The Arabic meaning for prayer is the word Salah. It is derived from the word Selah; which means to connect or form a relationship. In this regard it is a relationship between the created and the Creator. The foundation of this relationship is sincerity and dedication to acknowledge, connect with and submit to the Creator for all the gifts that He provides. Prayer is a worship that includes intentions, special sayings, thoughts, words and deeds showing the individual’s need to relate to his Creator Allah (swt).

In order to engage  the Creator of all the worlds in the communion  prayer, you must prepare yourself with  ritual purification.  Roughly translated as ablution, this act of preparation is called wudhu.  Take a look at the slides below if you would like to learn  how to perform wudhu.   Don’t forget to pray for us also, may Allah accept your prayers.

Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish the prayer for My remembrance. – Quran

Performing Wudhu

Wudhu Summury

  1.  Center yourself and quiet your thoughts. Focus on what you’re doing. Make the intention.
  2.  Wash or rinse each of following areas three times: right hand, left hand, mouth, nose, face, lower forearms.
  3.  Wash your head and the inside/outside of yours ears once.
  4.  Wash your feet three times, beginning with the right foot.
  5.  Point your right index finger to the sky, and recite a brief prayer of witness.

You must use clean water

Three types of water

  1. Tahoor – Water that is pure and purifying
    • Any body of water that is unmixed with other substances, or mixed with natural elements without human tampering  can be classified as tahoor.  This includes  water from ocean, rivers, rain, lakes , springs etc.
    • Any body of  water that is mixed with small amount of additive  that does not overpower its taste, smell and color can also be classified as tahoor as long as it maintains the label water.  This includes chlorinated water, tap water.  For our purposes this is enough to continue.
  2. Tohir – Water that is pure, but does not purify
    • You may drink it, but you cannot make wudhu with this water.
    •  Any water that is mixed with pure substances to a point where one of its three attributes can no longer be called water is classified as tohir water. This includes things such as juice, vitamin water, gatorade etc.
  3. Najas – Water that is impure and should be thrown out
    • Any water that is mixed with an impure substance such as urine, feaces, blood is considered najas and should be used for spiritual purification.

The Arabic meaning for prayer is the word Salah. It is derived from the word Selah; which means to connect or form a relationship. In this regard it is a relationship between the created and the Creator. The foundation of this relationship is sincerity and dedication to acknowledge, connect with and submit to the Creator for all the gifts that He provides. Prayer is a worship that includes intentions, special sayings, thoughts, words and deeds showing the individual’s need to relate to his Creator Allah (swt).

It starts with takbir , the glorification of Allah (swt), by the proclamation of ‘Allah u Akbar’ (Allah is the Greatest). It ends with tasleem , greetings to the angels who are positioned on our right and left shoulder. It has specific procedures and conditions. Prayer is a major pillar of Islam that no other pillar equals. Prayer is the first type of worship that Allah (swt) mandated on Muslims when the Prophet ascended to Heaven in the Mir’aj. Allah (swt) commanded Muslims to observe it in their residence as well as their travel, safety and danger.

In prayer, we thank Allah the Creator for all His gifts and make supplication for good things that are beneficial to us. We ask Him (swt) for guidance, forgiveness of sins, to push away evil & bad things. Prayer also helps reduce daily tension. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:”O ye who believe! seek help with patient perseverance and prayer. For Allah is with those who patiently persevere.” (2:153)

The conditions for Salaat in Islam

1. Acceptance of Islam

2. Having wudhu and cleanliness from ritual impurity  in body, clothing and place of prayer

3. To dress appropriately and cover the private area: for a man  it is at least between the naval and knees, and for a woman the entire body except the hands and face

4. To face the Qibla which is forwarding one’s whole being to the Grand Mosque in Makkah

5. To pray after the time of the Prayer have entered

My Prayer have put together all the 5 daily prayers in full, in order to see first hand how the prayer is performed. Please note: The recitation is read out aloud for the purpose of demonstrating what needs to be said during prayer. Some prayers require the recitation and other aspects to be said silently. For further details, please consult the Islamic center.

Prayer is a unique training and developmental program which, if well and devotedly performed, can achieve for a Muslim many valuable spiritual, physical, and ethical gains.

Salaat 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. Salaat 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.

Times of Salaat

Fajr · Between first light and sunrise.

Dhuhr · After the sun has passed the middle of the sky.

Asr · Between mid-afternoon and sunset.

Maghrib · Between sunset and the last light of the day.

Isha · 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 Quran 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 Mecca, the holy city that houses the Kaaba (the ancient place of worship built by Abraham and his son Ishmael). At the end of the prayer, the shahada (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 Kaaba in Mecca, the worshipers align themselves in parallel rows behind the imam, or prayer leader, who directs them as they execute the physical postures coupled with Quran recitations.

Although not religiously mandated, individual devotional prayers, especially during the night, are emphasized and are a common practice among pious Muslims.