In general, using water brings about purification from impurities.

One must remove all impurities from his/her private parts, by using any pure matter (i.e. toilet tissue) three times or by using water or both.
 

1. Purifying the body and clothes: This is performed by washing them with water until they are cleansed of the impurities. This is especially the case where the impurity is visible, such as the menstrual blood. If there are some stains that remain after washing that are too difficult to remove, they can be overlooked. If the impurity is not visible, such as urine, it is sufficient to wash it once.
    
2. Purifying the clothes from the male infant's urine: This is performed by sprinkling water on it. The urine of a female infant needs to be washed.
    
3. Purifying the bottom of shoes: This is performed by rubbing them against the ground as long as the remains of the impurity (Najassah) are removed.
    
4. Purifying the ground:
    
   1. By pouring water over it.
       
   2. Letting it dry is its purification if the physical impurity is gone.
   
    
5. Purifying the utensils if they were touched by a dog's saliva: This is performed by washing them seven times with water, the first mixed with soil.

And also the body must be free of Hadath (unphysical impurity) There are two kinds of Hadath:
 

1. Minor Hadath: This requires Wudu or ablution. It happens whenever one or more have the following occur: natural discharges like urine, excrement, or wind, falling asleep, or unconsciousness of any kind.
    
2. Major Hadath: This requires washing the whole body. It could be caused by unconscious ejaculation (e.g. in one's sleep), intercourse, menstruation or post-childbirth bleeding. This type of washing entails bathing the whole body including the head with pure water.

Before we can begin to perform Salah, we must first prepare ourselves. This preparation includes making sure that we are clean from physical impurity, and this is done by carrying out Wudu.

Wudu (Ablution) is essential for performing Salah. We cannot offer our Salah without first making Wudu. Here are the steps to take:
 

1. First, make the Niyyah (intention) in your heart that this act of Wudu is for the purpose of preparation for Salah, and say: Bismillah (in the name of Allah.)
    
2. Then wash both hands up to the wrists (starting with the right hand) three times making sure that water has reached between the fingers.
   
   
    
3. Next, take water with your right hand, put it into your mouth and rinse thoroughly three times.
   
    
4. Take water with your right hand; put it into your nose and blow it out three times. (Use the left hand if necessary to help blow it out).
   
   
    
5. Wash your face three times repeatedly. (The whole face: including from the right ear to the left ear, and from the forehead to the bottom of the chin.
   
   
    
6. Wash the right arm thoroughly from wrist to elbow three times, and make sure that no part of the arms has been left unwashed. Repeat with the left arm.
   
   
    
7. Then move the palms of the wet hands lightly over the head, starting from the forehead to the head to the back, and passing both hands over
   the back of the head to the neck, and then bringing them back to the forehead.
   
   
    
8. Next, with the same water, rub the grooves and holes of both ears with the wet index fingers while also passing the wet thumbs behind the ears from the bottom upward.
   
   
    
9. Finally, wash both feet to the ankles three times, starting with the right foot. Make sure that water has reached between the toes and covered the rest the foot.
   
    

Note: If you put your socks on while you have a valid Wudu, it is not necessary to take them off every time you need to renew your Wudu. You can leave them on and wipe the top of each sock once with wet hands in place of washing the entire foot. You may do the same for twenty-four hours or for three days if you are on a journey.

At the ends of the above steps recite: "Ashhadu alla ilaha illallahu, wa ash-hadu anna muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu."
أشهد أن لا إ له إلا الله وحده لا شريك له و أشهد أن محمدا عبده و رسوله
This means:
"I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger."

The Invalidators of Wudu:
 

1. Natural discharges: urine, stool, wind and the like.
    
2. Falling asleep.
    
3. Unconsciousness of any kind.

Ghusl is bathing the whole body with water and it is obligatory in the following cases:
 

1. Janabah, or major Hadath (unphysical impurity): The discharge of seminal secretion, or sexual intercourse.
    
2. At the end of a menstruation period.
    
3. At the end of a postnatal period.

You may perform your Salah by preceding it with Tayammum as a substitute for Wudu or Ghusl when:
 

1. A person cannot find water, or the amount available is insufficient.
    
2. A person has no access to water.
    
3. A person is saving the water for later use.
    
4. A person is sick and cannot use water.
    
5. The use of water is likely to do harm or cause an illness.
    
6. The performance of Wudu will cause the person to miss a funeral or Eid prayer that cannot be made up.

In any of these instances it is permissible to make Tayammum, which is performed as follows:
 

1. First, make Niyyah (intention) in your heart that this act of Tayammum is for the purpose of preparation for Salah, and say: "Bismillah."
    
2. Strike both hands slightly on pure earth or sand or stone.
   
   
    
3. Shake the hands off and wipe the whole face with them.
   
   
   
    
4. Repeat as in (2) and wipe the right arm up to the elbow (or up to the wrist only) with the left hand and the left arm up to the elbow (or up to the wrist only) with the right hand.

What Tayammum makes permissible: After performing Tayammam, a person is pure and may do any of the acts requiring ritual purification, such as prayer.

What nullifies Tayammum: Everything that nullifies the ablution nullifies tayammum. If a person prays after performing Tayammum and then finds water, he does not need to repeat his prayer even if there is time left to do so. However, once there is no longer a valid excuse for Tayammum, the person must make Wudu before offering the next prayer.

