Abraham: Original Source of the
Contact Prayers
The Quran teaches us in many suras that Submission (in Arabic "Islam")
is the religion of Abraham (2:135, 3:95, 4:125, 6:161 and 22:78). Muhammad
was a follower of Abraham, as we learn from 16:123. All religious practices
in Submission (Islam) were given to us through Abraham; they
include:
(1) the five daily Contact Prayers (Salat),
(2) the obligatory charity (Zakat),
(3) the fasting during Ramadan, and
(4) the Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca.
Specifically, we learn from the Quran (21:73) that the Contact Prayers (Salat)
and the obligatory charity (Zakat) were given to Abraham.
Numerous verses throughout the Quran inform us that the Contact Prayers were
in existence, intact, and practiced before the advent of Muhammad (see for
example 8:35 & 9:54).
All positions of the Contact Prayers are found in the Quran, including the
standing position (3:39, 39:9), the bowing and prostration positions (Rukoo'
and Sajood) (2:43, 3:43, 9:112, 22:26,77).
The Five Times Are Specified in the
Quran
(1) The Dawn Contact Prayer is mentioned by name in 24:58. Before
sunrise.
(2) The Noon Contact Prayer is specified in 17:78. When the sun
declines.
(3) The Afternoon Contact Prayer is in 2:238. Midway between noon &
sunset.
(4) The Sunset Contact Prayer is mentioned in 11:114. Immediately after
sunset.
(5) The Night Contact Prayer is in 11:114, and is mentioned by name
in 24:58.
The Call to Prayer
(Azaan)
Azaan is not part of the Contact Prayers, nor is it required. But it has
become a tradition in the Muslim communities to summon the people to prayer
through a loud announcement. The original Azaan used to conform with the
Quran's teachings, but became corrupted with time.
Originally, the call to prayer consisted of:
(1) Allahu Akbar (God is Great), 4 times.
(2) Laa elaaha Ellaa Allah (There is no god beside God), once.
Many years later, some people added Muhammad's name to the Azaan. This violates
God's commandments in 2:136, 2:285, 3:84, 4:150 and 72:18. Later, other groups
of Muslims added the names of Ali and family. Today the Azaan is severely
corrupted throughout the Muslim world, and constitutes idol worship, not
Submission to God ALONE.
The Correct Azaan
If you pray by yourself, an Azaan is not needed. The Azaan is usually observed
when a group of people are ready to observe the prayer. One person stands
up and utters the Azaan words, or chants them as follows:
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar (God is great, God
is great).
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
Laa Elaaha Ella Allah (There is no god besides God).
Preparation for the Contact Prayer
(The Ablution)
O you who believe, in preparation for the Contact Prayer, you shall
(1) wash your faces,
(2) wash your arms to the elbows,
(3) wipe your heads with wet hands, and
(4) wash your feet to the ankles.
[Quran 5:6]
Like all other aspects of Submission, the Muslims have corrupted the ablution
by adding unauthorized steps. Ironically, the innovations became vested with
such authority that anyone who questions them finds himself accused of
innovation!!
It is therefore crucial to uphold God's commands by strictly observing the
ablution decreed in the Quran. Any additional steps represent another god
besides God.
The Major Ablution
Following any sexual activity that results in a climax (orgasm/ejaculation),
one must bath or take a shower (4:43).
The Dry Ablution (Tayammum)
If water is not available, one must touch clean dry soil, then wipe his hands
and face. This suffices as a substitute for ablution (4:43, 5:6).
What Nullifies Ablution
Digestive excretions through the intestines, including gas, solids, or urine
nullify ablution. Sleeping also nullifies ablution, since one becomes unaware.
Thus one may observe a number of Contact Prayers with one ablution, provided
he or she does not go to the bathroom, pass gas, or fall asleep.
HOW TO PERFORM THE CONTACT
PRAYERS
1. Face the direction of Mecca (Qiblah):
This is an organizational point decreed by God in 2:125. God wills that all
submitters must face the same direction when they observe the contact prayers.
