Old Arabic
Old Arabic is the name for the pre-Islamic Arabic language or dialect continuum. Various forms of Old Arabic are attested in many scripts like Safaitic, Hismaic, Nabatean, and even Greek.
Classification
Old Arabic and its descendants are class ...
Old Arabic
Old Arabic is the name for the pre-Islamic Arabic language or dialect continuum. Various forms of Old Arabic are attested in many scripts like Safaitic, Hismaic, Nabatean, and even Greek.
Classification
Old Arabic and its descendants are class ...
construct state
In Afro-Asiatic languages, the first noun in a genitive phrase of a possessed noun followed by a possessor noun often takes on a special morphological form, which is termed the construct state (Latin ''status constructus''). For example, in Arabi ...
) ), also known as ( fa, نماز) and also spelled , are prayers performed by
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
. Facing the , the direction of the
Kaaba
The Kaaba (, ), also spelled Ka'bah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah ( ar, ٱلْكَعْبَة ٱلْمُشَرَّفَة, lit=Honored Ka'bah, links=no, translit=al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah), is a building at the c ...
with respect to those praying, Muslims pray first standing and later kneeling or sitting on the ground, reciting prescribed prayers and phrases from the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
as they bow and prostrate themselves in between. is composed of prescribed repetitive cycles of bows and prostrations, called ( ). The number of s, also known as units of prayer, varies from prayer to prayer.
Ritual purity
Ritual purification is the ritual prescribed by a religion by which a person is considered to be free of ''uncleanliness'', especially prior to the worship of a deity, and ritual purity is a state of ritual cleanliness. Ritual purification may ...
and are prerequisites for performing the prayers.
The daily obligatory prayers collectively form the second of the
five pillars
Five Pillars or five pillars may refer to:
*Five Pillars of Islam, often regarded as basic religious acts of Muslim life
*Five pillars puzzle, a mechanical puzzle also known as ''Baguenaudier'' and ''five pillars problem''
*''Five Pillars'' of c ...
in
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
, observed three or five times (the latter being the majority) every day at prescribed times. These are usually (observed at dawn), (observed at noon), (observed late in the afternoon), (observed after sunset), and (observed at dusk). can be performed either in solitude, or collectively (known as ). When performed in , worshippers line up in parallel rows behind a leader, known as the
imam
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...
. Special prayers are exclusively performed in congregation, such as the
Friday prayer
In Islam, Friday prayer or Congregational prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلْجُمُعَة, ') is a prayer ('' ṣalāt'') that Muslims hold every Friday, after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims ordinarily pray five times each day according ...
and the
Eid prayers
Eid prayers, also referred to as Salat al-Eid ( ar, صلاة العيد), are holy holiday prayers in the Islamic tradition. The literal translation of the word "Eid" in Arabic is "festival" or "feast" and is a time when Muslims congregate with ...
, and are coupled with two sermons each, delivered by the imam.
Etymology
( ) is an Arabic word that means to pray. The word is used primarily by English speakers only to refer to the five obligatory prayers of Islam. This term is spelled as in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.
Outside the Arab world, the most widespread terms are the
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
word ( fa, نماز) and its derivatives. It is used by speakers of the
Indo-Iranian languages
The Indo-Iranian languages (also Indo-Iranic languages or Aryan languages) constitute the largest and southeasternmost extant branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family (with over 400 languages), predominantly spoken i ...
(e.g.
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and some
languages of South Asia
South Asia is home to several hundred languages, spanning the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. It is home to the third most spoken language in the world, Hindi–Urdu; and the sixth mo ...
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
and
Bosnian language
Bosnian (; / , ) is the standardized variety of the Serbo-Croatian pluricentric language mainly used by ethnic Bosniaks. Bosnian is one of three such varieties considered official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with Croatian and ...
s. In Lak and Avar, () and () are used, respectively.
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
and their surrounding areas use a local term, ''sembahyang'' combining the words ''sembah'' – to worship, and ''
hyang
''Hyang'' ( Kawi, Sundanese, Javanese, and Balinese) is a representation of the Supreme Being, in ancient Java and Bali mythology. This spiritual entity can be either divine or ancestral. The reverence for this spiritual entity can be found ...
