2 nd Pillar: Salat

1. 2nd Pillar: Salat • Prayer draws people closer to Allah, promotes discipline and purity • Prayers in a mosque at midday Friday • Prayers are always said facing the holy city of Mecca • Purifies and focuses the mind and hearts on Allah • Salat begins with washing (wudu) • Prayers are made on mats that have an arch on them, which is pointed to Mecca

2. Wudu (means “making pure” • Worshipper announces his intention to worship Allah with a pure heart (niyyah) • Hands are washed three times • Mouth is rinsed three times • Nostrils are washed three times. The face is then washed three times • Arms are washed as far as the elbows three times • Top of the head, the ears and the back of the head are washed • The feet are washed as far as the ankle three times • The shoes are left outside before entering the mosque to pray *if no water is available, sand is used.

3. Rak’ah: Prayer position • To perform salat, Muslims follow a sequence of movements • Involves standing, bowing or kneeling face down on floor (called prostration) • Each cycle of movements is called rak’ah • Before prayer sequence begins, Muslims must make their devotion to Allah clear by reciting the Shahadah