Salat - The Muslim Prayer Book — Page 53
S al a t —The Muslim Prayer Book 53 congregation does the same. If the Prayer which is being performed is not of two Rak‘ a t but is a three or four Rak‘ a t Prayer, then sitting in the Qa‘dah position at the end of the second Rak‘at , is shortened and the worshipper recites only up to and including Tashahhud. Having recited Tashahhud , the Im a m says All a hu Akbar indicating the end of the second Rak‘at and the beginning of the third Rak‘at , and assumes the Qiy a m posture, completes the third Rak‘at exactly as he has done the second. The whole congregation follows him. If the Prayer is of three Rak‘ a t , for example Maghrib Prayer, then after the second prostration of the third Rak‘at , the Im a m sits in the Qa‘dah position, recites Tashahhud and Dur u d and some other prayers silently and says Assal a mu ‘Alaikum wa Ra h matull a h , marking the end of the Prayer. The whole congregation follows his movements and recite the same silently. If the Prayer is a four Rak‘ a t Prayer , like Z uhr, ‘A s r and ‘Ish a’ , the Im a m does not assume the Qa‘dah posture at the end of the third Rak‘at , but leads the congregation immediately into the Qiy a m of the fourth Rak‘at. It is only after the second Prostration of the fourth Rak‘at that the Im a m sits in the Qa‘dah position. In this Qa‘dah which is called final Qa‘dah , recite Dur u d and prayers after Tashahhud. They then end the Prayer by saying Assal a mu ‘Alaikum wa Ra h matull a h while turning their face towards the right and to the left as explained earlier. The following points should be noted: i. If it is the final Qa‘dah , Tashahhud and Dur u d and