Salat & Zakat

Peace. I was just thinking about all this new found information I am receiving from this site and the thought has occurred to me why most Arab Muslims still find fault with us American muslims even after years of ritual salat and fasting and wearing hajab(for women) and so on. It is because they are right! We still don't get it! We are still thinking of 5x's salat and missing the true meaning of salat. When we look at salat as meaning committments/obligations then we can easily realize that means our marriages and our children and other commitments. American Muslims are more easy to leave a marriage then work on fixing it. And if one worked on fixing it that would mean one has honored commitments/obligations. Would it not? And another thought has also entered my mind. Arab Muslims obviously know that is what salat means. But, for the most part it is hidden from people. Anyway, these are just thoughts. But, I will keep on till I learn what Quran is really saying to us.

PEACE TO ALL The following are discussions by Nadia, who posts at Bazum Forum, she gave permission to post her thoughts here. The Ritual "Salat" A Great Fraud! Posted By Nadia, New York City Date Thursday, 28 August 2003, at 852 p.m. Salaamun Alaykum Respected forum members, There are numerous proofs that refute the idea of ritual salaat. I can only conclude that the confusion is caused by conjecture. I will try to keep it brief and not write a book -) Excerpt from previous post I humbly disagree with the above references and explanation of a ritual salaat enjoined in the Qur?an. I shall give only a few of many simple verses whose concepts being correctly understood will clearly point to a very different conviction (iman). The idea that mankind is to worship Allah is nowhere mentioned in the Qur`an. Islam is action and service. Allah is Al Ghani, Self-Sufficient and needs nothing from mankind, certainly not worship. 14 Realizing these facts, we affirm to obey Your Commands only and ask You to help us as we do that. (?abudu=serve) 548 To you (O Messenger) We have sent the Book in Sure Truth confirming the Divine Origin of whatever Scripture was before it. The Quran is the Watcher over the old Scriptures and guards the Truth in them. So, Judge between people by what Allah has revealed to you and follow not their wishes away from the Truth which has come to you. Now has come to each among you the Divine Law, and a traced-out Way. If Allah had willed, He could have made all of you humans a single people. But, He decided to let you choose your own path after showing you the Truth, and thus test yourselves. Outdo one another in ACTIONS that SERVE HUMANITY and thus grow your ?Self?. To Allah is your final Destination, of all of you. Then He will make you understand of where you differ. 5156 And I have not created the nomads or the urban but to consciously and willingly live by My Laws. (?Ibadah?, usually translated, as worship is better applicable in that sense to idol-worship. And since, the Qur?an consistently promotes action over ritual, ?Ibadah? of Allah is better understood as SERVING Him by SERVING His creation. That is in conformity with my rendering, ?consciously and willingly live by --?). The ritual salaat is without doubt a form of worship. A ritual will not keep one away from evil. 2945 (O Prophet) convey to people all that is revealed to you of the Book, and establish the Divine System. For, verily, establishment of the Divine System will shut off lewdness, stinginess and behavior contrary to the Divine Values. This is so, because Allah?s Law is the Greatest Law that can give you eminence. And (O People) Allah knows whatever you contrive on your own. (2110, 2124, 2370, 4343-44, 7021-27 - ?Fahasha? includes miserliness and ?Munkar? is all behavior that goes against Divine Values given in the Qur?an). The notion that there is a ritual prayer is just that, a man-made notion. Allah?s immutable Law of guidance requires that you purify and free your mind of man-made concepts to understand the Book more valuable than all the treasures one might