Salah or Salaah (Arabic: ‏صلاة‎; pl. ‏صلوات‎ ṣalawāt, meaning "prayer" or "invocation"),^[14] alternately spelled Salat, also known as Namaz (from Persian: نماز‎), is one of the Five Pillars in the Islamic faith, and an obligatory religious duty for every Muslim. It is a physical, mental, and spiritual act of worship that is observed five times every day at prescribed times. In this ritual, while facing towards the Qiblah in Mecca, one stands, bows, and prostrates oneself, and concludes sitting on the ground.^[15] During each posture, one recites or reads certain verses, phrases, and prayers.

The word salah is commonly translated as "contact", "communication" or "connection". Using the word "prayer" when translating to English can be misleading, as "prayer" is more frequently used to translate a different word, dua", a reverent petition made to God. Salah may be better translated as "Communication with the divine", as it primarily means to establish contact with the divine rather than making a petition.

Salah is preceded by ritual ablution and consists of the repetition of a unit called a rakʿah (pl. rakaʿāt), which in turn consists of prescribed actions and words. The number of obligatory (fard) rakaʿāt varies from two to four according to the time of day or other circumstances (such as Friday congregational worship, which has two rakaʿāt). Prayer is obligatory for all Muslims, except those who are prepubescent, are menstruating, or are experiencing bleeding in the 40 days after childbirth.^[16]

Salah (ṣalāh [sˤɑˈlɑː] صلاة) in Arabic means to pray or bless.^[17] In its English usage, the reference of the word is mostly confined to the formal, obligatory prayers described in this article. Translating salah as "communication" is not usually considered precise enough, as it can indicate several different ways of relating to God. Personal communication or supplication is called duʿāʾ (Arabic: دُعَاء, literally "invocation") in Islamic usage.^[18]

Muslims use several terms to refer to salah depending on their language or culture. In many parts of the world, including many non-Arab countries, the Arabic term salat or salah is used. The other major term is the Persian word namāz (نماز), used by speakers of the Indo-Iranian languages (e.g., Persian, Kurdish, Urdu, Sylheti, Balochi, Bengali, Hindi), as well as Turkish, Russian, Chinese, Bosnian and Albanian. In North Caucasian languages, the term is lamaz (ламаз) in Chechen, chak (чак) in Lak and kak in Avar (как). In Malaysia, the term solat is used, as well as a local term sembahyang (means: communication, literally from the word sembah – worship and hyang – god or deity). In Indonesia the terms salat and sembahyang are both used.

The word "salat" is used about 700 times in the Quran.

Words connected to salat (such as mosque, Wudu, Dhikr, etc.) are used around 700 times.^[19] In other words, approximately one-sixth of Quranic verses belong to salat.^[19] This includes "Surely my prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are (all) for Allah",^[9] "I am Allah, there is no god but I, therefore serve Me and keep up prayer for My remembrance".^[10]

Four forms of salat are introduced in the Quran: first, in order to glorify God's servants, God, and the angels practice the salat;^[11] second, salat is done by all beings in the heavens and on the earth for the expression of universal Islam;^[12] third, every voluntary Muslim performs it to reveal that it is the particular form of worship that belongs to the prophets; ^[13] fourth, salat is described as the second pillar of Islam and a little defined what components includes.^[17]

The main purpose of salah is to act as a person's communication with God.

All beings are not able to see him, but salat provides a means to ask and thank him for blessings.^[20]

Conditions for salah are classified in two main categories: conditions that make salah invalid, and some that make salah acceptable.^[21] If one ignores the following conditions, their salah is invalid:^[21]

The condition for salah to be accepted:^[21]

Each salah is made up of repeating units or cycles called rakats which includes a number of specific movements and the recitation of a certain amount of Koranic text and various traditional formulas, all in Arabic. The number of rakats for the five daily occasions of obligatory worship can be found below. One form of performing a rakah is given below: on minor details, there are different views in different schools of thought, but the major elements are universally agreed upon. People who find it physically difficult can perform salah in a way suitable for them.^[17]

Saying intention is the first act in prayer.

For this, a Muslim stands with raised and open hands.

Palms should be turned forward and held at ear level with thumbs placed behind the earlobes.

