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Salah is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It teaches Muslims to pray five times a day, giving praise and thanks to Allah. These prayers can be done anywhere.

Salah is not simply personal prayer (the prayer of an individual speaking to God privately). This is called ���’a, which is important but done in addition to Salah.

Muslims believe that Salah is commanded by Allah in the �ϳܰ�’a��, which says: So exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord and be of those who prostrate [to Him]. And worship your Lord until there comes to you a certainty [ie death]. (�ϳܰ�’a�� 15:98–99)

The five daily prayers

Each of the five prayers is performed at a specific time of day:

Prayer is seen as daily communication with Allah. Salah encourages self-discipline and keeps Muslims in close contact with Allah. This gives them the strength to remain committed to living a good and purposeful life. The �ϳܰ�’a�� says: Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do. (�ϳܰ�’a�� 29:45)

Praying the same set prayers to the same routine is a sign of solidarity with all other Muslims all over the world. It shows that everyone is equal.

Preparing for prayer

Before praying, Muslims prepare by performing an important set of actions so that all of their focus can be on God:

1. Ritual washing (wudu) – Muslims perform a washing ritual so that they are spiritually clean.
   • Mosques have washrooms where this washing can be performed. The ritual involves washing faces, hands and feet under running water.
   • If water is not available, sand or dust can be used instead. This acts as a sign of spiritual washing.
2. Facing the city of Makkah – in a Mosque, the mihrab marks the direction of prayer. If prayer is not taking place in a mosque, a compass on a prayer mat can be used.
3. Niyyah is a conscious intention to pray. Prayer starts with a declaration of niyyah, showing that the worshipper is making an intentional effort to set time aside to communicate with God.