How do you exactly perform salaat?

[Wolfn]

Salaam Alikum

I'm still wondering how rakats work. A rakat is a cycle of prayer, but what in the prayer counts as rakat? For example, standing, bending over, standing, prostrate, etc? How does Fajr work, and Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha. What are the steps in prayer? My friend who drove me to the masjid for shahada in May went to Saudi for vacation, and he gets back next week and I said I would have salaat mastered by the time he gets back. Any help? Thanks.

[Sulaiman Harun]

:start:

:salams

A Raka'ah consists of:

1) Surah al-Fatihah
2) Short Surah (only in the 1st and 2nd raka'ahs of the prayer)
3) Ruku' (Bowing and feel the the calmness)
4) Qiyam (standing after bowing in an errect position and feel the the calmness)
5) Sajadatyn (2 prostrations and feel the the calmness)
6) Sitting after each sajdah and feel the the calmness.
7) Tashahud (in the 2nd raka'ah and the 4th one)
8) Darood-e-Ibrahim (in the 2nd raka'ah if its the last one, 3rd raka'áh if its the last one or the 4th one)

[Sulaiman Harun]

Brother read the books from the link:
http://www.muslimaccess.com/sunnah/fiqh/Default.htm

1st book is dealing with PURIFICATION AND PRAYER
and the rest with other issues such as Zakaah, Fasting, Hajj, Funerals, and other stuff. A must read!

[.: Rashid :.]

:start:

:salams

A Raka'ah consists of:

1) Surah al-Fatihah
2) Short Surah (only in the 1st and 2nd raka'ahs of the prayer)
3) Ruku' (Bowing and feel the the calmness)
4) Qiyam (standing after bowing in an errect position and feel the the calmness)
5) Sajadatyn (2 prostrations and feel the the calmness)
6) Sitting after each sajdah and feel the the calmness.
7) Tashahud (in the 2nd raka'ah and the 4th one)
8) Darood-e-Ibrahim (in the 2nd raka'ah if its the last one, 3rd raka'áh if its the last one or the 4th one)

Akhi that would be a full prayer.

A rakah is everything between surah fatihah and starting surah fatihah again (unless its the last rakah, in which case you do tashahhud, durood ibrahim, erm the dua that goes "allahumma inna zalamthu nafsi" and then salam)

-Rashid