In Ramadan Reminder Day 18, Sheikh Yasir Qadhi discusses why Muslims pray the way they do and explains some of the movements and statements of the prayer.
[ica_orginalurl]
In Ramadan Reminder Day 18, Sheikh Yasir Qadhi discusses why Muslims pray the way they do and explains some of the movements and statements of the prayer.
[ica_orginalurl]
Man has taken many journeys throughout time. But there is one journey that nobody has ever taken. Nobody—except one.
On a vehicle no man has ever ridden, through a path no soul has ever seen. To a place no creation has ever before set foot. It was the journey of one man to meet the Divine. It was the journey of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to the highest heaven. It was al-Israa’ wal-Miraaj (the magnificent journey).
On that journey Almighty Allah took his beloved Prophet to the seventh heaven—a place not even angel Jibreel could enter. In the Prophet’s mission on earth, every instruction, every commandment was sent down through angel Jibreel. But, there was one commandment that was not. There was one commandment so important, that rather than sending angel Jibreel down with it, Allah brought the Prophet up to Himself.
That commandment was Salah (Prayer). When the Prophet was first given the command to pray, it was to be fifty times in a day. After asking Allah to make it easier, the commandment was eventually reduced to five times a day, with the reward of the fifty.
Reflecting upon this incident, scholars have explained that the process of going from fifty to five was a deliberate one, intended to teach us the true place Prayer should hold in our lives. Imagine for a moment actually praying fifty times a day. Would we be able to do anything else but pray? No. And that’s the point. What greater way than that to illustrate our life’s true purpose? As if to say, Prayer is our real life; all the rest that we fill our day with… just motions.
And yet, we live as if it’s exactly the opposite. Prayer is something we squeeze into our day, when we find time—if that. Our ‘lives’ don’t revolve around Prayer. Prayer revolves around our ‘lives.’ If we are in class, Prayer is an afterthought. If we are at the mall, the Macy’s sale is more urgent. Something is seriously wrong when we put aside the very purpose of our existence in order to watch a basketball game.
And that is for those who even pray at all. There are those who have not only put aside their life’s purpose, they have abandoned it completely. What we often don’t realize about the abandonment of Prayer is this: No scholar has ever held the opinion that committing fornication makes you a disbeliever. No scholar has ever held the opinion that stealing, drinking or taking drugs makes you a disbeliever. No scholar has even claimed that murder makes you a non-Muslim. But, about Prayer, some scholars have said he who abandons it, is no longer Muslim. This is said based on a hadith such as this one: “The covenant between us and them is Prayer, so if anyone abandons it, he has become a disbeliever.” (Ahmad)
Imagine an act so egregious that the Prophet would speak about it in such a way. Consider for a moment what Satan did wrong. He didn’t refuse to believe in Allah. He refused to make one prostration. Just one. Imagine all the prostrations we refuse to make.
Consider the seriousness of such a refusal. And yet, think how lightly we take the matter of Prayer. Prayer is the first thing we will be asked about on the Day of Judgment, and yet it is the last thing that is on our mind. The Prophet said: “The first thing which will be judged among a man’s deeds on the Day of Resurrection is the Prayer. If this is in good order, then he will succeed and prosper, but if it is defective, then he will fail and will be a loser.” (At-Tirmidhi)
On that Day, the people of Paradise will ask those who have entered Hell-fire, why they have entered it. And the Qur’an tells us exactly what their first response will be:
What led you into Hell Fire? They will say: ‘We were not of those who prayed.’ (Al-Muddaththir 74:42-43)
How many of us will be among those who say “we were not of those who prayed, or we were not of those who prayed on time, or we were not of those who made prayer any priority in our lives?”
Why is it that if we are in class or at work or fast asleep at the time of Fajr and we need to use the restroom, we make time for that?
In fact, the question almost sounds absurd. We don’t even consider it an option not to. And even if we were taking the most important exam of our lives, when we need to go, we will go. Why? Because the potentially mortifying consequences of not going, makes it a non-option.
There are many people who say they don’t have time to pray at work or school, or while they are out. But how many have ever said they don’t have time to go to the bathroom, so while out, at work or school have opted instead to just wear Depends? How many of us just don’t feel like waking up at Fajr time if we need to use the bathroom, and choose instead to wet our bed? The truth is we’ll get out of bed, or leave class, or stop work, to use the bathroom, but not to pray.