Athan is an announcement of the prayer times and is used to call Muslims to the prayers. The person who gives the Athan is called the Mu'athin (Caller). While calling for prayer, he stands facing the Qiblah, and raises his hands to his ears and calls out:

Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) الله أكبر
Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) الله أكبر
Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) الله أكبر
Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) الله أكبر

Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah أشهد أن لا إ له إلا الله
(I bear witness that there is no god but Allah)
Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah أشهد أن لا إ له إلا الله
(I bear witness that there is no god but Allah)

Ashhadu anna muhammadar rasulullahأشهد أن محمدا رسول الله
(I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah's messenger)

Ashhadu anna muhammadar rasulullahأشهد أن محمدا رسول الله
(I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah's messenger)
Hayya alas Salah (Rush to prayer) حي على الصلاة
Hayya alas Salah (Rush to prayer) حي على الصلاة
Hayya alal Falah (Rush to success) حي على الفلاح
Hayya alal Falah (Rush to success) حي على الفلاح
Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) الله أكبر
Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) الله أكبر
La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah) لا إ له إلا الله

The first Athan for Fajr Salah should be shortly before Fajr time to help awaken the people. The following is added after "Hayya alal Falah":
Assalatu khayrum minan naum الصلاة خير من النوم
(Salah is better than sleep)
Assalatu khayrum minan naum الصلاة خير من النوم
(Salah is better than sleep)

However, there is no need for this addition in the second Athan, which should be made at the beginning of fajr time.

It is strongly recommended that whenever wherever possible, Muslims males should offer their compulsory (Fard) prayers in congregation at the mosque (Masjid).

Iqamah is another call to prayer that is said just before the actual start of Salah. Iqamah is exactly like the Athan, except that after "Hayya alal Falah" the following is added:

Qad qamatis Salah قد قامت الصلاة
(The prayer has begun)
Qad qamatis Salah قد قامت الصلاة
(The prayer has begun)

Iqamah is said in a lower voice than Athan, as it is directed at the group that is already present for the prayer.

A Muslim must pray five times a day. The compulsory prayers are called Fard in Arabic. Each unit of a prayer is called Rak'ah. The Fard prayers are:
 

Fajr 2 Rak'ahs
Zuhr 4 Rak'ahs
Asr 4 Rak'ahs
Maghrib 3 Rak'ahs
Isha 4 Rak'ahs
*Jumu'ah 2 Rak'ah (in place of Zuhr on Fridays)

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) performed extra prayers in addition to Fard prayers. These prayers are called Sunnah prayers. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) always prayed two Rak'ahs before the Fard of Fajr and three Rak'ahs after the Fard of Isha even when on a journey. The one, three, five, seven, nine, or eleven Rak'ahs after Isha are called Witr (odd number). The Sunnah prayers are:
 

Fajr 2 Rak'ahs before Fard.
Zuhr 4 before Fard and 2 after.
Asr 4 (optional) before Fard.
Maghrib 2 Rak'ahs after Fard.
Isha 4 (optional) before Fard
2 Rak'ahs after Fard.
1, 3,5,7,9 or 11 Witr.

The Sunnah prayers are normally offered individually and no Athan or Iqamah is needed for those extra prayers.

The Witr (odd number) prayer is one that the Prophet practiced and he highly encouraged Muslims to practice. He (pbuh) never left it even when on a journey. You can pray it any time after 'Isha' prayer until the time for Fajr prayer. You can pray it one, three, five, seven, nine or eleven Rak'at.
Recite Suratul Fatihah and some other verses from the Qur'an and before or after Rukoo of the last Rak'ah raise your hands high up to the level of the shoulders in supplication the following Du'a (supplication) with your hands raised towards the sky. This Du'a is called Du'a al-Qunut:

Allahumma Ihdeni Fiman Hadayt, Wa A'feni Fiman A'fayt, Watawallani Fiman Tawallayt, Wabarek li Fima A'atayt, Waqeni Sharra Ma Qadayt, Faenaka Taqdi WalaYuqda Alyk, Waennahu La Yathelu Man Walayt, Tabarakta Rabbana Wat'alyt."

اللهم اهدني فيمن هديت, و عا فني فيمن عا فيت, و تولني فيمن توليت, و بارك لي فيما أعطيت, و قني شر ما قضيت, فإنك تقضي ولا يقضى عليك, وإنه لا يذل من واليت, تباركت ربنا و تعاليت.
This means:
"O Allah, guide me among those whom You have guided. Grant me safety among those whom You have granted safety. Take me into Your charge among those whom You have taken into Your charge. Bless me in what You have given me. Protect me from the evil that You have decreed, for You decree and nothing is decreed for You. And there is no humiliation for whom You take as a ward. Blessed and exalted are You, our Lord."

After this, say: Allahu Akbar and bow down for Ruku or Sujood and complete the rest of prayer like other prayer.

It is good to ask for forgiveness and mercy from Allah at the end of your Salah. You can say this in your own words and in your own language. But it is better for you to memorize some Du'as (supplications prayers) from the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Arabic.

• Willful negligence of any basic posture of Salah like Rukoo, Sujood, etc.
   
• Talking.
   
• Laughing.
   
• Eating or drinking.
   
• Uncovering part of the body that should be covered.
   
• Diverging from the direction of the Qiblah.
   
• Excessive movement, which is not part of Salah.
   
• Any of invalidators of Wudu.