Salah

• You perform Salah at:

  • Sunrise
  • Noon
  • Afternoon
  • Sunset
  • Night
• Shias pray three times a day rather than five
• "Remember God often so that you may prosper"
• "Turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque) Surah 2
• "I created mankind to worship me" Surah 51
• "Call on me and I will answer you" Surah 40
• • Salah must be offered in Arabic and from memory
  • It uses set prayer from the Quran, Sunnah and Hadith.
  • Proper Salah must start with Wudu (ritual washing and cleasing)
  • It must start with 'niyyah' (good intentions)
  • Men should mostly offer Salah in a mosque
  • Salah can also be offered at home by men and women.
  • Qibla refers to the direction of Mecca, which Muslims face when they pray, wherever they are.
• Salah usually begins with the Takbir 'Allah is the greatest'
• Shias often use a prayer stone or wooden block to rest their heads on when praying
• Sujud means kneeling down with the forehead touching the mat which shows total submission to God.
• Jummah prayer - Friday prayers

  • Congregational prayers the mosque at noon on Friday
  • Compulsory for men
  • It is believed great rewards come from this
  • Not necessary for Shias in the absence of the twelfth imam
  • Means Muslims can worship together
• "Pray in your houses - do not make them like graveyards"
• Du'a - personal prayer, may ask for help/forgiveness/support.
• "The whole earth has been made a place of worship" Hadith
• "prayer with the congregation is 27 times better than prayer performed by oneself" Hadith
• "When the call to prayer is made on the day of congregation, hurry towards the reminder of God and leave off your trading - that is better for you, if only you knew" Surah 62
• Why is prayer important?

  • It is obligatory
  • It is established by Muhammed and instructed by the Quean
  • Establishes a direct relationship with God
  • It helps Muslims avoid sin (like shirk)
  • Prayer at the mosque strengthens community
  • The first question a Muslim will be asked on the Day of Judgement is about Salah - prayer is important in order to achieve paradise