Adapted from the Abridged Version of 'the Prophet's Manner of Observing Prayer' of Al-Imâm Al-Albâni – Rahimahu-Llaah.
Translated and modified by Aboo Aamir Al-Atharee
All rights reserved.
1. Facing the Qiblah in whatever prayer it is – obligatory or optional. It is a pillar without which the prayer is invalid.
2. However the obligation of facing the Qiblah is removed if the prayer is the type observed during the time of fear or in a severe battle.
So also are those who cannot observe the prayer as it is ought to; like a sick person or someone on a ship or a car or a plane. They can face other than the Qiblah provided there is fear of the passage of time of the prayer.
As for the person observing an optional prayer or a Witr Prayer while he is on a mount or otherwise, it is permissible for such – if he has the means – to face the Qiblah with the mount while saying the Opening Takbeer then he can face wherever the animal faces afterwards.
3. Whoever can see the Ka'bah with his eyes must face it but whoever cannot see it should face its direction.
4. Whoever thus prays facing other than the Qiblah due to a cloudy obstruction or other than that, after he might have striven to ascertain the Qiblah, his prayer is valid; he needs not repeat it.
5. If when one is praying, a trustworthy person comes in and directs one to the correct direction of the Qiblah, one should turn towards the Qiblah as one observes the prayer. The prayer is valid.
6. One must stand to pray except if one is in a state of fear such as when a battle is fierce then one can pray while riding. The sick person who cannot pray standing can sit if he has the power, otherwise he should pray while reclining on his side. As for a person observing an optional prayer, he can observe the prayer on a ride or while sitting – if he wills. He can make the bowing and prostrating with just head movements, so also is the sick person; but he should make his prostration lower than the bowing.
7. A person observing a prayer while sitting – due to a difficulty – should not place any raised object before him to prostrate over, he should only make his prostration lower than the bowing, that is, when he cannot touch the ground with his forehead.
8. The obligatory prayer can be observed on a ship; so also on a plane.
9. But he can pray while sitting down in both if he fears he can fall.
10. He, because of old age or a body weakness, can rest on a pillar while he stands up to pray, or support himself with a stick.
11. One can observe the prayer in the night whether standing or sitting – without any excuse; he can even combine both such that he begins the prayer and its recitation while sitting but before he goes to the bowing, he recites the rest of the Verses standing then he goes to the bowing and prostration positions. He will repeat the same in the second unit of the prayer.
12. If there is a reason for praying while sitting, he should sit in a square form – that is, by cross-legging and bringing his legs closer to himself. He may observe any other form of sitting if sitting in a square form is not easy for him.
13. One can observe the prayer barefoot or in footwear.
14. The best is to interchange between the two at intervals, especially as best as possible for one. He must not make it binding upon himself to pray in shoes or otherwise; if he is barefoot then let him pray barefoot and if his putting on shoes let him pray in them unless there is a pressing factor that can make him do otherwise.
15. If he does not observe his prayers in shoes such that he removes them, he should either place the footwear by his right hand side or his left hand side – if there is nobody there otherwise he should place them in-between his legs as the command regarding that has come authentically from the Prophet(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam).
16. It is permissible for the Imaam to observe the prayer on a raised platform – like the minbar, if he does that with the intention of teaching the people how to pray. He will make the takbîr (that is, saying Allaahu-Akbar ['Allâh is Great']) while on the raised platform and make the bowing the same way but will come down the platform reserving on his heels until he is able to make the prostration on the ground by the foundation of the minbar after which he will climb the platform again and do like he did in the first unit.
17. He must pray facing a sutrah – whether he prays in the mosque or otherwise, a big one or small one. That is due to the general purport of the statement of the Messenger of Allâh (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam):
'Do not pray except towards a sutrah; never allow anybody to pass before you. If anybody insists on passing before you, then fight him because there is a devil-friend with him.'
18. One must come closer the sutrah. That is the command of the Messenger of Allâh(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam).
19. It once occurred that there was between the point the Messenger of Allâh(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam) was to place his head, and the wall, a space that could allow the passage of a goat. Whoever leaves such a space has indeed carried out the command of coming closer the sutrah.
20. The size of the sutrah from the ground is a palm's length or two according to the statement of the Messenger of Allâh(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam): 'If any of you have the like of a camel saddle (as a sutrah) before him let him pray towards it; he should not care about whoever walks behind that.'
21. He should directly face the sutrah because that is what is apparent in the command of the Messenger of Allâh(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam) regarding that, as for tilting a bit right or left such that one does not face the sutrah as a whole, that is not established.
22. It is permissible to pray facing a stick dug into the ground or what is similar. One can also face a tree or the pillar of a house or a woman wrapped up on the bed (one's wife) or a beast, even a camel!
23. It is generally not permissible to pray facing the graves – whether graves of the prophets or others.
24. If a person observing a prayer has a sutrah before him, it is not permissible to walk in his front – whether that happens in Masjid Haram or otherwise. The prohibition applies to all, since there is nothing limiting the general prohibition as found in the statement of the Messenger of Allâh: 'If the person that walks in the front of a praying person knows what is upon him (of sins), he would stand for forty (days, years, etc.) and this would be better for him than to walk in the front of a praying person.'
25. It is not permissible for the person observing a prayer facing the sutrah to allow anybody to walk in his front because of the hadith earlier mentioned under Point 17. And due to this statement of the Messenger of Allâh (salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam): 'If any of you prays facing the sutrah and someone comes to pass in his front, he should prevent the person by blocking his neck as much as possible.' Another narration goes thus: 'He should prevent him – two times – and if he insists, he should fight him because there is a devil with him.'
