Salah#The daily prayers

The Arabic word salah ({{Langx|ar|صلاة|translit=Ṣalāh}}, {{IPA|ar|sˤa.laːh|pron}} or {{Ipa|ar|sˤə.ɫaːt}}) means 'prayer'.{{cite book |last1=Chittick |first1=William C. |last2=Murata |first2=Sachiko |title=The vision of Islam |publisher=Paragon House |isbn=9781557785169 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LG3BugEACAAJ&q=THE+VISION+OF+ISLAM+by+Sachiko+Murata+and+William+C.+Chittick|year=1994 }} The word is used primarily by English speakers to refer to the five daily obligatory prayers. Similar terms are used to refer to the prayer in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Somalia, Tanzania, and by some Swahili speakers.

The origin of the word is debated. Some have suggested that {{transliteration|ar|salah}} derives from the triliteral root {{lang|ar|و-ص-ل}} (w-ṣ-l) which means 'linking things together',{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}} 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, {{transliteration|ar|salah}} is translated as the 'contact prayer',{{Cite web |title=Quran The Final Testament, translated by Rashad Khalifa, Ph.D. |url=https://www.masjidtucson.org/quran/frames/ |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=www.masjidtucson.org}} 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 {{lang|ar|ص-ل-و}} (ṣ-l-w), the meaning of which is not agreed upon.{{Cite journal |date=2020 |title=Title |url=https://doi.org/10.21303/978-617-7319-30-5 |journal=Scientific Route |doi=10.21303/978-617-7319-30-5 |url-access=registration |last1=Last Name |first1=First Name }}{{Full citation needed|date=January 2024}}

In Iran and regions influenced by Persian culture – particularly the Indo-Persian and Turco-Persian traditions – such as South Asia, Central Asia, China, Russia, Turkey, the Caucasus or the Balkans, the Persian word namaz ({{langx|fa|{{unq|نماز}}|translit=namāz}}) is used to refer to salah. This word originates from the Middle Persian word for 'reverence'.{{cite web | url=https://www.bl.uk/sacred-texts/articles/prayer-in-islam | title=British Library }}

File:Prayer in Cairo 1865.jpg by Jean-Léon Gérôme]]

The word salah is mentioned 83 times in the Quran as a noun.{{Cite web |date=2009–2017 |editor-last=Dukes |editor-first=Kais |title=Quran Dictionary |url=http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Slw |access-date=2019-10-26 |website=Quranic Arabic Corpus}}Gerrans, S., "The Quran: A Complete Revelation", 2016

Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) divides human actions into five categories, known as "the five rulings" ({{Transliteration|ar|al-aḥkām al-khamsa}}), and acts of worship will be classified accordingly; mandatory (farḍ or wājib), recommended (mandūb or mustaḥabb), neutral (mubāḥ), reprehensible (makrūh), and forbidden (ḥarām).{{sfn|Vikør|2014}}{{sfn|Schneider|2014}} Salah is generally classified into obligatory or mandatory (fard) prayers and supererogatory prayers, the latter being further divided into Sunnah prayers and Nafl prayers.

Hanafi fiqh does not consider both terms as synonymous and makes a distinction between "fard" and "wajib"; In Hanafi fiqh, two conditions are required to impose the fard rule. 1. Nass, (only verses of the Qur'an can be accepted as evidence here, not hadiths) 2.The expression of the text referring to the subject must be clear and precise enough not to allow other interpretations. The term wajib is used for situations that do not meet the second of these conditions."According to the Bishair the fardh, is like the wajib but the wajib expresses [that something should] occur and the fard, expresses [that something has] a definitive assessment. https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789047400851/B9789047400851_s012.xml?language=en {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240406013755/https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789047400851/B9789047400851_s012.xml?language=en |date=6 April 2024 }} However, this understanding may not be sufficient to explain every situation. For example, Hanafis accept 5 daily prayers as fard. However, some religious groups such as Quranists and Shiites, who do not doubt that the Quran existing today is a religious source, infer from the same verses that it is clearly ordered to pray two or three times,Zum Beispiel Sayyid Ahmad Khan. Vgl. Ahmad: Islamic Modernism in India and Pakistan 1857–1964. 1967, S. 49.{{cite web|title=Ek 15 – Dini Görevler: Tanrı'dan Bir Armağan|url=http://www.teslimolanlar.org/ekler.php?ekid=15|access-date=2021-05-30|website=Teslimolanlar|archive-date=5 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105182152/http://www.teslimolanlar.org/ekler.php?ekid=15|url-status=dead}}Vgl. Birışık: "Kurʾâniyyûn" in Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı İslâm Ansiklopedisi. 2002, Bd. 26, S. 429.; Yüksel; al-Shaiban; Schulte-Nafeh: Quran: A Reformist Translation. 2007, S. 507.{{Cite web |title=10. How Can we Observe the Sala Prayers by Following the Quran Alone? - Edip-Layth - quranix.org |url=http://quranix.org/appendix/qrt/10 |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=quranix.org |archive-date=2 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302203849/https://www.quranix.org/appendix/qrt/10 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Sahih al-Bukhari 1399, 1400 - Obligatory Charity Tax (Zakat) - كتاب الزكاة - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) |url=https://sunnah.com/bukhari:1399 |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=sunnah.com}} not five times. In addition, in religious literature, wajib is widely used for all kinds of religious requirements, without expressing any fiqh definition.

