The Salat
The salat is ritual prayer.The Islamic faith is based on the belief that individuals can have a direct relationship with God.This is one reason for why the salat is performed. when performing the salat Muslims turn to face Makkah,which is Islam's holiest city.they do this in order to offer five daily prayers at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening. In addition to these prayers Friday congregational service is also mandatory. Although salah can he performed alone, it is common to perform it with another person or with a group. Muslims sometimes perform the prayer at home, at their workplace, or even outdoors.despite this it is recommended that Muslims perform salah in a mosque.The five prayers they perform include the glorification of God, recitations of the Qur'an, and blessings on the Prophet.these prayers are usually said in arabic. Salat must always start with the ritual of washing the face, hands, and feet. This can be done with sand when water is not available which is depicted in the Qur'an. the salst always ends with the taslima or greeting.this greeting reads :"Peace be upon you,".this greeting is done even when praying alone.At the five appointed times, a muezzin (a person who calls the Muslims to prayer) announces a call to prayer .this is traditionally done from a mosque's minaret(the tall slender tower of the mosque). this is their call to prayer:
Allahu Akbar
Ashadu anna la ilaha illa Allah
Ashadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah
Haiya 'ala al-salat
Haiya 'ala al-falah
Al-salat khayrun min al-nawm
Allahu Akbar
La ilaha illa Allah
When translated in english the call reads:
God is most great
I bear witness there is no god but God
I bear witness Muhammad is the prophet of God
Come to prayer
Come to wellbeing
Prayer is better than sleep
God is most great
There is no God but God
(http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/practices/salat-prayer.htm)
When performing the salat at the mosque, Muslims are aligned in parallel rows behind the prayer leader or imam, who directs them through the rak'as or ritual postures and recitations .Islamic prayer begins in a standing position and moves through several simple postures until the person is kneeling.each posture has it's own unique recitation.