It sounds comical, but the truth is we put the needs of our body above the needs of our soul. We feed our bodies, because if we didn’t, we’d die. But so many of us starve our souls, forgetting that if we are not praying, our soul is dead. And ironically, the body that we tend to is only temporary, while the soul that we neglect is eternal.
______________________
Source: www.suhaibwebb.com.
[ica_orginalurl]
By Fatma Bayram
Who establish worship and spend of that We have bestowed on them. (Al-Anfal 8:3)
Concerning the guilty: What has brought you to this burning? ) They will answer: We were not of those who prayed. (Al-Muddaththir 74:41-43)
The Qur’an defines the first attribute of sincere believers as those who
“establish worship properly” (Al-A`raf 7:170)
. Verses such as
“Tell My bondmen who believe to establish worship…”(Ibrahim 14:31)
are indicative of the precedence of Prayer in the faith of a believer.
Prayer had been ordained during the first days of prophecy, albeit not in its final form. The fact that Muslims, beginning with Prophet Muhammad, performed Prayer from the first day Islam shows that Islam is not a religion that deals with the essentials of belief alone.
Prayer is important; it is a fundamental act of worship because it represents the turning into action of belief in the Oneness of Allah and confession of servitude towards Him. Scientists who study human behavior note that a feeling and awareness that is not exhibited through behavior will weaken with time and then eventually fade. Thus we need to place Prayer in the center of our lives in order to demonstrate our loyalty to Allah and maintain consistency in our Prayer.
The proper placement of Prayer is only possible through the maintenance and uninterrupted regular performance of it. The Qur’an refers to believers as
“Those who are constant in their Prayer.” (Al-Ma`arij 70:23)
It is fundamental that we maintain an uninterrupted consistent performance of Prayer so that we may experience the benefits which our Creator desires for us and they adorn the lives of servants until they die.
“Men whom neither merchandise nor sale distracts from remembrance of Allah and performance of Prayer and paying to the poor their due; who fear a day when hearts and eyeballs will be overturned.” (An-Nur 24:37)
Due to its performance, Prayer has been called the “column of Islam,” by the Messenger of Allah. Our Beloved Prophet has stated that Prayer is a form of worship that separates belief from associating partners with Allah and denial of Allah’s existence. He even drew attention to the fact that abandoning Prayer leads to distancing one’s self from belief and even likens one to the Pharaoh.
Prayer is very beloved to us as it gives us the opportunity to consciously remove ourselves from the daily occupations of life and give ourselves a break. In one particular hadith, it is stated that,
“If there were a river passing by the front of your house and you were to wash in this river five times a day, would there be any remnants of dirt and filth on you? This is precisely how Prayer is, it washes away sins.”(Muslim)
Prayer cleanses the human soul, making one’s heart pure, impeccable and clean. A person who prays five times a day will have washed their soul many times and purified their heart of any kind of evil.
At this point we may recall people who, despite their five daily Prayers, do not have pleasing manners or personalities. If Prayer elevates the manners of man so much, then we think, how is it that these individuals are not affected for the better?
I think this seeming contradiction bothers us because we don’t pose the question accurately. The proper question should be, “What would these people have done if they didn’t pray?” Because we know that maintaining worship, in the end, plays a role in the spiritual development of a person. Because most of the time we may not able to monitor each others’ spiritual development in terms of where it began, how far it has progressed and what sort of potential it possesses. But we are sure that every Prayer we perform increases our care and awareness towards the Almighty.
Cleanliness is a mandatory requirement of Prayers, which is the greatest form of worship of all. In Islam, cleanliness comes in two forms: the first is physical cleanliness and the other is spiritual cleanliness. Because physical cleanliness is mandatory our body and the area in which we’ll be performing worship must be cleansed of things that are considered impure, and all acts of worship that are performed without this cleansing are not acceptable.
In addition to the physical and true cleanliness in Islam, there is also a symbolic cleansing. Performing ablution before Prayer and the complete cleansing of the body (ghusl) following the state of being junub (unclean) are part of this symbolic cleansing.
A person without ablution may be physically clean, however, they are not considered physically clean. And for this reason they cannot face Allah in this state; they cannot pray. In order to be accepted in the divine presence, they must perform a symbolic cleansing. This is why ablution is not just a simple washing of the face and hands. It contains both a physical and spiritual cleansing. The requirement of those who are not able to find water to cleanse through tayammum (dry ablution) (An-Nisa’ 4:53) is proof that the purpose of this cleansing is not just physical, but also spiritual
Prayer is a fundamental pillar in the daily life of a believer. A day is programmed around Prayer. During five different times throughout the day, our day is spent in a state of awareness towards Allah as we declare his Almightiness in the Prayer saying,
“You (alone) we worship; You (alone) we ask for help.” (Al-Fatihah 1:4)
Man, who faces Allah the Almighty through the words “Allahu Akbar,” leaving all of his worldly concerns and material matters behind, is never as close to Allah as he is during Prayer. For this reason, the Prayer is a believer’s ascension to heavens. It is meaningful that the tahiyyat that is read at the end of Prayer is a memoir of Prophet Muhammad saluting his Creator and the inclusion of excited angels in this salutation.