According to riwāya, prayer is held to be extremely important in Islam, and according to all four of the madhabs, those who have a disdain towards prayer are no longer seen as Muslims.{{Cite web |date=2011-11-04 |title=Do all the Imams Agree Neglecting the prayer Continuously Entails Disbelief? (Important Clarification) |url=https://daruliftaa.com/salat-prayer/do-all-the-imams-agree-neglecting-the-prayer-continuously-entails-disbelief-important-clarification/ |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=Darul Iftaa |language=en-GB}}{{cite journal | doi=10.52637/kiid.982657 | title=İslam Hukukunda Namaz Kılmayanın Hükmü | date=2021 | last1=Eki̇Nci̇ | first1=Ahmet | journal=Kocatepe İslami İlimler Dergisi | volume=4 | issue=2 | pages=388–409 | doi-access=free }}

While some sects claimed that those killed in this way remained Muslims, others claimed that they had apostatized from the religion. In this case, Islamic duties could not be made for their funerals, they would not be buried in Muslim cemeteries, and their heirs could not claim inheritance rights from the property they left behind, and would be public property.{{cite journal|last1=Peters |first1=Rudolph |last2=Vries |first2=Gert J. J. De |title=Apostasy in Islam |journal=Die Welt des Islams |year=1976 |volume=17 |issue=1/4 |pages=7–9 |doi= 10.2307/1570336 |jstor=1570336 }} However, even if today's dominant understanding defines the abandonment of worship as sinfulness, does not approve of giving worldly punishment for them. However, in sharia governments, their testimony against a devout Muslim may not be accepted, they may be humiliated and barred from certain positions because of this tag. In practice, since early on in Islamic history, criminal cases were usually handled by ruler-administered courts or local police using procedures which were only loosely related to Sharia.{{sfn|Calder|2009}}{{sfn|Ziadeh|2009c}}

In sermon language, the main purpose of the {{transliteration|ar|salah}} is given as acting as a means of communication with Allah.{{cite book |last1=Sheihul Mufliheen |title=Holy Quran's Judgement |publisher=XLIBRIS |isbn=978-1479724550 |page=57 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pB1vZ4rCafEC&q=the+aim+of+salat&pg=PA57|date=October 2012 }} Other emphases include cleansing the heart, getting closer to God, and strengthening 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.{{Cite web |last=Elias |first=Abu Amina |date=2015-06-25 |title=The purpose of prayer in Islam {{!}} Faith in Allah الإيمان بالله |url=https://abuaminaelias.com/the-purpose-of-prayer-in-islam/ |access-date=2019-11-17}} {{transliteration|ar|Tafsir}} (exegesis) of the Quran can give four reasons for the observation of {{transliteration|ar|salah}}. First, in order to commend God, Allah's servants, together with the angels, do {{transliteration|ar|salah}} ("blessing, salutations").{{cite book|last1=BIN SAAD|first1=ADEL|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DR9LDwAAQBAJ&q=It+is+He+who+confers+blessing+upon+you%2C+and+His+angels+%5Bask+Him+to+do+so%5D+that+He+may+bring+you+out+from+darknesses+into+the+light.+And+ever+is+He%2C+to+the+believers%2C+Merciful.+explain+in+salah&pg=PA26|title=A COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPHET'S WAY OF PRAYER: صفة صلاة النبي|date=January 2016|publisher=Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية |isbn=978-2745167804}}{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#33:43 Quran, 33:43]}} Second, {{transliteration|ar|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.{{cite web |title=An Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Qur'an vol. 11|date=24 January 2014|url=https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-11/section-6-everything-heavens-and-earth-glorifies|publisher=Imam Ali Foundation}}{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#24:41 Quran, 24:41]}} Third, Muslims voluntarily offer {{transliteration|ar|salah}} to reveal that it is the particular form of worship that belongs to the prophets.{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#21:71 Quran, 21:71–73]}} Fourth, {{transliteration|ar|salah}} is described as the second pillar of Islam.

