Fajr
Dhuhr
Salat (Prayer)
Concept of Ibadah
The term ‘Ibadah’ is derived from the Arabic word “Abd”. Its meaning is slave or servant. Man is a born subject and servant of Allah Almighty. When he resorts to Allah with humbleness and devotion, he does an act of ‘Ibadah. ‘Ibadah is a way of the purification human’s physical and spiritual life. In Islam, all good deeds are performed to seek the pleasure of Allah Almighty and this is also an is an act of worship.
Pillars of Islam
These rituals of ‘Ibadah are as followings:
- Prayers (Salah)
- Fasting (Suam)
- Charity (Zakat)
- Pilgrimage (Hajj)
- Fight/Struggle in the way of Allah (Jihad).
- Faith (Iman).
Functions of the Pillars of Islam
Islam is a whole and covers all of the aspects of human’s life. The functions of these pillars are:
- To create bond among all human activities spiritual and material, individual and collective. These rituals of prayer establish faith to play a real-world and effective role in the human life. It is the medium through which the faithful people can serve Allah their fellow people as well. The
- Prophet (S.A.W) is reported to have said:
“Salah is the pillar of Islam and whosoever abandons it, demolishes the very pillar of religion”.
THE CONDUCT OF SALAH
These are the following conditions for the conduct of salah:
- Ablution (Wudu): it is one of the most important conditions. Other important conditions are: -
- TIME: each of the Salah must be offered at their proper time table. Salah cannot be said before its time. There are a total of five obligatory prayers in a day which are:
- Fajr: it is the morning prayer.
- Zuhr: it is the early afternoon prayer.
- Asr: it is the late afternoon prayer.
- Maghrib: it is the sun-set prayer.
- Isha: it is the night prayer.
- DRESS: for salah a properly and cleaned dressed is required.
- Men and boys dress: their dress should cover their body from the umbilicus to the knees at least.
- Women dress: they must be covered from head to foot. Their face and hands are exempted. The dress must be clean and free from all kind impurities. And during the monthly periods (Menstruation) women are free from this obligation of Salah.
- PLACE: any place can be turned into the prayer zone.
The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) has said;
“The (whole of the) earth has been rendered for me a mosque: pure and clean.”
It is rather preferable to offer prayer in congregation (Jam’at).
Prayer should be offered facing the direction of Qibla, which is situated in the Kabbah of Makkah city.
FARD (Obligatory Prayer) OR NAFILAH (Sup rogatory Prayer)
These are as following described:
- Salah is composed of the obligatory prayer (Fard).
- Nafilah is the sup rogatory prayers.
The Fard Salah are performed five times in a day. The failure to perform any one of these prayers is a blamable sin. The Nafilah also includes the Sunnah prayer.
- Sunnah: it was used to be prayed by the Prophet (S.A.W.) on regular basis and on some special occasions. Beside one can leave the additional Sunnah prayers except the two Sunnah like that of the raka’ats of Fajr prayer and the Witr of ‘Isha prayer.
- Salatul-Qasr: sometimes it becomes impossible to pray like during a journey then humans are permitted to shorten their prayer which is known as Salatul-Qasr. When the stay of an individual at any place (during the journey) exceeds a fortnight, complete Salah with all of its Fard and Sunnah courtesies must be offered by him.
- Relaxation of Salah during illness: during illness one may offer one’s prayer in a sitting position or even lying-in bed. One can make signs instead of the physical movements. Moreover, during some journey and sickness and other sort emergencies, one is permitted to offer two separate Salah jointly.