Then he says Allahu akbar and puts his hands inside of the body.^[26]

Each rakah contains two prostrations.^[27] During the prostration:

The taslim brings the salah to an end.

Every movement from one position to another is accompanied by the takbir except the standing between the ruku and sujud, and the ending which has a derivation of the Muslim greeting As-salamu alaykum.^[28]

Muslims believe that Muhammad practiced, taught, and disseminated the worship ritual in the whole community of Muslims and made it part of their life.

The practice has, therefore, been concurrently and perpetually practiced by the community in each of the generations.

The authority for the basic forms of the salah is neither the hadiths nor the Qur'an, but rather the consensus of Muslims.^[29]

This is not inconsistent with another fact that Muslims have shown diversity in their practice since the earliest days so the salah practiced by one Muslim may differ from another's in minor details. In some cases the Hadith suggest some of this diversity of practice was known of and approved by the Prophet himself.

Most differences arise because of different interpretations of the Islamic legal sources by the different schools of law (madhhabs) in Sunni Islam, and by different legal traditions within Shia Islam. In the case of ritual worship these differences are generally minor, and should rarely cause dispute.^[30]

Differences also occur due to optional articles of prayer procedure (for example, which verses of the Qur'an to recite).

Common differences, which may vary between schools and gender, include:

While there is universal agreement on the principal elements of the prayer, there are differences of opinion on which of those elements are indispensable, versus those which are highly recommended or optional.^{[31][32][33][34][35][36]}

Shia Muslims, after the end of the prayer, raise their hands three times, reciting Allahu akbar whereas Sunnis look at the left and right shoulder saying taslim. Also, Shias often read "Qunoot" in the second Rakat, while Sunnis usually do this after salah.

Ahmadi Muslims have the same salah practices as those belonging to the Hanafi madhab.

A 2015 Pew Research Center study found that women are two percent more likely than men to pray on a daily basis.^[37]

Prayers in Islam are classified into categories based on degrees of obligation.

One common classification is fard, wajib, sunnah, and nafl.^[38]

Muslims are commanded to perform prayers five times a day.^[39] These prayers are obligatory on every Muslim who has reached the age of puberty, with the exception being those who are mentally ill, too physically ill for it to be possible, menstruating, or experiencing postnatal bleeding.

Those who are sick or otherwise physically unable to offer their prayers in the traditional form are permitted to offer their prayers while sitting or lying, as they are able.

The five prayers are each assigned to certain prescribed times (al waqt) at which they must be performed, unless there is a compelling reason for not being able to perform them on time.

The times are measured according to the movement of the sun.

They are: between dawn and sunrise (fajr), after the sun has passed its zenith (zuhr), when afternoon shadows lengthen (asr), just after sunset (maghrib) and around nightfall (isha

Some Muslims offer voluntary prayers immediately before and after the five prescribed prayers.

Sunni Muslims classify these prayers as sunnah, while Shi'ah considers them nafil.

One schema of the number of rakats for each of the five obligatory prayers as well as the voluntary prayers (before and after) are listed below - once again there are minor differences between schools.

Many Sunni Muslims also perform two rakats nafl (voluntary) after the Zuhr and Maghrib prayers.

During the Isha prayer, they perform the two rakats nafl after the two Sunnat-Mu'akkadah and after the witr prayer.

Table notes

The Fard Salah is all of the compulsory Muslim prayers – the five daily prayers, as well as the Friday prayer (Salat al-Jumu'ah) and the Eid prayers (Eid prayers). Non-performance of any of these prayers renders one a non-Muslim according to the stricter Hanbali madhhab of Sunni Islam, while the other Sunni madhhabs consider doing so a major sin. However, all four madhhabs agree that denial of the compulsory status of these prayers invalidates the faith of those who do so, rendering them non-Muslim. Fard prayers (as with all fard actions) are further classed as fard al-ayn (obligation of the self) and fard al-kifayah

Men are required to perform the fard salat in congregation (jama'ah), behind an imam when they are able. According to most Islamic scholars, performing prayers in congregation is mustahabb (recommended) for men,^[40] when they are able, but is neither required nor forbidden for women.

Salat al-Jumu'ah is a congregational prayer on Friday, which replaces the Zuhr prayer.

It is compulsory upon men to perform it in the congregation, while women may perform it so or may perform Zuhr salat instead.

