The contact prayers in Isslam (Submission)
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
Commandment
14:31“Exhort (Muhammad) My servants who believed to observe the contact prayers (salat), and to give (to charity) from our provisions to them, secretly and publicly, before a day comes where there is neither trade, nor nepotism.”
The contact prayer is one of the corner stone of submission
6:162 “Say (Muhammad), my contact prayers, my worship practices, my life and my death, all belong to God, Lord of the universe.”
What is prayer (salat)
Devotion, worship, remembrance, bowing, prostrating, seek help, clines soul and heart, call for guidance and to connect spiritually with the Creator.
2:186“When My servants ask about Me, I am always close I answer the prayers of any one of them when they pray to Me. They shall respond to Me, and believe in Me, that they may be guided.’
7:29“Say (Muhammad) “My Lord advocates justice, and to stand devoted to Him at every place of worship. You shall devote your worship absolutely to Him alone. Just as He initiated you, you will ultimately go back to Him.”
20:14“I am God; there is no god besides Me. You shall worship Me alone, and observe the contact prayers (salat) to remember Me.”
22:77 “O you who believe, bow, prostrate, worship your Lord, and work righteousness, that you may succeed.”
5:35“O who believe, observe God and seek the ways and means to Him, and strive in His cause, that you may succeed.”
Some of the prayers benefits
2:45“Seek Help through steadfastness and the contact prayers (salat). This is difficult indeed, but no so for the reverent.”
29:45 “…….The contact prayers (salat) will help you avoid evil works and vice. But the remembrance of God (through (salat) is the most important thing. God knows everything you do.”
Note: If these two benefits doesn’t effect your behavior and manners, then your prayers is invalid.
7:170 “Those who uphold the scripture, and observe the contact prayers, we never fail to reward the pious.”
To Whom we pray
52:62 “You shall prostrate before God, and worship.”
108:2 “…..You shall pray to your Lord (salat), and give to charity.”
The contact prayers before the revelation of the Qur’an
*How were the prayers
3:43“O Mary(Jesus mother), submit to your Lord, fall prostrate, and bow down with those who bow down.”
3:39“The angels called him (Zachariah) while he was praying in the sanctuary: God gives you good news of John; a believe in the word of God, honorable, moral, and a righteous prophet.”
*Synagogues, Churches, and Mosques
22:40“they were evicted from their homes unjustly, for no reason except their saying, “ Our Lord is God”. If it were nor for God’s supporting of some people against others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, where the name of God is commemorated frequently, would have been destroyed. …….”
Note:there were places for worship and praying before the revelation of the Qur’an as stated in the above verse.
*The contact prayers existed before the Qur’an
8:35“Their contact prayers at the shrine (Ka’bah) were no more than a mockery and a means of repelling others…… .”
Prayers were inherited from generation after generation (Tawator the prayers)
Prophet Abraham (PBUH)
14:40“My lord, make me one who consistently observes the contact prayers (salat), and also my children. Our Lord accept my supplications.”
Prophet Abraham descendants (PBU THEM)
14:37“Our Lord , I have settled part of my family in this plant less valley, at Your Sacred House. Our Lord, they are to observe the contact prayers (salat)….. .”
Prophet Zachariah (PBUH)
3:39“The angels called him (Zachariah) while he was praying in the sanctuary: God gives you good news of John; a believe in the word of God, honorable, moral, and righteous prophet.”
Messenger and prophet Ismail(PBUH)
19:54,55 “And mention in the scripture Ismail. He was truthful when he made a promise, and he was a messenger prophet. He used to enjoin his family to observe the contact prayers (salat) and the obligatory charity (Zakat); he was acceptable to his Lord.”
Messenger and prophet Moses (PBUH)
20:14“I am God; there is no god besides Me. You shall worship Me alone and observe the contact prayers (salat)to remember Me.”
Luqmaan’s Advice (PBUH)
31:17 “O my son, you shall observe the contact prayers (ssalat), enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, and remain steadfast in the face of adversity. These are the most honorable traits.”
