The Obligatory Acts, Necessary Acts, and Nullifiers of Salah
There are fourteen obligatory acts (Fara'id) of Salah. Some of these are required before the prayer begins and are known as the external obligations or conditions of Salah. Others are part of the prayer itself and are known as the internal obligations. The fourteen obligations are as follows:
1. Purity of the body.
2. Purity of the clothing.
3. Covering the required parts of the body. For men, this is from the navel to the knees. For women, the entire body must be covered except the face, hands, and feet.
4. Purity of the place of prayer.
5. The commencement of the prayer time.
6. Facing the Qiblah.
7. Making the intention for Salah.
8. The opening Takbir (Takbir al-Tahrimah).
9. Standing (Qiyam) when able.
10. Recitation of at least one long verse, three short verses, or one short Surah from the Qur'an.
11. Bowing (Ruku').
12. Prostration (Sajdah).
13. The final sitting (Qa'dah Akhirah).
14. Concluding the prayer by one's own action.
The ruling regarding these obligations is that if any obligatory act is deliberately or unintentionally omitted, the Salah is not valid and must be repeated.
The Necessary Acts (Wajibat) of Salah
The following acts are considered necessary (Wajib) in Salah:
1. Reciting Surah Al-Fatihah in full.
2. Reciting another Surah or verses after Surah Al-Fatihah.
3. Recitation in the first two rak'ahs of obligatory prayers.
4. Reciting Surah Al-Fatihah before the additional Surah.
5. Standing upright after Ruku'.
6. Sitting upright between the two prostrations.
7. Performing the first sitting (Qa'dah Ula).
8. Reciting At-Tahiyyat.
9. Concluding Salah with the words of Salam.
10. For the Imam, reciting aloud in the first two rak'ahs of Maghrib and Isha, and in all rak'ahs of Fajr, Jumu'ah, Eid, and Tarawih prayers.
11. Reciting Du'a al-Qunut in Witr prayer.
12. Saying the additional six Takbirs in the Eid prayers.
If a Wajib act is omitted forgetfully, Sajdah Sahw (the prostration of forgetfulness) becomes necessary. If a Wajib act is deliberately omitted, Sajdah Sahw is not sufficient and the prayer must be repeated.
Things That Invalidate Salah
The following actions invalidate Salah:
1. Speaking intentionally or unintentionally, whether little or much.
2. Giving Salam to someone or responding to a Salam.
3. Saying "Yarhamukallah" to a person who sneezes.
4. Saying "Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'un" upon hearing sad news, "Alhamdulillah" upon hearing good news, or "Subhanallah" in response to something surprising during prayer.
5. Saying words such as "Ah", "Oh", or "Uff" because of pain or discomfort.
6. Reciting the Qur'an by looking directly into a Mushaf according to the ruling mentioned here.
7. Making such a mistake in the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah or any Qur'anic passage that invalidates the prayer.
8. Performing excessive movements to the extent that an observer would think the person is not praying, or performing actions with both hands unnecessarily.
9. Eating or drinking intentionally or unintentionally.
10. Turning the chest away from the direction of the Qiblah.
11. Crying because of worldly pain or grief in such a way that audible letters are produced.
12. Laughing aloud during a prayer that contains Ruku' and Sajdah.
A Muslim should strive to learn these rulings carefully, because Salah is the greatest act of worship after faith. The more correctly and sincerely it is performed, the closer a servant comes to Allah and His pleasure.
May Allah grant us the ability to establish Salah correctly, fulfill its obligations and necessary acts, and protect us from actions that invalidate it. Ameen.