26. It is also permissible for the person observing a prayer to take a step or two forward to stop a non-liable thing like a beast or a toddler from passing in his front.
27. Among the importance of placing the sutrah in one's front is that it prevents the one facing it from having an invalid prayer. For a person who does not have a sutrah in his front may have his prayer nullified when a grown up woman passes in his front so also a donkey and a black dog.
28. The person that wants to observe a prayer must make the intention for the prayer he wants to observe; he will make that clearly in his heart viz. an obligatory Dhuhr Prayer or Asr Prayer, or their accompanying optional prayers. Making the intention is a condition or a pillar of the prayer. As for coining a format for the intention upon the tongue, this is a bid'ah that contravenes the Sunnah. None of the respected scholars of the Deen has ever said it is permissible.
29. Then he will begin his prayer by saying Allâhu-Akbar ['Allâh is Great']; this is a pillar of the prayer due to the statement of the Messenger of Allâh(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam): 'The key of the prayer is purification, what makes its sacred is the takbeer and what frees from its liability is the tasleem.'
30. One should not raise the voice when saying the takbeer in all the prayers except the Imaam.
31. The muâdhin can transmit the voice of the Imaam to the people when there is a need for that viz. the Imaam is sick, his voice is weak or the people praying behind him are many.
32. The person praying behind the Imaam should not say his takbeer except after the Imaam might have said his own takbeer.
33. The person praying should raise his hands as he says the takbeer, or before, or after it. All those are there in the Sunnah.
34. He should raise his hands while the fingers are well-straightened.
35. He can make his palms be at the same length as his shoulders, or at times, he should raise them such that they come near the edges of his ears.
36. Then he should place his right hand over his left hand after the takbeer. It is part of the prophets' traditions. That was also the command issued to the Messenger of Allâh(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam) and his companions hence it is not permitted to do otherwise.
37. He should place the right hand over the back of his left hand; or on the wrist or the forearm.
38. Sometimes he can make the right hand hold (tight) the left hand.
39. He should then place both hands just on the chest – this applies to both the man and woman.
40. It is not permitted to place the right hand over the waist.
41. He should concentrate on his prayer; hence he should avoid all what may take his heart away from it. For instance, he should not go for prayer when the meal has been served, or when he is pressed down by the need to go to the toilet to pass urine or excreta.
42. When standing, he should look at the point where he is going to place his head at prostration.
43. He should not look right or left because doing so is an example of devil's stealing from one's prayer.
44. It is not permitted to raise the eyes up to the sky.
45. Then he should come with one of the wordings of the Opening Supplications ( duaaul-istif'taah ) that have come variously from the Messenger of Allâh(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam) the most prominent of which is this:
Sub'haanak-Allaahumma wa bihamdik, wa tabaaraka'smuk, wa ta'aalaa jadduka, wa laa ilaaha ghairuk [Glorified are You O Lord, praise unto You, Blessed is Your Name, Mighty is Your Worthiness, there is none worthy of worship beside You].
A command has come regarding the above; therefore it should be well guarded.
46. Then he should seek refuge with Allâh the Mighty; it is obligatory to do so. He will be sinful to abandon it.
47. The Sunnah is that one should sometimes say, A'uudhu bi-Llaah minash-Shaytaanir-Rajeem min hamzi-hi wa naf'khi-hi wa naf'thih [I seek refuge with Allâh from the devil, his seizure, arrogance and (evil) ode].
48. And if he likes, he can say this, Auudhu bi-Llaahis-sami'eel-aleem minash-shaytaanir-rajeem… [I seek refuge with Allâh, the All-Hearer the Forbearer, from the devil…]
49. Then he should say – silently, whether in loud or silent prayers –
Bismillahir-rahmaanir-raheem [I begin in the Name of Allâh the Most Beneficent the Most Compassionate].
50. Then he should completely recite the Opening Chapter [Suurah al-Faatihah] – including the basmalah (that is, Bismillahir-rahmaanir-raheem). Reciting the Opening Chapter is a pillar, without it, the prayer is invalid. The non-Arabic speakers must memorize it.
51. Whoever cannot recite the Opening Chapter should say,
Sub'haanaLlaah wal-hamduliLlah wa laa ilaaha illa Allaah wa Llaahu akbar, wa laa haula wa laa quwwata illa bi-Llaah [Glorified are You O Allâh, praise unto You, there is none worthy of worship beside You, Allâh is Great, no power nor strength except with Allâh].
52. The Sunnah in the recitation of the Opening Chapter is that one should pause at the end of each Verse, that is, not reciting all the Verses at a stretch. That is indeed the manner of the Prophet's recitation of the Qur'ân; he used to pause at the end of every Verse, he would not join them together even if the meaning if the Verses were connected.
53. In reciting the Opening Chapter, maaliki yaumid-deen could be recited as maliki yaumid-deen – without the elongation of the maa vowel sound.
54. It is obligatory on the person praying behind the Imaam to recite his Opening Chapter whether in a silent or loud prayer, most especially if he cannot hear the recitation of the Imaam or the Imaam becomes silent after his recitation of the Opening Chapter to allow those behind him to finish up their own recitation of the Opening Chapter. [Ash-Shaykh Al-Albaanee – rahimahuLlaah – said:] 'Even though we are not of the opinion that this pausing from the Imaam is established in the Sunnah.'
55. It is recommended that the person should recite another Chapter after reciting the Opening Chapter – even in the Funeral Prayer. He could also recite just some Verses of the Qur'ân in the first two units of the prayer.
56. He can sometimes prolong the recitation after the recitation of the Opening Chapter, and at another time not prolong it perhaps because of being on a journey or when there is a cough seizure or another form of sickness or the cry of a baby.
57. The general recitation will vary according to the type of prayer being observed; for instance, the recitation in the Fajr Prayer is usually longer than the rest of the prayers. The prayer that follows it in length is the Dhuhr Prayer then Asr Prayer then Ishaa Prayer then Maghrib Prayer.
58. The recitation in the night optional prayers is usually longer than all the prayers mentioned above.
59. The Sunnah is to prolong the recitation in the first unit of a prayer longer than the second unit.
60. [It is also Sunnah] to make the two last units of a prayer shorter than the first two – the latter will be a half of the former.