Messenger and prophet Muhammad(PBUH)
14:31“Exhort My servants who believed to observe the contact prayer....”
20:132 “You shall enjoin your family to observe the contact prayers and steadfastly preserve in doing so……”
Losing the contact prayers (salat)
19:59“After them, He substituted generations that lost the contact prayers, and pursued their lusts. Consequently, they will go astray.”
8:35“Their contact prayers at the shrine (Ka’bah) were no more than a mockery and a means of repelling others…… .”
The order to reestablish the contact prayers
14:31“Exhort (Muhammad) My servants who believed to observe the contact prayer....”
22:77 “O you who believe, bow, prostrate, worship your Lord, and work righteousness, that you may succeed.”
96:19 “You (Mohammed) shall not obey him, you shall prostrate and draw nearer.”
73:2,3,4 “Meditate during the night, except rarely. Half of it, or a little less. Or a little more, and read the Qur’an.”
73:20 “……Instead, you shall read what you can of the Qur’an. ……..You shall read what you can of it, and observe the contact prayers, give the obligatory charity (Zakat) and lend God a loan of righteousness…….”
Order to establish place for praying
2:125 “We have rendered the Ka’aba (house of God in Mekka) shrine a focal point for the people, and safe sanctuary. You may use Abraham’s station as a prayer house (Mosque). We commissioned Abraham and Ismail: “the two of you shall purify My house for those who visit it, those who retreat therein, and those who bow and prostrate.”
The mosques (God houses) conditions
9:107 “There are those are who abuse the mosque by practicing disbelief, dividing the believers, and providing comfort to those who oppose God and His messenger. They swear: Our intentions are honorable! God bears witness that they are liars.”
9:108 “ you shall never pray in such a mosque. A mosque that is established on the basis of righteousness from the first day is more worthy of your praying therein. In it, there are people who love to be purified. God loves those who purify themselves.”
9:17“The idol worshippers are not to frequent the mosques of God, ….”
9:18“The only people to frequent the mosques of God are those who believe in God and the Last Day, and they observe the contact prayers…….”
7:29“……..and to stand devoted to Him at every place of worship absolutely to Him alone…….”
7:31“O children of Adam, you shall be clean and dress nicely when you go to the mosque……… .”
72:18 “The mosques belong to God, do not call on anyone else beside God.”
2:187 “…….Do not have sex with them (wives) if you retreat to the mosque (during the last ten days of Ramadan). …..”
2:114 “Who are more evil than those who boycott God’s mosques where His name is commemorated, and contribute to their desertion?....... .”
20:12“I am your Lord (O Moses), Remove your shows; you are in the sacred valley, Tuwaa.”
Prayers leaders (Imams)
2:124 “Abraham was put to test through certain commands and he fulfilled them. (God) then said, I am appointing you an imam for the people…..”
4;102 “If you (Muhammad) are with them, and lead the contact prayer for them, let some of you stand guard, let them hold their weapons and let them stand behind you as you prostrate. …..”
Warning for not observing the contact prayers
107:4-6 “And woe to those who observe the contact prayers. Who are totally heedless of their prayers. They only show off.”
The components of the regular contact prayers
The intention for praying
98:5 “…..worship God, devoting the religion absolutely to Him alone, observe the contact prayer,…….”
Establish the prayer (Eqamah)
2:43“And establish (Aqeemo) the contact prayer,……”
7:170 “Those who uphold the scripture, and establish the contact prayers, We never fail to reward the pious.”
The call for prayers (Azan)
5:58“When you call to the contact prayers, they mock and ridicule it
62:9 “O you who believe, when the congregational prayer is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of God, and drop all business……..”
Devotion to God alone
2:238“You shall observe the contact prayers especially the middle prayer and devote your worship totally to God alone.”
39:9 “Is it not better to be one of those who meditate in the night prostrating and standing up , being aware of the hereafter, and seeking the mercy of their Lord?