{{Main|Rak'a}}

File:Xonaqoh masjidi namozxona.jpg, Uzbekistan]]

There is consensus on the vast majority of the major details of the salah, but there are different views on some of the more intricate details. A Muslim is required to perform Wudu (ablution) before performing salah,{{cite web |last1=The Oxford Dictionary of Islam |title=Salat |url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2075 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901032514/http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2075 |archive-date=1 September 2009 |website=oxfordislamicstudies}}{{Cite web |title=salat {{!}} Definition & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/salat |access-date=2016-01-04 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Sahih Muslim 428 - The Book of Prayers - كتاب الصلاة - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) |url=https://sunnah.com/muslim:428 |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=sunnah.com}} and making the niyyah (intention) is a prerequisite for all deeds in Islam, including salah. Some schools of Islamic jurisprudence hold that intending to pray suffices in the heart, and some require that the intention be spoken, usually under the breath.{{Cite book |last1=Haddad |first1=Yvonne Yazbeck |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XDLcBAAAQBAJ&q=standing+in+salat&pg=PA162 |title=The Oxford Handbook of American Islam |last2=Smith |first2=Jane I. |date=2014-01-01 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199862634 |page=162 |language=en}}

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. This is followed by raising the hands to the head and recitation of the takbir, an action known as the Takbirat al-Ihram ({{Langx|ar|تكبيرة الإحرام|links=no|translit=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.{{cite book|last1=Ciaravino|first1=Helene|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y3fLj-hzngcC&q=rakat+salah&pg=PA140|title=How to Pray: Tapping into the Power of Divine Communication|publisher=Square One Publishers (2001)|year=2001|isbn=9780757000126|page=137}}{{cite book|last1=Al-Tusi|first1=Muhammad Ibn Hasan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FO6CBMZU5xgC&q=how+do+takbirat+al-ihram%3F&pg=PA58|title=Concise Description of Islamic Law and Legal Opinions|publisher=Islamic College for Advanced Studie; UK ed. edition (1 October 2008)|year=2008|isbn=978-1904063292|pages=57–59}}

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 {{transliteration|ar|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 "{{lang|ar|سمع الله لمن حمده}}" ({{lit|Allah hears the one who praises him.}}), followed by the phrase "{{lang|ar|ربنا لك الحمد}}" ({{lit|Our Lord, all praise is for you.}})

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 {{transliteration|ar|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. Many Sunni scholars, including Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab{{harvtxt|Abd al-Wahhab|2019|p=197}} and Al-Albani{{harvtxt|al-Albani|2004|p=108}} hold that the right index finger should be raised when reciting the prayers in this sitting position, 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.[http://islam.stackexchange.com/questions/7786/dua-before-taslim-sunni-view Du'a before Taslim (Sunni View)][http://www.lamppostproductions.com/about-the-taslim/ About the Taslim]{{Cite web |title=Sahih Muslim 672a - The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer - كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) |url=https://sunnah.com/muslim:672 |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=sunnah.com}}

Mistakes and doubts in {{transliteration|ar|salah}} are compensated for by prostrating twice at the end of the prayer, either before or after the taslim depending on the Madhab. These prostrations are known as {{transliteration|ar|sujud sahwi}} ({{Langx|ar|سجود السهو|links=no|translit=Sujud as-Sahw}}).{{cite web|translator=Abu Maryam|title=The Prostration of Forgetfulness : Shaikh 'Abdullaah bin Saalih Al-'Ubaylaan|url=http://abdurrahman.org/salah/sajdasahialmanhaj.html|access-date=28 June 2014|website=AbdurRahman.Org|archive-date=26 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626011821/http://abdurrahman.org/salah/sajdasahialmanhaj.html|url-status=dead}}

