05-19-2004, 12:37 PM
Peace be with you Joshua,
You are so Welcome!!
I noticed that you asked about prayer (Salat in Arabic).
First of all, why do we, Muslims, pray?
The benefits of daily prayers are twofold. The first benefit it is that the daily prayer is a constant reminder throughout the day that we are God's servants. The second benefit is that God forgives some of our sins each time we perform prayer. There are no exemptions to the religious requirement to perform prayers except for children under puberty, women in their menses, the unconscious, and the mentally challenged. The official prayer times and their names are as follows:
<b>Fajr</b>: Before sunrise
<b>Zuhr</b>: just after noontime
<b>'Asr</b>: Late afternoon
<b>Maghrib</b>: Just after sunset
<b>'Isha</b>: At night
Because the seasons change and the days get longer or shorter throughout the year, the times we pray will move a bit each month.
The benefits of prayer:
Each of the prayers is performed at a different strategic time so that no matter what we are doing or how busy we get, we are always aware that we either prayed a few hours ago or will pray again soon. This keeps the mind fresh and aware of our duty to God, and we become much less likely to want to break one of His laws. Who wants to cheat on a business contract when an hour later you are going to stand before God and ask for His favor and guidance? Only a hypocrite would be so brash.
It would seem to you difficult at the begining to perform five prayers a day. We Muslims become used to the routine, and once you're used to something it doesn't become difficult any longer. The actual prayer takes only 5 to 10 minutes to complete, so it's not that difficult.
Hope this clarifies things a little bit to you.
May Allah guide you to His right path!
Just ask our dear God for guidance and persist in asking and you will see. you will find Him so near to guide you to His everlasting light!
Peace
Ahlam