'' – god or deity.
The origin of the word has become a matter of debate, particularly in relation to
Quranism
Quranism ( ar, القرآنية, translit=al-Qurʾāniyya'';'' also known as Quran-only Islam) Brown, ''Rethinking tradition in modern Islamic thought'', 1996: p.38-42 is a movement within Islam. It holds the belief that traditional religious cl ...
. Some have suggested that derives from the root () which means "linking things together", hence why the obligatory prayers in Islam are referred to by the word (in the sense that through prayer one "connects" to God). In some translations, namely that of
Rashad Khalifa
Rashad Khalifa ( ar, رشاد خليفة; November 19, 1935 – January 31, 1990) was an Egyptian-American biochemist, closely associated with the United Submitters International (USI), an organization which promotes the practice and study of Qu ...
, is translated as the "Contact Prayer" either because of the physical contact the head makes with the ground during the prostration part of the ritual (), or again because the prayer "connects" the one who performs it to God.
Other sources claim that the root is in fact () the ultimate meaning of which is not agreed upon.
is thought to come from the
Classical Syriac
The Syriac language (; syc, / '), also known as Syriac Aramaic (''Syrian Aramaic'', ''Syro-Aramaic'') and Classical Syriac ܠܫܢܐ ܥܬܝܩܐ (in its literary and liturgical form), is an Aramaic dialect that emerged during the first century ...
word () meaning prayer, temple, sanctuary or the theological idea of reconciliation in Christianity. itself is believed to derive from the root () which is related to bending or bowing down.
Some Quranists make the argument that the Quran does not support the traditional meaning ascribed to , saying that it instead means "duty" or perhaps "adherence", though this is yet to receive any widespread academic support. Those who argue for this interpretation often refer to verse 33:56 of the Quran which states that "Allah and His Angels upon the Prophet". They argue that such verses demonstrate the conventional understanding of salah to be inconsistent and in this case blasphemous as the idea of Allah praying to
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
(or indeed praying at all) is at odds with the Quran's message of strict monotheism.
In the Quran
The noun () is used 82 times in the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
.
There are about 15 other derivatives of its
triliteral root
The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or " radicals" (hence the term consonantal root). Such abstract consonantal roots are used in the formation of actual words by adding the vowel ...
''ṣ-l''. Words connected to (such as mosque, , , etc.) are used in approximately one-sixth of Quranic verses. "Surely my prayer, and my sacrifice and my life and my death are (all) for God", and "I am Allah, there is no god but I, therefore serve Me and keep up prayer for My remembrance" are both examples of this.
Religious significance
The primary purpose of is to act as a person's communication with God. Purification of the heart is the ultimate religious objective of . Via , a believer can grow closer to Allah and in turn strengthen their faith; it is believed that the soul requires prayer and closeness to God to stay sustained and healthy, and that prayer spiritually sustains the human soul.
(
exegesis
Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (logic), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern usage, ...
) of the Quran can give four reasons for the observation of . First, in order to commend
God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
, God's servants, together with the angels, do ("blessing, salutations"). Second, is done involuntarily by all beings in creation, in the sense that they are always in contact with God by virtue of him creating and sustaining them. Third, Muslims voluntarily offer to reveal that it is the particular form of worship that belongs to the prophets. Fourth, is described as the second pillar of Islam.
Procedure
Each is made up of repeating units known as (, ). Each prayer may consist of two to four . Each consists of specific movements and recitations. On the major elements there is consensus, but on minor details there may be different views. Between each position there is a very slight pause. The phrase (), is recited when moving from one position to another.
Beginning
Before prayer, a Muslim should always perform , an act in which the hands are first washed, the mouth and nose are cleaned, the face is cleaned, the arms up to the elbow are washed, and the head is wiped over with wet hands, including the ears, before finally the feet are washed. Intention, known as , is a prerequisite for , and what distinguishes real worship from 'going through the motions'. Some authorities hold that intention suffices in the heart, and some require that it be spoken, usually under the breath.
