Stories from Early Islam — Page 22
22 Islamic worship may be divided into two categories: 1. Formal worship such as Prayer Services, Pilgrimage to the House of Allah (Hajj), Fasting and Zakat. Prayer service means worship in congregation. 2. Informal worship such as remembrance of God, called ‘Dhikr’. Islam prescribes five daily Prayers called Salat at appointed times. They are as follows: • Fajr Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Before Sunrise • Zuhr Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . At Noon • (when the sun begins to decline) • Asr Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In the Afternoon • Maghrib Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . shortly after Sunset • Isha Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In the Evening The Islamic Prayer is quite different from those pre-scribed in other religions. It has both an individual and a collective part. All Prayer services are led by an Imam. There is no Priesthood in Islam. Any person who has some religious knowledge can lead the Prayer service. Generally, he is chosen for his piety and learning. If there are only two Muslims, one of them leads the Prayer. A man can lead the Prayer in his house with members of his family following him, but if a person is alone and can find