Salat

Salat or Salah is the practice of prayer in Islam. It is one of the five most important duties for Muslims. To perform salat, a person’s mind must be ritually pure. They make sure of this by performing ritual washing, called wudhu.

While praying, people face the Kaaba in Mecca. For Sunni Muslims, salat must be performed at five periods each day. In Shi’a Islam, some people pray three times per day, others five times. People may pray alone, with others, or at home, in a mosque, or elsewhere.

On Fridays, mosques usually offer a special congregational prayer. In Islamic countries, the public call to prayer from the mosques sets the rhythm of the day for the whole country. The time of salat depends on the position of the sun. Salat therefore happens at different times in different places.

Doing salat can be very spiritual. It can be a way to connect to Allah. It also helps connect Muslims to each other around the world and in history.