In the U.S.A., the direction is slightly South of East.
2. The Intention
In your own language, secretly or audibly, state your intention that you
are about to observe the Contact Prayer. Remember to state the time (Dawn,
Noon, Afternoon, Sunset, or Night).
3. Raise your hands to the sides of your face:
Your thumbs touch your ears, and the palms
of your hands face forward.
4. Say "Allahu Akbar".
As you raise your hands to the sides of your face, then move them down to
your sides in a continuous motion, you say, "Allahu
Akbar" (God is Great). This opens up the prayer. You are in contact
with your Creator.
5. The
Standing Position:
You are now standing with you arms resting naturally at your side. Some people
place the left hand on the stomach, and the right hand on top of the left
hand. Either position is correct - you may place your hands on your stomach
while standing, or you may let your arms hang down by your sides.
6. Recite "The Key" (Sura 1) in Arabic:
We learn from 2:37 that God gives us the words by which we establish contact
with Him. We must utter the specific sounds dictated in "The Key". A translation
of "The Key" would be human-made. The Arabic sounds of "The Key" represent
a numerical combination that opens the treasure. Like a telephone number,
unless a specific numbers are dialed, contact cannot be established. This
is all the Arabic you need. Everything else can be said in your language.
Reciting "The Key" in Arabic unifies all Submitters of the world, regardless
of their languages.
[The Key]
1. BISMIL LAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
(In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most
Merciful)
2. AL HAMDU LILLAHI RABBIL `AALAMEEN.
(Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe)
3. AR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
(Most Gracious, Most Merciful)
4. MAALIKI YAWMID DEEN.
(Master of the Day of Judgment)
5. EYYAAKA NA`BUDU, WA EYYAAKA NASTA`EEN.
(You alone we worship; You alone we ask for
help)
6. EH'DENAS SIRAATAL MUSTAQEEM.
(Guide us in the right path)
7. SIRAATAL LAZINA AN`AMTA `ALAYHIM;
GHAYRIL
MAGHDOOBI `ALAYHIM WALADDAALEEN.
(the path of those whom You blessed; not of those who
have deserved
wrath, nor of the strayers)
Since "The Key" is recited 17 times a day, it will become easy for you to
recite and understand in a few weeks; it will become like your mother tongue.
7. The bowing position
(Rukoo)
After reciting "The Key" while standing, you bow down into the position of
Rukoo`. As shown in the figure, you bow down from the waist, keep the knees
straight, and place your hands on your knees. Your eyes look at a point about
2 feet in front of you.
As you move from the standing position to the bowing position you say,
"Allahu Akbar".
While bowing you say "Subhaana Rabbiyal
Azeem" or "Glory be to God, the Great" or "God be glorified"
for
short.
8 Stand
Up:
As you stand up from the bowing position to the standing position you say,
"Sami`Allahu Liman Hamidah" or
"God responds to those who praise Him".
You stay in the standing position only a second, then you fall prostrate.
As you go from the standing position to the prostration position you say,
"Allahu Akbar".
9. The Prostration Position
(Sujood):
From the standing position you go down on your knees, then place your forehead
on the floor about 1-2 feet in front of your knees.
During prostration you say, "Subhaana Rabbiyal
A`laa" or “Glory be to God, the Most
High” or "God be glorified" for
short
10. The Sitting
Position.
As you sit up from the prostration position, you say,
"Allahu Akbar." You remain in the sitting position
only for a second, then you go down for the second prostration.
As you go down for the second prostration you say,
"Allahu Akbar."
During the second prostration you say, "Subhaana Rabbiyal
A`laa" or “Glory be to God, the Most High” or "God
be glorified" for
short Once you complete the second prostration,
you have completed one full unit (Rak`ah).
11. Stand up for the second unity (Rak`ah).
As you stand up you say, "Allahu Akbar."
The Dawn Prayer
This Contact Prayer consists of 2 units.
Repeat steps 5 through 11.
