Observation of a Salah Ritual in Islam - Case Study Example

OBSERVATION OF A RITUAL IN ISLAM: SALAH THE PHENOMENON OF RELIGION TRS 201-A PROF. NOBLE MARTOCCI 26 February Observation of a ritual in Islam: Salah Introduction Islam is a very diverse religion with a number of important rituals and rites that must be performed by practicing Muslims. The offering of formal prayers to Allah is witnessed as something that must be carried out on a daily basis for the purpose of well being and prosperity of a person. Salah means offering formal prayers and is a compulsory obligation to be practiced by every Muslim except for those who have difficulties in carrying out the prayers. A state of ritual ablution also known as Wudu must be carried out before offering prayers. This means that an individual must be completely pure or holy by washing parts of his body in order to carry out this daily ritual. The main objective of carrying out these prayers at least once a day is to be able to connect with God and formulate an understanding with His presence in one’s life. A Muslim must offer his prayers as well as his thanks and praises to God for all the he has been able to achieve in his life because of His will. These prayers are also important as they remind a man of the reason of his existence and how he may be guided along the Straight Path under the guidance and watchful eye of Allah. Sacred Space: In order to carry out Salah, a muslim can use almost any kind of space at his disposal; right from the confines of his own home to the area dedicated to prayers and offerings inside a Mosque. The area must be clean and pure and have a sense of calm around it for maximum concentration. The main thing is that he must be facing a Qiblah which is the direction to be faced while carrying out the ritual of Salah. Most mosques have a mihrab or a wall that indicates the direction they must face as the wall is designed in a manner that it turns towards the Qiblah. Presently, the Qiblah is in the direction that faces the Kaaba which is the famous cube shaped sacred black stone, believed to be sent from paradise by angels to Ibrahim. A Muslim’s chest must be facing the Kaaba while carrying out the prayers and thus he must have enough space around him to be able to move about a little because a number of movements are required that include lying down and bending in different postures. Such prayers also take place in a congregation and Muslims believe that when praying together with others, prayers are supposed to have the maximum impact and reach Allah. Praying in groups has more spiritual benefit as well. However, in a group, the space might be a little constricted and thus people stand in parallel rows facing the Qiblah in order to carry them out. While performing the prayers it should be kept in mind that the space that a Muslim performs his prayers in becomes sacred to him and during the course which he says his prayers, no one around him should step into his prayer circle which may be demarcated by a distance of at least 2-3 feet around him. In this way, the space around each person limits the interaction he might carry out with others as these prayers are supposed to be answered to God on a personal basis. While saying them in a group, there is still no interaction amongst the various members of the congregation however, they say it collectively with the help of the imam so that the prayers are able to reach Allah’s ears easily. This sacred space thus helps to focus most attention on the person who is performing the ritual. Each person has his own personal space within which he performs the Salah on a daily basis. Sacred Objects: During the time of performing Salah, Muslims do not require the use of any particular objects. However they may keep a copy of the Qu’ran with them which is their holy book. Both men and women are supposed to dress in clean clothes and they must cover their bodies completely in loose fitting garments. Both men and women are also required to cover their heads; women may do this by wearing a burqa or purdah which is a part of their garments used to cover their heads. Men usually wear white caps which cover their heads. These also must be cleaned daily for using during offering prayers. During the offerings, nobody may touch the clothes of another person. This would anyway involve another person to enter the prayer circle of the other which is not permitted. In many societies it is believed that women that are menstruating may not offer prayers or touch the headgear of other men that are performing them because it is believed to become impure. Sacred Times: There are particular times during the day when Salah must be carried out. The Salah is further divided into the Fard, Wajib, Sunnah and Nafl.Fard-As Salat means five daily prayers that are compulsory to be carried out by all practicing and devout Muslims. The various timings between which these prayers must be offered are between the times of dawn to dusk. The Fajr must be read ten to fifteen minutes before sunrise takes place; just after dawn. After true noon, the Dhuhr must be read. Afternoon calls for readings of the Asr. The Maghrib must be read after sunset till the period that dusk pertains on the Earth. Finally, the Isha’a must be read between dusk to dawn. It is believed that every Muslim must have a sense of confidence of the timings before carrying out his prayers otherwise his prayers are deemed to be invalid. Many different Islamic countries have particular clocks dedicated to the timings of these different prayers in order to make people aware. In many Mosques around the world, announcements are made during prayer times so that people living around the Mosque are aware of the timings and are able to pray in a timely manner. Sacred Actions: There are a number of sacred actions involved in the Salah. These include two prostrations as well. While reciting the prayers, at different points within the prayers, the person must stand right, raise his hands to Allah, bow his body till his palms and knees are on the ground, and perform the final set of prayers in a sitting position. These actions must be performed by all Muslims except those who have bodily dysfunctions and are not able to perform them. Sacred Persons: The Imams or the scholars are said to be sacred, however no Muslim is more sacred than Allah himself. They may be differentiated while carrying out prayers by their dress and loose fitting garments. No person is said to be more sacred than the other except if at the time of carrying out prayers, one does not have the full intention to do so or does not have his heart in it. In that case, the prayers are invalid, and the person does not achieve a sense of being sacred according to Allah. In conclusion, the Salah is a very important religious ritual performed by all Muslims around the world and it is something that binds this religious identity together. It has helped to bring together Muslims and helps them understand the meaning of their existence with respect to Allah. A Muslim is able to achieve peace and understanding through repeated practices of the Salah. Most devout Muslims are considered to be those that have prayer bumps on their forehead because of practicing these prayers and offerings on a daily basis. Works Cited Coughlin, Kathryn M. Muslim Cultures Today, A Reference Guide. Greenwood Publishing Group. Print. Read More