61. It is obligatory to recite the Opening Chapter in each of the units.

62. It is recommended to add to the recitation of the Opening Chapter in the last two units; this can be done sometimes.

63. The Imaam should not prolong the recitation more than it has come in the Sunnah; that will surely cause a difficulty upon those praying behind him especially if there are old people, sick people, nursing mothers or people on an assignment behind him.

64. The recitation should be done aloud in Subh Prayer, Jum'ah, Prayers of the Two Eids, Prayer for Rain, Eclipse, the First two units in Maghrib and Ishaa Prayers. But the recitation is done silently in Dhuhr Prayer, Asr, the third unit of Maghrib and the last two of Ishaa.

65. It is permissible for the Imaam to make those behind him hear the Verses sometimes in silent prayers.

66. As for the Witr and Night Optional Prayers, he can make the recitation therein sometimes aloud some other time silent. But he should be considerate in raising the voice.

67. The Sunnah is that the person reciting the Qur'ân (in prayer) should recite it meticulously; not very slow nor very fast. Rather it should be a recitation that is spelt out letter by letter. He should beautify the Qur'ân with his voice. He should recite the Qur'ân melodiously but according to the well-known rules of the science of recitation of the Qur'ân ( Ahkaamut-Tajweed ). He should not recite the Qur'ân as the people of innovation do nor should he recite it according to musical rules.

68. It is permissible for the person praying behind the Imaam to correct the latter when the recitation becomes confusing to him.

69. When he finishes from the recitation, he should pause a little – the length of what will make his breath come back to him.

