Salaat (Prayer) books/videos
The fundamental pillar after the Shahadah – testifying there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (sallaahu alaihi wasallam) is His servent and Messenger, is Salaat. The Muslim formal prayer. This is the only one of the 5 pillars of Islam that Allah (swt) communicated directly with the Messenger (pbuh). It is vital to our success of achieving a place in Jannah. It is the first question we will be asked of on the Day of Judgement. It is the key to Paradise. It is the miraj of the believer; when we prostrate to Allah (swt), it is the highest level for a Muslim to reach, in communication with his/her Lord and Creator. When we prostrate, our hearts are at their most tranquil. No matter what is happening in your life, salaat gives you inner peace and contentment of the heart.
There are many Qur’anic ayahs and Prophetic hadith about salaat. If you are reading this, and not practising your 5 daily fard prayers, please start today. Start with one – just one a day is better than once a week, 2 a day is better than 1, 3 a day better than 2 and so forth. It is a battle, a struggle, it is jihad against your nafs (self). If you persevere, you will find it easy. Once you achieve your 5 daily prayers, keep improving them, read and learn how to perfect your salaat. Build it into your daily routine, and you will find, in time, it’s so easy and everything else will also fall into place and become easy for you. You will be surprised how easy it becomes, like eating and drinking… like breathing. You will actually enjoy it, inshaAllah. Your 5 daily opportunities to give thanks to Allah, be grateful for all His blessings, and ask Him for forgiveness.
There must be hundreds of books/videos written on salaat, but of all those that are available in English, the following are (in my personal opinion) the most easy to use/learn and authentic that I’ve found:
Wudu:
- A description of the wudhu of the Prophet (pbuh) - Shaikh Fahd ibn Abdir-Rahmaan Ash-Shuwaib – Price £1.50 (Published by JIMAS, I got it from Zam Zam).
Salah:
- Salaat: The Islamic Prayer from A to Z, Mamdouh Mohamed
Description from website: What could be the most comprehensive book on salaat for those wishing to learn it, review it, or teach it. Includes full color photos of actual steps of the salat (including wudu, preparation, and more.)
A must have for every Muslim! A fully-illustrated guide to Islamic prayer based on the Qur’an & Sun-nah. 147 pages of bright, vivid full color with instructional photographs.
- Pray as you have seen me pray - DVD – 1Islam (I bought it from Zam Zam for £10.00)
Description from website: Pray As You Have Seen Me Pray is a documentary style educational film that teaches you the basics of prayer. It contains the following:
The Night Journey (Isra’ wal-Mi’raj) The story of the Miraculous Night Journey in which the prayer was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from Allah (swt).
General Hygiene (Taharah) Muhammad (pbuh) said that cleanliness is one half of faith.
The Ablution (Wudu) A prerequisite of prayer is washing the parts of the body as ordered by Allah (swt) and taught by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Dry Ablution (Tayammum) If water is not available then one may perform a dry ablution.
Bathing (Ghusl) Bathing is required in the manner taught by Muhammad (pbuh) in certain circumstances.
The Prayer (As-Salah) All one needs to know about the prayer including: The importance of prayer, leaving the prayer, prerequisites of prayer, a detailed two units (Rak’at) of prayer, a step by step guide to performing three & four units of prayer and general points about Prayer.
Medical Benefits of Prayer & Ablution The medical world is continuously finding amazing benefits from performing prayer and ablution – Praise be to Allah (swt) the Creator of all that exists.
You can see for yourself how good it is, check out the sample here in Google.
UPDATE: Great animated prayer DVD for kids:
- Time To Pray with Zaky. Check out the amazing video preview (YouTube).
- Another great animated video for kids (Upsy Daisy from I Look, I See Vol 2) – YouTube.
- The Prophet’s (pbuh) Prayer Described (from beginning to end, as though you were watching it)- Shaikh Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaani, translated by Usama Hasan.
Price: £3.95. Published by JIMAS. I have the first edition with a different cover design. This book is hosted by USC-MSA.
