The Movements of Salah

So, like, how does this whole thing work?

Basically, each Salah is the same. Yes, some have more “rakaat” or units than others, but once you master the first and last rakah of each Salah, you’ll be able to fly solo—I promise.

WELCOME A NEW WORD: RAKAH means a unit of prayer. RAKAAT is the plural.

There are four basic movements in the Salah:

1. Standing with your hands resting on your body (somewhere between your chest and navel) right wrist over left wrist.

2. Bending down in “Ruku” with a flat back, palms on knees.

3. Making “Sujood” or prostration. This is done with your knees, palms, forehead and nose touching the ground. Elbows are not touching the ground.

4. Sitting with your legs tucked under your body. The toes on your right foot face forward, toes on your left foot face the person to your right.

WELCOME TWO NEW WORDS: RUKU, bending in your prayer, flat back, hands on knees, and SUJOOD, prostrating yourself to your Lord.

I know this all sounds like some kind of crazy Kundalini Yoga, but don’t worry you don’t have to be flexible to do your Salah. You will find that in a few weeks your body will become accustomed to these positions and it won’t feel as awkward as it did the first time.