70. Then he should raise his two hands as earlier mentioned under the topic of how to make the Opening Takbeer.

71. Then he should say the takbeer; it is compulsory to do so.

72. Then he should go to the bowing position such as will allow his joints to become stationary; each bone should take their respective positions. This is a pillar.

73. Then he should place his two hands over his knees, he should hold them tightly on the knees but should spread out his fingers. This act is also obligatory.

74. He should straighten his back at the bowing position such that if water were to be poured over his back, it will stay. This act is also obligatory.

75. At the bowing position, he should not hang down his head nor raise it up but he should let it be equal to his back.

76. Also at the bowing position, he should keep his elbows away from his two sides.

77. He should utter the following statement three times or more as he bows:

Sub'haana rabiyyahl-A'alaa [Glorified is my Lord the Most High].

78. It is also part of the Sunnah that he should render equal the length of the pillars. For instance, he should make closer to the length of his bowing, his rising after the bowing, his prostration, and the sitting between the two prostrations.

79. It is not permissible to recite the Qur'ân at the bowing position nor at the prostration.

80. Then from the bowing position, he should raise his head. This is also a pillar.

81. As he rises from the bowing position, he should utter this statement:

Sami'aLlaahu man hamida-hu [Allâh hears he that praises Him].

It is obligatory to say this.

82. As he rises and stands erect from the bowing position, he should raise his hands as was earlier mentioned.

83. Then he should stand erect with tranquility such that each bone will take their respective places. This is also a pillar.

84. He should say as he stands in the position above,

Rabbaana walakal-hamdu [Our Lord, Yours is the praise].

It is compulsory for every person observing the prayer to utter that statement even if the person were behind the Imaam. This is so because the statement is the accompanying supplication to the standing; and saying Sami'aLlaahu man hamida-hu [Allâh hears he that praises Him] is the accompanying supplication to rising from the bowing position.

85. He should let this standing and the bowing be equal in length as was mentioned earlier.

86. Then he should say the takbeer. It is compulsory to say that.

87. He may raise his hands as he says the takbeer (going to the prostration).

88. He should then go to the prostration making the hands go first; he should let the hands touch the ground before the knee. This is what the Messenger of Allâh(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam) commanded; this is what is established in his action. He indeed forbade imitating the camel in this respect. Camel, as it is known, used to fall upon his two knees that are in his forearms.

89. When he goes on prostration – which is a pillar of prayer, he should rest upon his palms and should spread them out.

90. But he should bring his fingers closer at the position.

91. Also he should make the fingers face the Qiblah.

92. He should make his two palms be at the same level with his shoulders.

93. Sometimes he may let the palms be at the level of his earlobes.

94. He should raise his forearms from the ground – this is obligatory; and he should not spread them as the dog does.

95. He should let his nose (alongside his forehead) touch the ground. This act is a pillar.

96. He should also let his knees touch the ground.

97. So also are the tips of his toes.

98. He should have his feet on the ground (curved). All this is a pillar.

99. He should ensure that the tips of his toes face the Qiblah.

100. He should bring his heels closer; that is, by not allowing any space between them.

101. He should straighten himself well while at prostration that means he should position his body well such that all the limbs used in the prostration remain the same; the limbs are: The forehead and the nose together, the two palms, the knees and the tips of the toes.

102. Whoever positions himself well in the prostration as stated above has indeed carried out tranquility at prostration which is a pillar of the prayer.

103. He should say in the prostration, three times or more than,

Sub'haana rabiyyal-A'laa [Glorified is my Lord Who is the Most Great].

104. It is recommended that one should say much supplications while at prostration. Supplications are often granted at this position.

105. He should make the length of his prostration be closer to the length of his bowing as was earlier mentioned.

106. It is permissible to prostrate on the ground; or upon something on the ground spread out at the position of the forehead such as a cloth or a carpet or a mat or something like that.

107. It is not permissible for anyone to recite the Qur'ân at prostration.

108. Then from the prostration, he should raise his head saying the takbeer; it is obligatory to do so.

109. He can sometimes raise his hands in the process.

110. Then he should sit upright such that all his bones will take their respective places; this is also a pillar.

111. Then he should place down the back of his left foot then sit over its inner part. This is also obligatory.

112. At that position, he should make his right foot stand upright such that it is placed on the ground.

113. He should let the tips of the right foot face the Qiblah.

114. It is permissible to sometimes sit upon the back of the heels such that the feet will be bent on the ground.

115. He should say at this state [that is, between the two prostrations],

Allahumma'ghfirlee war'hamnee waj'birnee, war'fa'nee, wa 'aafinee, war'zuqnee

[O Allah, forgive me, have mercy upon me, make me do Your biddings, raise me, pardon me and enrich me].

