PRAYERS (SALAH)

Prayer is the 2nd of five pillars of Islam. It is the duty of every Muslim to perform prayers five times a day. Prayers cannot be missed in any circumstances. People who find physically difficult to pray such as very elder people or very sick person even can pray. Islam has taught some easy ways to perform prayers for them.

​

If you are a new Muslim, you are obliged to pray from the time of acceptance of Islam. You are not obliged to pray for the time before you embrace Islam.

​

In this section, we are going to discuss all the topics which are related to Prayers.

​​

CHAPTER 1 - IMPORTANCE & PURPOSE OF PRAYERS

1. It was mentioned in Al Quran that the human beings were created for the sole purpose of worship Allah Almighty. Prayers execute that purpose of Allah Almighty.

“I did not create the Jinns and the human beings except for the purpose that they should worship Me.”

Al Quran - Chapter 51 : Verse 56

​2. Prayer is the way of communication between God and his servant. While praying, a Muslim is communicating with his God, praising Him and asking Him to show the straight path.

3. Prayer is the remembrance of God. Muslims are obliged to pray 5 times a day. If a person keeps more and more remembrance and relationship with God, obviously he will be free from sins. This is what prayers do to a Muslim. Since he prays often, within the short time of interval, he keeps a strong relationship with God, thus he is saved from committing sins.

4. Prayer is the main key for repentance. Through the prayers our sins are forgiven by Allah Almighty.

Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates:

I heard Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) saying, "If there was a river at the door of anyone of you and he took a bath in it five times a day would you notice any dirt on him?" They said, "Not a trace of dirt would be left." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) added, "That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out (annuls) evil deeds."

(Sahih al Bukhari)

​CHAPTER 2 - CONDITIONS FOR PRAYERS

1. The person should be a Muslim.

Prayers are not compulsory for Non-Muslims. That is why, after embracing Islam, they are not required to perform the prayers for the period before adopting Islam.

​

2. The person should have sound mind.

Prayers are not compulsory for the people who are insane.

​

3. The person should be ritually purified.

That is, he should have performed Ghusl (Obligatory bath) in case if he is unclean and he should have performed Wudu (Ablution) before prayers.

This will be discussed in separate chapters later.

​

4. The person’s clothes and body should be cleaned and the place of prostration should be cleaned.

​

5. The person should cover his/her Awrah (Intimate parts which must be covered according to Islamic Law)

Accordingly, the awrah of a man refers to the part of the body between the navel and the knees which must be covered when in public and also during prayer.

​

The awrah of a woman in prayers should be the entire body excluding her face and her hands from the wrist to the base of the fingers.

​

6. The person should face the qibla while praying with the chest facing the direction of the Ka'ba. That is direction of Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

​

7. The person should be confidence of the time of worship

​

8. The person should have understood the method of prayers

​

9. The person should have understood what is Fard (Compulsory) and what is Sunnah (Optional)

​

10. The person should have understood that the prayer is an obligation upon him.

​​​​

CHAPTER 3 - CLEANLINESS

​Cleanliness is very important in Islam to perform various Islamic observances including Prayers.

​In a separate chapter, we are going to discuss all the types of cleanliness related subjects such as Ghusl (Obligatory bath) and Wudu (Ablution).

PLS CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT ​​THEM