The person praying begins in a standing position known as , although people who find it difficult to do so may begin while sitting or lying on the ground. This is followed by the raising of the hands to the head and recitation of the , known in combination as or (consecratory ). is read as (). One then lowers one's hands. The first represents the beginning of prayer. From this point forward one praying may not converse, eat, or do things that are otherwise
halal
''Halal'' (; ar, حلال, ) is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the Quran, the word ''halal'' is contrasted with ''haram'' (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification kno ...
. A Muslim must keep their vision low during prayer, looking at the place where their face will contact the ground during prostration.
Common elements of each
Still standing, the next principal act is the recitation of , the first chapter of the Quran. This chapter begins with praise of God and then a supplication is made to God. In the first and second , another portion of the Quran is recited following the . This is followed by saying and raising the hands up to the ear lobes () followed by (bowing from the waist), with palms placed on the knees (depending on the , rules may differ for women). While bowing, those praying generally utter words of praise under their breath, such as (), thrice or more. As the worshipper straightens their back, they say () and (, "Our Lord, all praise be to you.")
This is followed by saying and raising the hands up to the ear lobes, before the worshipper kneels and prostrates with the forehead, nose, knees, palms and toes touching the floor, saying (). After a short while in prostration, the worshipper very briefly rises to sit, then returns to the ground a second time. Lifting the head from the second prostration completes a . If this is the second or last , the worshiper proceeds to
sit
Sit commonly refers to sitting.
Sit, SIT or Sitting may also refer to:
Places
* Sit (island), Croatia
* Sit, Bashagard, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran
* Sit, Gafr and Parmon, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran
* Sit, Minab, a villa ...
and recite the , and other prayers. Many schools hold that the right index finger is raised when reciting the , particularly the Sunni school scholars who adapted the technical practice of prayer found in the of
Zubayr ibn al-Awwam
Az Zubayr ( ar, الزبير) is a city in and the capital of Al-Zubair District, part of the Basra Governorate of Iraq. The city is just south of Basra. The name can also refer to the old Emirate of Zubair.
The name is also sometimes written Al ...
, as transmitted by
Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
Abū al-Ḥusayn ‘Asākir ad-Dīn Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj ibn Muslim ibn Ward ibn Kawshādh al-Qushayrī an-Naysābūrī ( ar, أبو الحسين عساكر الدين مسلم بن الحجاج بن مسلم بن وَرْد بن كوشاذ ...
. In the final phase of az-Zubayr's practice, the middle, ring, and pinky fingers on the right hand are clasped, while the index finger is pointed and the thumb placed above the clasped middle finger. This practice of az-Zubayr's became a basis principle by modern scholars such as Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in his book, , and
Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani
Muhammad b. al-Haj Nuh b. Nijati b. Adam al-Ishqudri al-Albani al-Arnauti ( ar, مُحَمَّد نَاصِر ٱلدِّيْن ٱلْأَلْبَانِي الأرنؤوط), better known simply as Al-Albani (August 16, 1914 – October 2, 1999), ...
. If the worshipper then intends to finish their prayer, they perform the (illustrated below), or continue with a new .
Mistakes in are believed to be compensated for by prostrating twice at the end of the prayer, known as . The is read as (). represents the end of prayer.
Types of salah
Prayers in Islam are classified into categories based on degrees of obligation. One common classification is
fard
' ( ar, wikt:فرض, فرض) or ' () or fardh in Islam is a religious duty commanded by God in Islam, God. The word is also used in Turkish language, Turkish, Persian language, Persian, Pashto, Urdu (''spelled farz''), and Malay language, Malay ...
("compulsory"),
sunnah
In Islam, , also spelled ( ar, سنة), are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and passed ...
The five daily prayers are obligatory on every Muslim who has reached the age of
puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy. ...
, with the exception of those for whom it may not be possible due to physical or mental disabilities, and those menstruating ( hayd) or experiencing postnatal bleeding ( nifas). Those who are sick or otherwise physically unable to offer their prayers in the traditional form are permitted to offer their prayers while sitting or lying, as they are able. Each of the five prayers has a prescribed time, depending on the movement of the sun. These are the
Fajr prayer
The Fajr prayer ( ar, صلاة الفجر ', "dawn prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer), to be performed anytime starting from the moment of dawn, but not after sunrise. As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Fajr praye ...
