The Second Pillar
of Islam: Solāh
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All the praise and thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of
al-`ālamīn. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and
that Muhammad, Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam is His Messenger.
The Five Daily Solāh
Solāh is the
daily ritual prayer enjoined upon all Muslims as one of the five Pillars of
Islam. It is performed five times a day by all Muslims. Solāh is a precise
worship, different from praying on the inspiration of the moment. Muslims pray
or, perhaps more correctly, worship five times throughout the day:
1. Between
first light and sunrise.
2. After the
sun has passed the middle of the sky.
3. Between
mid-afternoon and sunset.
4. Between
sunset and the last light of the day.
5. Between
darkness and midnight.
Each prayer
may take at least 5 minutes, but it may be lengthened as a person wishes.
Muslims can perform the Solāh in any clean environment, alone or together, in a
mosque or at home, at work or on the road, indoors or out. One has to have a
Wudhu' to perform the Solāh. Under special circumstances, such as illness,
journey, or war, certain allowances in the prayers are given to make their
offering easy.
Having
specific times each day to be close to God helps Muslims remain aware of the
importance of their faith, and the role it plays in every part of life. Muslims
start their day by cleaning themselves and then standing before their Lord
[Allāh Subhānahu wa ta‘ala] in prayer. The prayers consist of recitations from
the Quran in Arabic and a sequence of movements: standing, bowing, prostrating,
and sitting. All recitations and movements express submission, humility, and
homage to God. The various postures Muslims assume during their prayers capture
the spirit of submission; the words remind them of their commitments to God,
Allāh the Almighty. The prayer also reminds one of belief in the Day of
Judgment and of the fact that one has to appear before his or her Creator and
give an account of their entire life. This is how a Muslim starts their day. In
the course of the day, Muslims dissociate themselves form their worldly
engagements for a few moments and stand before God. This brings to mind once
again the real purpose of life.
These prayers
serve as a constant reminder throughout the day to help keep believers mindful
of God in the daily stress of work, family, and distractions of life. Prayer
strengthens faith, dependence on God, and puts daily life within the
perspective of life to come after death and the last judgment. As they prepare
to pray, Muslims face Makkah, the holy city that houses the Ka’abah [the
ancient place of worship built by Abraham and his son Ishmael]. At the end of
the prayer, the shahadah [testimony of faith] is recited, and the greeting of
peace, “Peace be upon all of you and the mercy and blessings of God,” is
repeated twice.
Though
individual performance of Solāh is permissible, collective worship in the
mosque has special merit and Muslims are encouraged to perform certain salah
with others. With their faces turned in the direction of the Ka’abah in Makkah,
the worshipers align themselves in parallel rows behind the imam, or prayer
leader, who directs them as they execute the physical postures coupled with
Quran recitations. In many Muslim countries, the “call to prayer,” or ‘Adzān,’
echo out across the rooftops. Aided by a megaphone the muezzin calls out:
Allāhu Akbar
(God is the greatest), Allāhu Akbar (God is the greatest),
Allāhu Akbar
(God is the greatest), Allāhu Akbar (God is the greatest),
Ash-hadu an-lā
ilāha ill-Allāh (I witness that none deserves worship except God).
Ash-hadu
an-laa ilāha ill-Allāh (I witness that none deserves worship except God).
Ash-hadu anna
Muhammad-ar-Rasūl-ullāh (I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God).
Ash-hadu anna
Muhammad-ar-Rasūl-ullāh (I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God).
Hayya
‘alas-Salāh (Come to prayer!)
Hayya
‘alas-Salāh (Come to prayer!)
Hayya
‘alal-Falāh (Come to prosperity!)
Hayya
‘alal-Falāh (Come to prosperity!)
Allāhu Akbar
(God is the greatest),
Allahu Akbar
(God is the greatest),
Lāilāha
ill-Allāh (None deserves worship except God).
Friday is the
weekly day of communal worship in Islam. The weekly convened Friday Prayer is
the most important service. The Friday Prayer is marked by the following
features:
1. It falls in
the same time as the noon prayer which it replaces.
2. It must be
performed in a congregation led by a prayer leader, an ‘Imam.’ It cannot be
offered individually. Muslims in the West try to arrange their schedules to
allow them time to attend the prayer.
3. Rather than
a day of rest like the Sabbath, Friday is a day of devotion and extra worship.
A Muslim is allowed normal work on Friday as on any other day of the week. They
may proceed with their usual activities, but they must break for the Friday
prayer. After the worship is over, they can resume their mundane activities.
4. Typically,
the Friday Prayer is performed in a mosque, if available. Sometimes, due to
unavailability of a mosque, it may be offered at a rented facility, park, etc.
5. When the
time for prayer comes, the Adhān is pronounced The Imām then stands facing the
audience and delivers his sermon (known as khutbah in Arabic), an essential
part of the service of which its attendance is required. While the Imām is
talking, everyone present listens to the sermon quietly till the end. Most
Imāms in the West will deliver the sermon in English, but some deliver it in
Arabic. Those who deliver it in Arabic usually deliver a short speech in the
local language before the service.
6. There are
two sermons delivered, one distinguished from the other by a brief sitting of
the Imam. The sermon is commenced with words of praise of God and prayers of
blessing for Prophet Muhammad, Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him.
7. After the
sermon, the prayer is offered under the leadership of the Imam who recites the
Fatihah and the other Quranic passage in an audible voice. When this is done,
the prayer is completed.
Special, large
congregational prayers, which include a sermon, are also offered at late
morning on the two days of festivity. One of them is immediately following the
month of fasting, Ramadhan, and the other after the pilgrimage, or hajj.
Although not
religiously mandated, individual devotional prayers, especially during the
night, are emphasized and are a common practice among pious Muslims.
And Allāh
Almighty Knows best.
The Five Pillars of Islam: The 1st. Pillar of Islam: Declaration
of Faith; The 2nd. Pillar of Islam: Solat; The 3rd. Pillar of Islam: Compulsory
Charity [Zakah]; The 4th. Pillar of Islam: Fasting of Ramadhan; The 5th. Pillar
of Islam: The Pilgrimage [Hajj]
No comments:
Post a Comment