Page 88 - World Religions I - Islam

• Each salah is made up of a repeating of prescribed movements his nails."6 and words known as raka'ah.
o Each of the daily prayers consists of either 2, 3, or 4 raka'at .
o The elements of raka'ah consist of:
 Qiyam: standing while reciting the first verses of the Qur'an.
 Ruku': bowing low with hands on knees, as if waiting for God's orders.
 Sujud: prostrating oneself on the ground, with forehead and nose on the floor and elbows
raised in a posture of submission to God.
 Julus: sitting with feet folded under the body.
o The raka'ah ends as worshippers turn their heads to the left and right saying, "Peace be upon you, and
God's blessing." This final action is done both when praying in a crowd and when praying alone, as it is
supposed to remind Muslims of the importance of others around them daily.
• Prayer in a congregation is considered to have more spiritual and social benefit than praying by oneself.7
o An imam (prayer leader) leads the congregation in salah.
 The imam is typically a scholar or the one who has the best knowledge of the Qur'an, and
preferably a hafiz.
 The congregation follows the actions and movements of the imam.
o Worshippers gather in straight parallel rows behind the imam.
 In mixed company, men and women typically pray in segregated positions.
• Prayer is always performed facing the Qibla, which is the fixed direction of the Ka'aba in Mecca.
o The concept of Muslims all praying towards the same point is traditionally considered to symbolize the
unity of Muslims under the law of God.
o Most mosques contain a wall niche, known as a mihrab, that indicates the Qibla.
 Hotels in Muslim countries generally contain a marking within the rooms that indicates the
Qibla.
 Airlines operating out of Muslim countries constantly display the direction of Mecca on the in-
flight map so that worshippers know the direction in which to pray.
o Over a period of 14 years in early Islam (AD 610-24), prayer was performed facing the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem.
 The Temple Mount is known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary (al-Haram ash-Sharif). It is
considered the third holiest site in Islam and is the traditional location of Muhammad's Night
Journey (Isra') to the Masjid al-Aqsa ("Farthest Mosque") and then his ascent (Mi'raj) into heaven in AD
621.
 The Qur'an itself alleges that Muhammad's early decision to face a direction other than Mecca
during prayer was a result of God's express command: "We appointed the qibla which ye formerly
observed..."8 Islamic tradition claims that the changing of the direction of prayer happened on
February 11, 624. Some scholars surmise that the use of Jerusalem as the direction of prayer
was to either induce the Jews of Medina to convert to Islam or to "win over their hearts." When
relations with the Jews soured, Muhammad changed the Qibla towards Mecca. Another reason
given why the Qibla was changed is that Jews viewed the use of Jerusalem as signaling the
Muslims' intention of joining their religion. Therefore, it was changed to discredit this
assumption.
o In AD 624, traditional accounts relay that while praying in Medina towards Jerusalem, Muhammad
received a sudden revelation to change the Qibla towards the Ka'aba in Mecca.
 "We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We
will surely turn you to a qibla with which you will be pleased. So, turn your face towards al-
Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer].
Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture will know that it is the truth from their Lord.
And Allah is not unaware of what they do." - Al-Baqara (The Cow) 2:144

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