(2 rakat, observed at
dawn
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizo ...
),
Zuhr prayer
The Zuhr prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلظُّهْر ', "noon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Zuhr prayer is technically the fourth prayer of the day.noon
Noon (or midday) is 12 o'clock in the daytime. It is written as 12 noon, 12:00 m. (for meridiem, literally 12:00 noon), 12 p.m. (for post meridiem, literally "after noon"), 12 pm, or 12:00 (using a 24-hour clock) or 1200 (military time).
Solar ...
),
Asr prayer
The Asr prayer ( ar, صلاة العصر ', "afternoon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Asr prayer is technically the fifth prayer of the day. If counted from midnight, it i ...
(4 rakat, observed late in the
afternoon
Afternoon is the time after solar noon. It is the time when the sun is descending from its peak in the sky to somewhat before its terminus at the horizon in the west. In human life, it occupies roughly the latter half of the standard work and s ...
),
Maghrib prayer
The Maghrib Prayer ( ar, صلاة المغرب ', "sunset prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Maghrib prayer is technically the first prayer of the day. If counted from midn ...
(3 rakat, observed after
sunset
Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spring ...
), and the
Isha prayer
The Isha prayer ( ar, صلاة العشاء ', "night prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Isha prayer is technically the second prayer of the day. If counted from midnight, it is t ...
(4 rakat, observed at
nighttime
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
). Salah must be prayed in its time. In certain circumstances, one may be unable to offer one's prayer within the prescribed time. In this case, the prayer must be offered as soon as possible. Several hadith narrate that Muhammad stated that it is permissible to pray salah out of its permissible time if a person accidentally sleeps through the prescribed time. However, knowingly sleeping through the prescribed time for Salah is deemed impermissible by most scholars.
''Qasr'' (Shortening Prayers)
When traveling over long distances, one may shorten the ''
Zuhr
The Zuhr prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلظُّهْر ', "noon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Zuhr prayer is technically the fourth prayer of the day.'Asr'' and '' 'Isha'a'' prayers to 2
rakat
A Rak'ah ( ar, ركعة ', ; plural: ') is a single iteration of prescribed movements and supplications performed by Muslims as part of the prescribed obligatory prayer known as salah. Each of the five daily prayers observed by Muslims consis ...
, a practice known as ''qasr''.
''Jam (Combining Prayers)
In ''
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
'' ''Ja'fari'' Fiqh, one may perform ''jam' bayn as-salātayn,'' which refers to praying the ''Zuhr'' and 'Asr prayers in combination at one of its time, as well as the ''Maghrib'' and ''Isha'a'' prayers at one of its time. However, praying separately is considered better. Neither ''qasr'' nor ''jam' bayn as-salātayn'' can be applied to the Fajr prayer.
Barring the Hanafites,
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
jurisprudence also permit to combine ''
Maghrib
The Maghrib Prayer ( ar, صلاة المغرب ', "sunset prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Maghrib prayer is technically the first prayer of the day. If counted from midni ...
Dhuhr
The Zuhr prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلظُّهْر ', "noon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Zuhr prayer is technically the fourth prayer of the day.'Asr'' prayers if they are traveling and incapable of independently performing the prayers. Amongst Sunnis,
Salafi Muslims
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generati ...
allow the combining of two consecutive prayers for a wide range of reasons; such as when various needs arise or due to any difficulty. Taking precedence from ''Imams'' of the ''
Salaf
Salaf ( ar, سلف, "ancestors" or "predecessors"), also often referred to with the honorific expression of "al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ" (, "the pious predecessors") are often taken to be the first three generations of Muslims. This comprises Muhamm ...
'' and early ''
Muhaddithun
Hadith studies ( ar, علم الحديث ''ʻilm al-ḥadīth'' "science of hadith", also science of hadith, or science of hadith criticism or hadith criticism)
consists of several religious scholarly disciplines used by Muslim scholars in th ...
