Salaah, the second pillar of Islam Essay Example for Free

Salaah, the second pillar of Islam Essay In this project I will propose to deal with one of the most important major exercises of faith as laid down by Islam. This is prayer (Salaah). Salaah is the second pillar of Islam. It refers to the five compulsory daily prayers. Salaah is the most special act of worship, which a Muslim can do for Allah. The word Salaah, itself, literally means Connection. So the act of Salaah is our way of making a connection with our Lord, Allah. There are many versus of the Quran and many sayings of the blessed Prophet which call us to this important act. We offer Salaah to remember Allah. It brings us closer to Him. The Quran says: Indeed, I am Allah; there is no god except Myself; so worship Me and establish Salaah to remember Me. (20:14) Islam is known as the foundation of Religion. After accepting the truth of the Shahadah, Salaah is the doorway to knowledge. Salaah is the key to paradise. Allah reminds us in the Quran of the importance of Salaah again and again, telling us everything about it from the rewards of it to the punishments of it. The word Ibadah comes from the Arabic Abd, which means slave or servant. Man is a born subject and servant of Allah. When he turns to Allah with humility and devotion, he performs an act of Ibadah. In Islam, every good deed performed to seek the pleasure of Allah is an act of worship. One example of Ibadah is prayer (Salaah).The Salaah, which is the subject of this project, is an essential part of Ibadah. The Prophet (S.A.W) is reported to have said: Salaah is the pillar of Islam and whosoever abandons it, demolishes the very pillar of religion. Prayer is the second pillar of Islam. It refers to the five daily compulsory prayers. Any Muslim who fails to observe his prayers and has no reasonable excuse is committing a major sin. This is a very grave sin because it is not only against God, but is also against the nature of man. The benefit man can get from praying is immeasurable. Here are some explanations of the effectiveness of the Islamic prayer: 1. It strengthens the belief in the Existence and Goodness of God. 2. It purifies the heart and comforts the soul. 3. It keeps man close to good and decent actions and away from bad and evil actions. This is the Islamic prayer and that is what it can do for man. The best way to understand Salaah is to perform it and then one will really know what it really means. There are certain conditions regarding prayer. The offering of prayer is obligatory upon every Muslim whether male or female if they are: 1. Sane and responsible. 2. Relatively mature, normally about fourteen. Parents should advise their children at a young age so as they grow older they are used to praying Salaah. 3. Free from serious sickness. Prayer is not valid till the following requirements are fulfilled: 1. Performing the ablution (Wudu), which will be explained later. 2. Purity of your whole body, the clothes worn on it, and the ground used for prayer from all kinds of dirt and impurity. 3. Dressing properly in such a way as to meet the moral regulations. 4. Declaring the intention of prayer (Niyyah) by both heart and tongue whenever possible. 5. Facing the right direction of Qiblah, the direction of the Kabah at Mecca. There are many ways to decide the direction, if a person cant tell the direction he should follow his best judgement. Every Muslim, male or female, must offer at least five daily prayers on time, if there is no reasonable excuse, or temporary delay, they are: 1. The Early Morning Prayer (Fajr), which may be offered any time after the dawn and before sunrise, a total period of about two hours. 2. The Noon Prayer (Zuhr). This prayer may be offered after midday until afternoon. 3. The Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Asr), which begins right after the Noon prayer time and extends to sunset. 4. The Sunset Prayer (Maghrib). The time of this prayer begins immediately after sunset and extends till the end of daylight. Normally it extends over a period of one hour and twenty to thirty minutes. 5. The Evening Prayer (Isha), which begins at night and extends till midnight or dawn. Fajr 2 Sunnah, 2 Fard Total = 4 rakah Zuhr 4 Sunnah, 4 Fard, 2 Sunnah, 2 Nafl Total = 12 rakah Asr 4 Sunnah*, 4 Fard Total = 8 rakah Maghrib 3 Fard, 2 Sunnah, 2 Nafl Total = 7 rakah Isha 4 Sunnah*, 4 Fard, 2 Sunnah, 2Nafl, 3 Witr, 2 Nafl Total = 17 rakah These five prayers are the minimum requirement for a Muslim. We must try to offer Salaah at the right time and make every effort not to miss our Salaah. If you miss your Salaah, you must do it at the first opportunity. Performing a missed Salaah after its proper time is called Qada. We must make up our Fard Salaah. Before we can begin to perform Salaah, we must first prepare ourselves. This preparation includes making sure we are clean. We do this by carrying out Wudu. These are the steps to take: 1. Make Niyyah (intention) saying the Tasmiyah (Basmalah or Bismillah). 