SALAT. The Salat is a ritually prescribed prayer in the Islamic faith. Although
the Quran mentions Salat many times, the specific details of how, when,
where, and under what conditions to perform the ritual prayer are not minutely
described in the Quran. Rather, the early Muslim community formalized the
ritual on the basis of the Prophet Muhammad's example, or sunnah. Such matters
as the exact postures, times, conditions, and recitations of the Salat were
arrived at thanks to the early community's recollections of the prophet's
practice. Inspired by the Quranic decree to emulate Muhammad as their most
beautiful model (uswa al-?asana), oral reports called Hadith recalling what
Muhammad said or did began to circulate soon after his death.
As many spurious Hadith also proliferated, eventually they had to be sifted
in terms of their reliability on the basis of criteria developed by Hadith
scholars. In the century after Muhammad's demise, Muslims sought to consolidate
their faith and identity in institutional, legal, and theological terms.
To this end, scholars (?ulama?) and jurists (fuqaha) devoted considerable
attention to debating and determining the religious duties of Muslims. What
it meant to be a Muslim in terms of doctrines and practices was still in
a state of flux, and Salat was part of this process of discovery and construction
of identity.
How do we perform Salaat (prayer):
When beginning salaat, men raise both hands. Tips of thumbs touch earlobes.
Palms must be turned towards the Qibla. Saying of Allahu Akbar (Takbir)
begins as hands leave ears and finished as they are folded under the navel.
NOTE: Women raise their both hands as high as their shoulders and say the
takbir of beginning. Then they put their hands on their chest.
There are seven conditions for a salaat to be corrected.
1-Niyyat (intention) 2-Tahrima (To say Allah Akbar)
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN PERFORMING SALAAT:
(i) When beginning to perform salaat, a woman raises both hands up to the
level of her shoulders. While standing she puts her right hand on the left
hand. However, she does not grasp her left wrist the fingers of her right
hand. She puts her hands on her breast. While making ruku, her hands are
placed on the knees, but do not grasp them. She keeps her fingers close
together. She does not keep her legs straight, nor her back level. While
making sajda, she lowers herself, bringing her arms to her side while she
keeps her abdomen placed over her thighs. She sits on the buttocks, her
legs inclined towards right.
(ii) A woman cannot be imam for men. If they follow a man as imam, they
should be in last line of the jama'at.
(iii) While performing salaat in jama'at, if a woman stands besides or in
front of a man, the man salaat will be Fasid (nullified).
