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Salat is one of the five pillars of Islam, it
is a most important constituent of the faith.
It is prayer of a very high level. The Holy
Quran repeatedly enjoins the offering of salat
and indeed declares it to be a fundamental
trait of a believer. The benefits of salat are
countless. The Holy Quran says:
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"And enjoin Prayer on thy people, and be
constant therein. We ask thee not for
provision; it is We that provide for thee. And
the end is for the righteous".
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Salat strengthens man's spiritual faculties.
It is the best way to form a relationship with
one's Creator. It purifies one's spirit, and
through it, constant remembrance of Allah
delivers one of the self that incites to evil.
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God created man to worship Him and salat is
the most excellent kind of worship.
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The Holy Quran also says:
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"Recite that which has been revealed to
thee of the Book, and observe Prayer. Surely,
Prayer restrains one from indecency and
manifest evil, and remembrance of Allah indeed
is the greatest virtue. And Allah knows what
you do." (29:46)
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Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him,
relates that he heard the Holy Prophet, peace
and blessings be on him, say:
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"Tell me if one of you had a stream running
at his door and he should take a bath in it
five times every day would any dirt be left
upon him? He was answered: No dirt would be
left on him. The Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be on him) observed: This is the
case of the five prayers. Allah wipes out all
faults in consequence of them." (Bukhari)
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As
for the punishment of not observing the salat,
all matters of reward and punishment rest
solely with Allah.
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Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, relates
that he heard the Holy Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
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"Giving up prayer is tantamount to
disbelief and associating partners with
Allah." (Muslim)
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Five Daily Prayers
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Salat, the obligatory Muslim prayer, is said
at appointed time fixed in relation to the
sun's position. The time of Fajr, the morning
prayer begins at dawn and ends just before
sunrise. The time of Zuhr, the midday prayer,
begins after the sun has crossed the zenith
point and has begun to decline. The Asr prayer
is said when the sun has further advanced in
decline, in the late afternoon. The time of
the Maghrib prayer begins immediately after
sunset. It lasts till dusk. The Isha prayer
can be said after dusk has finally
disappeared, giving way to darkness of the
night.
Fajr Zuhr Asr Maghrib Isha' |
