What is the Salah Prayer?
01/22/23 • 2 min
Before we go over how to pray, we must go over the Salah Prayer and why we perform it. The second Pillar of Islam is the mandatory round of ritual prayers that every Muslim must perform five times daily. The Islamic method of Prayer is a ritualized form of worship, which involves the recitation of Verses from the Holy Quran and supplications to God, all while standing, bowing, and prostrating. This mandatory act of worship is called Salah in Arabic and differs from merely praying or supplicating to God in an impulsive act, just speaking one's mind. Instead, the Salah prayers demand a formalized structure in which one prays a certain way at specific times, as demonstrated to us by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, drawing direct inspiration from Angel Gabriel, who learned from God Himself.
The Arabic word 'Salah,' generally translated as Prayer in English, is linguistically derived from the Arabic word meaning 'connection'; this mode of Prayer connects the servant with his Creator. Salah is a Muslim's way of establishing direct contact with God the Almighty. Salah represents a Muslim's affirmation of servanthood and submission to his Creator's Will. In Salah, a Muslim acknowledges his weakness and neediness by seeking and begging for God's guidance, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.
Salah, or this Islamic ritualized Prayer, is one form of worship amongst many in this beautiful faith. However, Salah holds a special status in Islam because Prayer builds a relationship between a servant and his Creator. Salah is considered the center pole of the Religion of Islam; whoever demolishes or denies this practice in their life demolishes their religion. According to Islamic Scholars, this is the only form of worship that—if neglected—would exclude the disobedient from the folds of Islam.
When prayer time arrives, one is expected to discontinue their current activity and pray to connect with God, the All-Merciful, refreshing their faith for their benefit. Prayer helps remind one why they are here and for what purpose. Prayers help direct a person's thoughts and actions away from sin, from that which is not beneficial. Prayers redirect a believer's thoughts to the remembrance of God.
Before we go over how to pray, we must go over the Salah Prayer and why we perform it. The second Pillar of Islam is the mandatory round of ritual prayers that every Muslim must perform five times daily. The Islamic method of Prayer is a ritualized form of worship, which involves the recitation of Verses from the Holy Quran and supplications to God, all while standing, bowing, and prostrating. This mandatory act of worship is called Salah in Arabic and differs from merely praying or supplicating to God in an impulsive act, just speaking one's mind. Instead, the Salah prayers demand a formalized structure in which one prays a certain way at specific times, as demonstrated to us by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, drawing direct inspiration from Angel Gabriel, who learned from God Himself.
The Arabic word 'Salah,' generally translated as Prayer in English, is linguistically derived from the Arabic word meaning 'connection'; this mode of Prayer connects the servant with his Creator. Salah is a Muslim's way of establishing direct contact with God the Almighty. Salah represents a Muslim's affirmation of servanthood and submission to his Creator's Will. In Salah, a Muslim acknowledges his weakness and neediness by seeking and begging for God's guidance, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.
Salah, or this Islamic ritualized Prayer, is one form of worship amongst many in this beautiful faith. However, Salah holds a special status in Islam because Prayer builds a relationship between a servant and his Creator. Salah is considered the center pole of the Religion of Islam; whoever demolishes or denies this practice in their life demolishes their religion. According to Islamic Scholars, this is the only form of worship that—if neglected—would exclude the disobedient from the folds of Islam.
When prayer time arrives, one is expected to discontinue their current activity and pray to connect with God, the All-Merciful, refreshing their faith for their benefit. Prayer helps remind one why they are here and for what purpose. Prayers help direct a person's thoughts and actions away from sin, from that which is not beneficial. Prayers redirect a believer's thoughts to the remembrance of God.
Previous Episode
WHAT IS ISTIKHARA PRAYER & HOW TO PRAY ISTIKHARA?
Amongst the many gifts our Creator has bestowed upon us, the Salat al Istikhara (The Istikhara Prayer) stands among them. The word Istikhara originates from the Arabic root word of Khair, which is an umbrella word connotating all that is good. Istikhara stems from a verb pattern that means ‘to seek that which is good’ The term Istikhara means ‘to look for Allah’s Guidance, Wisdom, Support, Supervision, Consultation, Goodness, and Blessings.’
How to Do Istikhara for Marriage: When a Muslim is confused about how to resolve a matter, he can ask for Allah, the Glorious, to Aid him by reciting the Istikhara prayer. Salat al Istikhara is a powerful tool that God the Most-Merciful, the Compassionate, has given his slaves so that they can seek His Guidance and Wisdom in all matters of life--whether big or small. For instance, one can pray the Istikhara prayer to seek God’s advice about whether they should relocate for school or work, if they should accept a marriage proposal, or if they should buy a particular car or house. The Istikhara Prayer is a Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that he recommended and performed. Several myths and misconceptions surround the Istikhara Prayer (Salat al Istikhara in Arabic) and many do not have a full understanding of the prayer.
How to Pray Istikhara Step By Step: The prayer is performed simply. Whenever one faces a decision, he or she first would need to do their part by researching possible solutions to their quandary. They should put their intellect and rationale to work, assessing the circumstances to their best of ability. One then should seek sound counsel from others that are knowledgeable, wise, trustworthy, and genuine, and who are worthy of consultation on the very issue. One should use his or her God-given intellect to weigh all available options, reflecting and pondering all gathered research and advice to determine the best possible outcome.
How to Perform Istikhara: Once one determines how to move forward on the issue, he would then pray 2-units (Rakat) of voluntary prayer, which should not be counted as part of the five obligatory prayers of the day. It’s important to note, one should not pray Istikhara until he has chosen the course of action he plans to take regarding the matter. The prayer he performs would be similar to any other traditional prayer. One must make wudu (ablution) in a clean, pure state, dressed appropriately and facing the Qibla (in the direction of Kabah, God’s House here on Earth, in modern-day Saudi Arabia). It is always recommended to seek God’s Forgiveness and Mercy at the beginning of the prayer, especially if you consistently commit sins.
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Next Episode
Reciting the Holy Quran in Your Prayers Out Loud or Silently
the Opening Chapter of the Holy Quran and the Verses of your choice after it out loud instead of silently. As for the rest of the units for Majrib (one unit) and Isha Prayer (two units), you read silently to yourself. For Thur and Asr prayers, all four units are read silently.
May Allah accept your Prayers and reward you abundantly & may your prayers be a means that connects you closer to your Creator!
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