Sadsa

Salat – Daily prayer of Islam The Salat is a significant pillar for Muslims which expresses core beliefs of Islam. It is the act of worshipping Allah the Almighty according to the teachings of the holy prophet. (Salat intro May 2008) Muslim belief is put into practice through ‘Arkan al – Islam – the five pillers of faith. Throughout the Muslim world, these five duties are performed by practicing Muslims and are a unifying force in Islam. . These five pillars make up the framework of Muslim life and additionally the Salat is greatly perceived as fundamental in the form of practice requirements in the Muslim faith..( Bowker, John, 1997). A required obligation within the pillar which articulates vital importance takes in the form of the practice of praying 5 times a day subsequently having complete devotion to Allah. A level of dedication to the practice is believed to determine a Muslims fate at the Day of Judgment. (Bowker, John 1997) Each prayer contains a number of Raka’at Amongst Shahada, Zakat, Sawm and the Hajj, the Salat (2nd pillar of Islam) expresses core obligatory requirements of Islam and also allows opportunities for direct communication with god. “I asked the messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), ‘which deed is the most desirable to Allah'’ He replied: “To offer the obligatory prayer time’. Hadith,n 27, p. 17.This is achieved through the process of praying 5 times a day at dawn ‘who is sane, mature and, in the case of women, free from menstruation and confinement due to childbirth’. The practice is also believed to help Muslims avoid being too attached to non-essential things. (Janet Movissey et al 2005) Within the Salat an essential part is motioned to be obligatory, this particular element is called the Raka’at. There are five obligatory prayers in a day and each prayer contains a set number of raka’at. (living religion). The distinguished required raka’at are as follows * Salat al-fair the morning prayer: two raka’at said out loud * Salat al- Zuhr the noon prayer: four silent raka’at * Salat al-Maghrib The evening or sunset prayer: three raka’at, two said out loud one silently. * Salat al- ‘Isha’ the night prayer: four raka’at, two said out oud, two said silently Thus, the observant Muslim must perform a minimum of seventeen raka’at every day. When performing the raka’at the heart and mind and soul must be devoted to Allah, but also in a series of movement involving the entire body. Body and mind are inseparable ( Janet Movissey et al 2005). The Salat is highly formalized and regulated in its cycles of spoken formulas and body postures, a muslim is obliged to accompany the spoken words through the process of kneeling, standing and bowing in a set pattern. (Bowker, John), Although the process of praying is preferable to perform the with other people in a mosque led by imam, a muslim may pray almost anywhere – the workplace, at school in the home, and at universities. Depending on the number of Raka’at for a particular prayer time, certain postures and prayers will be repeated. The Sunni and Shi’I differ as the Sunni must be performed on anything which is clean, can be performed 3 distinct times not five and the belief of the Shi is that prayer must be performed through their hands hanging by their sides. (Janet Movissey et al 2005) The formulized body postures are as follows: Nyyat, Qiyam, Ruku, Qiyam Sajda, Quiud, Tashahud. The obligatory factor of the Salat requires a Muslim to be in a state of purity therefore the ritual prayer can be performed rightfully. The Body postures and the distinct Raka’at must be performed in a strict highly formulized way in order to have spiritual communication with Allah as a result commitment and devotion to the prayer determines a Muslims fate at the Day of Judgment. The significance of the Salat is to allow Muslims to be closer to Allah In addition the daily prayer remind Muslims to give thanks to Allah’s blessing and that Islam precedence takes over all other concerns, therefore revolving their life around Allah and submitting to his will.(Wikipedia) The prayer also serves as a formal method of remembering Allah. Prayer is also cited as a means of restraining a believer from social wrongs and moral deviancy. The main purpose of the Salat surrounds the principle belief of Allah through obligatory commitment showing devotion and worship to Allah and he alone therefor Muslims are closer to Allah and are in complete commitment to their belief. References: Bowker, John, The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, New York, Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 843 Morrissey, Mudge, Taylor, Bailey, Rule. (2005), Living religion, Pearson Heinemann, Melbourne. Websites: Wikipedia (May 2008) Islam Intro (June 2004)