Real-Life Stories on the Power of Istighfar (With Authentic References)

          What is Salah (Namaz)? Its Meaning In Islam

Introduction

According to the Islamic Shari’ah, Salah means a combination of specific sayings and actions that begin with the takbir and conclude with the taslim. It was named so because it includes prayer, which means supplication. The specific obligation of Salah is assigned five times for each day and night. It is considered a fundamental and well-known act of worship in Islamic ordinance, which means that one who denies it will be considered.

Brief history of Salah

Salah was the first obligatory act of worship in Islam, and no other form of worship existed at the time. It was made compulsory in Makkah three years before the Hijra. If all worship were obligatory on earth, then Allah had invited the Prophet ﷺ to the heavens to offer Salah. It is also known as Mi’raj. On this night, the Prophet ﷺ traveled with Jibril (May Allah be pleased with him) to the heavens and witnessed many wonders there, and reached a height that even his traveler could not reach.

 It was during that conversation that the Prophet ﷺ received Salah as a special gift to himself and his community. The Prophet ﷺ was invited there because Allah did not want prayer to be obligatory on earth, which is the source of filth and desire. The two great characteristics of prayer are that it is the first act of worship and that it is obligatory to place it in the heavens. Mi'raj Day is the expression of its happiness.

The Prophet ﷺ began performing the obligatory prayer on the day following the Night Journey. The first obligatory Salah that the Prophet ﷺ performed was the Zuhr prayer, in the leadership of angel Jibreel (May Allah be pleased with him). Therefore, the Zuhr prayer is called the first prayer.

It should be noted that the dawn prayer was not the first prayer performed by the Prophet ﷺ. This is because the assumption of prayer and the assignment to perform it requires a statement regarding how to practice it. This was not achieved in the dawn prayer, and the person responsible for worship is not required to perform it before its recitation. After the statement, it is required to perform it, as happened in the noon prayer, when Jibreel (May Allah be pleased with him) taught the Prophet about it.

What is the ruling for Salah?

The ruling on the five obligatory daily prayers in Islam, namely: Fajr, also known as Subh, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha’ prayers, is compulsory for every mature and intelligent Muslim man and woman. These 5 daily prayers rakats include a total of seventeen rak'ahs: two for Subh, four for Zuhr, four for Asr, three for Maghrib, and four for Isha’.

A Rak’ah refers to an individual unit of salah, which consists of:

A. A standing where you have to recite Surah Fatiha.
B. a bowing down for Ruku.’

C. doing the prostration or Sujood twice

What time of day do Muslims pray?

1. The time of Subh begins with the revelation of Fajr Sadiq (the true dawn) and remains until sunrise.

2. The time of Zuhr prayer begins when the sun moves westward from noon.

Zuhr's time is until the shadow of an object becomes equal to it. When the sun is exactly at the center, the shadow of an object appears to the east or west. Zuhr's time ends when the shadow of an object is equal to that of the other object, except for the aforementioned shadow.

3.  When Zuhr's time ends, Asr's time begins. Its time is until sunset.

4. Maghrib's time will start after sunset and continue until the red sky disappears.

5. The time of Isha’ begins when the red sky disappears. Its time is until dawn or fajr prayer time. The red mark on the sky after sunset is called "red sky."

 This is always obligatory, regardless of the person's situation. However, some changes may occur in its form and number in the event of travel, illness or fear. Although they do not completely fall from the duty of a muslim as long as he is capable of performing it in any way.

In which directions do Muslims pray?

You already know the prescribed times when Muslims are supposed to offer their five daily prayers. In order to perform the Salah, you also need to know the details regarding the direction to which you have to face during the Salah. It is mandatory for a Muslim to face the direction of the Ka’ba, which is situated in Makkah, while performing the Salah.

It is obviously known that the direction of the Ka’ba may be different in different parts of the world. Before the development of astronomy in the Islamic world, Muslims used traditional methods to determine the qibla. These methods included facing the direction that the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had used when in the same place; using the setting and rising points of celestial objects; using the direction of the wind; or using due south, which was the Prophet's qibla in Medina, and so on.

Today, you are fortunate to have technical facilities such as mobile applications or Qibla locators to know the Qibla at the exact place you want to perform the Salah. It is important to depend only the correct and true technologies approved by the Muslim scholars in this regard.