amass. We are to use our reason and intellect and follow nothing that we, ourselves, cannot verify. These notions are conceived by lahwal hadith, hearsay and conjecture. These rituals come from blindly following forefathers or ?religious? leaders and have no reference in the Qur`aan. 25 You can see how EASY and simple it is to reach the right conclusions by using the power of reasoning. Those who approach the Book with an open mind are the ones who achieve Guidance from their Sustainer and walk on the right track (5679). To them belongs the Ultimate Success. But, those who approach the Quran without clearing their minds of pre-conceived dogmas and notions will not be able to touch the essence of this Book, since that frame of mind defies reason and logic. 4213 He has ordained for you all, the same System of Life that He enjoined upon Noah - And We have revealed to you (O Prophet) the same Message as We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus "Establish the Divine System of Life and make no sects in it.? (O Prophet) HARD it is upon the idolaters (those who worship false 'authotities') the unity you call to. Allah draws unto Himself everyone who is willing, and guides unto Himself everyone who turns unto Him.? (Sects vs. Unity 332, 3104, 6160, 3031, 4213, 4517-1. 245 Help yourselves with proactive steadfastness in establishing the Divine Order in the society. This is a HARD way, but it is made easy for those who are committed. The System of equity and human equality strikes at the vested interest of the wealthy and the powerful, and that is why it is hard for them to support it. The Qur`aan leaves no DOUBT in one?s mind concerning Allah?s Deen and it contains ALL the details of His system and it is clear (kitabul mubeen/bayyan 121-3) GUIDANCE. Muslims do not follow guesswork or conjecture. 121 A.L.R. Allah, Aleem the Knower, Raheem the Merciful. These are the Messages of a Revelation CLEAR in itself and CLEARLY showing the Truth. 122 Behold, We have sent it down in all CLARITY, in the Arabic tongue, so that you might encompass it with your reason. 123 We reveal this Quran to you (O Prophet), and EXPLAIN it in the BEST POSSIBLE WAY, seeing that before this you were indeed unaware of what Revelation is. 357 Those who practically believe in Divine Laws and help people, He pays their wages in full. Allah does not love those who displace reality with CONJECTURE. 6116 (People will confront you with what the majority is doing.) Now if you pay heed to, or get intimidated by majority of those who live on earth, they will lead you astray from Allah?s Way. MOST OF THE PEOPLE FOLLOW NOTHING BUT CONJECTURE AND THEY ONLY LIVE BY GUESSWORK. 1036 Majority of the people follow nothing but CONJECTURE. Surely, conjecture can never at all be a substitute for the Truth. Allah is Knower of how they act (and forge). There are NO rituals in the Mighty Book and you will find no contradictions within its verses. The verses in the Mighty Book are CONSISTENT and the meanings of words do not change from one verse to another even allowing for shades of meanings in context. They repeat so that you will KNOW/UNDERSTAND (Sarraf/Tasreef). There are no details given for what you describe as a ritual salaat. Sajada and ruku are attitudes not physical body movements. There is no bodily facing a qibla or a ritual washing for this man-made ritual. I have understood the verses you quote that have the exalted Messenger leading a prayer differently. As example, the verse you quote as shortening a prayer is better understood as ?reducing or diminishing? your obligations in times of fear. 53 and 6115 contain two very important words, Kamala=Perfected and Tamma=Complete. Kamala?Perfected To be or become whole, entire, perfect, complete; to be finished, done, completed, accomplished; to be concluded, come to a close. Perfect being entirely without fault or defect; flawless. Perfect implies the soundness and the excellence of every part, element, or quality of a thing . Tamma?Complete To be or become complete, completed, finished, done; to be accomplished; to come