{{main|Congregational prayer (Islam)}}

In Islamic belief, performing salah in congregation is considered to have more social and spiritual benefits than praying alone.{{cite book |last1=Qara ati |first1=Muhsin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CHgttAEACAAJ&q=The+Radiance+of+the+Secrets+of+Prayer+Mohsin+Qaraati |title=The Radiance of the Secrets of Prayer |date=18 February 2018 |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |isbn=978-1496053961}} 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.{{cite web |title=Rules of Salat (Part III of III) |url=http://www.al-islam.org/laws/jamaatprayers.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510022158/http://www.al-islam.org/laws/jamaatprayers.html |archive-date=10 May 2012 |access-date=12 May 2012 |publisher=Al-Islam.org}}File:Islamic Society of Akron & Kent - women jummah prayer.jpg, US]]

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.{{cite web |last1=Qara'ati |first1=Muhsin |date=5 January 2017 |title=The Radiance of the Secrets of Prayer |url=https://www.al-islam.org/radiance-secrets-prayer-muhsin-qaraati/congregational-prayer-salat-al-jamaah-etc#compensatory-qadha-prayer |publisher=Ahlul Bayt World Assembly}} The prayer is offered just as it is when one prays alone, with the congregation following the imam as they offer their salah.{{cite book |last1=Hussain |first1=Musharraf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BT49BAAAQBAJ&q=in+jamaah+salat+congregation+following+the+actions+and+movements+of+the+imam&pg=PA77 |title=The Five Pillars of Islam: Laying the Foundations of Divine Love and Service to Humanity |date=10 October 2012 |publisher=Kube Publishing Ltd (10 October 2012) |isbn=978-1847740540 |pages=77–78}} 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|date=July 2020}}

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.{{cite news |date=2000-08-01 |title=Iranian women to lead prayers |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/861819.stm |access-date=2008-02-11 |publisher=BBC}} Some configurations allow for rows of men and women to stand side by side separated by a curtain or other barrier,{{cite book |last1=Cornell |first1=Vincent J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ixO4b6jlbLYC&q=in+islam+Who+is+not+obliged+to+pray%3F&pg=PA25 |title=Voices of Islam: Voices of life : family, home, and society |publisher=Praeger Publishers; 1st edition (1 January 2007) |year=2007 |isbn=978-0275987350 |pages=25–28}} with the primary intention being for there to be no direct line of sight between male and female worshippers.{{cite web |last1=Maghniyyah |first1=Muhammad Jawad |date=21 November 2016 |title=Prayer (Salat), According to the Five Islamic Schools of Law |url=https://www.al-islam.org/prayer-salat-according-five-islamic-schools-law-sheikh-muhammad-jawad-mughniyya/salat-al-jamaah |publisher=Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation}}

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 sun worship.{{cite book |last1=Ringwald |first1=Christopher D |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6IE8DwAAQBAJ&q=the+performing+of+salat+is+forbidden+because+of+sun+worship&pg=PA118 |title=A Day Apart: How Jews, Christians, and Muslims Find Faith, Freedom, and Joy on the Sabbath |date=20 November 2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press (8 January 2007) |isbn=978-0195165364 |pages=117–119}}

File:Salattimesturkish.jpg

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.{{Cite news |title=Salah (Prayer) – The Second Pillar of Islam |url=https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/resources/knowledge-base/five-pillars-of-islam/salah/ |access-date=14 April 2024 |website=Islamic Relief UK}} 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 Dhuhr 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 the Islamic prophet 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.

These prayers are considered obligatory upon every adult Muslim, with the exception of those with some physical or mental disabilities,{{cite book |last1=Elshabrawy |first1=Elsayed |last2=Hassanein |first2=Ahmad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ymt-BgAAQBAJ&q=Prayer+is+not+obligated+in+Islam+when+illness+or+physically+unable&pg=PA3 |title=Inclusion, Disability and Culture (Studies in Inclusive Education) |date=3 February 2015 |publisher=Sense Publishers (28 November 2014) |isbn=978-9462099227 |pages=3–6}} menstruating women, and women experiencing postnatal bleeding.{{cite book |last1=GhaneaBassiri |first1=Kambiz |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9w8yBohfbgMC&q=salah+forbidden+for+someone+be+menstruating&pg=PA4 |title=Competing Visions of Islam in the United States: A Study of Los Angeles |publisher=Praeger (30 July 1997) |year=1997 |isbn=9780313299513}} Those who are sick or otherwise physically unable to perform their salah standing may perform them sitting or lying down according to their ability.{{cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Colin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=utxkAgAAQBAJ&q=who+someone+to+offer+their+prayers+in+the+traditional+form+are+permitted+to+offer+their+prayers+while+sitting+or+lying%2C+as+they+are+able&pg=PA107 |title=Islam: The Basics |date=19 December 2013 |publisher=Routledge; 2nd edition (24 May 2011) |isbn=978-0415584920 |pages=106–108}}

Some Muslims pray three times a day, believing the Qur'an mentions three prayers instead of five.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aKenKtONX2MC&dq=muslims+pray+three+times+a+day&pg=PA238 | title=Islam and the Secular State | isbn=9780674033764 | last1=Na | first1=Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im | last2=Naʻīm | first2=ʻabd Allāh Aḥmad | date=30 June 2009 | publisher=Harvard University Press }}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZIzC9N8-7Z0C&dq=some+muslims+pray+three+times+a+day&pg=PT23 | title=Muslims in America: A Short History | isbn=978-0-19-974567-8 | last1=Curtis Iv | first1=Edward E. | date=October 2009 | publisher=Oxford University Press }}

{{Main|Friday prayer|Eid prayers}}File:Saying Juma Namaz (Friday prayer for Muslims), Dhaka, Bangladesh NK.JPG, Bangladesh]]

In general, Sunnis view the five daily prayers, in addition to the Friday salah, as obligatory. There is a difference of opinion within the Sunni schools of jurisprudence regarding whether the Eid and Witr prayers are obligatory on all Muslims,{{cite web |last1=The Oxford Dictionary of Islam |title=Fard al-Ayn |url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e624 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818074942/http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e624 |archive-date=18 August 2010 |website=oxfordislamicstudies}} obligatory only such that a sufficient number of Muslims perform it,{{cite web |last1=The Oxford Dictionary of Islam |title=Fard al-Kifayah |url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e625 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614093420/http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e625 |archive-date=14 June 2010 |website=oxfordislamicstudies}} or sunnah.{{cite book |last1=Schade |first1=Johannes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XRkfKdho-5cC&q=Fard+%28obligatory%29+Salah&pg=PP714 |title=Encyclopedia of World Religions |publisher=Mars Media/Foreign Media (9 January 2007) |year=2006 |isbn=978-1601360007}}

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.{{cite book |author=Fahd Salem Bahammam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rNujP218FuQC&pg=PA20 |title=The Muslim's Prayer |publisher=Modern Guide |isbn=9781909322950 |access-date=29 January 2018}} Preceding the Friday salah, a khutbah (sermon) is delivered by a khatib, after which the 2 rak'a Friday prayer is performed.{{cite book |last=Akhtar Rizvi |first=Sayyid Saeed |title=Elements of Islamic Studies |publisher=Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania |year=1989}} 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.{{cite book |author=Margoliouth, G. |title=Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics |publisher=Kessinger Publishing |others=Selbie, John A., contrib |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7661-3698-4 |editor=Hastings, James |volume=20 |pages=893–894 |chapter=Sabbath (Muhammadan)}}

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.{{cite web |title=Islam Today |url=http://www.islamtoday.net/english/show_detail_section.cfm?q_id=871&main_cat_id=25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017002519/http://islamtoday.net/english/show_detail_section.cfm?q_id=871&main_cat_id=25 |archive-date=17 October 2007}} The prescribed time of the Eid prayer is after that of Fajr and before that of Zuhr.

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.{{Cite web|date=16 January 2018|title=Combining two prayers|url=https://www.islamweb.net/en/article/85574/combining-two-prayers|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112030733/https://www.islamweb.net/en/article/85574/combining-two-prayers|archive-date=12 November 2020|website=Islamweb.net}}{{Cite web|last=Nasir al-Din al-Albani|first=Muhammad|date=10 September 2014|title=A resident may combine prayers to avoid difficulties – Shaykh al Albaani|url=https://abdurrahman.org/2014/10/09/a-resident-may-combine-prayers-to-avoid-difficulties/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203014441/https://abdurrahman.org/2014/10/09/a-resident-may-combine-prayers-to-avoid-difficulties/amp/|archive-date=3 February 2017|website=Abdurrahman.org}} Some Salafis ascribing to the Ahl-i Hadith movement also permit jam' without reason while preferring that the prayers be performed separately.{{Cite web|last=Silmi|first=Shaykh Yahya|title=THE WEAKNESS ABOUT THE NARRATION "COMBINING THE PRAYER WITHOUT REASON IS A MAJOR SIN" AND AN ADVICE TO BROTHER ABU KHADEEJA ABDUL WAHID|url=https://ahlulhadith.in/en/posts/-L4cjrjjzuU3DWnRgDud/joining-prayer-without-reason-abu-khadeeja|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409050214/https://ahlulhadith.in/en/posts/-L4cjrjjzuU3DWnRgDud/joining-prayer-without-reason-abu-khadeeja|archive-date=9 April 2021|website=Uthman Ibn Affan Library}}{{Cite web|last1=Abu Hibban|last2=Abu Khuzaimah Ansari|title=When To Combine And Shorten Prayers|url=https://www.salafiri.com/when-to-combine-and-shorten-prayers/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124031125/http://www.salafiri.com/when-to-combine-and-shorten-prayers/|archive-date=24 November 2020|website=Salafi Research Institute|date=15 July 2015}} The Shia Ja'fari school allows one to perform jam' without reason.{{cite web |last1=Sharaf al-Din al-Musawi |first1=Sayyid Abd al-Husayn |date=18 October 2012 |title=Combining The Two Prayers |url=https://www.al-islam.org/questions-jurisprudence-abd-al-husayn-sharaf-al-din-al-musawi/chapter-one-combining-two-prayers |publisher=Hydery Canada Ltd}} 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.{{cite book |last1=Buyukcelebi |first1=Ismail |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=53EPNr8qeLgC&q=Conditions+of+Congregational+Prayer&pg=PA206 |title=Living in the Shade of Islam |publisher=Tughra (1 March 2005) |year=2005 |isbn=978-1932099867}}

Muslims may perform supererogatory salah as an act of worship at any time except the times of prohibition. Such salah is called nafil .{{cite web |title=prayers |url=http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.com/prayers.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213191026/http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.com/prayers.htm |archive-date=13 February 2012 |access-date=14 May 2012 |work=islamicsupremecouncil.com}} Prayers performed by Muhammad consistently, or those that he recommended be performed but are not considered obligatory, are called sunnah prayers.

Sunan ar-Rawatib (Arabic: السنن الرواتب, romanized: as-Sunan ar-Rawātib) refers to the regular voluntary (Sunnah) prayers that are associated with the five daily obligatory (Fard) prayers. These prayers are highly recommended and were regularly practiced by the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Performing them brings great reward and helps to make up for any deficiencies in the obligatory prayers. They are performed by Sunni Muslims during the prescribed times of the five daily obligatory prayers, either before performing the obligatory prayer or after it. Within the Sunni schools of jurisprudence, these amount to 10 or 12 rak'a, spread between the five prayers except Asr. The Sunan ar-Rawatib performed before the obligatory prayers are performed between the adhan and iqama of their associated salah, while those performed after the obligatory prayer may be performed up to the end of the prescribed time of the associated salah.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

The Sunan ar-Rawatib are classified into two categories:{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

1. Sunnah Mu'akkadah (Emphasized Sunnah): These are the prayers that the Islamic prophet Muhammad regularly performed and strongly encouraged, making them highly recommended.

2. Sunnah Ghair Mu'akkadah (Non-emphasized Sunnah): These prayers were sometimes performed by the Islamic prophet Muhammad but not as consistently, and they are not as strongly emphasized.

Number and Timing of Sunan ar-Rawatib{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

According to most scholars, there are 12 units (rak'ahs) of Sunnah Mu'akkadah in total, associated with the five daily prayers. These are broken down as follows:

Sunnah Mu'akkadah (Emphasized){{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

– 2 Rak'ahs before Fajr

The Prophet never missed these two rak'ahs, even while traveling.

– 4 Rak'ahs before Dhuhr (prayed in sets of 2)

Strongly recommended to pray these 4 rak'ahs before the Dhuhr prayer.

– 2 Rak'ahs after Dhuhr

Prayed immediately after the obligatory Dhuhr prayer.

