Introduction

Salah is a pillar of Din. Doing it just right in accordance with Sunnah is the responsibility of every Muslim. Unfortunately, we go about performing the cardinal dictates of Salah in a carefree manner following our whims, hardly caring to see that those dictates have to be carried out in the manner they were passed on to us by the Holy Prophet ﷺ. This is why most of our Salah offerings remain deprived of the gleams and blessings of Sunnah, although, following these dictates just right hardly takes any more time or labour. What is needed is a touch of concern. If we give a little time and some attention, learn the correct method and make a habit of it, then the time that we spend in making our Salah today would remain the same yet the Salah thus performed would have the advantage of having been made in accordance with Sunnah and its rewards and merits and its gleams and blessings would be much more than what you experienced earlier.
The revered Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, took great care while performing each single unit of the act of Salah, and while doing so, they continued learning about the Sunnah of the Prophet from each other.
With this need in view, this humble writer had explained to a gathering the Sunnah method of Salah as mentioned by the Hanafi jurists and had pointed out to incorrect practices which seem to have gained currency. By the grace of Allah, the listerners found it very beneficial. Some friends wished to make this discourse available as a printed brochure so that a much larger number of people would be able to use it to their advantage. So, in this brief write-up, the objective is to explain the masnun method of Salah and the step-by-step way of putting it into practice with due etiquette. May Allah Almighty make it beneficial for all of us and give us the taufiq to follow it. Amin.
By the grace of Allah, there are a large number of books, big and small, dealing with the percepts of Salah. Hence, presenting a comprehensive account of Salah problems and rulings is not the objective here, instead, the immediate concern is to relate a few important points which would help synchronize the form of Salah with the demands of Sunnah. Another aim is to sound a note of
warning against mistakes and shortcomings that seem to have gained a lot of currency these days.
Acting in accordance with the brief words of advice given here will, Inshallah, help make our Salah fall in line with Sunnah, at least in it’s outward appearance when a Muslim could humbly submit before his Lord:

ترے محبوب کی یارب! شباہت لے کے آیا ہوں
حقیقت اس کو تو کردے، میں صورت لے کے آیا ہوں

Lord, here I am,
bearing similarity to Your beloved,
though in form only,
yet hoping —
You shall make it real.

وما توفيقي إلا بالله ، عليه توكلت وإليه أنيب

And what I get to do is by the help and support of Allah, in Him I place my trust and towards Him I turn possionately.

Muhammad Taqi Usmani