Salat al-Jumu'ah consists of a sermon (khutba) given by the speaker (khatib) after which two rakats are performed. There is no Salat al-Jumu'ah without a khutba. Khutba is supposed to be carefully listened to as it replaces Sawaab of two Rakats.

Wajib As-salat are compulsory, non-performance of which renders one a sinner. However, the evidence of the obligation is open to interpretation, with some of the madhab saying it is obligatory while others are saying it is optional. To deny that a fard salah is obligatory is an act of disbelief while denying the obligation of a wajib salat is not disbelief. Some believe that as the five prayers are obligatory, it automatically renders all other prayers optional.

Sun'nah sal'ah are optional and were additional voluntary prayers performed by Muhammad. They are of two types: the Sunnah Mu'akkaddah, practiced on a regular basis, which if abandoned causes the abandoner to be regarded as sinful by the Hanafi School; and the Sunnah Ghair Mu'akkaddah, practiced on a semi-regular practice by Muhammad, of which abandonment is not considered to be sinful.

Certain sunnah prayers have prescribed waqts associated with them. Those ordained for before each of the fard prayers must be performed between the first call to prayer (adhan) and the second call (iqama), which signifies the start of the fard prayer.^[41] Those sunnah ordained for after the fard prayers can be performed any time between the end of the fard prayers and the end of the current prayer's waqt.^[41] Any amount of extra rakats may be offered, but most madha'ib

Nafl salah (supererogatory prayers) are voluntary, and one may offer as many as he or she likes almost any time.^[42] There are many specific conditions or situations when one may wish to offer nafl prayers. They cannot be offered at sunrise, true noon, or sunset. The prohibition against salah at these times is to prevent the practice of sun worship.

Witr is performed after the salah of Isha (dusk).

Some Muslims consider witr wajib while others consider it optional.

It may contain an odd number of rakats from one to eleven according to the different schools of jurisprudence. However, Witr is most commonly offered with three rakats.

To end prayers for the night after Isha, the odd numbered rakats must have the niyyah of "wajib-ul-Lail," which is mandatory to "close" one's salah for that day.

Shi'ahs offer this as a one rakat salah at the end of salatul layl (the night prayer), which is an optional prayer according to some shi'ah scholars, and a wajib (obligatory) prayer according to others.

This is to be prayed any time after Isha, up until fajr.

The best time to perform the prayer is the last third of the night (the night being divided into three, between maghrib and fajr of that night).

It is considered highly meritorious by all Shi'ah Muslims, and is said to bring numerous benefits to the believer, mainly gaining proximity to Allah.

There are various methods of salatul-layl's performance, including shorter and longer versions, in the longer version the believer must perform eight nawafil salah, in sets of two rakats each, then they must pray a two rakats salah called 'salatul shafa'ah' this is to include surah nas after surah fatihah in the first rakat and surah falaq after surah fatihah in the second rakat, and unusually no qunut (a du'ah recited before going into ruku' of the second rakat of most prayers performed by shi'ahs) It is after this that the believer performs salatul witr, it's long method being - Starting with takbiratul ehram, then surah fatihah, then surah ikhlas, then surah falaq, then surah nas, then the hands are raised to recite qunut, upon which the believer can recite any du'a, however there are many recommended du'as for this purpose. Within qunut, the believer must pray for the forgiveness of 40 believers, then further prayers are read where the believer asks for forgiveness for himself a certain number of times using specified phrases and amounts of time to repeat those phrases. The believer then completes the salah in the usual way, by completing his qunut, reciting takbir whilst raising his hands, going into ruku' and reciting the usual phrase for that, then returning up right and reciting takbir whilst doing so and upon being upright recites 'sami allahu liman hamida' (verily Allah has heard the one who has praised him) thereupon the believer recites takbir whilst raising his hands and goes into sajda. He recites the proscribed phrase in sajda rises, recites takbir whilst rising and then again whilst returning to sajdah, then rises with takbir again and recites tashahud and salam, thus ending this prayer. It is then optional to recite certain other du'as and dhikr (remembrance of Allah through certain phrases and some of his names being repeated) It is then recommended to perform sajdah ash-shukr (prostration of thanks) and to then recite ayatul kursi (verse of the throne) and then perform another sajdah ash-shukr.

