Salah is the second pillar of Islam

Salah

by Ghulam Sarwar

Salah is the second pillar of Islam. It refers to the five compulsory daily prayers. Salah is offered five times a day individually or in congregation. We offer Salah to remember Allah. It brings us closer to Him.

The Qur’an says: "Establish Salah to remember me (Allah)" (20:14).

Salah is the practical proof of our faith in Allah and Islam. It has been made compulsory at certain fixed times. Allah says in the Qur’an: "Salah at fixed times has been enjoined on the believers" (4:103).

The five prayers are:

Fajr: (from dawn until just before sunrise

Zuhr: (after mid-day until afternoon)

Asr (from late afternoon until just before sunset)

Maghrib (after sunset until daylight ends)

Isha (night until midnight or dawn)

Try to understand clearly why we need to offer Salah. We offer Salah to remember Allah our Creator and to be close to Him and to gain his favour.

To say your Salah you must be clean and pure. The Qur’an says: "Surely Allah loves those who turn to Him and those who care for cleanliness." (2:222). Cleanliness of the body and clothes is called Taharah or purification. You may be clean outwardly and still not be pure.

Before we can begin to say Salah, we must first prepare ourselves. This preparation includes making sure we are clean, and this is done by carrying out Wudu. (Oblution)

Wudu, (Oblution) is essential for performing Salah, we cannot offer our Salah without first making Wudu. These are the steps to take:

First make Niyyah (Intention) saying Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim (in the name of Allah the most merciful the most kind); then wash both hands up to the wrists three times making sure that water has reached between the fingers.
Next, put a handful of water into the mouth and rinse it thoroughly three times.
After this sniff water into the nostrils three times to clean them and then wash the tip of the nose three times.
Wash the face three times from right ear to left ear and from forehead to throat.
Wash the right arm and then left arm thoroughly from wrist to elbow three times.
The moves the palm of the wet hand over head, starting from the top of forehead to the back and pass both hands over the back of the head to the neck.
Next, rub wet fingers into the grooves of both ears and holes and also pass the wet thumbs behind the ear.
Next pass the backs of wet hands over the nape.
Finally wash both feet to the ankles starting from the right and making sure that water has reached between the toes and all other parts of the feet.

At the end of the steps recite:

"Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lahu wahdahu la sharikalahu wa ash hadu anna muhammadan abduhuwa rasuluhu."

This means:

"I bear witness there is no god but Allah and He is one and has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger."

Adhan (call to prayer)

It is strongly recommended that wherever possible Muslims should offer their compulsory prayers in the mosque. To call Muslims to prayer, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) introduced the system of Adhan.

The person who gives the Adhan is called the Muazzin (Caller). While calling for prayer, he stands in the Minaret or in the courtyard of the mosque, facing the Qiblah (Direction, east) and raises his hands to his and calls out:

Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)

Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah)

Ashhadu anna muhammadar rasulullah (I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger)

Hayya alas salah (Rush to prayer)

Hayya alal falah (Rush to success)

Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)

La ilaha illal lah (there is no god but Allah)

Compulsory Salah –

A Muslim must pray five times a day. The compulsory prayers are called Fard in Arabic. Each unit of prayer is called a Rakah. Fard prayers are:

Fajr: 2 Rakahs

Zuhr: 4 Rakahs

Asr: 4 Rakahs

Maghrib: 3 Rakahs

Isha: 4 Rakahs

Sunnah Salah-

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) prayed extra rakahs in addition to fard prayers. These prayers are called Sunnah.

Sunnah prayers are:

Fajr: 2 Rakahs before Fard

Zuhr: 4 before Fard and 2 after

Asr: 4 (optional) before fard

Maghrib: 2 Rakah after fard

Isha: 4 optional before fard, 2 rakahs after fard and 3 Witr. (odd number rakah)

Times when you must not pray:

From the beginning of sunrise until after 15-20 mins later.
When the sun is at it’s height (Zenith or Meridian)
From the beginning of sunset until it is fully set.