2. Then wash both hands up to the wrists three times making sure that water has reached between the fingers. 3. Put a handful of water into the mouth and rinse it thoroughly three times. 4. Sniff water into the nostrils three times to clean them and then wash the tip of the nose. 5. Wash the face three times from right ear to left ear and from forehead to throat. 6. Wash the right arm, and then left arm, thoroughly from wrist to elbow three times. 7. Move the wet palms of both hands over the head, starting from the top of the forehead to the neck. 8. Rub the wet fingers into the grooves and holes of both ears and also pass the wet thumbs behind the ears. 9. Pass the backs of the wet hands over the nape. 10. Wash both feet to the ankles starting from the right foot and making sure that water has reached between the toes and all other parts of the feet. At the end of all the steps, recite: Ash-hadu alla ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh. I testify that there is no god except Allah and He is One and has no partner and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. This completes the process of Wudu. You should repeat your Wudu after: 1. Natural discharges 2. Flow of blood or pus from any part of the body. 3. Full mouth vomiting. 4. Falling asleep or losing consciousness. 5. Touching the sexual organs. Adhan When the time for Salaah comes, it is the practice of the Muslim community to announce from the masjid that prayer-time has come. This melodic and enchanting call is called the Adhan. A man called a Muadhdhin, or, prayer-caller, is chosen for his good voice to do this task. He faces the Qiblah (the direction towards the Kabah in Makkah). He raises his hands up to his ears and calls out: 1. Allahu akbar, Allah is the Greatest. 2. Allahu akbar, Allah is the Greatest. 3. Allahu akbar, Allah is the Greatest. 4. Allahu akbar, Allah is the Greatest. 5. Ash-hadu alla ilaha illallah, I testify that there is no god except Allah. 6. Ash-hadu alla ilaha illallah, I testify that there is no god except Allah. 7. Ash-hadu anna Muhammadur rasulullah, I testify that Muhammad is Allahs messenger. 8. Ash-hadu anna Muhammadur rasulullah, I testify that Muhammad is Allahs messenger. 9. Haiya alas salaah, Rush to Salaah. 10. Haiya alas salaah, Rush to Salaah. 11. Haiya alal falah, Rush to success. 12. Haiya alal falah, Rush to success. 13. Allahu akbar, Allah is the Greatest. 14. Allahu akbar, Allah is the Greatest. 15. La ilaha illallah, There is no god except Allah. Iqamah Iqamah is the second call to Salaah said inside the masjid at the beginning of Salaah in congregation. When the people praying Salaah stand in rows, the Muadhdhin says Iqamah which is the same as the Adhan except that after Haiya alal falah, the following words are added: 1. Qad qamatis salaah, Salaah has begun. 2. Qad qamatis salaah, Salaah has begun. Usually, Iqamah is said in a lower voice than Adhan. At this stage you should be ready to start saying your Salaah. Make sure you have Wudu, a clean body, clean clothes and a clean place. This is how you should do your Salaah: 1. Stand upright on your prayer mat facing the direction of the Qiblah. This position is called the Qiyam. 2. Say your Niyyah (intention) either verbally or in your mind. 3. Raise your hands up to your ears (women and girls up to their shoulders) and say Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest). This is called Takbiratul Ihram, meaning that all worldly things are now forbidden. 4. Place your right hand on your left hand just below the navel or on the chest (women and girls put their hands on their chest) and recite Thana. Audhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim, I seek refuge in Allah from the cursed Satan (Shaitan). Bismillahir rahmanir rahim, In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind. 5. Recite Suratul Fatihah (opening chapter) of the Quran. Then say, quietly or loudly: Amin. The recitation of al-Fatihah is a must in all prayers. 6. Recite any other passage from the Quran. 