The need for salat
AbdulWahid Hamid
There is no word in English to translate Salat. It is not merely "prayer" in the limited sense of the random turning to God in invocation and supplication. The Arabic word for supplication is du'a.
Salat may only be performed in a prescribed form and under certain conditions as assigned to it by the Prophet Muhammad.
Any change in its form nullifies it.
Salat must be preced by ablutions. "The key to Paradise is salat and the key to salat is wudu or ablution."
The compulsory salat is connected to definite times of day - between dawn and sunrise, early afternoon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. It is also connected to a fixed geographical direction - the Ka'ba in Makkah. Salat is thus bound to nature and its movements, to space and time. It creates a natural rhythm in one's lifestyle. We may note that the development of astronomy among Muslims was conditioned by the need for the accurate definition of space and time. Again you can see in this the truth that it is impossible to be a Muslim and live in a state of ignorance and barbarity.
Salat needs to be performed on time. It should not be delayed or abandoned deliberately. The abandoning of salat puts a person outside the pale of Islam.Salat consists of units or rakats. Each rakat consists of the pronouncement of Allahu Akbar (God is Most Great), of the Opening Surah of the Qur'an, of praising and glorifying God and invoking His blessings on Prophet Muhammad
Salat also consists of precise bodily postures - standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting. The sight of a person in a crouched position with his forehead, hands knees and toes touching the ground may sometimes be perplexing and amusing to a non-Muslim. But the postures of salat is a vivid indication of man's relation to his Creator - a relation of uprightness, reverence, submission and gratitude.
In the midst of your daily activities and preoccupations, salat comes as a regular reminder of your relationship with God, your place in the scheme of things, your responsibilities and your ultimate goal. Through the prescribed reading of the Qur'an in salat, you link yourself constantly with the Source of all creation and you stand firmly within the worldview of Islam. Salat requires you to recite the Faatihah at least seventeen times in the day.
Salat keeps your moral sense sharp and prevents it from being blunted and corrupted. It is a protection or an insulation from obnoxious and destructive acts and practises. This is clearly stated in the Qur'an: "Salat indeed prevents a person from shameful and reprehensive deeds." (29:45)
Salat is a regular means of purifying both body and soul. The ablutions before the prayer with fresh water act as a refresher and cleanser. The salat itself, properly performed, purifies the soul of arrogance and hypocrisy, shirk and kufr. The Prophet
Salat leads to success or felicity in this world and the next. This is the meaning of the resounding phrases in the Adhan or Call to prayer: Hayya ala-s salat, Hayya ala-l falah - Come to Prayer, Come to success. It brings mental satisfaction and emotional fulfilment.
Despite all these possible benefits, there is a risk of salat becoming merely repetitive, a series of motions and the uttering of set phrases in which the heart and mind are not present. This is a risk which you should guard against by spending some more time in preparing for salat, for example by sitting quietly before the salat reading the Qur'an. One way of focussing the mind on salat if to perform each salat, in the words of the Prophet, as if it is your last prayer, your farewell Prayer on this earth.
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Any change in its form nullifies it.