Praying is the spirit of worship. Only with praying, we can show our lowness to Allah SWT. Through praying, we ask everything that we want. However, praying must also follow the manners. The following are 8 manners of praying in Islam and its verses that must be noticed.
1. Praising Allah
Praying is asking, then we should praise who will give it before we ask for it. Then begin to pray with the praise to Allah SWT.
عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ قَالَ: بَيْنَا رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَاعِدًا إِذْ دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ فَصَلَّى فَقَالَ: اَللّهُمَّ اغْفِرْلِيْ وَارْحَمْنِيْ، فَقَالَ رَسُوْلَُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَجِلْتَ أَيُّهَا الْمُصَلِّيْ إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ فَقَعَدْتَ فَاحْمَدِاللهَ بِمَا هُوَ أَهْلُهُ وَصَلِّ عَلَيَّ ثُمَّ ادْعُهُ قَالَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَجُلٌ آخَرُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَحَمِدَ اللهَ وَصَلَّى عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّهَا الْمُصَلِّي ادْعُ تُجَبْ.
From Fadhalah bin ‘Ubad radhiyallahu ‘anhu, he said: “When the Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was sitting, a man came in. Then, that person did the prayer and prayed: ‘O Allah, forgive (my sin) and give Your mercy to me.’ Then, the Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, ‘You have been in a hurry, O person who is praying. If you have done the prayer, then you sit to pray, then (first) praise Allah with the proper praises for Him and do salawat to me, then pray.’ Then, another person came, after doing the prayer, he prayed by saying the praises and salawat to the Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam first, then the Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said to him, ‘O person who is praying, pray to Allah certainly Allah will grant your prayers.'” (Shahih: Narrated by at-Tirmidzi (no. 3476) and Abu Dawud (no. 1481). Validated by Syaikh Muhammad Nashiruddin al-Albani rahimahullah in Shahiihul Jaami’ (no. 3988))
2. Praying at mustajab time
Pray at the best time or mustajab, which is in the last third of the night, when fasting, Friday, and the day of Arafah.
The Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said,
ينزل الله تعالى كل ليلة إلى السماء الدنيا حين يبقى ثلث الليل الأخير فيقول عز وجل: من يدعونى فأستجب له، من يسألنى فأعطيه، من يستغفرنى فأغفر له
“Allah descends to the world’s sky every night, when there is the last third of the night left. Allah says, ‘Whoever prays to Me, I grant, whoever asks, I will give, and whoever asks for forgiveness, I definitely forgive.'” (Hadith Muslim)
3. Facing qibla
When praying, we should face to the qibla. This was shown by the Prophet every time he prayed.
From Jabir radhiallahu ‘anhu, that the Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam when he was in Arafah Field, he faced qibla, and he kept pray until the sunset. (Hadith Muslim)
From Salman radhiallahu ‘anhu, that the Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “Indeed, your God is Shy and Giving. He is shy of His servants when they raise their hands to Him, then the servants return empty-handed (not granted).” (Hadith Abu Daud and Tirmidzi and he hasan it)
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4. With a soft voice
If we ask to people with a soft voice and full of lowness, especially if we ask to Allah SWT. Of course we must sound full of softness as Allah commands.
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala said,
وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلًا
“Do not harden your prayer and also do not lower it and look for a middle way between the two.” (QS. Al-Isra: 110)
5. Full of hope
Next, we must also pray with full of hope and fear if our sins are too much so it blocks the prayer from being granted. That fear will grow the lowness in front of Allah SWT.
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala said,
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ
“Indeed, they were people who were always immediately in (doing) the good deeds and they prayed to Us with the hope and worried. And they were people who were solemn to Us.” (QS. Al-Anbiya: 90)
6. Be sure
Remember that Allah is who we think, then be sure that Allah will grant our prayers. Be sure that the power of Allah is always able to grant whatever our prayers and wishes.
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala said,
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ
“And if My servants ask you about Me, then (answer) that I am close. I grant the wishes of people who pray.” (Al-Baqarah/2: 186)
From Abu Hurairah radhiallahu ‘anhu, the Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said,
ادعوا الله وأنتم موقنون بالإجابة واعلموا أن الله لا يستجيب دعاء من قلب غافل لاه
“Pray to Allah and you are sure that it will be granted. Know that indeed, Allah does not grant a prayer from the neglectful and careless heart (with the prayer).” (Hadith Tirmidzi and validated by Al-Albani)
7. Be earnest
The proof of the seriousness of a servant is to not stop praying. He will always pray without stopping and will not complain. Then pray without ever stopping and complaining because Allah also wants to see our efforts in asking.
From Anas bin Malik radhiyallahu ‘anhu, that he said, “The Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:
إِذَا دَعَا أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ وَلاَيَقُوْلَنَّ اللّهُمَّ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَعْطِنِيْ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ مُسْتَكْرِهَ لَهُ.
‘If one of you prays, then he should be earnest in his request to Allah and do not say, ‘O Allah, if You are willing, then grant my prayer’ because indeed, no one who forces Allah.'”
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8. Stay away from wealth and forbidden food
One of the barriers of prayer is wealth and forbidden food, then stay away from them so that our prayers are granted by Allah SWT.
From Abu Hurairah radhiallahu ‘anhu, the Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said,
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ طَيِّبٌ لاَ يَقْبَلُ إِلاَّ طَيِّبًا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِمَا أَمَرَ بِهِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ فَقَالَ ( يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ) وَقَالَ (يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ) ». ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الرَّجُلَ يُطِيلُ السَّفَرَ أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ يَمُدُّ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ يَا رَبِّ يَا رَبِّ وَمَطْعَمُهُ حَرَامٌ وَمَشْرَبُهُ حَرَامٌ وَمَلْبَسُهُ حَرَامٌ وَغُذِىَ بِالْحَرَامِ فَأَنَّى يُسْتَجَابُ لِذَلِكَ
“O people, indeed, Allah is thoyib (good). He will not accept anything but good. And indeed, Allah has commanded the believers as He commanded the Prophets. His words, ‘O Prophets! Eat good food (halal) and do good deeds. Indeed, I am Omniscient with what you are doing’. And Allah also said, ‘O believers! Eat the good fortune that we have given to you’. Then the Prophet shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam told about a man that had been walking for a long time because of the length of the distance that he took. So that his hair tangled, matted and dusty. That person raised his hands to the sky while praying, ‘O my God, O my God!’. Actually, his food was from the forbidden goods, his drink was from the forbidden, his clothes were from the forbidden, and was fed with forbidden food, then how will Allah grant his prayer?” (Hadith Muslim)
Those were 8 manners of praying in Islam and its verses that need to know. By praying according to the manners, then hopefully Allah will grant our prayers immediately. Aamiin.