Prayer is
probably the central practice that shapes the daily routine and
consciousness of a Muslim. There are two words in Arabic that can be
translated as ‘prayer’ in English. The word ‘du'aa’ means
supplication; you ask God to fulfill a specific need of this life or the
hereafter. This action is such a fundamental part of the relationship
between the worshipper and his Creator and the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Du'aa
is worship.”1
The Quran orders the Prophet to tell the disbelievers,
“My Lord would not concern Himself with you but for your prayer.”2
The other word for prayer,
‘salaah’ originally meant the same thing as du'aa.
However, it came to have a more specific meaning in Islam. It is a
series of postures in which Qur’an is recited and Allah is praised and
supplicated. The primary purpose of salaah is to instill
God-consciousness in the individual. Allah said in the Qur’an:
“Establish prayer for My remembrance.”3
Remembrance of God nurtures
the heart. It is the true means of happiness. God said,
“Verily, it is by the remembrance of Allah that hearts find
contentment.”4
When the heart falls into
neglect of God, Satan establishes control over it. Sins become
attractive and faith weakens. Remembrance of God is the antidote. That
is why the Quran says,
“Establish regular prayer: for prayer restrains from shameful and
unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life).”5
Muslims pray five times a
day. The prayers are scheduled at times that people fulfill some
physical need. Prayer at such times prevents people from becoming overly
focused on their immediate worldly needs. It is a reminder that God is
the Provider, the Sustainer and Fulfiller of all our needs. The first
prayer comes about an hour before sunrise. It is a time when the body
wants to keep sleeping. To overcome inertia in order to stand and
remember the Creator requires a struggle against one’s self. To do so on
a daily basis is very effective training for the self to submit to the
will of God. The second prayer comes around the time one would stop work
to eat lunch. In addition to feeding one’s body, one should also feed
one’s soul. The third prayer comes around the time people are taking tea
or heading home from work. The fourth prayer is at a time when most
people are eating dinner. The fifth prayer is at a time when one is
winding down, getting ready to sleep.
When I first started
learning about Islam, the regular prayer was one of the most attractive
aspects of the religion to me. I had had a feeling for some time that I
needed to do something to acknowledge my indebtedness to God for giving
me life and to express gratitude to Him for sustaining me. The Islamic
form of prayer immediately struck me as an answer to this need.