Prayer is the intensified and systematized version of supplication.
Prayer is a form of worship which contains and gathers all other forms of worship such as declaring the Oneness of Allah, remembering and honoring Him, expressing gratitude to Him, praising Him, asking for help from Him, asking for forgiveness and repenting from sins, supplication, invoking Him, showing humility, reverence and remembrance of Him and contemplation of His creation.
Movements within Prayers, such as standing, bowing, and prostration, encompass the forms of worship employed by all of creation in addition to containing and symbolically convening all of the forms of worship that exist within Islam.
All creations, from the minutest to the largest, all remember Allah in a way that is conducive to their form of creation. When we think of this as a choir that sees participation from the smallest particle of matter to the largest galaxy and all of creation, we may feel as though we are taking part in this universal activity when we allow for our worldly actions to be set aside and face Allah in Prayer. It is at every instance when we catch this feeling that Prayer will cease to be a mandatory responsibility for us and become a source of joy.
The universality of Prayer can also be felt through the scheduling of Prayer times according to the worlds rotation around the sun, which in turn causes for every moment to become a time for the commencement of Prayer and there always being people prostrating to Allah at every second. And again, the fact that there is no need for a special venue or religious leader and that Prayer can be performed in every clean area on an individual basis also speaks to its universality.
Prayer is not just a form of worship that effects the internal phases of an individual. Contrarily, it is the most important determinant that shapes all of his relations, beginning with his immediate environment and his outlook on life.
Prayer takes on the role of a measure in determining the direction and form in relations with humans.
“Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who establish Prayer and give zakah, and they bow (in worship).”(Al-Ma’idah 5:55)
In its essence, Prayer comprises sincere tranquility in the presence of Allah (a complete respect and reverence), the remembrance of Allah on the tongue and utmost respect of the body towards Allah. Prayer that is performed without peace in the heart and honoring in the body, although appearing to be Prayer in shape and form, is not truly and completely Prayer.
The Qur’an refers to Prayer as “dhikr,” in other words, remembrance. The more a person remembers Allah during their Prayer, the more authentic their Prayer is. If a person is able to gain hold of the fact that they are in the presence of Allah even for one second in their prayer, then that is a great accomplishment for that person. It is most appropriate for this second to take place at the initial takbeer (saying Allahu Akbar) leading into Prayer. This moment can serve to ferment the whole of Prayer, spreading throughout it, transforming the remainder of Prayer to its own attributes. The reference to the spot of worship as the “mihrab” alludes to the fact that Prayer is a battle against the one’s self and the Satan. In this case, “giving the mihrab its due right,” means making the self triumphant.
Despite the fact that Prayer has been made mandatory during certain times (An-Nisa’ 4:103), the Qur’an has not clearly stated the number and rak`ahs (units) of Prayers explicitly, only touching on the times for Prayer briefly. As is the case with many other religious applications, the details of these have been left the instructions of the Messenger of Allah, which are based on the divine education he received.
The religion of Islam places a great deal of significance on the unity and convening of a religious community. To facilitate this, praying with a congregation and the places in which congregations convene, mosques, have special importance.
Muslims are encouraged to perform their five daily Prayers in congregation at mosques, while the Friday Prayer performed once a week at a mosque has been made mandatory, the two annual `Eid Prayers have been made supererogatory and similarly the annual convening of Muslims in Mecca has been made mandatory.
The facing of the direction of Mecca, regardless of where you are on the planet, is an attestation to the universal unity of Islam. The selection of an imam to lead the Prayer, the following of the imam by the congregation, the precision of straight lines formed by the congregation, the performance of all physical activities and recitation within the Prayer in synchrony and unity carries both spiritual and physical significance. The rows of the Muslim, whether rich or poor; worker or administrator; young or old, that is based on whomsoever arrives first, side by side in order of arrival, mentally prepares Muslims right before Prayer for espousing the notion that they are equals in the sight of Allah.
