[Sūrah ii. 42]: “Seek aid with patience and prayer.”
[Sūrah iv. 1–4]: “When ye have fulfilled your prayer, remember God standing and sitting, and lying on your sides; and when ye are in safety, then be steadfast in prayer. Verily prayer is for the believers prescribed and timed.”
According to the Traditions, Muḥammad professed to have received instructions to recite prayers five times a day, during his miʿrāj, or ascent to heaven. The tradition runs thus:—
“The divine injunctions for prayer were originally fifty times a day. And as I passed Moses (in heaven, during my ascent), Moses said to me, ‘What have you been ordered?’ I replied, ‘Fifty times!’ Then Moses said, ‘Verily your people will never be able to bear it, for I tried the children of Israel with fifty times a day, but they could not manage it.’ Then I returned to the Lord and asked for some remission. And ten prayers were taken off. Then I pleaded again and ten more were remitted. And so on until at last they were reduced to five times. Then I went to Moses, and he said, ‘And how many prayers have you been ordered?’ And I replied ‘Five.’ And Moses said, ‘Verily I tried the children of Israel with even five, but it did not succeed. Return to your Lord, and ask for a further remission.’ But I said, ‘I have asked until I am quite ashamed, and I cannot ask again.’ ” (See Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, vol. i. p. 91.)
This Ṣalāt, or liturgical service, has thus become one of the most prominent features of the Muḥammadan religion, and very numerous are the injunctions regarding it which have been handed down in the traditions. There are various minor differences amongst the numerous sects of Islām regarding the formula, but its main features are alike in all countries.
We shall describe prayer according to the Ḥanafī sect of Sunnī Muslims.
It is absolutely necessary that the service should be performed in Arabic; and that the clothes and body of the worshipper should be clean, and that the praying-place should be free from all impurity. It may be said either privately, or in company, or in a mosque—although services in a mosque are more meritorious than those elsewhere.
The stated prayers are always preceded by the ablution of the face, hands, and feet. [[ABLUTION].]
At the time of public prayer, the muʾaẕẕin, or “crier,” ascends the minaret, or stands at the side of the mosque nearest the public thoroughfare, and gives the azān, or “call to prayer,” as follows:—
“God is great! God is great! God is great! God is great!