7. Bow down saying Allahu Akbar. Place your hands on your knees and say Subhana rabbiyal azim (Glory to my Lord, the Great) three times. This position is called Ruku. 8. Stand up from Ruku saying Sami allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him), followed by Rabbana lakal hamd (Our Lord, praise be to You). This is called Itidal as you return to the position of Qiyam (standing). 9. Prostate saying Allahu akbar, with your forehead, nose, palms of both hands, your knees and your toes touching the floor. Recite Subhana rabbiyal ala (Glory to my Lord, the Highest) three times. This position is called Sujud. Your arms should not touch the floor. 10. Get up from the floor saying Allahu akbar and sit upright with your knees bent and palms placed on them. After a moments rest prostrate again saying Allahu akbar and recite Subhana rabbiyal ala three times. Get up this position saying Allahu akbar. This completes one rakah or one unit of Salaah. The second rakah is performed in the same way, except that you do not recite Subhanaka Taawwudh (Audhu billahi) or Tasmiyah (Bismillah), then after the second prostration you sit upright and recite quietly at-Tashahhud. In a three-rakah Salaah (as in Maghrib) or a four-rakah Salaah (Zuhr,Asr and Isha) you stand up for the remaining rakah after Tashahhud. But for a two-rakah Salaah you remain seated after the second rakah and recite as-Salaah alan nabiy (blessings for the Prophet) or Darud. After this say the following dua: Rabbijalni muqimas salati wa min dhurriyati rabbana wa taqabbal dua. Rabbanaghfir li wa liwaalidaiya wa lilmu minina yawma yaqumul hisab. 11. Now turn your face to the right saying Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah and then to the left repeating the words. This completes the two-rakah Salaah. In the four-rakah Salaah of Zuhr, Asr and Isha, the whole procedure is repeated except that when you get up to complete the remaining two rakahs (one rakah in Maghrib and Witr) after Tashahhud, you only recite al-Fatihah in Fard prayers and no other Surah. In a four rakah Sunnah Salaah you should recite another Surah or part of the Quran after al-Fatihah. Jumuah (Friday) Prayer Beside the daily Salaah, the Friday prayer is also obligatory upon Muslim men. For Muslim women it is not obligatory, but is desirable if they are able to do so without upsetting their household work. The Friday Salaah is offered in congregation on Friday at Zuhr time. First the Imam delivers a sermon (Khutbah). Then he leads the congregation in a two rakat Salaah. After this two or more rakaat of Sunnah or Nafilah prayers are offered individually. The Eid Prayer There are two Eid or occasions of great festivity for Muslims. The first is called Eidul-Fitr or the festival of fast breaking. It is celebrated on the first day of the tenth Islamic month (Shawwal) following Ramadan, the month of fasting. It marks great thanks-giving for the Muslims all over the world. The second Eid is the Eidul-Adha or the festival of great sacrifice, which is observed on the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah, the last Islamic month. The animals are sacrificed to celebrate the great sacrifice of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), On both these Eids, Eid prayers are offered in congregation any time after sunrise and before noon. There is no Adhan (call for prayer) or Iqamah (second call before congregation). The Eid prayer consists of two rakaat (offered just as the two rakaat of Jumuah prayer are said) with six to sixteen additional Takbirs (ALLAHU AKBAR). You say three or more Takbirs in the second rakaat before you bow down for Ruku. The Imam (leader of the prayer) delivers a sermon (Khutbah) after the two rakaat Eid prayer unlike the Jumuah prayer when it precedes the prayer. The presence of all Muslims, women and children included is strongly recommended. By now you should have a very clear understanding of how important Salaah is, and why we have been recommended many times by the Prophet and Allah through the Quran and Hadith. Without prayer a Muslim is incomplete and he should realise this. However many young Muslims have chosen to go astray and follow the non-believers and their actions. May Allah guide us to the way of His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and keep us away from going astray and following false desires. May Allah accept our prayers and grant us good rewards for them. To gather various types of information I used a few books that I thought would be most appropriate. I used the following books to extract information and include it in my project: 1. Islam Beliefs and Teachings (Ghulam Sarwar) 2. Islam in Focus (Hammudah Abdalati) 3. Salaah (The Muslim Prayer)