Essentials of Prayer: Difference between revisions

'''Essentials of prayer''' or '''arkān al-ṣalāt''' (Arabic: {{ia|أرْکان الصَلاة}}) refers to a number of obligatory constituents of the [[prayer]] the intentional or unintentional skipping or overdoing of which invalidates the prayer. The majority of Shiite [[fuqaha]] (jurisprudents) consider the essentials or “arkan” of the prayer to consist in intention (niyya), [[takbirat al-ihram]], standing (while reciting the [[takbir]] and before [[ruku']]), ruku', and the two [[sajdas]].

==Definition of “Rukn”==

“Rukn” (plural: “arkān”) literally means the essence of something. In worships, a rukn is a part thereof the intentional or unintentional skipping or overdoing of which invalidates the worship. Some parts of prayer, [[hajj]] and [['umra]] are essential to them.

According to the majority of scholars, essentials of prayer consist in: intention, takbirat al-ihram (saying “Allahu Akbar”), standing (which reciting takbir and before the ruku'), ruku', and the two sajdas.

The standing in the prayer is of 4 types, two of which are essentials, while the other two are non-essential obligations. Standing while reciting takbirat al-ihram and the one before ruku' are essential to the prayer.