__________________________
Taken with kind permission from: www.lastprophet.info.
[ica_orginalurl]
The sole purpose of this production is to assist and develop the basic rules and actions of Prayer. It introduces Prayer to those who do not know how to pray at all, or to those who have some idea or to those who want to perfect their Prayer.
[ica_orginalurl]
Islam signifies the subjection of all activities in all walks of life to the Law of God Almighty, and leaving nothing to the whims and fancies of anyone else. God has commanded the believers to declare:
Truly, my prayer, my service of sacrifice, my life, and my death, are (all) for Allah (God), the Cherisher of the Worlds (Al-An`am 6:162)
This means that a Muslim is a person who has submitted his or her whole self and whole life to God, so that the first duty of a Muslim is to lead a life of obedience to God alone.
And the above quoted commandment also implies that it is wrong to consider our lives to consist of water-tight compartments, saying that “this is the part of my life within the bounds of religion where I am bound to obey God, and these are the secular areas of life where God’s laws are irrelevant.”
The twin sources of Islam — the Qur’an and the Sunnah — teach that when God Almighty is accepted as the Creator, Sustainer, and Lawgiver, we cannot go after “other gods”.
Islam is a complete way of life that asks its followers to mold their entire lives in accordance with its principles laid down in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This in fact is not an unrealistic idea; it only means a change of perspective or approach.
Of course, such a change is bound to have its impact on our life, both internal and external; but for those who wish to lead a good life here, Islam is the way.
The important point to note here is that Islam does not impose on its adherents rituals for the sake of rituals, as they are likely to be performed mechanically without understanding their meaning in life.
God says in the Qur’an, which Muslims believe is His word, what means:
It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and give zakah (regular charity); to fulfill the contracts which you have made; and to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing. (Al-Baqarah 2:177)
That is to say, if our rituals do not have any impact on our day-to-day life, they are of little value. Similarly, if we do our daily duties that are considered to be outside the generally recognized borders of religious ritual with sincerity and faith expecting reward from God, they too become acts of worship.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once told his Companions that they will be rewarded even for having sexual intercourse with their wives. The Companions were astonished. They asked: “How are we going to be rewarded for doing something we enjoy very much?”
The Prophet asked them: “Suppose you satisfy your desires illegally, don’t you think that you will be punished for that?”
They replied, “Yes”. “So” he said, “by satisfying it legally with your wives, you are rewarded for it.” (Muslim)
This all-inclusive approach to worship encourages people to purify and spiritualize their whole lives. But this is not to disparage ritualistic worship. In fact, rituals, if performed with a full understanding of their inner significance, equip the worshippers with a moral and spiritual power that help them to carry out their daily activities in the various spheres of life informed by the guidance of God.
Thus in Islam, the term “worship” (in Arabic, `ibadah) does not signify merely the “pillars of Islam” such as Prayer, fasting, charity or pilgrimage. It includes all the activities of a believer; in fact, it stands for everything a Muslim believes, says, or does. When believers perform all the activities of their lives seeking the pleasure of God, then all their deeds become worship. Naturally, this also includes the rituals they perform, such as prayer.
We can see that the worship of God as visualized in Islam — whether it is ritual or non-ritual — prevents evil thoughts and actions, thereby purifying life. Indeed, sincere Islamic worship trains the individual to lead a life of complete obedience and submission to God.
Prayers
Of all the forms of ritual worship in Islam, Prayer (in Arabic, salah) is unique. It is typical of Islam and is entirely different from the usual kind of Prayer familiar in other religions.
The prostration in Prayer symbolizes the worshipper’s total and unconditional submission to God Almighty. Of course, certain supplications are recited in Prayer, following the Prophetic teaching.
But the objective of Prayer is not this-worldly. Muslims can pray to God for the solution of the immediate problems they confront any time, in any language. But they are not authorized to change the language of the utterances in Prayer, nor can they change its form or content. Muslims have to strictly adhere to its form as taught to by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Muslims believe that God has made Prayer compulsory for all His prophets as well as their followers, as it is evident from the Qur’an. To Moses, God said what means,
Verily I am Allah: There is no god but Me: so worship Me only and establish regular prayer for My remembrance( Ta-Ha 20:14)
The important aspect of a believer’s faith is his or her relationship with God; and nowhere is this relationship exemplified as in Prayer. Prayer lifts a person spiritually towards his or her Creator and if it is done with devotion and sincerity, his or her heart will be filled with the love of God and the hope of Paradise.
