Prayer, the Salah, is one of the 5 pillars of Islam. It is a duty that every Muslim must fulfill in order to draw closer to God. But the prayer of the Muslims cannot be compared with the prayer of other religions. There are conditions and rituals that you must adhere to. Read 10 facts about prayer you may not have known.
Contents
Flexible timing
Muslims pray five times a day. The times for prayer depend on the sun and are fixed as follows:
- At the first twilight of the morning
- In the afternoon
- In the late afternoon
- At sunset
- In the evening
Now you might think that Muslims should drop everything from their hands at an exact time to pray, but that is not the case. Each prayer has a time span which makes it easier for Muslims to fulfill the obligatory prayer. For example, the time span for midday prayer may be between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM, depending on the position of the sun. This gives Muslims about four hours to perform the prayer.
Shortening/combining the prayers
Islam is a religion that has fixed teachings that cannot be changed. But… they are flexible. Islam is a practical religion that takes special circumstances into account. If you are traveling, taking an exam, having an operation, or are ill, you may shorten the prayer or combine two prayers. Combining and shortening prayers is done in exceptional circumstances because it is not God’s intention to make things difficult. Allah intends for you ease and does not want to make things difficult for you (Qur’an 2:185).
One direction, one people
There are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, and they all face the Kaba, the “house of God,” in the city of Mecca when they pray. This common direction is meant to create a sense of unity among the Muslims and to unite hearts. Muslims do not revere the Kaba, it merely serves as a central shrine. Although all directions belong to God, people need a point of focus to focus and concentrate on.
This is accurately stated in the Qur’an: And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Encompassing and All-Knowing (Qur’an 2:115).
When Muslims around the world turn their faces to Mecca five times a day, it creates unity and togetherness. Although the Muslims live in different parts of the planet, they are still intimately connected. Praying in one direction unites them in their praise of God. And it is a testament to their similar beliefs despite their geographical, cultural and linguistic differences.
The Quran is recited in prayer
Every prayer consists of rituals – certain postures and movements – such as the standing position, the prostration and the prostrating. One of the most important parts of the prayer is to recite part of the Qur’an by heart. This enables Muslims to be in constant contact with the word of God. The Quranic verses should be recited in a correct, beautiful and melodious manner so that the heart is touched. The word Quran (pronunciation “Qurʾān”) means “The most recited”. It is a fact that the Quran is essentially the most recited book on earth. With a significant percentage of 1.5 billion Muslims praying five times a day, the Qur’an is recited continuously and around the world.
Remembrance of God
When you love someone, they are always on your mind. Prayer keeps Muslims in touch with God. It constantly reminds them of their Creator and Sustainer.
Verily, I am Allah! There is none worthy of worship but Me, so worship Me and perform prayer perfectly in My remembrance (Qur’an 20:13-14).
Prayer keeps you in check
And persevere in prayer; the prayer surely keeps away from indecency and evil (Qur’an 29:45)
Praying five times a day keeps man in check, because he constantly speaks to God and reflects on his actions. A person who does not think of God does not reflect on his actions and will not feel the urge to repent. What also plays a role in this is the encouragement to pray together with others. This will bring one into contact with other righteous people who will inspire and encourage him or her to do good. They will help him on his way to change and remind him when he makes a mistake.
Prayer is connected with charity
The Qur’an constantly links prayer with charity.
Verily, those who believe and do good deeds and perform prayer and give Zakat will receive their reward from their Lord and there will be no fear upon them, nor will they grieve. (Quran, 2:277)
Another verse reads:
Men who neither merchandise nor sale divert from the remembrance of Allah and the maintenance of prayer and giving Zakat. (Quran 24:37)
When you pray in community several times a day, you get to know the other worshipers. It offers the possibility to know who is in need, sick, or needs help. If everyone prayed at home, the opportunity to help others would not be so readily available.
Washing before prayer
Before praying, Muslims must wash their hands, face, head and feet. This washing is called the ritual washing. Its purpose is to ensure physical cleanliness before standing before God. But the washing also reminds of the need to be spiritually clean. When one washes his limbs, he remembers the sins he may have committed with those limbs.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “When a Muslim washes his face before prayer, any sin he has committed with his eyes is washed off his face along with the water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin comitted with his hands is washed out by the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin his feet have walked upon is washed off with the water, or with the last drop of water, this results to that he comes out cleansed from all sin.” (Sahih Muslim).
Most would consider it important to be clean before meeting someone important, going to a job interview, or standing in front of someone important. Similarly, Muslims consider it important to be in a state of physical cleanliness when standing before God in prayer. This washing also creates a culture of cleanliness in the society if people are accustomed to washing their hands, face and limbs regularly.
It’s a spiritual cleansing
The Prophet ﷺ summed up this point best when he said: “If someone had a stream in front of his door and he bathed in it five times a day, do you think he would have any filth left on him?” The people said, “Then there would be no filth left on him at all.” The Prophet ﷺ then said: “That is like the five daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins with it” (Sahih Muslim).
It ends with peace
Each prayer ends with a statement meaning “peace be upon you”. The word salah in Arabic comes from the root word sila, which means to connect or contact. It literally interrupts one’s day to disconnect from this world and reconnect with God and the afterlife. Ultimately, this world is temporary, and no one will be here forever. Prayer offers regular and continuous opportunities to disconnect from the temporal and connect with the Eternal. Prayer is therefore peaceful and liberating from the chains of temptations and worldly things. After reconnecting with God, you have a sense of peace in your heart. This peace cannot be found through materialism, pleasure, entertainment, or fame. It is found only by detaching yourself from this short and fleeting world and reconnecting with God over and over again.