;'' many Salafis amongst the ''
Ahl-i Hadith
Ahl-i Hadith or Ahl-e-Hadith ( bn, আহলে হাদীছ, hi, एहले हदीस, ur, اہلِ حدیث, ''people of hadith'') is a Salafi reform movement that emerged in North India in the mid-nineteenth century from the teach ...
'' school permit combining two consecutive prayers generally, although praying separately is preferred.
Sunni view
Of the ''
fard
' ( ar, wikt:فرض, فرض) or ' () or fardh in Islam is a religious duty commanded by God in Islam, God. The word is also used in Turkish language, Turkish, Persian language, Persian, Pashto, Urdu (''spelled farz''), and Malay language, Malay ...
'' category are the five daily prayers, as well as the Gathering prayer (''
Jumu'ah
In Islam, Friday prayer or Congregational prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلْجُمُعَة, ') is a prayer ('' ṣalāt'') that Muslims hold every Friday, after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims ordinarily pray five times each day according ...
''), while the
Eid prayers
Eid prayers, also referred to as Salat al-Eid ( ar, صلاة العيد), are holy holiday prayers in the Islamic tradition. The literal translation of the word "Eid" in Arabic is "festival" or "feast" and is a time when Muslims congregate with ...
and ''
Witr
Witr ( ar, وتر) is an Islamic prayer (''salat'') that is performed at night after ''Isha'' (night-time prayer) or before '' fajr'' (dawn prayer). Witr has an odd number of '' raka'at'' prayed in pairs, with the final raka'ah prayed separatel ...
'' are of the ''Wajib'' category. Abandoning the obligatory prayers due to negligence is ''
Kufr
Kafir ( ar, كافر '; plural ', ' or '; feminine '; feminine plural ' or ') is an Arabic and Islamic term which, in the Islamic tradition, refers to a person who disbelieves in God as per Islam, or denies his authority, or rejects ...
'' (disbelief) according to the stricter
Hanbali
The Hanbali school ( ar, ٱلْمَذْهَب ٱلْحَنۢبَلِي, al-maḏhab al-ḥanbalī) is one of the four major traditional Sunni schools (''madhahib'') of Islamic jurisprudence. It is named after the Arab scholar Ahmad ibn Hanbal ...
''
madhhab
A ( ar, مذهب ', , "way to act". pl. مَذَاهِب , ) is a school of thought within ''fiqh'' (Islamic jurisprudence).
The major Sunni Mathhab are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali.
They emerged in the ninth and tenth centuries CE an ...
'' of
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...
, while the other Sunni ''madhhabs'' consider doing so a major
sin
In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...
. However, all four ''madhhabs'' agree that denial of the mandatory status of these prayers invalidates the faith of those who do so, rendering them
apostates
Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that ...
. The Islamic prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
is reported to have said: "Between man and polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of salat." ''(Sahih Muslim Book 1, hadith 154).''
Fard prayers (as with all ''fard'' actions) are further classed as either ''
fard al-ayn
' ( ar, فرض) or ' () or fardh in Islam is a religious duty commanded by God. The word is also used in Turkish, Persian, Pashto, Urdu (''spelled farz''), and Malay (''spelled fardu or fardhu'') in the same meaning. Muslims who obey such ...
'' (obligation of the self) and '' fard al-kifayah'' (obligation of sufficiency). ''Fard al-Ayn'' are actions considered obligatory on individuals, for which the individual will be held to account if the actions are neglected. ''Fard al-Kifayah'' are actions considered obligatory on the Muslim community at large, so that if some people within the community carry it out no Muslim is considered blameworthy, but if no one carries it out, all incur a collective punishment.
