Salah
Part of a series on |
Islam |
---|
Part of a series on Aqidah |
---|
Including:
|
Salah (
Salah may refer to the form of worship in general, or specifically to the five daily obligatory prayers performed by Muslims. The obligatory prayers play an integral part in the Islamic faith, being the second of the Five Pillars of Islam for Sunnis, and one of the Ancillaries of the Faith for Shiites. In addition, supererogatory salah may be performed by Muslims at any time with a few exceptions, or at specific times in accordance with the Sunnah.
Ritual purity and Wudu are prerequisites for performing salah. Muslims may perform salah alone or in congregation. Some of these prayers are special and are exclusively performed in congregation, such as the Friday salah and Eid prayers, both are performed with a khutbah (sermon). Some concessions are made for Muslims who are physically unable to perform the salah in its original form, or are travelling.
Etymology and other names
The Arabic word salah (
The origin of the word is debated. Some have suggested that salah derives from the triliteral root 'و - ص - ل' (W-Ṣ-L) which means 'linking things together',[2] relating it to the obligatory prayers in the sense that one connects to Allah through prayer. In some translations, namely that of Quranist Rashad Khalifa, salah is translated as the 'contact prayer',[3] either because of the physical contact the head makes with the ground during the prostration, or again because the prayer connects the one who performs it to Allah. Another theory suggests the word derives from the triliteral root 'ص - ل - و' (Ṣ-L-W), the meaning of which is not agreed upon.[4]
In other countries, including
Religious significance
The word salah is mentioned 83 times in the Quran as a noun.[6][7] Salah is generally classified into obligatory prayers and supererogatory prayers, the latter being further divided into Sunnah prayers and nafl prayers. The primary purpose of salah is to act as a mode of communication with Allah.[8] The objectives of salah are various in Islamic belief, and include purification of the heart, growing closer to Allah, and strengthening one's faith. It is believed that the soul requires prayer and closeness to Allah to stay sustained and healthy, and that prayer spiritually sustains the human soul, just as food provides nourishment to the physical body.[9]
Tafsir (exegesis) of the Quran can give four reasons for the observation of salah. First, in order to commend God, Allah's servants, together with the angels, do salah ("blessing, salutations").[10][a] Second, salah is done involuntarily by all beings in creation, in the sense that they are always in contact with Allah by virtue of him creating and sustaining them.[11][b] Third, Muslims voluntarily offer salah to reveal that it is the particular form of worship that belongs to the prophets.[c] Fourth, salah is described as the second pillar of Islam.[1]
Abandoning salah
Within the
Performing salah
A salah is made up of a repeating unit of specific movements and recitations known as a .The person praying begins in a standing position known as Qiyam, although people who find it difficult to do so may begin while sitting or lying on the ground.[1] This is followed by raising the hands to the head and recitation of the takbir, an action known as the Takbirat al-Ihram (Arabic: تكبيرة الإحرام, romanized: Takbīrat al-Iḥrām). The hands are then lowered, and may be clasped on the abdomen (qabd), or hang by one's sides (sadl). A Muslim may not converse, eat, or do things that are otherwise halal after the Takbirat al-Ihram. A Muslim must keep their vision low during prayer, looking at the place where their face will contact the ground during prostration.[14][15][16]
A prayer may be said before the recitation of the Quran commences. Next, Al-Fatiha, the first chapter of the Quran, is recited. In the first and second rak'a of all prayers, a surah other than Al-Fatiha or part thereof is recited after Al-Fatiha. This is followed by another takbir after which the person praying bows down their waist in a position known as ruku with their hands on their knees (depending on the madhhab, rules may differ for women). While bowing, specific versions of tasbih are uttered once or more. As the worshipper straightens their back, they say the Arabic phrase "سمع الله لمن حمده" (lit. 'Allah hears the one who praises him.'), followed by the phrase "ربنا لك الحمد" (lit. 'Our Lord, all praise is for you.')[14]