CALL TO PRAYER (ADHAN)
In order to assemble the Muslims for congregational prayer call to prayer is a assumed. The caller is called “Mu’adhin”, who stands facing the direction of Kabbah (Qibla). Then he raises his hands to his ears and make a call-in loud voice:
- ALLAHU AKBAR ALLAHU AKBAR (Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest)
- ALLAHU AKBAR ALLAHU AKBAR ( Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest )
- ASH-HADU AL-LA ASH-HADU AL-LA ILAHA ILLALLAH ILAHA ILLALLAH ( I bear witness that there is I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah no deity but Allah)
- ASH-HADU AN-NA MUHAMMADAR RASULULLAH (I bear witness that Muhammad (S.A.W) is the messenger of Allah)
- ASH-HADU AN-NA MUHAMMADAR RASULULLAH (I bear witness that Muhammad (S.A.W) is the messenger of Allah)
- HAYYA ‘ALAS SALAH HAYYA ‘ALAS SALAH (Come to prayer Come to prayer)
- HAYYA ‘ALAL FALAH HAYYA ‘ALAL FALAH (Come to success Come to success)
- ALLAHU AKBAR ALLAHU AKBAR (Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest)
- LA ILAHA ILLALLAH (There is no deity but Allah)
Holy Prophet (S.A.W) has commanded that humans should repeat the same words like mu’azzin but rather silently. When mu”azzin says:
- HAYYA ‘ALAS-SALAH, HAYYA ‘ALAL-FALAH
People should say:
- LA HAULA WA LA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAH (There is no might no power but from Allah).
THE CONTENTS OF SALAH
Salah in Islam means submission before Allah Almighty which takes man closer to Allah by harmonizing his behavior with physical posture. Salah makes Muslims submit themselves wholly to their Creator.
How to say Salah
The ways to perform salah are given below
Make Intention of Salah
These are the following ones
- Al Takbirah: here a person should say to himself about the Salah, if he is intended for Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib or ‘Isha and particularly Fard or Sunnah prayers.
- Then he must raise his hands to his ears and say:
ALLAHU AKBAR (Allah is the Greatest).
- Al Qabdah: now having placed his right hand on the left around the umbilicus he should recite the following:
- SUBHANA-KALLA HUMMA WA BI-HAMDIKA (O Allah, Glorified, Praiseworthy.
- WA TABARAKAS-MUKA WA TA’ALA JADDUKA (Blessed is Your Name and Exalted Your Majesty)
- WA-LA ILAHA GHAIRUKA (And there is no deity worthy of worship except You.)
- A’U-DHU BIL-LA-HI MINASH SHAITANIR RAJEEM (I seek refuge in Allah from the rejected Satan)
- BISMILLA HIR RAHMA NIR RAHEEM In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
- After this he should recite the opening Surah of Al-Fatihah
- ALHAMDU LIL-LAHI RAB-BIL ‘ALAMEEN (Praise be to Allah the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds)
- AR-RAHMA-NIR RAHEEM (Most Gracious, Most Merciful)
- MALIKI YAU-MID-DEEN (Master of the Day of Judgment.)
- IYYA-KA N’ABUDU WA-IYYKA NASTA’EEN (You do we worship, and Your aid we seek)
- IHDI-NAS-SIRA-TAL MUSTAQEEM (Show us the straightway)
- SIRA TAL-LADHINA AN- ‘AMTA ‘ALAIHIM (The way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace)
- GHAIRIL MAGHDUBI ‘ALAIHIM (Those whose (portion) is not wrath)
- WALAD-DAL-LIN (And who go not astray.)
- (AMEEN) (O’ Allah accept our prayer)
- Now he should recite the following or any other passage from the book of Holy Qur’an: BISMILLA HIR RAHMANIR RAHEEM (In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful)
- QUL HU-WAL-LAHU AHAD (Say, He is Allah the One and Only)
- ALLA-HUS-SAMAD Allah (the Eternal, Absolute)
- LAM YALID WA LAM YULAD (He begets not, nor is He begotten)
- WA LAM YAKUL-LAHU KUFU-WAN AHAD (and there is none like unto Him.)
