The Spirit of Salat

The believers have been commanded in the Quran to seek help through patience and prayer: “You who believe, seek help through patience and prayer; surely, God is with the steadfast.” (2:153) We come to know from the hadith that when faced with a difficult situation, the Prophet stood for prayer. Salat and Time Management It is obligatory for every Muslim man or woman to offer them in their prescribed times. It is offered five times a day. Day and night of a observer of prayer has been divided into five parts: 1. from dawn to afternoon 2. from afternoon to late afternoon 3. from late afternoon to sunset 4. from sunset to dusk 5. from dusk to dawn One of the most valuable things a man has is time. Proper use of time leads a man to success while the misuse of time leads him to failure. This lesson of time management is repeated daily in the form of prayer. This ensures the successful life in this world. If a man divides times of day and night into five parts in this way and becomes punctual in them he can make full use of his whole life. And the one who makes full use of his time in an organized way he will surely achieve success in life. A Constructive Course of Life On one hand, prayer is a divine training and on the other hand, it is a complete constructive course. The preparation for prayer begins with ablution or wudu. It is a means of purifying man in a regular way. After the ablution, the first sentence of prayer is Allahu Akbar (Allah is great). This phrase is repeated almost three hundred times a day in adhan and prayer. The phrase Allahu Akbar (Allah is great) has the implication that man is not great. He is insignificant and helpless. In this way, prayer leads a man to modesty. Prayer has been commanded to be observed in congregation. This is the supreme training of unity. In congregational prayer, all the people offer their prayer behind an Imam who leads them in their prayer. In this way, prayer teaches us that we should make one of us our leader to follow him. Prayer ends with salam which means ‘peace and blessings of God be on you’. That is, instilled with the spirit of peace for all human beings, coming out of the mosque. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan You who believe, seek help through patience and prayer; surely, God is with the steadfast. The Quran, 2:153 2 The Spirit of Salat www.cpsglobal.org www.alquranmission.org www.goodwordbooks.com Goodword Books 1, Nizamuddin West Market New Delhi-110 013 Tel. +9111-4182-7083, Mob. +91-8588822672 info@goodwordbooks.com Goodword Books, Chennai 82/324, Triplicane High Road, Triplicane Chennai 600005 Mob. +91-9790853944 Center for Peace and Spirituality USA 2665 Byberry Road Bensalem, PA 19020 Cell: (617) 960-7156 cps@alrisala.org Center for Peace and Spirituality 1, Nizamuddin West Market New Delhi-110 013 info@cpsglobal.org