Eid salah is performed on the morning of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The Eid prayer is most likely an individual obligation (fard al-ayn) and Niyyah for both Eid salah is made as Wajib, though some Islamic scholars argue it is only a collective of the obligation(fard al-kifayah).^[43] It consists of two rakats, with seven (or three for the followers Imam Hanafi) takbirs offered before the start of the first rakat and five (or three for the followers of Imam Hanafi) before the second. After the salah is completed, a sermon (khutbah) is offered. However, the khutbah is not an integral part of the Eid salah.^[44] The Eid salah must be offered between sunrise and true noon i.e. between the time periods for Fajr and Zuhr

Salat al-Istikhaarah is a prayer performed when a Muslim needs guidance on a particular matter, such as whether they should marry a certain person.

To perform this salah one should pray a normal two rakats salah to completion.

After completion one should say a du'a called the Istikhaarah du'a. The intention for the salah should be in one's heart to pray two rakats of salah followed by Istikhaarah. The salah can be performed at any of the times where salah is not forbidden.

The salah must be performed in the Arabic language.

In certain circumstances one may be unable to perform one's prayer within the prescribed time period (waqt). In this case, the prayer must be performed as soon as one can do so. Several Ahadith narrate that Muhammad stated that permissible reasons to perform Qada Salah are forgetfulness and accidentally sleeping through the prescribed time. However, knowingly sleeping through the prescribed time for Salah is deemed impermissible.

When travelling over long distances, one may shorten some prayers, a practice known as Qasr. Furthermore, several prayer times may be joined, which is referred to as Jam' bayn as-Salaatayn. Qasr involves shortening the obligatory components of the Zuhr, Asr, and Isha prayers to two rakats. Jam' bayn as-Salaatayn combines the Zuhr and Asr prayers into one prayer offered between noon and sunset, and the Maghrib and Isha prayers into one between sunset and Fajr. Neither Qasr nor Jam' bayn as-Salaatayn can be applied to the Fajr prayer.

There is no reference to Qasr during travel within the Qur'an itself; the Qur'an allows for Qasr when there is fear of attack, but does not forbid it for travel in non-hostile circumstances.

During the ritual salat prayer, if a person forgets to do one of the actions of prayer he can make up for certain actions by performing two sujud at the end of the prayer.

This can only be done if specific types of actions are forgotten by the person praying.

Upon entering the mosque, "Tahiyyatul masjid" may be performed; this is to pay respects to the mosque. Every Muslim entering the mosque is encouraged to perform these two rakats.

Prayer in congregation (jama'ah) is considered to have more social and spiritual benefit than praying by oneself. When praying in congregation, the people stand in straight parallel rows behind one person who conduct the prayer, called imam, and face the qibla. The imam is usually chosen to be a scholar or the one who has the best knowledge of the Qur'an, preferably someone who has memorized it (a hafiz*]]]]. In the first row behind the imam, if available, would be anotherhafiz to correct the imam in case a mistake is made during the performance of the salah. The prayer is performed as normal, with the congregation following the actions and movements of the imam as he performs the salah.

For two people of the same gender, the imam would stand on the left, and the other person is on the right.

For more than two people, the imam stands one row ahead of the rest.

When the Worshippers consist of men and women combined, a man is chosen as the imam.

In this situation, women are typically forbidden from performing this role.

This point, though unanimously agreed on by the major schools of Islam, is disputed by some groups, based partly on a hadith

The prayer commences with the imam saying "Allahu akbar" out loud.

For the five daily prayers, the Imam would read the surah fatiha and the following section of the Quran out loud only for the first two rakats of Fajr, Maghrib and Isha. To move between positions, the Imam would say "Allahu akbar" out loud, such as when going to the bowing position, except when standing up again from the bowing position, when the Imam would say "SamiAllahu liman hamidah" out loud. The prayer is concluded with the imam saying the taslim out loud.

A Worshipper who has joined a congregation prayer late after missing rakats is called a masbuq. The masbuq would participate with the rest of the group in prayer, however, when the taslim is said at the end, he or she would not say the taslim but would instead stand up and continue for the number of rakats missed. If he joined after the bowing stage of a rakat, then he or she would have considered having missed that rakat.