The Posture of Prayer: A Look at How Muslims Pray – IMB
I felt awkward in that moment because I had so many questions about Muslim prayer and what my appropriate response should be, she writes, and I was left to wait for her to finish her prayers, she says of her Muslim friend wearing an Islamic headscarf.
The Importance of Prayer in Islam
A good Muslim prays five times a day, and muezzins call the faithful to prayer all over the world. Although children are not required to pray until they reach the age of majority, salat is encouraged after the age of seven.
Preparing to Pray
Men and women must be appropriately dressed to approach Allah in prayer, with women covering everything except their faces and hands and men covering the area between their navel and knees. The Kaaba is a symbol of Islam’s monotheism that unites Muslims around the world as they pray.
Standing
Some sects require that you cross your hands over your chest or navel while standing, and that you conduct yourself with reverence and respect throughout the prayer ritual. The designs on the carpet point to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where Muslims pray. Photo courtesy of the IMB Photo Library.
Bowing
Ruku is the act of bowing forward with hands on knees and head jutting out from a straight back, demonstrating humility, reverence, and repentance to Allah. It is said that Muhammad kept his back so straight during bowing that a drop of water would not roll off his back.
Prostrating
“Prostrate and draw near [to Allah],” the Quran says. Prostration is when you place your face on the ground from a kneeling position. Muslims believe that prostrating before Allah unites all of creation, and that correct posture earns a great spiritual reward from Allah.
Sitting
In Islam, worshippers are expected to pray for God, Muhammad, Abraham, and the angels by sitting up on their knees and reciting more prayers while looking to the right and left. Requests for forgiveness and statements of peace are made as they look to the right and left.
Prayer Postures in the Bible
Most Muslim-background Christians wisely reject the structure of the salat when they believe in Jesus, but believers have used a variety of physical postures to express their hearts to the Lord since the beginning.
How to Engage with Muslims Who Pray
Christian prayer is an expression of a confident, intimate relationship with God. Most Muslims respect their Muslim friends’ prayers and would be willing to have you pray in front of them because they need to hear how you talk to God boldly through Christ.
Where did the Muslims go to pray?
A mosque (/msk/; Arabic:, romanized: masjid, pronounced [masdid]; literally “place of ritual prostration”), also known as masjid, is a Muslim religious building.
Where do people pray to Allah?
Many Muslims pray in mosques, where they can share their faith with others; however, any quiet place, including a corner of an office or home, can be used for prayer; the only requirement is that the prayers be said facing Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad’s birthplace.
Can Muslims pray to God?
(While there is a prayer leader in the mosque – the imam – he is not a priest, but rather a person who knows a lot about Islam.) Muslims pray directly to God.
What do Muslims say when they pray?
Muslims say ‘Allahu Akbar,’ which means ‘God is great,’ before raising their hands to their ears or shoulder and placing their right hand over their left on their chest or navel while standing (this may vary depending on the subdivision followed).
How do Muslims greet each other?
When Muslims are greeted, they say “As-salamu alaikum,” which means “Peace be upon you.” Most Muslim women do not shake hands or hug men, while Muslim men shake hands with Muslim men.
Does the Quran say to pray 5 times a day?
There is no explicit naming of the five prayers in the Quran; it does not say, “Pray Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha salah.” The disagreement between the two sides of three or five prayers is due to different interpretations of the ayats presented above.
Do Muslims believe in reincarnation?
In light of this, the Quran rejects the concept of reincarnation, despite preaching the existence of the soul. The fundamental belief in Islam is that there is only one birth on this planet, and that after death, one will be judged as to whether they should go to hell or be reunited with God once and for all.
What do Muslims worship?
Mosques are places where Muslims worship, and some important Islamic holy places include the Kaaba shrine in Mecca, the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and the Prophet Muhammad’s mosque in Medina. Muslims are monotheistic and worship one, all-knowing God, who is known in Arabic as Allah.
What do I say in a prayer?
You can address God as “Dear God,” “Our Heavenly Father,” “Jehovah,” or any other name you have for him; you can even pray to Jesus if you want. Recognize God’s greatness. If you believe in God, you believe he is the creator of the world and all life on Earth.
What do Muslims say when someone dies?
Those present at the time of the person’s death should continue the tradition by saying “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un,” which means “Truly we belong to Allah, and truly to Him shall we return,” and is required of all Muslims who have since passed away.
How do Muslims fast?
All Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk for 30 days during Ramadan, which falls on the ninth month of the lunar-based Islamic calendar. After sundown, Muslims break their fast with iftar, a meal that typically begins with dates and water or milk and ends with dinner.