Praying five times a day helps Muslims to constantly remember God and seek His forgiveness and pleasure. Besides, it offers an occasion for repentance, so that they earnestly ask Allah for forgiveness of the sins they committed. Prophet Muhammad said: “Imagine a stream outside a person’s door and imagine that he bathes in it five times a day; do you think he would have any dirt on him?” The people said, “Not at all.” The Prophet then said, “The five daily prayers are like that: Allah wipes away the sins by them.” (Al-Bukhari)
The most important aspect of a person’s relationship with God, is his or her strong faith and sincerity. This relationship with God is clearly borne out and strengthened by Prayer. If the Prayer is performed with true devotion to God and with a sincere heart, it will have a lasting effect on the person.
God says in the Qur’an what means:
Establish regular prayer: for prayer restrains from shameful and evil deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that you dd. (Al-`Ankabut 29:45)
Certainly a person’s God-consciousness awakened by Prayer strengthens him or her against temptations arising from the weakness of the flesh.
Again God says in the Qur’an what means:
Truly man was created very impatient; fretful, when evil touches him; and niggardly, when good reaches him; not so those devoted to Prayer and those who remain steadfast to their prayer(Al-Ma`arij 70:19-23)
Thus, it is the Prayer that enables believers to keep in constant touch with their Creator and to keep steady in the face of the temptations and the pressures life.
____________________
Taken with slight modifications from Onislam.net.
[ica_orginalurl]
If someone is in the middle of a prayer, and he has doubt in his ablution, what should he do?
Watch this episode of Ask Huda by Dr. Muhammad Salah to know the answer.
[ica_orginalurl]
First of all, the Muslim must commit to perfecting all the mandatory acts of worship. Thereafter, each one may find certain acts of worship which He likes most and make them His way to getting closer to the pleasure of Allah.
The Companions were keen to draw closer to Allah so; they used to ask the Prophet about the means for accomplishing that goal.
Here are some of the Prophet’s answers: (Note: The answers will vary according to the person and the situation)
Narrated Mu`adh ibn Jabal, I asked the Messenger of Allah, which of the deeds is more beloved to Allah, He said: “To die while your tongue is wet with the remembrance of Allah.” (Ibn Hibban and At-Tabarani)
Narrated `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud, ”I asked the Messenger of Allah, which of the deeds are most beloved to Allah? He said: ‘Praying on time” then I asked and which is next?
He said: ‘Kindness to parents’, then I asked, and which is next? He said: ‘Jihad in thecause of Allah’ and, if I asked him for more, he would have given me more.” (Al-Bukhari)
Itis reported from a man from Khath`am, who said, “I came to the Prophet and, he wasamongst his Companions and, I said, ‘you are the one who claims to be the messenger ofGod?’ He said: ‘Yes’. I said, ‘Oh Messenger of Allah, which of the deeds is morebeloved to Allah?’ He said: ‘Faith in Allah’. I said, ‘Oh Messenger of Allah, which isnext?’ He said: ‘Kindness to the kin’. I said, ‘Oh Messenger of Allah, which is next?’ Hesaid, ‘Ordaining good and forbidding bad’.” (Abu Ya`la)
Narrated Ibn `Umar that a man came to the Prophet and said: Oh Messenger of Allah,which of the people is more beloved to Allah and which of the deeds is so? The Messenger of Allah said: “The most beloved of people to Allah are those who are mostbeneficial to the people, and the most beloved deeds to Allah, the most High, is to bring happiness to a Muslim, or ease his hardship, or to pay off his debt for him, or to end his hunger. And it is more beloved to me to walk with a brother of mine (in Islam), to run an errand for him than to make I`tikaf (seclusion) in this Masjid (in reference to the Masjid of Al-Madinah) for a month. And he who controls his anger, Allah will cover his shortcomings, and he who suppresses his rage despite being capable of taking it out(against his opponent), Allah will fill his heart with hope on the Day of Judgment, and he who walks with his brother to run an errand for him until it is done Allah will make his feet stable on the Day when feet will be paralyzed.“ (At-Tabarani)
Narrated by Mu’adhibnJabal: “I was traveling with the Prophet and, I was close to himwhile we are walking then, I asked him, ‘Oh Prophet of Allah, tell me of a deed that willenter me Paradise and keep me away from the Hell?’ He said, ‘You have asked about agreat matter, but it is easy for those whom Allah will make it easy for; worship Allah anddo not associate partners with him, perfectly perform the prayers, give Zakat (obligatory donations), fast the month of Ramadan and make pilgrimage to the House (Al-Ka`bah).’