116. And if he likes he can add this, Rabbigh'firlee, rabbigh'firlee [O Lord forgive me, O Lord forgive me].

117. He should stay long in this sitting such that it comes closer to the length of the prostration.>

118. Then he should make the takbeer compulsorily.

119. He can raise his hands with this takbeer if he so wish.

120. Then he should make the second prostration; this is another pillar of the prayer.

121. He should repeat the like of what he did in the first prostration.

122. And when he raises his head from the second prostration but before he goes to the second unit, he should make the takbeer compulsorily.

123. He can raise his hands as he makes the takbeer.

124. But he should first sit upright upon the inside of his left foot such that all the bones will take their respective places.

125. Then he should stand up resting upon his two palms folding them as the kneader will do; then to the second unit. This is also a pillar.

126. Then in the second unit, he should repeat the like of what he did in the first unit.

127. But in the second unit, he will not repeat the Opening Supplication.

128. And he should make the length of the second unit shorther than the first unit.

129. And when he finishes from the second unit, he should sit for the

tashahhud ; this is obligatory.

130. He should sit (at the tashahhud) as mentioned under Point 111.

131. It should be noted that he cannot sit here as was mentioned under Point 114.

132. He should place his right palm upon his right thigh and knee and the edge of his elbow upon his thigh; he should not make the edge of the elbow be farther from the thigh.

133. He should spread out his left palm upon his right thigh and knee.

134. It is not permissible for him to sit while he rests on his hand especially the left hand.

135. He should fold all the fingers of his right palm but should sometimes place the thumb on the middle finger.

136. And sometimes he can make a circle with the two fingers.

137. He should point with his finger next to the thumb, towards the Qiblah.

138. As he points with the finger, he should fix its gaze at it.

139. He can slightly move the pointed finger as he makes supplications with it; the twisting is done from the beginning of the tashahhud till the end.

140. He should not point with his left finger.

141. He does this in all his tashahhud (first and second as the case may be).

142. Tashahhud is obligatory; when it is forgotten, the two prostrations of forgetfulness will be made for its rectification.

143. He should make the tashahhud silently.

144. This is the wording of the tashahhud:

At-Tahiyaatu liLlaah was-Salawaat Wat-Tayyibaat. As-Salaam 'alan-Nabiyy wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatu-hu. As-Salaam alaynaa wa alaa ibaadillahis-Saaliheen. Ash'hadu anlaa ilaaha illa-Llaah wa ash'hadu anna muhammadan ab'du-hu wa rasuulu-hu.

[Greetings to Allâh; blessings and good things. Peace upon the Prophet, and Allâh's Mercy and Blessings. Peace upon us and the pious slaves of Allâh. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allâh and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.]

145. Then he should send blessings upon the Prophet; he can say:

Allahumma salli ala muhammad wa alaa aali muhammad kamaa salaita alaa ibraaheem wa alaa aali ibraaheem innaka hameedun majeed. Allahuma baarik alaa muhammadin wa alaa aali muhammadin kamaa baarakta alaa ibraaheem wa alaa aali ibraahim innaka hameedun majeed.

[O Allâh extol Muhammad and the household of Muhammad as You extolled Ibrahim and the household of Ibrahim verily You are full of praise and You are worthy. O Allâh bless Muhammad and the household of Muhammad as You blessed Ibrahim and the household of Ibrahim verily You are full of praise and You are worthy. ]

146. And if you want to be brief you can say:

Allahumma salli 'alaa muhammad wa 'alaa aali muhammad wa baarik 'alaa muhammad wa 'alaa aali muhammad kamaa salaita wa baarakta alaa ibraahim wa alaa aali ibraaheem innaka hameedun majeed.

[O Allâh extol Muhammad and the household of Muhammad and bless Muhammad and the household of Muhammad as You extolled and blessed Ibrahim and the household of Ibrâhîm verily You are full of praise and worthy.]

147. Then he should make any choice of legal supplication in this

tashahhud that might please him; he should invoke Allâh the Mighty with it.

148. Then he should say the takbeer compulsorily; the Sunnah is that he should say it while still sitting.

149. He can raise his hands if he so wish.

150. Then he should rise to the third unit; this is also a unit like the one after it.

151. He will do the same when he wants to rise to the fourth unit.

152. But before he rises, he should first sit on his left foot such that all the bones will take their respective places.

