Second Pillar of Islam (Rukun Islam 2)

Assalamualaikum,

Today we're going to deeply talk about second Pillar of Islam; called as pray or salah or muslim ritual. It must be performed everyday for all believer of Muslims. And it has been mentioned in Quran for 99 times, The last dialogue post, 12 times in verb Salah-83 times in nouns Salawat-1 time in noun Musolah, 3 times in participle Musallin. Here some of it; ''O you who believe, seek help through patient and prayer. Surely Allah is with those who is patient.'' (2:153). ''Surely the hypocrites try to deceive Allah while He is the One who leave them in deception. And when they stand for Salah, only to show people, and do not remember Allah but a a little.'' (4:142). 

There are nine requirements criteria for whom must do the prayer:  1- Islam, only for Muslims. 2-Sanity/al-Aql, conscious and alert. 3-Puberty/ al-Tamyeez, know the responsibility. 4-In ablution/ wudu, state of purity. 5-Clear from dirt/uncleanliness. 6-Cover aurah, for male and female. 7-Pray on time, on the specific period. 8-Facing kiblat, the Kaaba. 9-Intention/al-Niyah, the purpose of prayer. All of the above will be explain in this post or will bring you to another post that would give more explanation. If I put it all here, then it will be a very long story to finish. Then, you will less interest and leave this good discussion. Nah, I want your attention because that is the reason I share it here.

The five main prayer consists of; Fajr prayer, Dhuhur prayer, Asr prayer, Maghrib prayer and Isya' prayer. Each prayer took at least ten to fifteen minutes to be done. Do you know that before this compulsory prayer, there are unlimited prayer for Allah? Like 50 or 100 prayer per day, with no specific time and duration. Every Muslims at that time pray every seconds and minutes, until they don't have a time to be wasted. Not even a slot for eating, MasyaAllah. And around years 621 in 27th Rejab of Islamic calendar, there is Prophet Muhammad a day night journey from Mecca to Jurusselam to heaven. It's called the magical night of Isra'and Mi'kraj, and everything changed. I will do a post about that some day. InsyaAllah.

Why we do solah? Publicly, it's an act of worshipping between a slave human to their Creator. Why I said slave, because we all are only a weak person with lots of sin from birth to now and He is the greatest all above. Then in shows of the grateful life He given and ask for more bless, we do action by pay back...the prayer. In actual term of replied in maintain faith and taqwa, the closeness to Allah. That's why it is important to truly understand what we said in our prayer, but it is in Arabic language, then do some effort to learn it. You can focus only translate for the words you said in salah, but go beyond that is appreciable. Please don't be a worker who ask something from their boss all of lifetime, up and down court or offices without know nothing on what you're doing! Waste of time, regret later.

In my good intention, I wants to deeply secure my understanding of every prayer. I want to do a receivable prayer, then feel the close bonding between me and my Creator. I want Him to truly understand my emotion, and I hope my tears run effortlessly while on prayer mat. In the end of every moment, I get the calmness mind and positivity in my soul. This is why I spent some of my free little time in between work or daily routine for this part. Rather than run a fingers on mobile phone for unnecessary entertainment, it's better for me to go beyond in life. InsyaAllah, I will complete all the five exploration and share it here; 

 1- Fajr / Dawn prayer : The Magical of Fajr Prayer, Fajr prayer is hard?, 

2-Dhuhr prayer:  

3-Asr prayer:

4-Maghrib prayer:   

5-Isya'prayer:  

Before solah, there is prayer called or Adhan. Then, after that need to take an ablution (wudu')-washing certain body part. This topic also need one touch, I will explain it in another post. But if you want some basic article, here the article How to perform Wudu by Muslim UK. In Quran mention wudu, ''You who believe! Do not approach the prayer when you're drunk, so that you will know what you're saying, nor in a state of majr impurity-unless you're travelling-until you have washed yourselves completely. If you're ill or on a journey, or any of you have come from touched women, and you cannot find water, the take yourselves clean earth, wiping your faces and your hands. Allah is Ever-Pardoning, Ever Forgiving.'' (4:43)

In facing Allah, make yourself wore the proper clothes. Obviously like you meet most highest person, how you going to dress? The clean, prettiest and modest one right? Same practices here and in Islam, it obviously must covered the ''aurah'' for male and female as per Allah's command. For men, ash Sharh al Mumti 2/160; ''The aurah' for a man is the area between the navel and the knee''. In Quran mentioned, ''Ó children of Adam, take your adornment (proper clothing) for every mosque'' (7:31). And for female aurah, covered all body except hand and face. ''And to display of their adornment only that which is apparent (beauty save the hands and face)'' (24:31). 

The salah can do by individual or jamaah- group. Muslims do it at mosques preferred for all men, at home own especially for women or any places. But, please look out for your surrounding-need make sure the cleanliness of the surrounding. It must be clear from any feces or unacceptable dirt and not blocking the traffic. You can put a ''sutrah'', an object to act as barrier so people know you're praying and not cross the place of sujood. Examples like chair, bag, or pray facing the wall with correct kiblat-facing Kaaba'. Please also settle down an urgent matter if not you'll think about it in salah and keep away or off the devices too. May these attention to small things proven how serious our relationship to Allah. InsyaAllah.

One quotes, do rush for solah but donn't rush in solah, do you get that. In salah, there are several movements with own words and specific meaning. It is have counting compulsory act from you standing until give end salamm. I still don't have a post about this, and InsyaAllah will post it here after I finish that. But you can look out for topic of sujood, "If you knew how powerful the sujood is you will never lift your head off from the ground.''  I already do a post about, The beauty of sujood in Islam. My writing may not give you a goosebumps or give back life spirit, because I'm still learning in perfecting my solah. I registered and paid some seminar for myself because I need that, I know I have to fixed my solah. 

You can see my progress is little bit slow, but still working on it. This is because I'm not in the highest Islamic study or background, so need research here and there. If I find something good then I will update in the post too. I really enjoy and feel happy doing this, I gain lots of knowledge and new things that required to be applied in my daily life. At first, I didn't know this topic is so big. Then I remembered one of my teachers said, ''Who 's think solah is the easy one?'' At that time, no one raised their hand because we don't know. After I started my expedition in here, it's really blow out my mind-100% I need to keep my deen  a unbreakable one.

InsyaAllah, may Allah SWT bless our heart and life journey.