Definition

Noun 1. The prescribed ritual prayer of Islam: Salaah (also commonly transliterated as Salah) is the obligatory, formal prayer performed by Muslims. It is the second of the Five Pillars of Islam. The prayer involves specific physical postures (standing, bowing, prostrating, sitting), recitations from the Qur'an in Arabic, and is performed at five designated times throughout the day and night.

Usage

• Salaah is a fundamental act of worship and a direct link between the worshipper and God.
• It is performed facing the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca.
• While it can be performed anywhere that is clean, performing salaah in congregation at a mosque is highly recommended, especially for the Friday noon prayer (Jumu'ah).

Examples

• "Muslims break their fast at sunset and then perform the Maghrib salaah."
• "Performing the five daily prayers (salaah) is an obligation for every adult Muslim."
• "He found a quiet corner of the airport to perform his salaah."

Advanced Usage

• The Five Obligatory Prayers: Salaah is performed at five specific times: Fajr (dawn), Dhuhr (noon), (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), and (night).
• Conditions for Salaah: The prayer has prerequisites (), including ritual purity achieved through ablution (), covering the body (), and facing the correct direction ().

Variants and Related Words

• Salah: An alternative and very common transliteration of the same Arabic word (صلاة).
• Namaz: The term for Islamic ritual prayer in several languages like Persian, Urdu, and Turkish.
• Dua: A general term for personal supplication or invocation, which is distinct from the formal, prescribed liturgy of salaah.

Synonyms

• Islamic prayer: The formal, ritual prayer.
• Canonical prayer: Emphasizes its status as a prescribed religious duty.

Related Phrases

• To perform/offer/establish salaah: The standard verbs used to describe completing the prayer.
  • Example: "It is time to perform the Asr salaah."
• The call to prayer (Adhan/Azan): The public announcement that signals it is time for a particular salaah.

Noun

1. the second pillar of Islam is prayer; a prescribed liturgy performed five times a day (preferably in a mosque) and oriented toward Mecca