Contact Prayers (Salat)

[2:277] Those who believe and lead a righteous life, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), they receive their recompense from their Lord; they will have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. What are the Contact Prayers (Salat)? Why do Muslims (Submitters) pray 5 times a day?  What are some of the benefits of the Contact Prayers? Why is it important to do them correctly? In this article we will be reflecting on these questions. What are the Contact Prayers (Salat)? The Contact Prayers consist of specific words that allow us to establish contact with God. These are the words of Sura 1 of the Quran, The Key, recited in Arabic. [Sura 1:1-7] In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe. Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help. Guide us in the right path; the path of those whom You blessed; not of those who have deserved wrath, nor of the strayers. The Key (Al-Fatehah) is recited in Arabic as it contains words that have immense energy. Thus, they will end up in Hell, away from God (footnote for verse 32:13, verses 19:71-72 and footnote for verse 19:71). In addition to nourishing and strengthening our soul, righteous works including the Contact Prayers help purify our soul. Just as showering cleans our body, doing righteous works purifies our soul. This purification is also important for our acceptance into Paradise. [11:114] You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) at both ends of the day, and during the night. The righteous works wipe out the evil works. This is a reminder for those who would take heed. [20:76] The gardens of Eden, beneath which rivers flow, will be their abode forever. Such is the reward for those who purify themselves. We also learn from the Quran that the Contact Prayers help us remember God and stay away from evil. Salat reminds us of God’s presence, the Day of Judgment and our accountability. Thus, the Contact Prayers also help maintain the purity of our soul by helping us avoid evil. [29:45] You shall recite what is revealed to you of the scripture, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), for the Contact Prayers prohibit evil and vice. But the remembrance of GOD (through Salat) is the most important objective. GOD knows everything you do. [20:14] "I am GOD; there is no other god beside Me. You shall worship Me alone, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) to remember Me. Remembering God is very important as it is a part of worshiping and loving Him. We remember and think about those we love. When we get to know God and His awesome qualities, we realize that He is the only one worthy of worship. God is Most Powerful (59:23) and yet Compassionate (6:103, 57:9), Most Kind (22:65, 85:14), Most Gracious (17:110), the Peace (59:23), Most Wise (3:6, 3:18, 4:26) and the best Provider (23:72) and Supporter (3:150). When we worship God, we are blessed with His love and support. [19:96] Surely, those who believe and lead a righteous life, the Most Gracious will shower them with love. [61:13] Additionally, you get something you truly love: support from GOD and guaranteed victory. Give good news to the believers. What are some of the other benefits of observing the Contact Prayers (Salat)? In the Quran we find that glorifying God, which we do as part of our Salat, helps us be happy. [20:130] Therefore, be patient in the face of their utterances, and praise and glorify your Lord before sunrise and before sunset. And during the night glorify Him, as well as at both ends of the day, that you may be happy. The Contact Prayers also provide an opportunity to ask the Lord of the Universe for help. It is indeed a blessing to be able to directly contact God, the Most Powerful, the Most Kind for help with anything. [2:153] O you who believe, seek help through steadfastness and the Contact Prayers (Salat). GOD is with those who steadfastly persevere. [2:186] When My servants ask you about Me, I am always near. I answer their prayers when they pray to Me. The people shall respond to Me and believe in Me, in order to be guided. Furthermore, the Contact Prayers provide refreshing breaks during our day and help bring our worldly affairs into perspective. Salatcan serve as a reassuring reminder that this life is a temporary illusion (6:32, 35:5, 17:52, 40:39, 57:20) and can help us avoid preoccupation with this worldly life, leading to happiness in this life and the eternal Hereafter (16:97, 32:17). Why is it important to do the Contact Prayers correctly? When we are contacting someone, we need to dial the right number to connect to them. Similarly, to contact God and benefit from this gift, we need to do the Salat correctly. Doing the Contact Prayers correctly includes devoting them to God alone (20:14). This means that we do not mention anyone beside God in our Salat (39:2, 39:11, 40:65, 72:18). [6:162] Say, "My Contact Prayers (Salat), my worship practices, my life and my death, are all devoted absolutely to GOD alone, the Lord of the universe. [16:52] To Him belongs everything in the heavens and the earth and therefore, the religion shall be devoted absolutely to Him alone. Would you worship other than GOD? [39:17] As for those who discard the worship of all idols, and devote themselves totally to GOD alone, they have deserved happiness. Give good news to My servants. In addition, mentioning the name of a prophet or messenger in our Contact Prayers violates the commandment to not make a distinction among God's messengers (2:136, 2:285, 4:150-152). [3:84] Say, "We believe in GOD, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and in what was given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we are submitters." As we can see from its many benefits, the Contact Prayers are a great gift and blessing for our souls. May God guide us to take advantage of this precious gift. [14:40] "My Lord, make me one who consistently observes the Contact Prayers (Salat), and also my children. Our Lord, please answer my prayers. [87:14-15] Successful indeed is the one who redeems his soul. By remembering the name of his Lord, and observing the contact prayers (Salat). [7:170] Those who uphold the scripture, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), we never fail to recompense the pious.

been specifically composed to open the door to contact our Creator. For example, this Sura is composed in such a way that our lips touch 19 times when we recite it. In fact, Sura 1 contains a mathematical composition that is part of the miracle of Quran based on the number 19. We acknowledge some of God's attributes, praise Him and ask for guidance in the Contact Prayers. We also glorify God as we bow and prostrate and bear witness to the Oneness of God. Detailed instructions on how to perform the Salat can be found at http://masjidtucson.org/salat/perform.php Why do Muslims (Submitters) pray 5 times a day? Like other religious duties, the Contact Prayers are a gift from God (Appendix 15: Religious Duties: A Gift from God). Our souls need nourishment just like our bodies need food. Without nourishment, our souls will not grow and develop. As Dr. Rashad Khalifa discusses in Appendix 15, the five Contact Prayers are meals for our souls. They are spread throughout the day (like the meals for our bodies) and consist of Dawn, Noon, Afternoon, Sunset and Night Contact Prayers. There is a specific span of time to observe each Salat (4:103). On Fridays, the Congregational Prayer

(Salat Al-Jumu'ah) takes the place of the Noon Prayer (62:9-10). [30:44] Whoever disbelieves, disbelieves to the detriment of his own soul, while those who lead a righteous life, do so to strengthen and develop their own souls. Nourishing our soul is especially important since our soul is the real person. Our body is just a garment for our soul. Our soul needs nourishment and development to be able to stand God's energy and be close to Him in the Hereafter. This state of closeness to God is described as Paradise or Heaven (56:88-89, 83:22-28, 29:58, 19:60-63,13:35). [56:7-12] You will be stratified into three kinds. Those who deserved bliss will be in bliss. Those who deserved misery will be in misery. Then there is the elite of the elite. They are those who will be closest (to God). In the gardens of bliss. The more we grow and strengthen our soul, the closer we can be to God and the better our abode will be in the Hereafter. Those who do not develop their soul cannot be close to God because they will not be able to stand His