• Obligatory• Five Times• Direct between Man &

AllahSee Salah - how to Pray at

http://www.islam.org

http://islam.org/CyberTV/ch25.htm

The Qur’an & Prayer

The Qur’an says:

Set up Regular Prayers; for such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times. (sura 4 v103)

The Qur’an tells Muslims to pray, how they should prepare and the benefits of prayer.

The Qur’an and the Sunna

• The Qur’an says Muslims must

pray but it is the Sunna (example of how the prophet prayed) that gives the detail.

• The ritual is based on the Qur’an & how the prophet carried out the ritual

Salah - a most important pillar

• The most important of the practical pillars

• Muhammad said, according to a Hadith:Salah is the pillar of the Islamic religion and

whoever abandons it, demolishes the very pillar of religion

Times of PrayerTimes of prayer vary according to sunrise / sunset

• Fajr - dawn & sunrise

• Zuhr - after mid-day until afternoon

• As’r - between late afternoon and sunset

• Maghrib - sunset and the end of daylight

• Isha - sunset to dawn

Friday Prayer - Juma

Adhan• The times of prayer are announced by the muezzin

• He calls out the adhan from the minaret:Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest.

Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest

I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is the Prophet of God.

I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is the Prophet of God

I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is the Prophet of God

I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is the Prophet of God

Rush to Prayer. Rush to Prayer.

Rush to success Rush to success.

Allah is greatest. Allah is greatest.

There is no God but God.

Wudu• To prepare for prayer a Muslim must be clean as it

is the time when one comes into contact with God.• There is a ritual washing ceremony under running

water.• At times a bath is necessary but this needs to be

done in private - a Muslim must never be seen naked.

• Clothes should be clean - a very pious Muslim will change their underwear 5 times a day.

Wudu - Ablutions

Before offering the prayer one must be in good shape and pure condition. It is necessary to wash the parts of the body which are generally exposed to dirt or dust or smog.

Nullification of the AblutionNullification of the Ablution

1. Natural discharges, i.e., urine, stools, gas, etc...

2. The flow of blood or pus and the like from any part of the body;

3. Vomiting;

4. Falling asleep;

5. Losing one's reason by taking drugs or any intoxicating stuff.

Prayer Mat•If not praying in a Mosque need a clean place to prayer may carry a prayer mat - never trodden on with anything unclean

•May keep a room in the house never entered in outdoor shoes as a place for prayer

•You will remove your shoes on entering the mosque

The Mosque - place for prayer

• Preferable for prayers to be said in the mosque

• But they can be said anywhere

• In the mosque there will be the Mihrab (niche) in the wall to show the Qibla - direction of prayer - the Ka’ba in Mecca.

Iqama - Call to PrayerIn the Mosque the Immam says:

Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest.

Allah is the greatest. The Salah has begun.Allah is the greatest

I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is the Prophet of God.

I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is the Prophet of God

I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is the Prophet of God

I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is the Prophet of God

Rush to Prayer. Rush to Prayer.

Rush to success Rush to success.

Allah is greatest. Allah is greatest.

There is no God but God.

Raka’t - the prayer ritual• First Raka:

– niyya - prayer of intention

– standing with hands to ears & then arms folded praise God with some set prayers and recite sura 1

– kneel on floor touch forehead on the ground - sign of submission

– raise top half of body - glorify God - prostrate

– stand up saying “God is greatest”

Then you start again. However, once during the prayers you must say:tashahhud - prayer for peace & blessings + Shahadadarud - prayer for blessings on Muhammad & the prophets

Du’a & the end of Salah

• Personal prayer to God

• The prayers end with the words:

the peace and mercy of Allah be upon you

said over right & then left shoulders whilst still kneeling.

• The number of raka’t are divided into fard (compulsory prayers), sunna (optional prayers which Muhammad prayed) and nafrilla (optional)

Prayers

• If a Muslim cannot say his prayers because of travel or work they can be joined at the next prayer time.

Juma Prayers

O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the remembrance of God and leave off business: that is best for you if ye but knew! And when Prayer is finished, then ye may disperse through the land and seek the bounty of God.

Zuhr prayers on Juma• Need 40 adult males - Jami Mosques

• Immam leads prayers in the first two raka’t

• Sermon - how to behave, tell an Hadith, information

• Can return to work

• Traditionally Asian women do not attend but see sura 62 which appears to apply to all

Absolute Importance

• Those who offer their Salah with great care and punctuality will find it a light, a proof of their faith and cause of their faith and cause of their salvation on the Day of Judgement

Prayer is divided into Salah and Du’a

Salah• Fixed times

• Arabic

Du’a • is a way to pray all of the time,

to remember God & to ask for forgiveness

• is voluntary but many Muslims see them as compulsory

• own language

• but many Muslims use Arabic verses for prayers before meals, going to bed, making a decision etc.

God in the Salah 1

• Holy(separate, totally different) - can only be approached by people who are pure - wudu.

• All-powerful only response is submission & prostration - Allahu akbar ( 100* per day).

• The guide - hands to ears - ready to listen. I seek shelter in Allah from the rejected Satan & Guide me in the straight path, the path of those who thou hast blest

• One & only God - Call + fatiha ( You alone we worship, to you alone we pray for help.

God in the Salah 2

• God is great & wonderful but also compassionate and merciful - he deserves worship and praise.

• No intermediaries between God & humans. Prayer is offered to God alone. Prophets not mentioned until end - but some Muslims leave these Darud prayers out as it seems to make Islam like Christianity.

• The Accepter of Prayer but Salah is not about asking for things it is about putting humans into contact with God. Though in Du’a Muslims will ask to be forgiven their sins.

Religious Significance of Salah

• Five times with GOD• Reminder 5 times of

their submission• Unites Muslims -

brotherhood pray in lines, behind the immam all doing same things

• Fundamentals of faith - submission and peace.

• Discipline• Proper Salah means

sins are forgiven. The Hadith says: The five prayers remove sins as water removes dirt

Abul Ala Mawdudi said: