Salah (Prayer)
The Islamic ritual prayer, performed five times daily.
Salah (Arabic: صلاة) is the Islamic ritual prayer and constitutes the second of Islam's five pillars. Salah is obligatory for all adult Muslims and must be performed five times a day at specific times: Fajr (dawn prayer), Dhuhr (noon prayer), Asr (afternoon prayer), Maghrib (sunset prayer) and Isha (night prayer).
The prayer begins with a niyyah (intention) and consists of a set number of rak'ah (prayer cycles), which vary depending on which prayer is being performed. During the prayer, one recites Surah Al-Fatiha and other verses from the Quran, performs ruku (bowing) and sujud (prostration with the forehead touching the ground).
Salah is a direct connection between the believer and Allah. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The first thing a person will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer." Prayer purifies the soul, strengthens faith and reminds the believer of Allah's greatness and presence in daily life.
For the prayer to be valid, one must be in a state of ritual purity (wudu), face the Qibla (the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca), and pray within the correct time interval.
Related terms
Muharram (The Sacred Month)
The first and one of the four sacred months in the Islamic calendar.
Tilawah (Quran Recitation)
Recitation of the Quran, which is a central part of prayer and daily worship.
Taqlid (Following a School of Law)
The practice of following a qualified scholar's legal opinions without necessarily knowing the evidence.
Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Tirmidhi's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections, known for its classification of narrations by strength.
Adab al-Salah (Prayer Etiquette)
The recommended norms and inner attitudes that enrich the prayer.
Haram (Forbidden)
Actions that are strictly forbidden in Islamic law.