- Ruku: Having said ALLAHU AKBAR (Allah is the Greatest) he places his hands on his knees and in this inclined position of ruku. Now he recites these words three times:
- SUBHANA RAB-BI-YAL AZEEM Glory be to my Lord the Great
- SUBHANA RAB-BI-YAL AZEEM Glory be to my Lord the Great
- SUBHANA RAB-BI-YAL AZEEM Glory be to my Lord the Great
- Then he comes to the standing position and says:
- SAMI ‘ALLAHU LI MAN HAMIDAH (Allah has heard all who praise Him.)
- RAB-BANA IAKAL HAMD (Our Lord; Praise be to you.)
- Sajadah: now in the position of Prostration (Ruku) he says: Allahu Akbar and then bows down on the ground with his forehead, knees, nose and palms of both hands touching the ground. In this position he repeats these words at least three times:
- SUBHANA RAB-BI-YAL A’ALA Glory to my Lord, the Highest.
- SUBHANA RAB-BI-YAL A’ALA Glory to my Lord, the Highest.
- SUBHANA RAB-BI-YAL A’ALA Glory to my Lord, the Highest.
- Then he sits upright with his knees still on the ground after a moment rest to perform his second Sajdah and says: ALLAHU AKBAR Allah is the Greatest. The second Sajida completes the first ra’kat.
- Al Julus Bayan al Sajadatyn: the second rak’at is in same way of the first one. Except that after the second Sajdah he must remain in sitting position with the left foot bent towards the right and toes should touch the mat. Then the palms should be lifted from the mat and placed on his knees. In this position he silently says these words:
- AT-TAHI-YATU LIL-LAHI WAS-SALAWATU WAT-TAY-YIBATU All prayers and worship through words, action and sanctity are for Allah only.
- AS-SALAMU ‘ALAIKA AY-YUHAN-NABIY-YU Peace be on you, O Prophet.
- WA RAHMATUL-LAHI WA BARAKATUH And Mercy of Allah and His blessings.
- AS-SALAMU ‘ALAINA WA ‘ALA ‘IBADIL-LAHIS-SALIHEEN Peace be on us and those who are righteous servants of Allah.
- Al Tashahhud: then he says:
- ASH-SHADU AL-LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHU I bear witness to the fact that there is no diety but Allah.
- WA ASH-HADU AN-NA MUHAMMADAN ‘ABDUHU WA RASULUH I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.
- Al Darud (blessing for the Prophet): then he recites in these words:
- AL-LAHUM-MA SAL-LI ‘ALA MUHAMMADIN WA ‘ALA ALI MUHAMMADIN O Allah, exalt Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad.
- KAMA SAL-LAITA ‘ALA IBRAHIMA WA ‘ALA ALI IBRAHIMA As You did exalt Ibrahim and his followers IN-NAKA HAMIDUM-MAJEED You are the Praised, the Glorious
- AL-LAHUM-MA BARIK ‘ALA MUHAMMADIN O Allah, bless Muhammad
- WA ‘ALA ALI MUHUAMMADIN and his followers
- KAMA BARAKTA ‘ALA IBRAHIMA WA ‘ALA ALI IBRAHIMA as You have blest Ibrahim and his followers.
- IN-NAKA HAMIDUM-MAJEED You are the Praised, the Glorious
- Al Taslim: and then he continues praising silently in the words:
RAB-BIJ- ‘ALNI MUQEIMAS-SALATI WA MIN DHUR-RIY-YATI O Lord! Make me and my children steadfast in Prayer
RAB-BANA WA TAQAB-BAL DU’A.RABBA-NAGH-FIRLI Our Lord! Accept my prayer. Our Lord! forgive me.
WA-LI WALIDAY-YA WA LIL-MU’MININA YAUMA YAQUM-UL HISAB and my parents and believers on the Day of Judgment.
- As Salam: now he turns his face to the right and calls: AS-SALAMU ‘ALAIKUM WA-RAHMATUL-LAH Peace be on you and Allah’s blessings. Then he also turns his face to the left and says the above words (aloud) again. This is the completion of his two rak’a Salah.