The fards of the namâz
Question: What are the fards [obligatory acts; if any of them is omitted, the namâz will be invalid] of the namâz?
ANSWER
Namâz has 12 fards. Six of them are inside and the other six are outside the namâz. The fards that are inside are termed rukns while those that are outside are termed sharts.

A- The fards that are outside the namâz:
1- Tahârat from hadas:
It means the performance of an ablution by a person who does not have it and performance of a ghusl by those who are junub and who has got out of the states of haid [menstruation] and nifâs [puerperium].

2- Tahârat from najâsat:
People who is to perform namâz must purify their bodies, clothes, the places to perform namâz from najâsat, that is, from the things that are declared to be religiously dirty.

3- Satr-i awrat:
It is to cover awrat parts. Those body parts of people which are harâm [prohibited] for them to open and show others and for others to look at during namâz, or any time, are termed awrat parts. A man’s awrat parts are between his navel and lower parts of his knees. As for a woman, all parts of her body, except her face and hands, are her awrat parts.

4- Istiqbâl-i-qibla:
It is to perform a namâz towards the qibla.

5- Waqt:
It is to perform namâzes in their due times.

6- Niyyat:
It is to make niyyat [intention] by passing through heart when one begins a namâz. It is not considered a niyyat to say orally only. To make niyyat for the namâz means passing through heart its name, time, qibla, and wishing to follow the imâm (if it is performed in jamâ’at). Niyyat is made while saying the takbîr of iftitâh [saying Allahu akbar while beginning namâz].

B- The fards that are inside the namâz:
1- Takbîr of iftitâh:
It means saying “Allahu akbar” when beginning namâz. No other word to replace it is acceptable.

2- Qiyâm:
It means standing when performing namâz. Those who are too ill to stand perform it sitting, and if too ill to sit, they lie down on their back and perform namâz with their head (by moving, nodding, etc.their head).

3- Qiraât:
It means reciting a sûra [a chapter of the Qur’ân al-karîm] or an âyat [a verse of the Qur’ân al-karîm] of the Qur’ân al-karîm.

4- Ruku’:
It means bending and putting the hands on the knees after finishing the qiraât.

5- Sajda:
It means prostrating on the ground after the ruku’.

6- Qa’da-i-âkhira [last sitting]:
It means sitting in the last rak’at as long as it would take to say the prayer “Attahiyyâtu.”