Prostration
3:113 “……They recite God’s revelations through the night, while they prostrating.”
!5:98 “Praise your Lord and be with the prostrators.”
25:46 “In the privacy of the night, they meditate on their Lord, and fall prostrate.”
Bowing
2:43“You shall observe the contact prayers and the obligatory charity, and bow with those who bow down.”
Prostrating and Bowing
9:112 “They are repenters, worshipers, praisers, mediators, bowing and prostrating, advocators of righteousness and forbidders of evil and keepers of God’s laws, give good news to such believers.”
22:26 “We appointed Abraham to establish the shrine: You shall not idolize any other god beside Me, and purify My shrine for those who visit it, those who live near it, and those who bow and prostrate.”
22:77 “O you who believe, bow, prostrate, worship your Lord, and work righteousness, may you succeed.”
Requirement for praying (Washing)
5:6 “O you who believe, when you intend to observe the contact prayers, you shall:
- wash your faces,
- wash your arms to the elbows,
- wipe your heads, and
- wash your feet to the ankles.
If you were unclean due to sexual orgasm, you shall bathe.
If you are ill, or traveling, or had any digestive excretion (urinary, fecal, or gas)
or had sexual contact with the women, and you cannot find water, you shall observe the dry ablution (Tayammum) by touching clean dry soil, then rubbing your faces and hands…”
How many times we should observe the obligatory prayers per day and their names
Prayers times
Three of the five prayers(Fajr, Makhreb, Isha)
11:114 “You shall observe the contact prayers at both ends of the day, and during the night…… .”
Noonprayer (Thuhr prayer)
17:78 “You shall observe the contact prayer when the sun declines from its highest point at noon, as it moves towards sunset. You shall also observe (the recitation) of the Qur’an at dawn (Fajr). (Reciting) the Qur’an at dawn is witnessed.”
After noon prayer (Asr prayer)
2:238 “You shall observe the contact prayers especially the middle prayer, and devote your worship totally to God alone.”
Prayers names
24:58 “…..This is to be done in three instances, before the Dawn prayer (Fajr), at Noon when you change your clothes to rest and after the Night prayer (Isha)…. .”
2:238 “You should observe the contact prayers especially the middle prayer (Asr)… .”
Friday Prayer (Al-Jumu’ah)
62:9 “O you who believe, when the congregational prayer is announced (Athan) on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of God, and drop all business… .”
Extra prayers / Meditation
17:79 “During the night, you shall meditate for extra credit, that your Lord may raise you to an honorable rank.”
73:20 “Your Lord knows that you meditate during two-third of the night, or half of it, or one-third of it, and so do some of those who believed with you. God has designed the night and the day, and He knows that you cannot always do this. He has pardoned you. Instead you shall read what you can of the Qur’an…… .”
76:26 “During the night, fall prost ate before Him, and glorify Him many a long night.”
Glorify God before praying (Takbeer)
87:15 “ Glorify the name of his Lord and observe the contact prayer.”
Reading the Qur’an
Note: 4:103 “….The contact prayers are decreed for the believers at specific times.”
The numbers of bowing (Rak3ah) in each prayer)
1- Fajr prayer 2
2- Noon prayer (Sunset prayer) 4
3- After noon prayer (Asr) 4
4- Sunset prayer (Makhreb) 3
5- Night prayer (3sha) 4
Total 17
The number of bowing for each prayer has to be in this order, and the mathematical code in the Qur’an confirm it:
24434 =19 X 1286 1+2+8+6=17 the same total bowingsper day.
If we change this order will never be divisible by 19 which is the mathematical key number in the Qur’an. (See ch. 74 v. 30, 31)
Friday prayer (Obligatory)
62:9 “O you who believe, when the Congregational prayer is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of God, and drop all business. This is better for you, if you only knew.”
Extra prayers
17:79 “
73:20 “
76:26 “
Conditions for staying within God’s protection
5:12