4. The Second Pillar: Salat

The second Pillar of Islam is salat (SAH-laht), daily ritual prayer. Muhammad said that “prayer is the proof” of Islam. Salat emphasizes religious discipline, spirituality, and closeness to God.

Throughout Muslim communities, people are called to prayer five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after nightfall. A crier, called a muezzin (moo-EHZ-en), chants the call to prayer, sometimes through a loudspeaker, from the tall minaret (tower) of the community's mosque.

Before praying, Muslims must perform ritual washings.  All mosques have fresh, flowing water in which worshipers wash their hands, face, arms, and feet.  With a sense of being purified, Muslims enter the prayer area where they form lines behind a prayer leader called an imam.   The worshipers face the qiblah (KIB-lah), the direction of the Ka'bah,  which is marked by a niche in a wall.  People of all classes stand shoulder to shoulder, but men stand in separate rows from women.

The imam begins the prayer cycle by proclaiming “Allahu akbar! ” (“God is most great! ”).  The worshipers then recite verses from the Qur'an and kneel before God.

While praying at a mosque is preferable, Muslims may worship anywhere.  In groups or by themselves, they may perform their prayers at home, at work, in airports, in parks, or on sidewalks.  A qiblah compass may help them locate the direction of the Ka'bah.  Some Muslims carry a prayer rug to have a clean spot on which pray.  Some use prayer beads for additional worship and recite words describing what they believe to be God's many characteristics.

Unlike Christians and Jews, Muslims do not observe a sabbath, or day of rest. On Fridays, however, Muslims gather at a mosque for midday congregational prayer. The worshipers listen to a Qur'an reading and the sermon. After saying prayers together, some return to their regular business. For others, Friday is a special day when people meet with family and friends.