– 2 Rak'ahs after Maghrib

Prayed after the Maghrib prayer.

– 2 Rak'ahs after Isha

Prayed after the Isha prayer.

Additional Sunnah Ghair Mu'akkadah (Non-emphasized){{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Some additional Sunnah prayers, which the Islamic prophet Muhammad occasionally prayed but not consistently, include:

– 2 or 4 Rak'ahs before Asr

– 2 Rak'ahs before Maghrib

– 2 Rak'ahs before Isha

These are not emphasized as strongly as the Sunnah Mu'akkadah but are still meritorious to perform.

Importance and Benefits{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Performing the Sunan ar-Rawatib offers several benefits:

– It helps to compensate for any shortcomings or deficiencies in the obligatory prayers.

– It brings great reward and draws a person closer to Allah.

– Muhammad promised that whoever regularly performs these 12 rak'ahs will have a house built in Paradise (Sahih Muslim).

In conclusion, the Sunan ar-Rawatib are a valuable part of a Muslim's daily worship routine, supplementing the obligatory prayers and enhancing one's connection to Allah.

Duha salah is a prayer that can be performed after sunrise until noon. (which the time for the Dhuhr Prayer begins) It consists of an even number of rak'a, starting from two and going up to twelve. This prayer is one of 4 sunnah prayers which can be done in congregation.

Witr salah (Arabic: {{Lang|ar|صلاة الوتر}}) is a short prayer generally performed as the last prayer of the night. It consists of an odd number of rak'a, starting from one and going up to eleven, with slight differences between the different schools of jurisprudence. Witr salah often includes the qunut.{{cite web |last1=Majlisi |first1=Muhammad Baqir |author1-link=Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi |date=18 November 2021 |title=Salat al-Layl |url=https://www.al-islam.org/salat-al-layl-muhammad-baqir-majlisi |publisher=Al-Fath Al-Mubin Publications}} Within Sunni schools of jurisprudence, the Hanafis view that the Witr salah is obligatory, while the other schools consider it a sunnah salah.

Within Sunni schools of jurisprudence, Tahajjud (Arabic: {{Lang|ar|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.{{cite book|last1=Islam International Publications|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7u9DwAAQBAJ|title=Salat: The Muslim prayer book|date=January 2016|publisher=Islam International Publishers (1997)|isbn=978-1853725463}} Shia Muslims offer similar prayers, called Salawat al-Layl (Arabic: {{Lang|ar|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,{{cite web |last1=Kassamali |first1=Tahera |last2=Kassamali |first2=Hasnain |date=9 January 2013 |title=Salatul Layl |url=https://www.al-islam.org/salatul-layl-tahera-kassamali-hasnain-kassamali |publisher=Tayyiba Publishers & Distributors}} and can be offered in the same time as Tahajjud.

Tarawih salah (Arabic: {{Lang|ar|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.

Following the sunnah of Muhammad during the solar eclipse that followed his son Ibrahim's death, Sunni Muslims perform the solar eclipse prayer ({{Langx|ar|صلاة الكسوف|translit=Ṣalāt al-Kusuf}}), and the lunar eclipse prayer ({{Langx|ar|صلاة الخسوف|translit=Ṣalāt al-Khusuf|links=no}}) during solar and lunar eclipses, respectively. These consist of 2 rak'a with 2 ruku in each rak'a instead of one. It is recommended to lengthen the recitation of the Quran, the bowing, and prostration in these prayers.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

The word istikharah is derived from the root ḵ-y-r (خير) "well-being, goodness, choice, selection".{{cite book|last1=Nieuwkerk|first1=Karin van|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2eGQAAAAQBAJ&q=istikhara+prayer&pg=PA34|title=Performing Piety: Singers and Actors in Egypt's Islamic Revival|date=October 2013|publisher=University of Texas Press; Reprint edition (1 October 2013)|isbn=9780292745865}} Salat al-Istikhaarah is a prayer offered when a Muslim needs guidance on a particular matter. To say this salah one should pray two rakats of non-obligatory salah to completion. After completion one should request Allah that which on is better. The intention for the salah should be in one's heart to pray two rakats of salah followed by Istikhaarah. The salah can be offered at any of the times where salah is not forbidden.{{cite web|last1=Iṣlāhī|first1=Muḥammad Yūsuf|year=1989|title=Etiquettes of Life in Islam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6K6IAAAAMAAJ&q=istikhara+prayer}} Other prayers include the tahiyyat al-masjid, which Muslims are encouraged to offer these two rakat.{{cite book|last1=Firdaus Mediapro|first1=Jannah|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-xi3DwAAQBAJ&q=mosque+greeting+prayer&pg=PA21|title=The Path to Islamic Prayer English Edition Standard Version|date=17 October 2019|publisher=Blurb (18 October 2019)|isbn=978-1714100736}}