And then he said, ‘Should I tell you about the gates of goodness! Fasting is a protection(from Allah’s punishment), Charity puts off the sins, and a man’s Prayer in the middle of the night’ and, then He recited the saying of Allah the Most High:
“Their sides forsake their beds…” until he reached”…that which they do.”, and,then he said, ‘Should I tell you of the head of the matter (meaning the religion), its pillar,and its peak?’ I said, ‘Yes, oh Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘The head of the matter andits pillar is the prayers and, its peak is Jihad,’ and, then he said, ‘should I tell you of themalak(the string that holds all the beads together) of the matter?’ I said, ‘Yes, Oh Messenger of God.’ So, he held his tongue and said, ‘Control that.’ Then I said, ‘OhMessenger of Allah, shall we be accounted for what we say?’ He said, ‘May your mother lose you Mu`adh! (Note: the phrase is not interpreted literally), and would anything befall the people in the Hell but the earnings of their tongues.’” (Ahmad and others)
On the authority of Anas, the Prophet said: “The faith of a servant is not put right until his heart is put right and, his heart is not put right until his tongue is put right and, the man whose neighbor does not feel safe from his harm, shall not enter Paradise.”(Ahmad)
Almighty Allah says,
And those who disbelieve say, ‘Why is not the Qur’an revealed to him all at once?’ Thus (it is sent down in parts), that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We haverevealed it to you gradually, in stages.(Al-Furqan 25:32)
Know that it is only Allah who guides and misguides and-as He said- all peoples’ hearts are between two of his fingers so, ask Him with humbleness, and humility, and, with certainty that without his help and favor you will perish.
Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us…(Aal `Imran 3:8)
_________________________
Source: The article is an excerpt from the paper “Acts of Worship as a Means to Strengthen the Attachment between the Servant and his Lord” by Dr. Hatem Al-Haj whichwas prepared for a conference in Austin, Texas, 2002. It first appeared at drhatemalhaj.com.
[ica_orginalurl]
Prayer (Salah) is the daily ritual prayer enjoined upon all Muslims as one of the five Pillars of Islam. It is performed five times a day by all Muslims. Salah is a precise worship, different from praying on the inspiration of the moment. Muslims pray or, perhaps more correctly, worship five times throughout the day:
• Between first light and sunrise.
• After the sun has passed the middle of the sky.
• Between mid-afternoon and sunset.
• Between sunset and the last light of the day.
• Between darkness and midnight.
Each prayer may take at least 5 minutes, but it may be lengthened as a person wishes. Muslims can pray in any clean environment, alone or together, in a mosque or at home, at work or on the road, indoors or out. Under special circumstances, such as illness, journey, or war, certain allowances in the prayers are given to make their offering easy.
Having specific times each day to be close to God helps Muslims remain aware of the importance of their faith, and the role it plays in every part of life. Muslims start their day by cleaning themselves and then standing before their Lord in prayer. The prayers consist of recitations from the Qur’an in Arabic and a sequence of movements: standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting.
All recitations and movements express submission, humility, and homage to God. The various postures Muslims assume during their prayers capture the spirit of submission; the words remind them of their commitments to God. The prayer also reminds one of belief in the Day of Judgment and of the fact that one has to appear before his or her Creator and give an account of their entire life.
This is how a Muslim starts their day. In the course of the day, Muslims dissociate themselves form their worldly engagements for a few moments and stand before God. This brings to mind once again the real purpose of life.
These prayers serve as a constant reminder throughout the day to help keep believers mindful of God in the daily stress of work, family, and distractions of life. Prayer strengthens faith, dependence on God, and puts daily life within the perspective of life to come after death and the last judgment. As they prepare to pray, Muslims face Makkah, the holy city that houses the Ka`bah (the ancient place of worship built by Abraham and his son Ishmael, peace be upon them). At the end of the prayer, the Shahadah (testimony of faith) is recited, and the greeting of peace, ‘Peace be upon all of you and the mercy and blessings of God’, is repeated twice.
Though individual performance of salah is permissible, collective worship in the mosque has special merit and Muslims are encouraged to perform certain salah with others. With their faces turned in the direction of the Ka`bah in Makkah, the worshipers align themselves in parallel rows behind the imam, or prayer leader, who directs them as they execute the physical postures coupled with Qur’an recitations. In many Muslim countries, the ‘call to prayer’, or ‘Adhan’, echoes out across the rooftops. Aided by a megaphone the muezzin calls out:
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest, God is the greatest),
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest, God is the greatest),
Ash-hadu an-laa ilaaha ill-Allah (I witness that none deserves worship except God).