Followers of Imam
Abu Hanifa
Nuʿmān ibn Thābit ibn Zūṭā ibn Marzubān ( ar, نعمان بن ثابت بن زوطا بن مرزبان; –767), commonly known by his '' kunya'' Abū Ḥanīfa ( ar, أبو حنيفة), or reverently as Imam Abū Ḥanīfa by Sunni Mus ...
also include a 6th obligatory prayer, ''
witr
Witr ( ar, وتر) is an Islamic prayer (''salat'') that is performed at night after ''Isha'' (night-time prayer) or before '' fajr'' (dawn prayer). Witr has an odd number of '' raka'at'' prayed in pairs, with the final raka'ah prayed separatel ...
''. It is supposed to be the last prayer of the night and is composed of an odd number of rakat. This obligation is considered a lesser obligation to the other 5 obligatory prayers, in that its rejection isn't an act of disbelief according to the
Hanafi
The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools ( maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named aft ...
school. The other schools consider this to be a '' Sunnah muakkadah'' (emphasized ''
sunnah
In Islam, , also spelled ( ar, سنة), are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and passed ...
'').
Some Islamic scholars require men to offer the mandatory salat in congregation (''jama'ah''), behind an
imam
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...
when they are able however, according to most Islamic scholars, prayer in congregation is ''
mustahabb
''Mustahabb'' () is an Islamic term referring to recommended, favoured or virtuous actions.
''Mustahabb'' actions are those whose ruling (''ahkam'') in Islamic law falls between ''mubah'' (neutral; neither encouraged nor discouraged) and ''waji ...
'' (recommended) for men, if they are able to do so.
Special congregational prayers
The Jumu'ah is a congregational prayer on Friday, which replaces the Zuhr prayer. It is compulsory upon men to pray this in congregation, while women may pray it so or offer Zuhr prayer instead. Jumu'ah consists of a
sermon
A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. El ...
(''
khutbah
''Khutbah'' ( ar, خطبة ''khuṭbah'', tr, hutbe) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition.
Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic traditi ...
''), after which two rakats are prayed. Since the khutbah replaces the two rakat of Zuhr, it is believed that listening to it carefully compensates the thawāb of 2 rakat.
The salah of the '''Idayn'' is said on the mornings of ''Eid al-Fitr and Eid an-nahr''. The Eid prayer is classified by some as ''fard'', likely an individual obligation (''
fard al-ayn
' ( ar, فرض) or ' () or fardh in Islam is a religious duty commanded by God. The word is also used in Turkish, Persian, Pashto, Urdu (''spelled farz''), and Malay (''spelled fardu or fardhu'') in the same meaning. Muslims who obey such ...
'') though some Islamic scholars argue it is only a collective obligation (''fard al-kifayah''). It consists of two rakats, with seven (or three for the followers Imam
Abu Hanifa
Nuʿmān ibn Thābit ibn Zūṭā ibn Marzubān ( ar, نعمان بن ثابت بن زوطا بن مرزبان; –767), commonly known by his '' kunya'' Abū Ḥanīfa ( ar, أبو حنيفة), or reverently as Imam Abū Ḥanīfa by Sunni Mus ...
) ''takbirs'' offered before the start of the first rakat and five (or three for the followers of Imam Abu Hanifa) before the second. After the salah is completed, a sermon (''
khutbah
''Khutbah'' ( ar, خطبة ''khuṭbah'', tr, hutbe) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition.
Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic traditi ...
'') is offered. However, the khutbah is not an integral part of the Eid salah. The Eid salah must be offered between sunrise and true noon i.e. between the time periods for '' Fajr'' and ''
Zuhr
The Zuhr prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلظُّهْر ', "noon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Zuhr prayer is technically the fourth prayer of the day.
Supererogatory prayers
Sunnah and nafl
Sunni Muslims perform optional sunnah salah (voluntary prayers offered by
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
) of two categories: ''sunnah mu'akkadah'' (verified sunnah) and ''sunnah ghair-mu'akkadah'' (unverified sunnah). The primary difference between the two being the frequency of Muhammad having performed the relevant salah. Certain sunnah prayers have prescribed times. Those ordained for before each of the fard prayers must be offered between the first call to prayer (
adhan
Adhan ( ar, أَذَان ; also variously transliterated as athan, adhane (in French), azan/azaan (in South Asia), adzan (in Southeast Asia), and ezan (in Turkish), among other languages) is the Islamic call to public prayer (salah) in a mos ...
