Prayer for Beginners: Before you Pray

Prerequisites

·        How to Pray for a Recent Convert (Part 1 & 2)

Objectives

·        ability to figure out prayer times

·        ability to figure out the direction to pray (Qibla)

·        identify five prayers by name, their timings, and number of units (rak’ah) in each prayer

·        how to get ready for prayer (salah)

New Terms

·        Adhan, Qibla, Ka’bah, fard, Fajr, Dhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Isha,

Prayer Times

Prayer times change considerably between winter and summer. You have four options:

(a)   ask a devout Muslim when are the prayer times and note them.  They will change little over the next few days.

(b)  Get them online from here:

http://www.islamicfinder.org/

You can find the prayer (salah) timings anywhere in the world.  This site will also list the mosques nearest to you.

(c)   Download the Prayer Times Program from here:

http://www.muhaddith.org/prayer_times.html

It will give you the prayer times for any location in the world and play the call to prayer (called Adhan in Arabic) on your PC to remind you it’s time to pray.

(d)  Your local mosque or Islamic center most likely prints a prayer schedule that will also list the timings for the congregational prayers held in the mosque.  Please contact them to obtain a copy.  In the mosque a new Muslim will find much needed support as well.

Which Direction Do I pray in?

A Muslim is required to face the direction of the Ka’bah (the Sacred House of Allah in Mecca) for each prayer (salah).  The Ka’bah is the first house built to worship humanity’s One, True Lord.  All Muslims throughout the world face it when they pray, leaving the world behind them whilst submitting themselves to their Sustainer.  This direction is called the Qibla and it is fairly easy to figure it out.

Again, you have several options to figure out the direction of prayer (Qibla).

(1)  Ask a fellow Muslim which in which direction you need to pray.

(2)  http://www.islamicfinder.org/ will tell you where the Ka’bah is located from where you are.  Note the bearing and use a compass to figure out which way you should face when you pray.

(3)  Some wrist watches are available in the market that make finding the direction of prayer quite easy, especially when one is in an unfamiliar place or traveling.  They can be ordered online[1].

Prayer Name in Arabic	Prayer Name in English	Number of Units (Rak’ah)	Timings
Fajr	Dawn Prayer	2	From dawn till sunrise
Dhuhr	Mid-day Prayer	4	From the time sun passes its zenith till time for ‘Asr begins
‘Asr	Afternoon Prayer	4	After a shadow equals the length of its object till sunset
Maghrib	Sunset Prayer	3	From sunset till disappearance of twilight
‘Isha	Night Prayer	4	From full dark till half of night

Table 1 lists the five daily prayers and the number of units (rak’at) for each obligatory (fard) prayer.

Getting Ready for Prayer (Salah)

1.    The prayer is obligatory on every adult, sane Muslim once the time for a certain prayer has started.

2.    Minimum clothing requirements must be met by both men and women for prayer.

A Muslim man must wear clothing that at least covers him from navel to knee, and make sure that his shoulders are covered.

A Muslim woman must wear loose clothing that covers her whole body, including her head (including the ears) and feet. She need not cover her hands and face.

3.    A Muslim must be in the state of purity, meaning the person:

·        should perform ablution (wudoo’) if he has passed wind, urinated, defecated, woke up from sleep, or touched his private parts with his bare hands since the last time he performed wudoo’.

·        should perform the ritual bath (ghusl) if he woke up from a wet-dream, ejaculated semen, had intercourse and additionally, in case of a woman, she ended her monthly cycle or her post-childbirth bleeding.

4.    He must make sure there is no impurity on his clothes, body, or the spot he will pray.

5.    He should face the direction of prayer (Qibla).

6.    Make intention to perform the prayers in the heart.

7.    The formal prayer (salah) must be offered in Arabic, so please read the transliteration of the Arabic text provided at the end of ‘Prayer for Beginners (part 2 of 2)’. The translation is given just to help know what you are saying.

(Disclaimer: All links are provided for educational purposes only.  THE ANGELIQUE SHOW is not responsible for the content of external websites.)