to an end, free from deficiency. Complete to bring to an end and especially into a perfected state; to make whole or perfect The word ikmaal (perfecting) and itmaam (completing) which are noun-infinitives from akmaltu and atmmamta (have perfected and completed) occurring in the clause, ?This day have I PERFECTED your DEEN for you and COMPLETED My favor upon you,? are full of meanings and convey two different and distinct senses. The former (i.e., perfection) relates to quality, and the latter (i.e., completion) to quantity. The use of the word akmaltu (I have perfected) with regard to the teachings of the Quraan thus shows that doctrines and commandments effecting the physical, moral and spiritual development of man have been embodied in the Quraan in their most perfect form; while the word atmmamta (I have completed) shows that NOTHING which was needed by man has been left out. 53 ?This day the rejecting opponents have given up the hope of eradicating your DEEN, System of Life. CLEAR DISTINCTION in matters of the Lawful and the Unlawful draws a tangible line between their ways and your way. Fear them not but fear Me. This day I have PERFECTED your DEEN for you, COMPLETED My favor upon you, and chosen for you Islam as the System of Life. 6115 PERFECTED is the Word of your Lord in Truth and Justice. None can change His Words and His Laws. This announcement comes to you from the Profound Hearer, the Knower. 22 Allah?s Guidance is right before you in the form of this noble Book, recorded by the most honorable scribes appointed by the exalted Messenger (8013-16). No one but the Almighty Himself guarantees the Truth of this Revelation, its explanation and its preservation. And you will find it free of all contradiction (482, 1037, 159, 2949, 322, 522-3, 7517-19). Therefore, there is absolutely no question or any doubt about the authority and authenticity of this Glorious Scripture. And, you will soon notice as you proceed, that THIS BOOK LEAVES NO LINGERING DOUBTS in a seeking mind or heart. If you remain mindful that this is a BOOK OF GUIDANCE, and hence treat it as such, the hard fact will dawn upon you that this is The Path-finding Guide for all those who wish to journey through life in blissful honor and security. 3923 Allah has now revealed the best HADITH, a Book fully CONSISTENT (Mathani) within itself. It marks out both ways (to success and failure) REPEATING its Messages in diverse forms (mutshabihah). Herewith shiver the skins of those who have some idea of the Glory of their Lord, and then, their skins and their hearts soften at Allah's Reminder. This is the GUIDANCE of Allah, and with it He guides him who seeks guidance. Whereas he who follows a path that Allah has declared to be wrong, goes astray and he cannot find a guide. (488, 1587). the making of the verses of the Qur`aan distinct (Lanes Lexicon Vol. 4, page 1681)] For the sake of brevity I will close with this, ACTION, not ritual is what Allah has enjoined on mankind. Muslims have no need for guidance in the essentials of the life of this world to obtain success outside of the Qur`an. Allah is Sufficient as a Guide (through His Message), Sufficient as a Helper, Sufficient as a Protector. The close of 548 says best what I have tried to convey of my understanding. 2278 Strive hard in Allah?s Cause, with all the striving that is due to Him. It is He Who has elected you to carry the Message and has placed no hardship in religion (deen), the creed of your father Abraham (2143, 228. It is He Who has named you Muslims in the bygone days and now in this Revelation. That the Messenger may be a witness for you, and you be witnesses for all mankind! (You shall be the watchers over peoples that no community oppresses the other). So, establish the Divine System and set up the Just Economic Order, and hold fast unto Allah. He is your Lord Supreme, and how excellent is this Giver of support! 548 ?Outdo one another in actions that SERVE humanity and thus grow your ?Self?. To Allah is your final Destination, of all of you. Then He will make you understand of where you differ.