Ash-hadu an-laa ilaaha ill-Allah (I witness that none deserves worship except God).
Ash-hadu anna Muhammad-ar-Rasul-ullah (I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God).
Ash-hadu anna Muhammad-ar-Rasul-ullah (I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God).
Hayya `alas-Salah (Come to prayer)
Hayya `alas-Salah (Come to prayer)
Hayya `alal-Falah (Come to prosperity)
Hayya `alal-Falah (Come to prosperity)
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest, God is the greatest),
La ilaaha ill-Allah (None deserves worship except God).
Friday is the weekly day of communal worship in Islam. The weekly convened Jumu`ah (Friday Prayer) is the most important service. The Friday Prayer is marked by the following features:
• It falls in the same time as the noon prayer which it replaces.
• It must be performed in a congregation led by a prayer leader, an ‘Imam.’ It cannot be offered individually. Muslims in the West try to arrange their schedules to allow them time to attend the prayer.
• Rather than a day of rest like the Sabbath, Friday is a day of devotion and extra worship. A Muslim is allowed normal work on Friday as on any other day of the week. They may proceed with their usual activities, but they must break for the Friday prayer. After the worship is over, they can resume their mundane activities.
• Typically, the Friday Prayer is performed in a mosque, if available. Sometimes, due to unavailability of a mosque, it may be offered at a rented facility, park, etc.
• When the time for prayer comes, the Adhan is pronounced. The Imam then stands facing the audience and delivers his sermon (known as khutbah in Arabic), an essential part of the service of which its attendance is required. While the Imam is talking, everyone present listens to the sermon quietly till the end. Most Imams in the West will deliver the sermon in English, but some deliver it in Arabic. Those who deliver it in Arabic usually deliver a short speech in the local language before the service.
• There are two sermons delivered, one distinguished from the other by a brief sitting of the Imam. The sermon is commenced with words of praise of God and prayers of blessing for Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
• After the sermon, the prayer is offered under the leadership of the Imam who recites the Fatihah (the 1st chapter of the Qur’an) and the other Qur’anic passage in an audible voice. When this is done, the prayer is completed.
Special, large congregational prayers, which include a sermon, are also offered at late morning on the two days of festivity. One of them is immediately following the month of fasting, Ramadan, and the other after the pilgrimage, or hajj.
Although not religiously mandated, individual devotional prayers, especially during the night, are emphasized and are a common practice among pious Muslims.
_____________________
Source: islamreligion.com
[ica_orginalurl]
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said,
“Whenever a Muslim performs a prostration for God’s sake, God raises him one degree and absolves him of one offence.” (Muslim)
“The servant is never closer to God, Exalted is He, than when he is prostrating himself in worship.” (Muslim)
It is related that a man once said to God’s Messenger (peace be upon him): “Pray to God that He may include me among those who enjoy your intercession, and that He may grant me your companionship in Paradise.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Help me by making frequent prostration.” (Muslim)
This is the meaning of the words of God, Great and Glorious is He,
Prostrate yourself and draw near. (Surat Al-`Alaq 96:19)
God also says in the Qur’an what means:
Their foreheads show the mark left by prostration. (Surat Al-Fath 48:29)
Some say this refers to the dust that sticks to the brow during the act of prostration, while others say it is the light of humility, shining forth from within. The latter view is more correct.
According to yet others, it is the radiance that will shine on their faces on the Day of Resurrection, as a result of their ablution.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
If a human being prostrates himself at an appropriate point in his recitation of the Our’an, the devil withdraws, weeping as he says: “Alas! This man was bidden to prostrate himself and he has obeyed, so Paradise is his. I was also commanded to make prostration, but I disobeyed and so Hell is my lot. (Muslim)
“The servant is nearest to God, Great and Glorious is He, when he prostrates himself in Prayer, so that is the time to make many supplications.” (Muslim)
God, Exalted is He, said in the Qur’an what means
And perform the Prayer in remembrance of Me. (Surat Ta-Ha 20:14)
Do not be one of those who are neglectful. (Surat Al-A`raf 7:205)
God, Great and Glorious is He, also said:
Do not approach the Prayer when you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying(An-Nisaa’ 4:43)
Some say that “intoxicated” means inebriated by many anxieties, while others say it means drunk on the love of this world. According to some scholars, the meaning is obviously condemning worldly attachment, since the words “until you know what you are saying” explain the underlying reason.
