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Namaaz

This article forms part of the series Islam

Vocabulary of Islam

Five Pillars

Profession of faith

Prayer – Alms

Fasting

Pilgrimage to Mecca

Holy Cities

Mecca – Medina

Jerusalem

Najaf – Karbala

Events

Hijra – Islamic calendar – Eid ul-Fitr

Eid ul-Adha – Aashura – Mosque – Minaret

Mihrab – Kaaba

Religious

Muezzin – Imam – Mullah

Ayatollah – Mufti

People & Groups

Seyd

Texts and laws

Qur'an – Hadith – Sunnah

Sura – Fiqh – Fatwa

Sharia – Sunni – Shi'a

Kharijite

Maddhabs

Hanafi – Maliki

Shafi'i – Hanbali

Sects

Wahhabism – Salafism

Twelvers – Ismailism

Mu'tazili – Druze

Asharism – Sufism

Salah (other terms and spellings exist) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It refers to the five daily prayers that Muslims offer to Allah (God). Being a Pillar of Islam, it is compulsory for every Muslim. Under some circumstances, it may be prescribed for a Muslim male to perform Salah in congregation behind an Imam. At other times it may be performed individually. Outside of the daily salaat there are special prayers offered on Fridays (Jumah), Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha.

The five prescribed daily prayers are:

1. Fajr (dawn prayer)
2. Dhuhr (mid-day)
3. Asr (afternoon)
4. Maghrib (sunset)
5. Isha'a (night)

The times prescribed for the prayers vary daily as the position of the sun in the sky determines the times.

Prayers can only be conducted when a Muslim has a valid wodoo.