Allah has laid down for Muslim four major exercises of faith, some are daily, some weekly, some monthly, some annually and some are required as a minimum of once in a lifetime. These exercises of faith are to serve man's spiritual purposes, satisfy his human needs and to mark his whole life with a Divine touch. These major exercises of faith are: 1- Prayer (Salah) 2- Fasting(Siyam) 3- Charity giving(Zakah) 4- Pilgrimage (Hajj). Her I will write about prayer (Salah) only. 1- Prayer (Salah): Praying to the Creator, Daily, is the best way to Cultivate in a man a sound personality and to actualise his aspirations. Allah does not need man's prayer because He is free of all needs. Islamic prayers are for our benefit. The benefits are immeasurable and the blessings are beyond imagination. In Islamic prayer, every muscle of the body joins the soul and the mind; in the worship and glory of Allah. Islamic prayer is an act of worship. It is a matchless and unprecedented formula of intellectual meditation and spiritual devotion, of moral elevation and physical exercise; all combined. Offering of prayers is obligatory upon every Muslim, male or female, who is sane, mature; and in case of women: free from menstruation of confinement due to child birth. Requirements of prayers: Performing of ablution (Wudu'), purity of the whole body; clothes and ground used for prayer, dressing properly and declaring the international and facing the "Qiblah": the direction of the Al-Ka'bah in Mecca. Obligatory prayers: five daily prayers, the Friday's noon congregation prayer and the funeral prayer. Highly recommended prayers: Those accompanying the obligatory prayers, and the two great festival prayers. Optional prayers: Voluntary prayers during the day and night. Times of obligatory prayers: Early morning (Fajr): after dawn and before sunrise Noon (Dhuhr): after the sun begins to decline from its zenith until it is about midway on its course to setting. Mid-afternoon ('Asr): after the expiration of the noon prayer time until sunset. Sunset (maghrib): immediately, after sunset until the red glow in the western horizon disappears. Evening ('Isha'): after the expiration of the sunset prayer until dawn. Prayers should be offered in its due time, unless there is a reasonable excuse. Delayed obligatory prayers must be made up. Prayers involve prescribed physical motions, went with saying mainly some parts of the Qur'an, in addition to the prescribed prayers, a Muslim expresses gratitude to Allah and appreciation of His favours and asks for His Mercy all the time. Especially at times of for instance: Child birth, marriage, going to or rising from bed, leaving and returning to his home starting a journey of entering a city, riding or driving, before or after eating or drinking, harvesting, visiting graveyards and at time of distress and sickness.

Tags: 1- Prayer Salah

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