153. Then he should rise resting on his hands as he did when going to the second unit.

154. He should recite in each of the third and fourth unit the Opening Faatihah; it is obligatory.

155. He can add some Verses alongside if he so wish.

156. It is made permissible for him to make the qunuut and pray for the Muslims because of an unusual event befalling them.

157. This qunuut is to be said after the bowing; after saying: Rabbanaa wa lakal-hamd [O Lord, Yours is the praise].

158. There is no specific supplication that accompanies such qunoot; one should make the supplications as suitable for the happening.

159. He should raise his hands in the supplications therein.

160. If he were the Imaam, he should make the supplications loud.

161. Those behind him should say ameen to his supplications.

162. When he finishes, he should make the takbeer and go to prostration.

163. As for the qunuut at Witr Prayer, this is permissible sometimes.

164. The place of this qunuut is before the bowing contrary to the

qunoot mentioned under Point 157 above.

165. He should make the following supplication therein:

Allahumma'h-dinee feeman hadaita wa 'aafanee fee man 'aafaita wa tawaalanee feeman tawalaita, wa baarik lee feemaa a'taita wa qinee sharra ma qadaita fa innaka taqdee wa laa yuqdaa alayk, wa inna-hu laa yadhillu man waalaita, wa laa ya'izzu man 'aadaita, tabaarakta rabbaana wa ta'aalaita, wa laa manjaa minka illaa ilayk.

[O Allâh guide me among those whom You guide, pardon me among those whom You pardon, take me as a friend among those whom You take as friends, bless me in what You give, save me from the evil of what You decree, indeed You decree and none can decree against You. He that seeks Your friendship will not suffer ignominy, he that shows enmity towards You will not be honoured. Blessed are You O Our Lord, and Great are You. There is no place of refuge except with You.]

166. This supplication is from the teaching of the Messenger of Allâh(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam), nothing should therefore be added to it except the statement of seeking blessing for the Prophet, that is permissible because it was established in the practice of the Sahabah.

167. Then he should go to the bowing position and thereafter make two prostrations as was earlier stated.

168. Thereafter he should sit for the last tashahhud ; the two tashahhuds are obligatory.

169. He should repeat the like of what he did in first tashahhud .

170. But when sitting in this last tashahhud, he should spread out his left leg underneath his right leg and sit on his buttocks.

171. The right leg should be placed upright on the ground in the position making its toes to point at the Qiblah.

172. It is also permissible to relax the right foot on the ground sometimes.

173. He will use his left palm to cup his left knee then rest on it.

174. It is obligatory upon him to say the blessing upon the Prophet(salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam). We mentioned while discussing the first tashahhud some of its wordings.

175. Then he should seek refuge with Allâh from four things saying:

Allahumma innee a'uudhu bika min adhaabi Jahannam wa min adhaabil-qabr wa min fitinatil-mahyaa wal-mamaat wa minsharri fitnati al-maseeh ad-dajjal.

[O Allâh I seek refuge with You from the torment of the Hell and from the punishment of the grave and from the trial of living and death and from the evil trial of the False Messiah].

176. Then he should make any supplication that might interest him but as established in the Book of Allâh and the Sunnah; and such supplications are many. If he does not have the knowledge of any of the supplications, he should make any other one he might know that may benefit him in his Deen and worldly affair.

177. Thereafter he should say the tasleem to his right – this is a pillar – such that the whiteness of his right cheek will be seen from the rear.

178. Then another tasleem to his left such that the whiteness of his left cheek will be seen from the rear. The second tasleem can be said too in the Funeral Prayer.

179. The Imaam should say the tasleem loud except if it were in the Funeral Prayer.

180. The tasleem can be said in various ways such as the following:

One:

As-Salaam alaykum wa rahmatuLlaah wa baraakatu-hu

Then to his left:

As-Salaam alaykum wa rahmatuLlaah.

Two:

As-Salaam alaykum wa rahmatuLlaah [left and right without wa baraakatu-hu].

Three:

As-Salaam alaykum wa rahmatuLlaah [to the right]; As-Salaam alaykum only [to the left].

Four:

As-Salaam alaykum alone slightly to his right.

The end.

On the final note: Proofs for each of the actions stated above (that is, from the beginning of the book to the end) are well documented in the main books of Ash-Shaykh Al-Albânee -rahimahuLlaah- on the manner of observing the prayer. Whoever is interested in further reading should get a copy of 'Sifatus-Salatin-Nabiyy,' (Medium or Bigger Edition).