-Fatihah alone is sufficient for him without addition, as established in the hadith of Abu Qatadah: . If he recites more than al-Fatihah in Zuhr at times, that is good, as established in the hadith of Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in the first two rak'ahs of 'Asr the amount he recited in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr. This indicates that he used to recite more than al-Fatihah in the last two rak'ahs of Zuhr at times. So if he recites more, there is no harm; in fact, it is good at times. In most cases, he restricts himself to al-Fatihah in Zuhr, combining the hadith of Abu Sa'id and the hadith of Abu Qatadah. If he recites more than al-Fatihah in the third and fourth rak'ahs of Zuhr at times, it is good, acting upon the hadith of Abu Sa'id. And if he leaves that in most cases, it is better, acting upon the hadith of Abu Qatadah, because it is more authentic and more explicit than the hadith of Abu Sa'id. So he does this at times and that at times. As for the third and fourth rak'ahs of 'Asr and 'Isha, and the third rak'ah of Maghrib, there is only the recitation of al-Fatihah in them, so it is not recommended to add to al-Fatihah in them due to the lack of evidence for that.

The ruku' and rising from it, and the prostration in the last two rak'ahs:
Then, when he finishes al-Fatihah in the third and fourth rak'ahs of 'Asr and 'Isha, and the third rak'ah of Maghrib, he says takbir and bows in the prescribed ruku'. He does in it what was mentioned previously. Then he rises saying, "Sami' Allahu li man hamidah," if he is an imam or praying alone. But if he is a ma'mum, he says, "Rabbana wa laka al-hamd." Then the imam, the ma'mum, and the one praying alone complete the dhikr mentioned in that, as previously stated. Then he lowers himself into prostration saying, "Allahu Akbar," and prostrates as previously stated. Then he sits between the two prostrations. Then he prostrates the second prostration. All of this is as previously stated. He does in the fourth rak'ah what he did in the third rak'ah, exactly the same. And so the third rak'ah of Maghrib is exactly the same. As for Fajr, it has no third or fourth rak'ah, for the obligatory prayer is two rak'ahs. And so Jumu'ah is two rak'ahs. And so the 'Id prayer is two rak'ahs; he recites in them al-Fatihah and whatever is easy for him from the Noble Qur'an, as is known from the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He strives to do what is known from the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

The final tashahhud:
With this, the prayer ends, and nothing remains except the tashahhud. When he finishes the fourth rak'ah in Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha, and the third rak'ah of Maghrib, and the second rak'ah of Fajr, Jumu'ah, and the 'Id, and rises from the second prostration in the last rak'ah, he sits to recite the tahiyat as he recited it in the first tashahhud. He recites it here and says: . Then he prays upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and says: . This is the most complete of what was reported regarding the description of the prayer upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Whenever the one praying recites it in any of the forms established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that suffices him.

Supplication after the final tashahhud:
Allah, the Exalted, has prescribed for us, through the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), at the end of the prayer, after reciting the tahiyat and the prayer upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), that we seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the Hellfire, from the punishment of the grave, from the trial of life and death, and from the trial of the Dajjal. This is prescribed for both men and women in the obligatory and voluntary prayers. It is recommended with this that the one praying supplicates with whatever is easy for him of supplication, because when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught the Companions the tashahhud, he said: . In another wording, he said: . And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate with these supplications: . And he said to Mu'adh: .
It is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to say at the end of the prayer before the taslim: . It is also established in Sahih al-Bukhari from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say at the end of the prayer: .
These are good supplications that are prescribed to be said at the end of the prayer after reciting the tahiyat, the testimony, and the prayer upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And so it is recommended to supplicate with the supplication reported in the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with them both) in the two Sahihs, where Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, teach me a supplication to supplicate with in my prayer?" He said: "Say: ." And if he supplicates with other good supplications, there is no harm.
The woman is like the man in prayer. And it should be known that the woman is like the man in all these matters due to the generality of the hadiths.

Taslim:
When the one praying finishes the supplication, he says the taslim. The man and the woman are the same in this. He says, "As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah," to his right, and "As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah," to his left. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do it. And the man and the woman, and the obligatory and voluntary prayers, are all equal in this.

The dhikr recited after the prayer
Then, after he says the taslim, he says: . The man and the woman say that. He seeks forgiveness from Allah three times and says: . Then the imam turns to the people after this, gives them his face, and says after this: .
And so the ma'mums, men and women, say what the imam says: . Sometimes he says, "He gives life and causes death, and in His hand is all good," and sometimes he does not say that. The matter is broad, praise be to Allah, so he says: . And sometimes he adds: .
All of this is recommended after every prayer of the five prayers for men and women. Then it is prescribed after that to say, "Subhan Allah, al-hamdu lillah, wa Allahu Akbar," thirty-three times each. He counts on his fingers thirty-three times, the man and the woman, so the total is ninety-nine: thirty-three tasbih, thirty-three tahmid, and thirty-three takbir. Then he says to complete the hundred: "La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . This is a great virtue and much good.
The meaning is: if he says this with repentance, regret, and abandoning the sin, not just mere words, but he says this with seeking forgiveness, regret, repentance, and not persisting in sins and transgressions, then this great good is hoped for him, even for major sins. If he says this out of faith, sincerity, true repentance, and regret for the sins, then Allah forgives him his minor and major sins by his repentance, sincerity, and pure intention. He then recites Ayat al-Kursi: [al-Baqarah: 255]. This verse is recited by the man and the woman after the obligatory prayer. It came in the hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: . The hadith regarding this has many paths that indicate its authenticity and establishment from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This verse is great, and it is the greatest and best verse in the Book of Allah, the Exalted. It is recommended to be said after the taslim and after this dhikr. It is also recommended to be said at sleep, and it is one of the means of Allah's protection for the servant from Satan and from all evil, as the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is authentic regarding this. And it is one of the means of entering Paradise if he says it after every obligatory prayer, as previously mentioned.
Likewise, it is recommended for him after this to recite: [al-Ikhlas: 1] and the two Mu'awwidhat. The imam, the one praying alone, and the ma'mum recite them to himself: once after Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha. But after Maghrib and Fajr, he says them three times, reciting these three surahs three times: three times, three times, three times after Fajr and Maghrib. It is also recommended after Fajr and Maghrib to say: "La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd, yuhyi wa yumitu wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir," ten times, in addition to the prescribed dhikr mentioned previously after Fajr and Maghrib. Several hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) have come regarding this.
And Allah, Glorious and Exalted, is the one to be asked to make us all successful in following him (peace and blessings be upon him), preserving his Sunnah, and standing firm on his religion until we meet Him, the Exalted. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.