Islam Its Belief and Practices - Radical Truth

44 ISLAM ITS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES THE PRESCRIBED DUTIES 45
It is also a prescribed act that the place of worship or
the prayer carpet must be clean.
C. ADHAN. Lit. Announcement, the call to public
prayers.
The custom of adhan is not an obligatory duty but is
based on the Sunnat. When the time of public
prayer is come, the Mu'adhdhin, standing on the
minaret calls to prayer by reciting the adhan with a
loud voice. The words of the adhan are as follows:
"God is most great, God is most great, God is most
great, God is most great. I testify that there is no
god but God, I testify that there is no god but God.
And I testify that Muhammad is the Apostle of
God. And I testify that MuQ.ammad is the Apostle of
God." Then turning to his right he says: "Come to
prayer." He turns again to the right and repeats:
"Come to-JJrayer." Next he turns to the left and
says: "Come to prosperity." He turns again to
his left and repeats: "Come to prosperity." Next
he says: "God is most great. God is most great.
There is no god but God."
This call to prayer takes place before everyone of the
five prayer services. In the call to morning prayer
after the words: "Come to prosperity," the following
sentence is added twice: "Prayer is better
than sleep."
When the adhan is recited, it is usual for men of
piety to respond to each call by repeating what the
Mu'adhdhin says, except that instead of saying:
"Come to prayer" he says: "There is no strength
and no power except with God." Should he, however,
already be in the mosque when he hears the
adhiin, he need not repeat it.
D. Iqamat, Lit. Causing to stand. It is a recitation of the
words of Adhan with the addition of the sentence.
Qad qiimatl'~-Saliit, "Verily the prayer is now instituted"
twice. The words of Iqiimat are recited at
the commencement of a Prescribed prayer when
said in a congregation, and it is done in order to
give time to the worshippers to form themselves
into lines behind the leader of the congregational
prayer. It is not recited by the Imam but by
Mu'adhdhin who takes his place behind him. In
his absence the person who happens to be behind
the leader recites it. In a congregational prayer,
the leader is called Imam and the worshippers who
join him in the Namiiz are called Muqtadi, followers.
2. The Salat or Namiiz, The Muslim Prayer:
We now take up the details of the Muslim Prayer. A
Namiiz may belong to one of the following classes;
(a) Fant, Prescribed Duty, enjoined by God.
(b) Sunnat, founded on the practice of MuQ.ammad.
(c) 'N.a(il. supererogatory or voluntary prayer.
(d) Witr, lit. odd number, it is wiijib in the night.
The Method of Namaz
The worshipper having performed his ablutions he
repairs to the place of worship, which ever that may be
(mosque, which is more meritorious, a private room, or an
open space), and there he stands upright with his face
towards the Qibla, that is, the direction of the Ka'ba at
Mecca. This direction in a mosque is indicated by Mil;triib,
a prayer-niche. In this position with his arms down at
the sides and his feet together, yet not too close he begins
his N amaz in the following way: