The five pillars of Islam form the foundation for which a Muslim’s routine and life should be based around. The second pillar is prayer, in Arabic صلاة pronounced as Salah or Salat.
An Introduction to Salah:
Salah is not intended to just be a mandatory enactment. Rather it is the first and a continuing sign of the believer’s obedience to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.
It is a spiritual ritual, a source for gaining strength and patience and as a means of self purification. A believer does not see salah as a burden but rather a privilege to learn and develop a deeper connection to his creator. A Muslim offers prayer out of humility and love to show their inner devotion to Allah because he or she depends on him.
Different Types of Salah:
There are four different types of Salah which make up the five daily prayers.
Fardh – Imperative (missing a fardh salah is considered a grave sin).
Wajib – Obligatory (missing is considered a sin, just not as great as a fardh salah).
Sunnah – Prophet’s Practice. Here there are two types, one Rasulullah prayed regularly known as Muakkadah and one prophet prayed occasionally, Ghair Muakkadah.
Nafl – Voluntary.
This table summarizes the number of rakats for each prayer. These should be memorized so you know how many rakats each you will need to pray. A rakat can be viewed as a single unit or cycle of prayer.