Following the recitation of these words of praise, the takbir is recited once again before the worshipper kneels and prostrates with the forehead, nose, knees, palms and toes touching the floor, a position known as sujud. Similar to ruku, specific versions of tasbih are uttered once or more in sujud. The worshipper recites the takbir and rises up to sit briefly, then recites takbir and returns to sujud once again. Lifting the head from the second prostration completes a rak'ah. If this is the second or last rak'a, the worshipper rises up to sit once again and recites the Tashahhud, Salawat, and other prayers.[14] Many Sunni scholars, including Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab[17] and Al-Albani[18] hold that the right index finger should be raised when reciting the prayers in this sitting position,[14] Once the worshipper is done praying in the sitting position in their last rak'a, they perform the taslim, reciting lengthened versions of the Islamic greeting As-salamu alaykum, once while facing the right and another time while facing the left. Taslim represents the end of prayer.[19][20]
Mistakes and doubts in salah are compensated for by prostrating twice at the end of the prayer, either before or after the taslim. These prostrations are known as sujud sahwi (Arabic: سجود السهو, romanized: Sujud as-Sahw).[21]
Salah in congregation
In Islamic belief, performing salah in congregation is considered to have more social and spiritual benefits than praying alone.[22] The majority of Sunni scholars recommend performing the obligatory salah in congregation without viewing the congregational prayer as an obligation. A minority view exists viewing performing the obligatory salah in congregation as an obligation.[23]
When praying in congregation, the people stand in straight parallel rows behind one person who leads the prayer service, called the imam. The imam must be above the rest in knowledge of the Quran, action, piety, and justness, and should be known to possess faith and commitment the people trust.[24] The prayer is offered just as it is when one prays alone, with the congregation following the imam as they offer their salah.[25] Two people of the same gender praying in congregation would stand beside each other, with the imam on the left and the other person to his right.[citation needed]
When the worshippers consist of men and women combined, a man leads the prayer. In this situation, women are typically forbidden from assuming this role with unanimous agreement within the major schools of Islam. This is disputed by some, partly based on a hadith with controversial interpretations. When the congregation consists entirely of women and/or pre-pubescent children, a woman may lead the prayer.[26] Some configurations allow for rows of men and women to stand side by side separated by a curtain or other barrier,[27] with the primary intention being for there to be no direct line of sight between male and female worshippers.[28]
Differences in practice
Muslims believe that Muhammad practiced, taught, and disseminated the salah 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.[29][30]
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 suggest some of this diversity of practice was known of and approved by Muhammad himself.[31]
Most differences arise because of different interpretations of the Islamic legal sources by the different schools of law (madhhabs) in Sunni Islam, and by different legal traditions within Shia Islam. In the case of ritual worship these differences are generally minor, and should rarely cause dispute.[32]
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, and which of the principal elements of the prayer are indispensable, versus recommended or optional.[citation needed]
Places and times at which salah is prohibited
Salah is not performed in graveyards and bathrooms. It is prohibited from being performed after Fajr prayer until sunrise, during a small period of time around noon, and after Asr prayer until sunset. The prohibition of salah at these times is to prevent the practice of
Obligatory salah
The five daily prayers
The word salah, when used to refer to the Sunni second pillar of Islam or the Shia ancillary of faith, refers to the five obligatory daily prayers.[34] Each of the five prayers has a prescribed time which depends on the position of the sun in the sky. Given the Islamic day begins at sunset, the first prayer of the day would be Maghrib, performed directly after sunset. It is followed by the Isha salah that is performed during the night, the Fajr salah performed before sunrise, and the Zuhr and Asr prayers performed in the afternoon.
The five daily prayers must be performed in their prescribed times. However, if extenuating circumstances prevent a Muslim from performing them on time, they must be performed as soon as possible. Several hadith narrations quote Muhammad saying that a person who slept past the prescribed time or forgot to perform the obligatory salah must pray it as soon as they remember.[24]
These prayers are considered obligatory upon every adult Muslim,[34] with the exception of those with some physical or mental disabilities,[35] menstruating women, and women experiencing postnatal bleeding.[36] Those who are sick or otherwise physically unable to perform their salah standing may perform them sitting or lying down according to their ability.[37]
Friday and Eid prayers
In general, Sunnis view the five daily prayers, in addition to the
All Sunni schools of jurisprudence view the Friday salah as an obligatory prayer replacing Zuhr on Fridays exclusively. It is obligatory upon men and is to be prayed in congregation, while women have the choice to offer it in congregation or pray Zuhr at home.[41] Preceding the Friday salah, a khutbah (sermon) is delivered by a khatib, after which the 2 rak'a Friday prayer is performed.[42] A minority view within the Sunni schools holds that listening to the khutbah compensates for the spiritual reward of the 2 rak'a that are discounted from the prayer.[43]
The Eid salah is offered in the morning hours of the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. It consists of 2 rak'a, with extra takbirs pronounced before the beginning of the recitation of the Quran in each. The exact number of extra takbirs is differed upon within the Sunni schools, with the majority opining that seven takbirs are pronounced in the first rak'a and five in the second. The Hanafi school holds that 3 takbirs are to be pronounced in each rak'a. After the prayer, a khutbah is delivered. However, unlike the Friday prayer, the khutbah is not an integral part of the Eid prayer.[44] The prescribed time of the Eid prayer is after that of Fajr and before that of Zuhr.[45]
Jam' and Qasr
Muslims may pray two obligatory prayers together at the prescribed time of one, a practice known as jam'. This is restricted to two pairs of salah: the afternoon prayers of Zuhr and Asr, and the night-time prayers of Maghrib and Isha. Within the schools of jurisprudence in Sunni Islam, there is a difference of opinion regarding the range of reasons that permit one to perform jam'. With the exception of the Hanafi school, the other schools of jurisprudence allow one to perform jam' when travelling or when incapable of performing the prayers separately. Hanbalis and members of the Salafi movement allow jam' for a wider range of reasons.[46][47] Some Salafis ascribing to the Ahl-i Hadith movement also permit jam' without reason while preferring that the prayers be performed separately.[48][49] The Shia Ja'fari school allows one to perform jam' without reason.[50] Exclusively when traveling, a Muslim may shorten the Zuhr, Asr, and Isha prayers, which normally consist of 4 rak'a, to two. This is known as qasr.[45]
Supererogatory salah
Muslims may perform supererogatory salah as an act of worship at any time except the times of prohibition. Such salah is called nafl.[51] Prayers performed by Muhammad consistently, or those that he recommended be performed but are not considered obligatory, are called sunnah prayers.
Sunan ar-Rawatib
The Sunan ar-Rawatib (
Salah during the night
Within Sunni schools of jurisprudence, Tahajjud (Arabic: تَهَجُّد) refers to night-time prayers generally performed after midnight. The prayer includes any number of even rak'a, performed as individual prayers of two rak'a or four. Tahajjud is generally concluded with Witr salah.[52] Shia Muslims offer similar prayers, called Salawat al-Layl (Arabic: صَلَوَات اللَّيل). These are considered highly meritorious, consist of 11 rak'a: 8 nafl (performed as 4 prayers of 2 rak'a each) followed by 3 witr,[54] and can be offered in the same time as Tahajjud.[53]
Tarawih salah (Arabic: صلاة التراويح) is a sunnah prayer performed exclusively during Ramadan by Sunnis. It is performed immediately after the Isha prayer, and consists of 8 to 36 rak'a. Shi'ites hold that Tarawih is a bid'ah initiated by the second Rashidun caliph, Umar. Tarawih is also generally concluded with Witr salah.
Eclipse prayers
Following the sunnah of Muhammad during the
Istikhara salah
The word istikharah is derived from the root ḵ-y-r (خير) "well-being, goodness, choice, selection".
See also
References
Footnotes
Citations
- ^ ISBN 9781557785169.
- ^ "و ص ل", Wiktionary, 8 April 2022, retrieved 12 May 2022
- ^ "Quran The Final Testament, translated by Rashad Khalifa, Ph.D." www.masjidtucson.org. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "صلاة", Wiktionary, 27 April 2022, retrieved 12 May 2022
- ^ "British Library".
- ^ Dukes, Kais, ed. (2009–2017). "Quran Dictionary". Quranic Arabic Corpus. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
- ^ Gerrans, S., "The Quran: A Complete Revelation", 2016
- ISBN 978-1479724550.
- ^ Elias, Abu Amina (25 June 2015). "The purpose of prayer in Islam | Faith in Allah الإيمان بالله". Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ISBN 978-2745167804.
- ^ From Surah al-Mu’minun (23) to Surah al-Furqan (25) verse 20 (24 January 2014). "An Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Qur'an vol. 11". Imam Ali Foundation.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. "Salat". oxfordislamicstudies. Archived from the original on 1 September 2009.
- ^ "salat | Definition & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ^ ISBN 9780199862634.
