- Perform Ishraq 15-20 minutes after the sun rises and once you’ve completed your mandatory Fajr Salaah. Stay seated in the time between these two prayers.
- Face the Qibla when praying Ishraq. If you’re praying from a country west of Mecca, pray to the east. If you’re praying from a country to Mecca's east, face west.
- Recite 2 rak’ahs (units of prayer) when performing Ishraq. Start by reciting Surah Fatiha (the opening verse). Then, state another surah (chapter) before bowing.
- Conduct at least 2 rak’ahs when performing Ishraq. However, you can recite more if you feel like it. Most Muslims pray an even number of rak’ahs during Ishraq.
Preparing for Ishraq
Set an alarm to wake up for the Fajr and Ishraq prayers. The Ishraq prayer is performed about 15-20 minutes after the sun rises. It requires you to remain seated after performing the mandatory sunrise prayer (Fajr Salaah) and remember Allah until it is appropriate to begin reciting your rak’ahs (units of prayer) again. To ensure you rise in time to perform Fajr and Ishraq, research what time the morning sun will rise in your city before you go to bed. Set an alarm for that time. If you lose track of time, look at the position of the sun over the horizon. If the sun has completely risen and no parts of it appear to be touching the skyline, you can begin your prayer.
Get rid of anything in the room that might distract you. While you’re praying, maintain complete focus and avoid thinking about anything other than the task at hand. To help you keep your concentration, remove your phone from your room, turn off your television, and take a moment of complete silence to center yourself. It’s okay to have a fan running or noise in the background if it’s unavoidable. Just work on blocking out the extra sounds while you’re praying.
Perform wudu to prepare your body for salah. In Islam, you have to purify yourself before praying. Since you’ve just woken up to say Ishraq, clean yourself using the cleansing ritual of wudu. To perform wudu, rinse your hair once from the forehead to the back of your head and wash your hands, mouth, face, arms, and feet three times each. Wudu must be performed in the specific ritual order, starting with the hands, then moving to the mouth and face, then lower arms, then the hair, and then the feet.
Turn your body to face Qibla. Face the Holy Mosque in Mecca while you are praying. This is a very special place of worship for Muslims around the world, and is the location of the Kaaba, an important relic. To face the direction of the Qibla, find where you are in relation to the Kaaba. If you live east of Al Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia (where the Holy Mosque is located), face west in your prayer. If you live west, face east. To help you with directions, try downloading a “Qibla compass” app on your phone. This is a modified compass that points in the direction of the Holy Mosque. In the United States, many people disagree on what direction they should face to say prayers. However, most North American Muslims face northeast when they pray.
Saying the Ishraq Prayers
State your intentions for saying Ishraq. Understand your reasons for praying before you recite any prayers. Do you want to cleanse yourself of lesser sins? To say extra thanks to Allah? Perhaps you just want to start your day on a positive note. Whatever your reasoning, think about how many rak'ahs you will perform and why you’re doing them. Then, quietly say your intentions for performing Ishraq out loud. You might say “I pray two rak'ah Ishraq for Allah while facing toward Kaaba to ask for forgiveness of my wrongdoings.” Your intention could also be something like “Today is a holiday, and I am performing Ishraq to encourage good deeds in the world in the name of Allah.”
Start your Ishraq prayer. Begin praying by reading Surah Fatiha (the opening prayer of the Quran), followed by another surah (chapter) of your choosing. Then, bow down into Ruku by bending over until your hands are placed directly over your knees. Finally, prostrate yourself into Sujood with your palms, toes, knees, and forehead all touching the floor. Say the surahs in Arabic, since they come from the Quran. Personal prayers can be said in your native language. Keep your voice low when reciting your rak’ahs so that only you can hear yourself. It is recommended to recite Ayatul Kursi up until “Khalidoon” after Surah Fatiha. However, you may choose any memorized verse that feels appropriate.
Perform another rak'ah. After you’ve completed your first prayer, return to the standing position and recite Surah Fatiha again. Choose a different surah from your first rak’ah to recite after Fatiha. Then, continue with the rest of the rak'ah, bowing into Ruku and prostrating into Sujood when appropriate. The recommended surah for your second rak’ah is Aamanar Rasul until the end of “Suratul Baqarah.”
Say as many rak’ahs as you feel are necessary. Ishraq only requires you to perform 2 rak’ahs for your prayers, but say more if you want to. Many Muslims believe that Ishraq is a very powerful prayer. Therefore, performing more rak'ahs can help you achieve your prayer’s intention more fully. Most people say an even number of rak’ahs for Ishraq, even if they perform more than the required amount.
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