) and the second call (
iqama
The Iqama or Iqamah ( ar, إِقَامَة, ') is the second call to Islamic Prayer, given immediately before prayer begins. Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd Edition Online. Edited by P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrich ...
h), which signifies the start of the fard prayer. Those sunnah ordained for after the fard prayers can be said any time between the end of the fard prayers and the end of the current prayer's waqt.
While Sunni Muslims classify these prayers as sunnah,
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
consider them nafl. Nafl salah are voluntary and can be offered at any time. Many Sunni Muslims also offer two rakats of nafl salah after the Zuhr and Maghrib prayers. During the Isha prayer, they pray the two rakats of nafl after the two ''sunnah mu'akkadah'' and ''wajib'' prayers. There are many specific conditions or situations when one may wish to offer nafl prayers. They cannot be offered at
sunrise
Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects.
Terminology
Al ...
,
true noon
Noon (or midday) is 12 o'clock in the daytime. It is written as 12 noon, 12:00 m. (for meridiem, literally 12:00 noon), 12 p.m. (for post meridiem, literally "after noon"), 12 pm, or 12:00 (using a 24-hour clock) or 1200 (military time).
Sola ...
, or
sunset
Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spring ...
. The prohibition against salah at these times is to prevent the practice of
sun worship
A solar deity or sun deity is a deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it. Such deities are usually associated with power and strength. Solar deities and Sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. The ...
. Some Muslims offer voluntary prayers immediately before and after the five prescribed prayers. A table of these prayers is given below.
Prayers of the night
Tahajjud
Tahajjud, also known as the "night prayer", is a voluntary prayer performed by followers of Islam. It is not one of the five obligatory prayers required of all Muslims, although the Islamic prophet, Muhammad was recorded as performing the ta ...
(Arabic: ) are supererogatory prayers offered late at night. Prayers of this kind are observed from
midnight
Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...
to the prescribed time of the Fajr prayer. The prayer includes any number of even rakat, performed in twos or fours, followed by three or more odd rakat of
witr
Witr ( ar, وتر) is an Islamic prayer (''salat'') that is performed at night after ''Isha'' (night-time prayer) or before '' fajr'' (dawn prayer). Witr has an odd number of '' raka'at'' prayed in pairs, with the final raka'ah prayed separatel ...
prayer. Shia Muslims offer similar prayers, simply called nightly prayers (Arabic: ). These are considered highly meritorious, and can be offered in the same time as tahajjud. These prayers include eleven rakat: 8 nafl (4 prayers of 2 rakat each), 2 rakat shaf' prayer and 1 rakat witr.
Witr
Witr ( ar, وتر) is an Islamic prayer (''salat'') that is performed at night after ''Isha'' (night-time prayer) or before '' fajr'' (dawn prayer). Witr has an odd number of '' raka'at'' prayed in pairs, with the final raka'ah prayed separatel ...
(Arabic: 'string') are prayers offered either with the
Isha prayer
The Isha prayer ( ar, صلاة العشاء ', "night prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Isha prayer is technically the second prayer of the day. If counted from midnight, it is t ...
or with the tahajjud/salawat al-layl. Some consider this prayer compulsory (
wajib
' ( ar, فرض) or ' () or fardh in Islam is a religious duty commanded by God. The word is also used in Turkish, Persian, Pashto, Urdu (''spelled farz''), and Malay (''spelled fardu or fardhu'') in the same meaning. Muslims who obey such com ...
), while others consider it supererogatory. These are performed in odd numbers of rakats, with slight differences between
madhhabs
A ( ar, مذهب ', , "way to act". pl. مَذَاهِب , ) is a school of thought within ''fiqh'' (Islamic jurisprudence).
The major Sunni Mathhab are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali.
They emerged in the ninth and tenth centuries CE an ...