Many are those who pray without having drunk wine, yet do not know what they are saying in their Prayers.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“If a man performs two cycles of Prayer without the distraction of any worldly thought, all his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Al-Bukhari)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said,
“Prayer is nothing but submissiveness, humility, supplication, sighing and remorse, holding out your hands and saying: “O God! O God!” Otherwise it is abortive.” ( At-Tirmidhi)
This advice was given to someone by the Prophet (peace be upon him): “When you pray, pray like a person who is saying farewell,” that is, saying farewell to himself, to his passions and to his life, before setting off on the journey to his Lord.
God, Exalted is He, says:
O Man, you labor towards your Lord laboriously, and you shall meet Him. (Al-Inshiqaq 84:6)
__________________________
This article is excerpted from the Islamic Foundation translation of the author’s book, The Revival of Religious Sciences. Here taken from Onislam.net.
Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali (450-505 AH/1058-1111 AD) is one of the great jurists, theologians and mystics of the 12th Century. He wrote on a wide range of topics including jurisprudence, theology, mysticism and philosophy.
[ica_orginalurl]
An important event which took place some 16 or 17 months after the Prophet (peace be upon him) had settled in Madinah was the change of direction Muslims face when they offer their Prayers. While the Prophet was still in Makkah, he was ordered to turn towards Jerusalem when he prayed.
Muslims complied with this divine instruction and continued to do so after they had emigrated to Madinah, where they came in close contact with the Jews.
The Jews used the fact that Muslims adopted their own holy city as their qiblah to claim that Judaism was the religion of truth and that Muhammad and his companions should adopt Judaism, instead of calling on the Jews to accept Islam.
Now, nearly 18 months after the establishment of the Islamic state in Madinah, new Qur’anic revelations instructed the Prophet and the Muslims to turn towards the Ka`bah in Makkah when they prayed.
The Prophet himself was very pleased with this change, which he keenly desired but dared not request.
The Jews in Madinah countered with a sustained campaign of criticism, as they felt that the change deprived them of their argument for refusing to accept Islam. Their new campaign sought to create doubts in the minds of Muslims as to the basis of their own religion.
If it was right, the Jews argued, that the Muslims should formerly face Jerusalem in their Prayers, then the new direction is wrong. They also told the Muslims:
“Your Prayers from now on would then be of no value. If, on the other hand, the new direction is right and the Ka`bah is the true qiblah, then your Prayers in the past were in vain.”
The Jews also argued that God, the Lord Who knows all, does not change His instructions in that manner. The change clearly showed, the Jews went on, that Muhammad did not really receive any revelation from God. Reading the verses which speak of this subject and the argument that ensued in Madinah shows that the Jewish campaign was not without results.
Reassurance was needed and was, indeed, provided in a long passage in the Qur’an, which runs from verse 106 to verse 150 in the surah entitled Al-Baqarah (The Cow). A word of explanation here may be useful.
Arabs revered the Ka`bah before the advent of Islam. To them it was the symbol of their national glory. It was also one of the factors which held the Arab tribes together. Islam, however, requires of its followers total, undivided loyalty. Muslims must dedicate themselves wholly to God and the cause of Islam.
The Prophet’s companions must, therefore, abandon all their former loyalties, tribal, racial or national. Hence the need to separate their worship from their traditional reverence of the Ka`bah. To accomplish this they were ordered to turn towards Jerusalem when they prayed.
After a period of time, when the Muslims had accepted the new situation – moving away, in the process, from the rest of the Arabs – they were taught to regard the Ka`bah in a different light. They were told to face it in their Prayers because it was built by the two Prophets, Abraham and Ishmael, as a place wholly devoted to the worship of God alone.
Thus it becomes part of the heritage of the Islamic nation, which has come into existence by way of answering Abraham’s Prayers to raise among his seed a Prophet who would teach them the true religion.
Thus, having achieved the objective of making the Muslims turn to Jerusalem in their Prayers for a while, it was now time to give them their own distinctive qiblah– the Ka`bah, the first house of worship ever built. This process made the Muslims keenly aware that they were the true heirs of Abraham and his religion, based on total submission to God.
To be distinct from others is very important when one speaks of faith and worship, for worship is the visible expression of the beliefs which take root in the soul. If worship is visibly distinct from that of other religions, then it strengthens the perception that the religion itself is unique. The purpose of giving the Muslims their own qiblah must be seen in this light.
_______________
Taken with slight modifications from: Onislam.net.
[ica_orginalurl]