Thus, when you get from the second
prostration you say, "Allahu Akbar," and assume
the sitting position. While in the sitting position you pronounce the First
Pillar of Submission, the shahhaadah:
Ash-Hadu An Laa Elaaha Ellaa Allah, Wahdahu Laa
Shareeka Lah.
(I bear witness that there is no other god beside God. He ALONE is God; He
has no partner).
Look to the right and say, "Assalaamu Alaikum,"
then to the left and say the same. This completes the Dawn
Prayer.
The Noon
Prayer
This prayer consists of 4 units. Thus, you do the first two units
exactly as explained for the Dawn Prayer up to the sitting position. You
pronounce the First Pillar (known as "Shahaadah") then you stand up for the
third unit. You do not utter the Salaams (Assalamu Alaikum).
As you stand up for the third unit you say,
"Allahu Akbar." The third and fourth units are
identical to the first two units.
When you get up from the second prostration of the fourth unit, you
say "Allahu Akbar" and you assume the sitting
position. In the sitting position you pronounce the Shahaahah, and you say
the Salaams on both sides. This concludes the Noon Prayer.
The Afternoon
Prayer
This prayer is identical to the Noon Prayer. Only the "Intention"
of course is different.
The Sunset
Prayer
This prayer consists of three units. Steps of each unit are
just as detailed above. Thus, when you complete the second prostration of the
second unit, you assume the sitting position, recite the Shahaadah, then you
continue to the third and last unit. After the second prostration of the third
unit, you assume the setting position, recite the Shahaadah again,
then utter the Salaams on both sides. This concludes the Sunset Prayer.
The Night
Prayer
This prayer is identical with the other 4-unit prayers, the Noon
and the Afternoon Prayers.
The Contact Prayers and The
Quran's Mathematical Code
As noted above, the Dawn, Noon, Afternoon, Sunset, and the Night
Prayers consist of 2, 4, 4, 3, & 4 units, respectively. When we put these
5 numbers next to each other we get 24434, and this number is a multiple
of 19 (24434 = 19 x 1286). The common denominator of the Quran's code is
19. This phenomenon confirms that the number of units for each Contact Prayer
has been preserved intact, but the sequence 2, 4, 4, 3, and 4 is also
confirmed.
Your Tone of Voice During the
Contact Prayers
You shall not be too loud during your Contact Prayers, nor shall
you say them secretly; you shall maintain an intermediate tone
[17:110].
During a group prayer, only the Imam is audible; everyone else
listens.
The Group
Prayer
Two or more people may observe the Contact prayers together. One
person leads the group prayer, uttering "The Key" in a loud enough voice
to be heard by everyone in the group. Other utterances must be silent. Anyone
may join the group late, in the middle of the prayer. He or she must make
the same moves as the group. Then, at the end of the prayer, he or she must
stand up and make up whatever portion was missed.
The Friday
Prayer
The Friday Congregational Prayer (Salat Al_Jum`ah) is so important,
a whole sura is entitled "Friday" and a commandment is decreed in Verse 62:9
to observe this prayer. Every Submitter - man, woman, and child - is commanded
by God to observe the Friday Congregational Prayer.
The Friday Prayer replaces the Noon Prayer every Friday. Instead
of 4 units, the Friday Prayer consists of listening to two sermons delivered
by the Imam, and two units of prayer.
Each sermon must begin with "Al-Hamdu
Lillah" (Praise be to God), "Laa elaaha Ellaa
Allah" (No other god besides God). Each sermon should last 10-15 minutes
and must be delivered in the language of the congregation. At the end of
the first sermon, the congregation is asked to repent,
"Tooboo Ela Allah." The Imam then sits down
for about a minute and makes his repentance together with the congregation,
then stands up for the second sermon. The second sermon ends by asking one
of the people to say Azaan. The Imam leads the 2-unit prayer.
At the end of every
Prayer
The worshippers may shake hands, hug each other, and /or exchange
greetings after completing the prayer. The custom is to say to each other,
"Congratulations." This is because the Contact Prayers are a gift from God,
that helps us nourish and develop our souls. One should be congratulated
upon completing such a blessed accomplishment.
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