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Prayer
Prayer is one of the most important acts in the Branches of Islam
(Furooa-a-Deen). It is way to worship Allah showing love and devotion to Him.
It keeps the soul and mind free from any pollution such as paganism. Prayer is also
a cleansing agent for our hearts and soul. It brings spiritual happiness and
prevents our souls from becoming depressed, dull, or sad. When making prayer a
habit, it discourages carelessness and helps to progress oneself in life. If a
person's prayer is accepted, then other acts of worship are accepted. If a person
thinks that prayer is unimportant and ordinary, then he is like the person who does not
pray. The word prayer in Arabic is salat and in Urdu and Persian it is
namaz.
The Wajib(obligatory) prayers
1) Five daily praye 6) Salat Al-Kassam
2) Salat Al-Ayyat 7) Salat Al-Juma
3) Salat Al-Mayyat 8) Salat Al-Istejara
4) Salat Al-Tawaf 9) Salat Al-Qatha
5) Salat Al-Nithir 10) Salat Al-Ehtiyat
Rules for prayer
(In some conditions one or more listed below is slightly altered.)
1) One must be pure (tahar) and wear pure clothing.
2) Perform ablution (Wudu).
3) Face the correct direction towards the Kaba (Qibla).
4) Must cover all private areas of the body (for women it must be the modest dress, the
Hijab.)
Places to Pray
1) Must be lawful: One must receive permission to pray on the property unless
it is for public use.
2) Should be motionless: Boats and planes should be avoided, but if there is
no other place then he/she should try to perform it and stay towards the Qibla.
3) Leveled area: When in prostration (sajda) the head can not be higher or
lower (four fingers
4) Infringing the sanctity: One's back should not be face the grave of a
Prophet or Imam when praying or pray on a surface with the name of Allah, the Prophet, or
Imams written on.
5) Men do not pray behind women: If a women prays in front of a man while he is
praying then her prayer becomes invalid and the same is for a man if he does the same.
6) Must be pure (Tahir): It applies particularly to the prostration position.
1) Five daily prayers:
Name Rakat Time
Subah 2 from dawn
before sunrise
Thuhr 4 from noon before sunset
Asr 4 from afternoon before sunset (after Thuhr)
Maghrib 3 after sunset before midnight
Isha 4 after sunset before midnight (after
Maghrib)
Obligatory acts to make prayer valid:
1) Intention (Niyyat)
2) Standing (Qiyam)
3) Saying Allahu Akbar to start the prayer (Takbiratul Ehram)
4) Bowing (Ruku)
5) The two prostration’s (Sajdatayn)
6) Reciting of Surat Al-Fatiha and another sura (Qira'at)
7) Reciting in bowing (Ruku) and prostration (Sajadah), (Zikir)
8) Bearing witness after finishing prostration (Sajadah) of the second and last
Rakat (Tashahud)
9) Salutation (Salaam)
10) Sequence (Tarteeb)
11) Praying with no time or action gaps (Muwalat)
If any of these five elements are missed from the prayer then
the prayer is invalid:
1) Intention (Niyyat)
2) Saying Allahu Akbar to start the prayer (Takbiratul Ehram)
3) Standing before bowing (Ruku), (Qiyam)
4) Bowing (Ruku)
5) The two prostration’s (Sajdatayn)
2) Salat Al-Ayat
This prayer becomes obligatory (wajib) when acts of Allah take place
such as earthquakes,
eclipses, and cyclones.
The way this prayer is performed is:
1) It consists of two rakat and may be prayed individually or in a group.
2) The intention is Salat-e-Ayat (prayer of the signs).
3)In the first rakat, one says surat Al-Fatiha following it with a short sura (such
as Al-Ikhlas) and
bows in a ruka.
4) The person does this five times in total.
5)Then after the fifth time, one continues the prayer until one reaches the second
rakat.
6)The second rakat is the same as the first and then completes the prayer.
3) Salat Al-Mayyat
This prayer is obligatory when it is burial time for the dead.
4) Salat Al-Tawaf
It is offered when one is going around the Kaba at the time
Haj. The intention is Salat
Al-Tawaf and it is performed like the morning prayer.
5) Salat Al-Nithir
When a person declares that he/she will perform a prayer if a certain desire is
fulfilled. SalatAl-Nithir is the intention and prays the amount in which
he/she declared to pray.
6) Salat Al-Kasam
When one has taken an oath, one must perform this prayer. The
intention is Salat Al-Kasamand prays the amount in which he/she vowed to pray.
7) Salat Al-Jumah
The Friday congregational prayer is obligatory when Imam Mehdi (P) is
present. It must be
prayed in congregation and can replace the noon (Thuhr) prayer. There must be at
least seven
people (including the prayer-leader) and the distance between another Friday prayer must
be more than three miles in order for the prayer to be valid. The leader should give
two sermons: one to praise Allah and the second is asking the people to follow the
religion. It is only two rakat and can be prayed like the morning prayer.
8) Salat Al-Istejara
When a one is responsible for offering on behalf of a person who
passed away the prayers in
which he/she has omitted in his/her lifetime. The intention is Salat
Al-Istejara and prays what ever prayers that were missed (for example the Thur
prayer).
9) Salat Al-Qada
Prayers which are obligatory on the oldest son to perform for his
father the prayers that did not do in his lifetime. The intention is Salat
Al-Qada and prays the prayers that were missed (such as the Maghrib prayer).
10) Salat Al-Ihtiyat
When there is certain doubts which occur in the daily prayers.
Some sayings about prayer
- Supposing in front of the house of one of you there is a
river and you wash yourself in it five times a day, will there still remain
any dirt on your body? The five time salawat does the same thing. With these
five daily salawat, Allah obliterates all sins and makes one pure and clean.
Prophet Mohammed (P)
- A person who does not attach any importance and considers it to be something
insignificant deserves chastisement in the hereafter. Holy Prophet (P)
- (speaking about a man while praying improperly) If this man dies and his
prayer continue to be this way, he will not depart on my religion. Holy Prophet (P)
- Prayer is the pillar of religion.
Bibliography
1)Naqvi, Ali Muhammad. A Manual of Islamic Beliefs and Practice vol. 1.
pg. 173-226.
2) Lalljee, N. Yousuf. Know Your Islam pg. 178-181.
3) Seestani, Ali Al-Husaini. Islamic Laws pg. 260-278.
