It is not possible for us to perform the salah (prayer) as it should be performed unless we know the detailed description of the prayer as shown by the Prophet Muhammad 锓�, such as the essentials, manners, forms, supplications and remembrances he 锓� performed. However, detailed familiarity with these aspects of the prayer is difficult to be achieved by most people nowadays because of their limiting themselves to a particular madhhab (school of thought). In every madhhab, there are some sunnah (Prophetic traditions) which are not found in another madhhab, and in every madhhab there are sayings and actions which cannot be authentically traced back to the Prophet 锓�.
Many books have been published on the Prayer of the Prophet 锓� but most are by later scholars that cater for a particular madhhab. This famous work, translated from the original Arabic Siffah as-Salah an-Nabi, brings together as many features of the Prophet's prayer 锓� from the takbir to the taslim, so that Muslims can fulfill the Prophet's command to 'pray as you see me pray.' This work is the result of an extensive research by the author on various ahadith and their relevance, judged according to the strict rules of the science of Hadith.
This is the best book on how to pray that I've come across in Arabic, English or Urdu. I've read the English translation at least 6 times!! Afterwards, when I learnt Arabic, I read its final revised edition in Arabic at least twice.
Its introduction alone contains gems of knowledge and wisdom that volumes from many other works might not!
Nahlah wrote: "GUARANTEED TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU PRAY! A MUST READ!!"
Yes, guaranteed God-willing, but: - only if the reader has an open mind, and does not harbour bigotry and partisanship to particular people and sects - only if he or she really loves the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) more than any other human being - only if he or she judges according to evidence from the Qur'aan and the authentic Hadeeth.
Very good for someone who is genuinely interested in learning about the way the prophet read namaz (the five time obligatory prayer) and full of details that I highlighted and wrote down for future reference.
The book is not extensively comprehensive and outlines the way the prophet prayed using the hadith to give the reader a clear outline as to the correct way to how one should perform prays.
I can understand however how one could critique this book on a methodological basis, however for the layman it gives an understanding on how to pray using the proofs from the hadith.