- ISBN 9780757000126.
- ISBN 978-1904063292.
- ^ Abd al-Wahhab (2019, p. 197)
- ^ al-Albani (2004, p. 108)
- ^ Du'a before Taslim (Sunni View)
- ^ About the Taslim
- ^ "The Prostration of Forgetfulness : Shaikh 'Abdullaah bin Saalih Al-'Ubaylaan". AbdurRahman.Org. Translated by Abu Maryam. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- ISBN 978-1496053961.
- ^ "Rules of Salat (Part III of III)". Al-Islam.org. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ a b Qara'ati, Muhsin (5 January 2017). "The Radiance of the Secrets of Prayer". Ahlul Bayt World Assembly.
- ISBN 978-1847740540.
- ^ "Iranian women to lead prayers". BBC. 1 August 2000. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ISBN 978-0275987350.
- ^ Maghniyyah, Muhammad Jawad (21 November 2016). "Prayer (Salat), According to the Five Islamic Schools of Law". Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation.
- ^ "Al-Mawrid". al-mawrid.org. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.
- ^ "Mishkat al-Masabih 981 - Prayer - كتاب الصلاة - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)". sunnah.com. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ Muhammad al-Bukhari. "Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of military expeditions". Retrieved 17 October 2019.
- ^ Abdal Hakim Murad. "Understanding the Four Madhhabs". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ISBN 978-0195165364.
- ^ a b "Salah (Prayer) - The Second Pillar of Islam". Islamic Relief UK. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ISBN 978-9462099227.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ISBN 9780313299513.
- ISBN 978-0415584920.
- ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. "Fard al-Ayn". oxfordislamicstudies. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010.
- ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. "Fard al-Kifayah". oxfordislamicstudies. Archived from the original on 14 June 2010.
- ISBN 978-1601360007.
- ISBN 9781909322950. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ Akhtar Rizvi, Sayyid Saeed (1989). Elements of Islamic Studies. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania.
- ISBN 978-0-7661-3698-4.
- ^ "Islam Today". Archived from the original on 17 October 2007.
- ^ ISBN 978-1932099867.
- ^ "Combining two prayers". Islamweb.net. 16 January 2018. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020.
- ^ Nasir al-Din al-Albani, Muhammad (10 September 2014). "A resident may combine prayers to avoid difficulties – Shaykh al Albaani". Abdurrahman.org. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017.
- ^ Silmi, Shaykh Yahya. "THE WEAKNESS ABOUT THE NARRATION "COMBINING THE PRAYER WITHOUT REASON IS A MAJOR SIN" AND AN ADVICE TO BROTHER ABU KHADEEJA ABDUL WAHID". Uthman Ibn Affan Library. Archived from the original on 9 April 2021.
- ^ Abu Hibban; Abu Khuzaimah Ansari (15 July 2015). "When To Combine And Shorten Prayers". Salafi Research Institute. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020.
- ^ Sharaf al-Din al-Musawi, Sayyid Abd al-Husayn (18 October 2012). "Combining The Two Prayers". Hydery Canada Ltd.
- ^ "prayers". islamicsupremecouncil.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-1853725463.
- ^ a b Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir (18 November 2021). "Salat al-Layl". Al-Fath Al-Mubin Publications.
- ^ Kassamali, Kassamali, Tahera , Hasnain (9 January 2013). "Salatul Layl". Tayyiba Publishers & Distributors.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ISBN 9780292745865.
- ^ Iṣlāhī, Muḥammad Yūsuf (1989). "Etiquettes of Life in Islam".
- ISBN 978-1714100736.
Bibliography
- ISBN 9789793036892. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- al-Albani, Muhammad Nasiruddin (2004). Fikih Syekh Albani(in Indonesian). Translated by Mahmud bin Ahmad Rasyid ·. Pustaka Azzam. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- Nur Baits, Ammi (2021). Tafsir Shalat. Muamalah Publishing. p. 248 Hadith Riwayat Muslim 1336. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
Further reading
- Smith, Jane I.; Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck (1993). The Oxford Handbook of American Islam (1st ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 162–163.
External links
- Learn how to Pray Salah
- Islamic Prayer Times: 11 Things You Need to Know
- How to Perform Salah
- Muslim Prayer Times: Calculating Prayer Times in Islam
- The Importance of Salah in Islam