Salat

Salat is the second pillar of Islam. ‘Salat’ means ‘prayer’. It is every Muslim’s duty to pray to Allah five times a day. These prayers follow a set pattern of words and movements that Muhammad (pbuh) taught: the worshipper stands up, bows, then kneels with his/her face towards the floor, sits, and then looks right and left.

Muslims believe that, through prayer, they become closer to Allah. Muslims often stand shoulder to shoulder when praying as a sign of the equality of humans before Allah.

Within Islam, Friday is known as the Day of Assembly. It is a holy day for Muslims to gather and pray together. On this day, around noon, all Muslim men should go to the mosque to take part in congregational prayer and listen to a sermon.

Although Muslim women can attend Friday prayers if they wish, they do not have to. This is because they may have domestic duties to attend to.