File:Tehran Friday prayer - 16 March 2018 (13961225000386636568071894544919 84859).jpg in Tehran. Some Sunnis perform salah with the hands clasped ("qabd"), while Shia offer salah with their hands at their sides ("sadl").]]

While most Muslims pray five times a day, some Muslims pray three times a day, believing the Qur'an only mentions three prayers. Qur'anists are among those who pray three times a day.Jafarli, Durdana. "The historical conditions for the emergence of the Quranist movement in Egypt in the 19th–20th centuries." МОВА І КУЛЬТУРА (2017): 91.

Most 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.{{Cite web |title=Al-Mawrid |url=http://al-mawrid.org/pages/articles_english_detail.php?rid=156&cid=312 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724232305/http://al-mawrid.org/pages/articles_english_detail.php?rid=156&cid=312 |archivedate=24 July 2011 |website=al-mawrid.org}}{{Cite web |title=Mishkat al-Masabih 981 – Prayer – كتاب الصلاة – Sunnah.com – Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) |url=https://sunnah.com/mishkat:981 |access-date=2021-04-19 |website=sunnah.com}}

File:MohrQum1.jpeg or mohr is a small piece of soil or clay, often a clay tablet, used during salah to symbolize earth.]]

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.{{cite web |author=Muhammad al-Bukhari |author-link=Muhammad al-Bukhari |title=Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of military expeditions |url=https://sunnah.com/bukhari/64/163 |access-date=17 October 2019}}

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.{{cite web |author=Abdal Hakim Murad |author-link=Timothy Winter |title=Understanding the Four Madhhabs |url=http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/ahm/newmadhh.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329111030/http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/ahm/newmadhh.htm |archive-date=29 March 2010 |access-date=25 May 2010}}

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|date=April 2022}}

• Dua
• Sabr (Islamic term)
• Salawat al-Sha'baniyya
• Tasbih

{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book |last1=Abd al-Wahhab |first1=Muhammad ibn |author-link1=Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab |title=Syarah Adab Berjalan Menuju Shalat |trans-title=Manners of Walking to the Prayer |date=2019 |publisher=Darul Falah |isbn=9789793036892 |page=197 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4uW3DwAAQBAJ |access-date=22 November 2021 }}
• {{cite book |last1=al-Albani |first1=Muhammad Nasiruddin |author-link1=Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani |title=Fikih Syekh Albani |language=id |translator=Mahmud bin Ahmad Rasyid · |date=2004 |publisher=Pustaka Azzam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=way8DwAAQBAJ |access-date=21 November 2021 }}
• {{cite book |last1=Nur Baits |first1=Ammi |title=Tafsir Shalat |date=2021 |publisher=Muamalah Publishing |page=248 Hadith Riwayat Muslim 1336 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5SH3DwAAQBAJ |access-date=20 November 2021 }}

{{Refend}}

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• {{cite book |last1= Smith |first1= Jane I. |last2=Haddad|first2=Yvonne Yazbeck| title= The Oxford Handbook of American Islam |edition=1st |pages=162–163|year=1993 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford}}

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{{Commons category|Salat}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3iE3AhbCWM&list=PLmV8M6kL1I2Sq7ArB5i0UM6OhbLakMI_p Learn how to Pray Salah]
• [https://islamprayertimes.com/en/knowledge/islamic-prayer-times-11-things Islamic Prayer Times: 11 Things You Need to Know]
• [https://islamprayertimes.com/en/knowledge/how-to-perform-salah How to Perform Salah]
• [https://islamprayertimes.com/en/knowledge/calculating-prayer-times-in-islam Muslim Prayer Times: Calculating Prayer Times in Islam]
• [https://islamprayertimes.com/en/knowledge/the-importance-of-salah-in-islam The Importance of Salah in Islam]

{{Islamic prayer}}

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{{Characters and names in the Quran}}

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Category:Islamic terminology

Category:Prayer