Salat (Prayer)

Salat (Prayer) is the second pillar of Islam and holds the special status of being called the 'Zenith (Meraj) of a Momin.'

Fundamentals

• Muslims must offer five Salats (prayers) each day.
• The word 'Salat' belongs to the Arabic language.
• The opposite of Shirk (associating partners with Allah) in Islam is Tauheed.
• According to the Quran, the meaning of Salat is 'to establish a relationship with Allah.'
• Salat is mentioned 700 times in the Holy Quran.
• Salat was made compulsory in the 12th Nabvi year, during the night of Shab-e-Meraj, when the five daily prayers were made obligatory upon Muslims.
• Initially, only two Salats — Fajr and Asr — were made compulsory, before the full five were later established.
• On the Day of Judgement, the human beings shall be asked about their Salat (Namaz) first of all.
• It was the Angel Hazrat Jibrael (AS) who taught the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) the method of performing Salat.

Wuzu and Purification

• The act of cleaning the body that is essential before prayer is called Wuzu.
• The undesirable acts within Wuzu are called Makruhat.
• The Holy Quran mentions four Faraiz-e-Wuzu (obligatory acts of ablution).
• When water is unavailable, the alternative to Wuzu is Tayammum, made obligatory in 4 A.H.
• There are two types of Sunnat; Sunnat Muakkidah refers to acts which the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) always performed.
• There are fourteen Sunnan-e-Wuzu.
• 'Sajida Sahav' becomes due in Namaz when any Wajib act is missed within a Rakaat.

Structure of Salat

• The last essential component of a Rakaat is the Qaadah Akhir (final sitting).
• A person who offers his prayers alone (without congregation) is called a Munfarid.
• The Maghrib prayer is the one preceded immediately by an Azaan among the listed options tested.
• Surah Al-Maeda is the Surah in which Allah has asked believers to call the Azaan before a prayer.
• Rakaats per prayer: Fajr has 4 Rakaats; Maghrib has 7 Rakaats total (including Sunnah); across all five prayers (Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha) there are 48 Rakaats in total; the Farz Rakaats in Isha number four.
• The prayer offered when a person's shadow becomes equal to their height is Asr.
• The minimum number of people required for Namaz-e-Ba-Jamaat (congregation) is two.
• The sitting stage in Namaz, performed just before saying Salaam, is called Qaeda.
• An Azaan contains six Takbeers.
• Maghrib is the prayer offered soon after sunset; Isha is offered well after sunset.
• In the Isha prayer, three Witr are offered, during which the Dua-e-Qanoot is recited.
• The time at which Namaz is prohibited and considered Makruh is at sunrise.