The Ishraq Prayer, also known as Duha, is an optional prayer for Muslims to recite as soon as the sun rises. It is recited to ask forgiveness for sins, but many also choose it for the graces that it is said to promise: performing Ishraq is as simple as any other prayer and brings great benefits to spiritual well-being!
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Stand up to Pray
Step 1. Set your alarm to wake up at dawn
Ishraq is an optional prayer (salah) that is said about 15-20 minutes after sunrise. Before going to sleep, check what time the sun will rise in your city the following morning and set your alarm accordingly.
If you lose track of time, observe the position of the sun on the horizon: if it has risen completely and does not touch the horizon at all, you can start the prayer
Step 2. Eliminate any distractions from your room
While praying, you must focus solely and exclusively on prayer, without thinking about anything else, so turn off your phone and TV and take a moment in complete silence to focus on yourself.
It doesn't matter if there's a fan on or background noise that can't be eliminated, but don't let that get you out of focus while you pray
Step 3. Practice wudu to prepare the body for prayer
In the Islamic religion it is necessary to be pure before praying, and since you have just got up to recite the Ishraq, you will have to do ablutions. In fact, wudu involves washing hands, mouth, face, arms, head and feet three times each.
- The wudu must be performed according to a precise ritual order, starting from the hands and continuing with the mouth and face, then moving on to the forearms and head and ending with the feet.
- Wash your head only once, from the forehead to the nape of the neck.
Step 4. Face the qibla
The Muslim faithful pray facing the Sacred Mosque of Mecca, a special place of worship as it is the seat of the Ka'ba, a historical building of considerable importance.
- If you are not sure which direction to turn, help with an application on your phone such as "Compass Qibla", a modified compass that points in the direction of the Holy Mosque.
- In any case, in general in Italy to look towards Mecca you have to turn towards the south-east.
Part 2 of 2: Recite the Ishraq Prayers
Step 1. Reflect on the reasons why you are chanting Iraq
It is important to understand the reasons for praying, so think about how many rak'at to perform and why.
- You can say, "I pray to a two-rak'at Ishraq for the Lord with my eyes on the Ka'ba."
- Some recite Ishraq because they have sinned, but others perform it because they find it the ideal way to start the day well.
- You can also express your prayer intention in this way: "Today is a holiday and I recite Ishraq to encourage good works in the world in the name of God."
- Alternatively, your prayer intention could be: "Yesterday I had a bad day and I sinned: I execute Ishraq to make up for the bad deeds I have committed."
Step 2. Prayer begins
Read the Fatiha surah and another sura, kneeling in the ruku position and then prostrating yourself in the sujud position.
Make sure you recite the suras in Arabic as they are taken from the Koran; you can recite personal prayers in your own language
Step 3. Do another rak'a
When you start the second rak'a and come back to your feet, recite the Fatiha sura again, then another sura and then continue with the rak'a.
Step 4. Do as many rak'ats as you feel necessary
Iraq has only two rak'at for prayers, but you can do more if you want; many Muslims believe that Iraq is a powerful prayer, so performing more rak'at can help you realize the intent of your prayer.
Most of the faithful perform an even number of rak'at for Iraq, even when more than the necessary amount is performed
Advice
- Keep your tone of voice as low as possible while praying so that only yourself can hear it.
- As you pray, keep your gaze fixed on the area of the sujud where your forehead touches the floor as you pray.
