Prayer is one of the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars being the following:
- the shahada (Islamic creed)
- daily prayers (salah)
- almsgiving (zakāt)
- fasting during the month of Ramadan (sawm)
- the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime.
Muslims observe their Prayers to show devotion and obedience to Allah. The purpose of Salah in Islam is to act as a person's communication with and remembrance of God. This prayer is a ritualistic prayer called salah or salat in Arabic, facing the Kaaba in Mecca, five times a day. The command to pray is in the Quran in several chapters. The prophet Muhammed showed each Muslim the true method of offering prayers thus the same method is observed till date.
The five prayers
The times of the five prayers are as follows:
- near dawn (fajr),
- after midday has passed and the sun starts to tilt downwards / Noon (dhuhr or ẓuhr),
- in the afternoon (asr),
- just after sunset (maghrib)
- and around nightfall ('isha').
How to pray
There is the "call for prayer" (adhan or azaan), where the
muezzin calls for all the followers to stand together for the prayer. Then the prayer proceeds as fommows:
- The prayer consists of standing, by mentioning -àllàh o -àkbàr (God is great)
- This is followed by recitation of the first chapter of the Quran Fatihah after which another ayah may be recited.
- Afterwards the person bends and praises God, then prostrates and again praises God.
- The prayer ends with the following words: "Peace and blessings be upon you".
During the prayer a Muslim cannot talk or do anything else besides praying. Once the prayer is complete, one can offer voluntary prayers or supplicate -àllàh for his needs.
