4 December 2025 Thursday 13 Jumaada al-THaany 1447

Karachi

About Islamic Prayer

Offering obligatory prayers five times a day is the second among five pillars of Islam. Known as 'salah' or 'swalath' in Arabic, it is a voluntary submission of oneself to Allah, the almighty.

Islamic Prayer consists of reciting prescribed verses from the Holy Quran in combination with certain physical movements in a regular order. After ablutions to clean the body, the person attired in clean clothes seated on a prayer mat or clean surface starts with a 'niyyath' (determination or assertion of a particular prayer being offered), followed by a set of prescribed raka'ah's or unit of prayer in a specific format. The Islamic prayer ends with a 'salaam' or greeting.

Each of the five prayers that are offered in a day has various 'raka'ah' as per the time of the day. Muslims offer prayers with the intention of seeking Allah's guidance and to thank him for all favors received.