The word ''istikharah'' is derived from the root ḵ-y-r (خير) "well-being, goodness, choice, selection". Salat al-Istikhaarah is a prayer offered when a Muslim needs guidance on a particular matter. To say this salah one should pray two rakats of non-obligatory salah to completion. After completion one should request God that which on is better. The intention for the salah should be in one's heart to pray two rakats of salah followed by Istikhaarah. The salah can be offered at any of the times where salah is not forbidden. Other prayers include the ''tahiyyat al-masjid'', which Muslims are encouraged to offer these two rakat.
Differences in practice
Muslims believe that Muhammad practiced, taught, and disseminated the worship ritual in the whole community of Muslims and made it part of their life. The practice has, therefore, been concurrently and perpetually practiced by the community in each of the generations. The authority for the basic forms of the salah is neither the hadiths nor the Quran, but rather the consensus of Muslims.
This is not inconsistent with another fact that Muslims have shown diversity in their practice since the earliest days of practice, so the ''salah'' practiced by one Muslim may differ from another's in minor details. In some cases the
Hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
suggest some of this diversity of practice was known of and approved by Muhammad himself.
Most differences arise because of different interpretations of the Islamic legal sources by the different schools of law (''
madhhab
A ( ar, مذهب ', , "way to act". pl. مَذَاهِب , ) is a school of thought within ''fiqh'' (Islamic jurisprudence).
The major Sunni Mathhab are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali.
They emerged in the ninth and tenth centuries CE an ...
s'') in
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...
, and by different legal traditions within
Shia Islam
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, m ...
. In the case of ritual worship these differences are generally minor, and should rarely cause dispute.
Common differences, which may vary between schools and gender, include the position of legs, feet, hands and fingers, where the eyes should focus, the minimum amount of recitation, the volume of recitation (audible, moving of lips, or just listening (, )), and which of the principal elements of the prayer are indispensable, versus recommended or optional.
A 2015
Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan American think tank (referring to itself as a "fact tank") based in Washington, D.C.
It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the w ...
study found that
women
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...
are 2% more likely than
men
A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chrom ...
to pray on a daily basis.
Prayer in congregation
Prayer in the
congregation
A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship.
Congregation may also refer to:
*Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship
*Congregation (Roman Curia), an administra ...
('' jama'ah'') is considered to have more social and spiritual benefits than praying by oneself. As per ''hadith'' traditions, the reward of a prayer in congregation increases twenty-five times. A ''hadith'' says: "The prayer in congregation is twenty five times superior to the prayer offered by person alone." (''Sahih Bukhari 646'').
When praying in congregation, the people stand in straight parallel rows behind one person who conducts the prayer, called imam, also called the 'leader'. The imam must be above the rest in knowledge, action, piety, and justness and possess faith and commitment the people trust, Balanced Perception of Religion and the best knowledge of the Quran. The prayer is offered as normal, with the congregation following the imam in order as he/she offers the salah.
Standing arrangement
For two people of the same gender, they would stand in line, the imam would stand on the left, and the other person is on the right. For more than two people, the imam stands one row ahead of the rest.
When the Worshippers consist of men and women combined, a man is chosen as the imam. In this situation, women are typically forbidden from assuming this role. This point, though unanimously agreed on by the major schools of Islam, is disputed by some groups, based partly on a ''
hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
'' whose interpretation is controversial. When the congregation consists entirely of women and pre-pubescent children, one woman is chosen as imam. When men, women, and children are praying, the children's rows are usually between the men's and women's rows, with the men at the front and women at the back. Another configuration is where the men's and women's rows are side by side, separated by a curtain or other barrier, with the primary intention being for there to be no direct line of sight between male and female Worshippers.
See also
*
Dua
In Islam, ( ar, دعاء , plural: ' ) is a prayer of invocation, supplication or request, even asking help or assistance from God.
Role in Islam
Muslims regard this as a profound act of worship. Muhammad is reported to have said ...
*
Sabr (Islamic term)
The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball primarily through the use of statistics. Established in Cooperstown, New Y ...
*
Tasbih
''Tasbih'' ( ar, تَسْبِيح, ) is a form of ''dhikr'' that involves the glorification of God in Islam, Allah in Islam by saying: ''"Subhan Allah"'' (; lit. "Glory be to God").
It is often repeated a certain number of times, using either ...