ISLAM FOR BEGINNERS BRS 107.pdf - CUEA

efore sunrise, mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon, and after sunset. Daily prayers are anobligatory activity that a Muslim, male and female, poor and rich, must observe at fivedifferent and prescribed times. It is highly considered as means through which a Muslimcomes closer to God. It symbolizes equality and fosters unity, solidarity among Muslims.Muslims pray at dawn, early afternoon, late afternoon, early evening and late evening.Apart from these regular hours, Muslims have distinct supererogatory prayers. “Andestablish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night: forthose things that are good, remove those that are evil: that is a reminder for the mindful.”(s. 11:114)They turn to one direction (Qibla) while praying. Qibla is the direction to which Muslimsturn in praying, thus there is a niche in each mosque indicating the direction of the Kaaba.Islam and prayer are inseparable. Just as Muhammad’s career revolved around Makka,the city of his first prophetic warnings and his final victory, so his community acknowledgesthe religious centrality of the Makkan Qiblah. This simple gesture makes them part of onehistory and one keeps them in solidarity. “Narrated Bara (bin Azib): Allah’s Messengeroffered the Salat (Prayer) facing Bait-ul-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months but heloved to face kaaba at Makka. Narrated jabir: The Prophet used to offer Salat while ridingon his mount wherever it turned, and whenever he wanted to pray the compulsory salat,he dismounted and prayed facing the qibla. (Cf. Sahih Al-Bukhari on the Book of As-Salat)However, it is compulsory to purify themselves before prayer, for they believe that theystand before Allah who is pure. “O ye who believe! When you prepare for prayer, washyour faces, and your hands, and arms to the elbows; rub your heads with water; and washyour feet to the ankles. If you are in a state of ceremonial impurity, bathe your whole body.But if you are ill, or in a journey, or one of you came from the privy or you have been incontact with women, and you find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth,and rub therewith faces and hands. (s. 5:6) As we mentioned above, Islam values rites;thus the ritual Purification before prayer is not only required but also compulsory becauseAllah cannot be approached with impurity. Usually, jars of clean water are put before eachmosque in order to facilitate the ablution before anyone goes into. Islam establishedFriday as the day of assembly, the weekly meeting and the common public worship of thebelievers during which the Imam reviews the week’s life of the community and offersadvice and exhortations on good conduct. However, in the entire Islamic Community,Friday is not a consecrated free day. “O ye believe!, When the call is proclaimed to prayerFrederic N. Mvumbi,OP Page 39 of 85