The Sunnahs of Prayer, Part 3: Final Sitting, Salaam, and Adab

1. Sunnahs 40–43: Finger Gesture, Later Fatihah, Salawat, and Dua

وَالْإِشَارَةُ بِالْمُسَبِّحَةِ عِنْدَ الشَّهَادَةِ يَرْفَعُهَا عِنْدَ النَّفْيِ وَيَضَعُهَا عِنْدَ الْإِثْبَاتِ، وَقِرَاءَةُ الْفَاتِحَةِ فِيمَا بَعْدَ الْأُولَيَيْنِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي الْجُلُوسِ الْأَخِيرِ، وَالدُّعَاءُ بِمَا يُشْبِهُ أَلْفَاظَ الْقُرْآنِ وَالسُّنَّةِ لَا كَلَامَ النَّاسِ

40. In Tashahhud, raise the index finger at the negation and lower it at the affirmation.
41. Recite al-Fatihah in the Fard rak'ahs after the first two.
42. Recite Salawat in the final sitting.
43. Make dua with Quranic or transmitted-style wording, not wording treated as ordinary human-style requests in this Hanafi rule.

The commentary explains that a request ordinarily obtainable from people can enter the prohibited 'human speech' category; requests that are not in people's independent power, such as forgiveness from Allah, are different.

2. Sunnahs 44–47: Turning for Salaam and Whom to Intend

وَالِالْتِفَاتُ يَمِينًا ثُمَّ يَسَارًا بِالتَّسْلِيمَتَيْنِ ... وَنِيَّةُ الْإِمَامِ الرِّجَالَ وَالْحَفَظَةَ وَصَالِحَ الْجِنِّ ... وَنِيَّةُ الْمَأْمُومِ إِمَامَهُ ... وَنِيَّةُ الْمُنْفَرِدِ الْمَلَائِكَةَ فَقَطْ

44. Turn right, then left, for the two Salaams.
45. The Imam intends those on the relevant side together with the guardian angels and righteous jinn as stated by the text.
46. The follower also includes the Imam in the direction in which the Imam is located; if exactly level, the source mentions intending him in both.
47. The solitary worshipper intends the angels.

3. Sunnahs 48–51: The Two Salaams and the Latecomer

وَخَفْضُ الثَّانِيَةِ عَنِ الْأُولَى، وَمُقَارَنَتُهُ لِسَلَامِ الْإِمَامِ، وَالْبَدَاءَةُ بِالْيَمِينِ، وَانْتِظَارُ الْمَسْبُوقِ فَرَاغَ الْإِمَامِ

48. The second Salaam is lower than the first.
49. The follower's Salaam is connected with the Imam's Salaam in the prescribed way.
50. Begin the Salaams on the right.
51. A latecomer waits until the Imam has finished before rising to complete missed rak'ahs.

Detailed follower cases are taught later; this slide states the Sunnah sequence.

4. Adab 1–2: Sleeves and the Gaze

مِنْ آدَابِهَا إِخْرَاجُ الرَّجُلِ كَفَّيْهِ مِنْ كُمَّيْهِ عِنْدَ التَّكْبِيرَةِ، وَنَظَرُ الْمُصَلِّي إِلَى مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ قَائِمًا، وَإِلَى ظَاهِرِ الْقَدَمِ رَاكِعًا، وَإِلَى أَرْنَبَةِ أَنْفِهِ سَاجِدًا، وَإِلَى حِجْرِهِ جَالِسًا، وَإِلَى الْمَنْكِبَيْنِ مُسَلِّمًا

1. For a man wearing sleeves, bringing the hands out at the opening Takbir is listed as Adab.
2. Direct the gaze:
• standing → place of Sujud;
• Ruku → tops of the feet;
• Sujud → tip of the nose;
• sitting → lap;
• Salaam → toward the shoulders.

The Salaam gaze point was missing from the previous version and is now restored.

5. Adab 3–6: Cough, Yawn, Standing for Iqamah, and the Imam's Start

وَدَفْعُ السُّعَالِ مَا اسْتَطَاعَ، وَكَظْمُ فَمِهِ عِنْدَ التَّثَاؤُبِ، وَالْقِيَامُ حِينَ قِيلَ حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ، وَشُرُوعُ الْإِمَامِ مُذْ قِيلَ قَدْ قَامَتِ الصَّلَاةُ

3. Suppress unnecessary coughing as far as reasonably possible.
4. Restrain/cover the mouth when yawning.
5. The text lists standing when حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ is called during Iqamah.
6. It permits the Imam to begin from قَدْ قَامَتِ الصَّلَاةُ; the commentary notes that delaying until the Iqamah is completed is better.

These are Adab, not conditions that determine whether the prayer is valid.

6. From Wajib to Sunnah to Adab

The last three levels complete a useful hierarchy:
• Wajib: deliberate omission is sinful; forgetful omission can require Sujud al-Sahw.
• Sunnah: completes the prayer and follows the transmitted method, but omission by itself does not normally require Sujud al-Sahw.
• Adab: refines focus, dignity and orderly performance.

Keeping these categories separate prevents every recommended posture from being treated as a validity condition.