New cites

Source: The Importance of Prayer (Salah) Description: A brief discussion regarding the importance of
prayer upon entering the fold of Islam. By Imam Mufti Published on 16 Dec 2011 - Last modified on 25
Jun 2019

The ritual prayer (salah[1]), in accordance with imam mufti (2011), is the lifeblood of Islamic worship
and a physical manifestation of Islam. It maintains a Muslim's constant connection to Allah. The prayer is
not complete without the recitation of verses from the Quran, the holy book of Islam. It has the finest
expression of Islam's fundamental components. It has two sides because it is a ritual act of worship to
Allah: the moral requirement and the spiritual aspect. In this lesson, we'll talk about the latter.

According to imam mufti (2011), the ritual prayer (salah[1]) is the foundation of Islamic devotion and a
visible representation of Islam. It keeps a Muslim's relationship with Allah steady. The Quran, Islam's
sacred book, must be read aloud during the prayer in order to be considered complete. It has the purest
manifestation of the core ideas of Islam. Because it is a ritual act of worship to Allah, it has two sides:
the moral necessity and the spiritual component. We'll discuss about the latter in this lesson.

After converting to Islam, a person's first obligation is to do the prayers. Once a person accepts Islam,
they are obligated to pray five times every day for the rest of their lives. After the two Testimonies, the
prayer (salah) is the second pillar of Islam. A Muslim is required to pray, regardless of wealth, health, or
location[2]. Every Muslim should understand the guidelines for doing the five daily prayers properly.
Every Muslim should put learning the prayer and executing it first on their list of priorities. Adding a new
religious practice done in a foreign language may seem unusual and daunting if you are new to Islam,
but with time and Allah's aid it will become second nature.

The most significant act of worship that God has mandated for humans is the prayer (salah). It is the
foundation of a Muslim's religious practice. A spine is necessary for the human body to remain upright.
Similar to how one's Islamic practice would disintegrate without prayer. It is like the spine, according to
the Prophet himself:

Islam is the center of all things, and salah is the backbone of Islam (Al-Tirmidhi, ibn Majah)

On the Day of Judgment, salah will be the first thing that is examined:

"The prayer is the first thing a slave will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment" (salah). If it is
good, all of his subsequent actions will follow suit; if it is bad, all of his subsequent actions will follow
suit.

Imam.,M. (2019). The Importance of Prayer (Salah) Description: A brief discussion regarding the
importance of prayer upon entering the fold of Islam. Journal of Islamic Eduaction. 98(4). doi.
10298735/3.2
Callender, K.A., Ong, L.Z. & Othman, E.H. Prayers and Mindfulness in Relation to Mental Health
among First-Generation Immigrant and Refugee Muslim Women in the USA: An Exploratory
Study. J Relig Health 61, 3637–3654 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01600-x

According Callender et al. (2022) prayer increases faith uring challenging times, prayer is a way
to communicate with and increase trust in God, in which one of their participants described that
through reading the written word (e.g., in the Quran) and prayer they can stay focused and
reconnect with their faith in God. One woman explained that “we can read any part of the Quran
during our Sa’laat. I choose a verse that can really help me refocus and remember that what
sister said, Allah only gives us what we can handle, and life is full of trials and He knows what is
best for me even if I may not feel it. And also, in their study it is found out that prayer Prayer
Encourages Intentional Awareness which means that prayer cleanses the soul, mind, the spirit
and body from all bad thing.

Islamic Articles (2020) Benefits of Salah (Prayers) in Islam- According to the Quran & Hadith

o
o Islamic equality shows through prayers. When Muslims offer prayer in the congregation,
rich and poor, high and low, all stand shoulder to shoulder. It is the best scene of
mankind’s equality in the religion Islam.
o Prayer satisfies our spiritual needs to be in contact with our Creator. This gives the soul
peace and pleasure.

Prayer is also linked with positive mental health. Prayer contributes to psychological well-being,
subjective well-being, and decreased levels of depression, even after controlling for the contribution of
age, gender, lifestyle, and social support (Lawler-Row & Elliot, 2016)

Lawler-Row, K, Elliot, S. (2016) The Role of Religious Activity and Spirituality in the Health and Well-being
of Older Adults. Journal of Health Psychology 14(1), 43-52.

Speed et al. (2018) where they asserted that having a purpose of life is strongly
linked to high quality of subjective well-being. The participants in our study
maintained their well-being by being a role model to fulfill their purpose of
life.
Speed, D., Coleman, T. J., III., & Langston, J. (2018). What do you mean, “What does it all mean?”
Atheism, nonreligion, and life meaning. SAGE Open, 8(1),
2158244017754238. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017754238

The participants further confirmed how prayers helped to increase their trust in God during the trying
times, especially during the pandemic. Through communication with God or reading God’s word, the
women developed their fortitude and their sense of hope. Through prayers, the women demonstrated
their reliance on God as a source of power and intervention (Shaw et al, 2019). These practices and their
trust in God were directly linked to positive mental health including providing participants with
assistance in coping, peace, and well-being (Albatnuni & Koszycki, 2020; Berzengi et al., 2017; Koenig et
al., 2012).

The result were closely related to Shaw et al, (2019) which been found out in their study that prayers
helped to increase the trust of participants in God during time and also through communication with
God or reading Gods word, they can developed their sense of hope. And having a reliance on God is a
good source of power and intervention. As they cited Albatnunu et al. (2012) which said that these
practices or their trust on God were directly linked to positive mental health including support in coping,
peace and well being.

Shaw, S. A., Peacock, L., Ali, L. M., Pillai, V., & Husain, A. (2019). Religious coping and challenges
among displaced Muslim female refugees. Affilia, 34(4), 518–
534. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109919866158