Salah
Salah, also known as Namaz, is the practice of formal worship in Islam, consisting of a series of ritual prayers performed at prescribed times daily. These prayers, which consist of units known as rak'ah, include a specific set of physical postures, recitation from the Quran, and prayers from the Sunnah, and are performed while facing the direction towards the Kaaba in Mecca. The number of rak'ah varies depending on the specific prayer. Variations in practice are observed among adherents of different madhahib. The term salah may denote worship in general or specifically refer to the obligatory prayers performed by Muslims five times daily, or, in some traditions, three times daily.
The obligatory prayers play an integral role in the Islamic faith, and are regarded as the second and most important, after shahadah, of the Five Pillars of Islam for Sunnis, and one of the Ancillaries of the Faith for Shiites. In addition, supererogatory salah, such as Sunnah prayer and Nafl prayer, may be performed at any time, subject to certain restrictions. Wudu, an act of ritual purification, is required prior to performing salah. Prayers may be conducted individually or in congregation, with certain prayers, such as the Friday and Eid prayers, requiring a collective setting and a khutbah. Some concessions are made for Muslims who are physically unable to perform the salah in its original form, or are travelling.
In early Islam, the direction of prayer was toward Bayt al-Maqdis in Jerusalem before being changed to face the Kaaba, believed by Muslims to be a result of a Quranic verse revelation to Muhammad.
Etymology and other names
The Arabic word salah means 'prayer'. 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 derives from the triliteral root و-ص-ل which means 'linking things together', 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, is translated as the 'contact prayer', 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, the meaning of which is not agreed upon.
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 is used to refer to salah. This word originates from the Middle Persian word for 'reverence'.
Religious significance
The word salah is mentioned 83 times in the Quran as a noun.Islamic jurisprudence divides human actions into five categories, known as "the five rulings". Acts of worship are classified accordingly: mandatory, recommended, neutral, reprehensible, and forbidden. Salah is generally classified into obligatory or mandatory 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, 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. 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, 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.
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. 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.
In sermon language, the main purpose of the is given as acting as a means of communication with Allah. 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. of the Quran can give four reasons for the observation of. First, in order to commend God, Allah's servants, together with the angels, do . Second, 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. Third, Muslims voluntarily offer to reveal that it is the particular form of worship that belongs to the prophets. Fourth, is described as the second pillar of Islam.
Performing ''salah''
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 before performing salah, and making the niyyah 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. The purpose of making the niyyah is to differentiate salah from ordinary routine actions, marking it as an act of worship rather than a mechanical action.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. The hands are then lowered, and may be clasped on the abdomen, or hang by one's sides. 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.
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. 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", followed by the phrase "ربنا لك الحمد"
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. 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 and Al-Albani 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.
Mistakes and doubts in 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 .
''Salah'' in congregation
In Islamic belief, performing salah in congregation is considered to have more social and spiritual benefits than praying alone. 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.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. The prayer is offered just as it is when one prays alone, with the congregation following the imam as they offer their salah. 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.
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. Some configurations allow for rows of men and women to stand side by side separated by a curtain or other barrier, with the primary intention being for there to be no direct line of sight between male and female worshippers.