Salah

What Does Salah Mean in Detail?

Salah is the most important obligation in Islam after the declaration of faith (shahada). النبي Muhammad said: 'The first thing a person will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment is salah.' The five daily الصلوات are: Fajr (2 rakaat, before sunrise), Dhuhr (4 rakaat, after midday), Asr (4 rakaat, mid-afternoon), Maghrib (3 rakaat, after sunset), and Isha (4 rakaat, nighttime). Prerequisites include: tahaarah (ritual purity), facing the القبلةh (direction of the الكعبة), covering the awrah, praying within the prescribed time, and making intention. During الحج, salah takes on additional أهمية — الصلوات at المسجد الحرام are multiplied 100,000 times in reward عند hadith. Pilgrims traveling for الحج may shorten and combine الصلوات (qasr and jam'). The unique experience of praying directly facing the physical الكعبة is one of the most moving aspects of الحج.