Salam all, Are there any instances in which the word Salat is translated as other than prayer in traditional translations i.e. Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Pickthall ? The more verses and multiple meanings for Salat as translated by the above that you can give, the better. Thanks Peace

Asalamu alaikum,I understand why you have abandoned the ahadeeth,however ,Not one individual can say for sure ,that this vast body of work is 100% totally false,for that would not be sensible,Just as ,My saying the entire body of work is 100% correct ,would not be very sensible..which,leads me to ask,why not simply use the ahadeeth as documentation of the Salat,i.e,for the times,form ,etc etc,for,I can hardly believe that out of the hundreds of ahadeeth describing the prayer,that each and every one is incorrect.Many are in agreement.Doing the as-salat 5x dailyin the" traditional way" just seems right.Indeed, The lazy and more worldy-- may detest it,however,for those whom still do so ,in the correct frame of mind,I ask youDo you not feel comforted and spiritually refreshed after the salat?-Salaat

Peace be upon you, I think it is time we discussed what exactly is "prayer"? prayer (pr?r) n. A reverent petition made to God, a god, or another object of worship. So "prayer" is asking/begging/petitioning The God for something. Lets look at a few verse where someone is doing this. (33 At that place and time Zachary called/prayed his Lord, he said "My Lord grant/present for me, from at you good descendants, that you are hearing the call/prayer." (7189) He is who created you from one (F) soul , and He made/created from it/her its spouse to be tranquil/settle/secure to it/her, so when he had sexual intercourse with her she carried a light weight/pregnancy , so she passed with it, so when she became heavy, they (B) called/prayed The God their (B)'s Lord "If (E) You gave us correct/righteous, we will be/become (E) from the thankful/grateful." (1440) "My Lord make me persist in the learning connection, and from my descendants, our Lord, and accept my call/prayer ." All of these "prayers" are in the form of Dua, not solaat. Now, what I want to focus on is 2186 when the God says he answers the prayers and is Near. Does this mean that if I ask the God for anything right now, such as money, will it miraculously come into my hand , or will I have to still seek it out? The point I am trying to make is that "prayer" is not a magic weapon that will suspend the laws of the God. If you 100% righteous and you jump off the empire state building, the laws of gravity will not be suspended for you no matter how much you pray. So just like Zachariah did, after he prayed(dua), He began as-solaat(the learning connection) so he could understand the God's laws that were working for his immediate concern, once the law was found by him through the sending to him of a controller(mailaika- remember the God and His malaika sens solaat upon the prophet) then he was able to see the solution.

Ahmed Ali in his preface says the following about the word salat "...Salat as as-sala meant middle of the back, a horse that is second in a race, and as salia-wastala dependence, adherence, attachment. In the Qur'an salat acquired the conceptual meanings of devotion, adherence to God and His commands, and fulfilling one's duties and obligations as behoves an 'abd, creature, servant, devotee of God, as integral part of 'ubudiyat, servitude and devotion made clear in 2441 which underlines that every creature in the heavens and the earth knows its salat, duties and obligations. It also means worship as in 835, piety as in 1187, and service of prayer as in 2238, 443;101-3, 11114 etc." If you haven't seen this translation I think it is under-rated by far. Prof. Ahmed Ali was born in 1908 and died January 1994 and wrote that preface above in 1990. His understanding of salat as can be seen predates many of the recent attempts to define salat as obligation by conspiracy theorist Aidid Safar. It shows how this information has already been discussed before and this needs to be addressed. Otherwise there is a real danger of new-ageism.

Peace, I?d like to know the difference between (the near part of the night = wazulufan mina allayli in 11 114) and (the darkness of the night / the obscure part of the night = ghasaqi allayli in 17 78 ) Does the obscure part of the night / the darkness of the night = the near part of the night ? Thanks Marie

I will accede to the fact that Salaat can be reading and study the Quran. HOwever, I will not accede to the untruth that this is the only interpretation. However, I will accede that it is a valid interpretation, and that if those reading have God as their focus as they read and are reading to please God, then I cannot say that this is not an allowable interpretation. However, I wish that those who would do this would not say that this is the only way that Salat can be upheld, as it has other meanings and these meanings need to be considered in all circumstances. THis does not mean that the QUran is unclear, it just means that it allows a variety of ways that one can complete his commands. But ALL the meanings must be taken into consideration, and all those that make sense, even though they might be very distinct meanings, must be taken as part of God's commandments. Godbless, Anwar I hope we can move on from this issue.

Peace all, In 1778, there are two possibilities, the rubbing of the sun (lidulooki alshshamsi) can correspond to the sun?s rising or its setting. why would we choose the sun?s setting instead of the sun?s rising? In 20130 the expressions tulooAAi alshshams (the rising of the sun) and ghuroobiha (its setting) are clear and precise 20130 So be patient to what they are saying and glorify the grace of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before its setting, and from the early part of the night and the edges of the day that you may be content. Idem for 5039 5039 So be patient to what they are saying, and glorify the grace of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before the setting. If the rubbing of the sun = the sun?s setting In my opinion To say ?Persist in the learning connection at the sun?s setting (ghuroobi alshshams) the until the obscure part of the night and reading at daybreak. Indeed reading at daybreak is witnessed? is more precise and clear than ?Persist in the learning connection at the rubbing of the sun the until the obscure part of the night and reading at daybreak. Indeed reading at daybreak is witnessed? Perhaps ?dulooki alshshams? doesn?t correspond neither to the sun?s rising nor to the sun?s sitting but it corresponds to the ascencion of the sun in the sky from the sun?s rising until the sun?s sitting, in other word during the daylight. Any comments appreciated Marie

peace all, To ALL those who understand Arabic and its gramatical rules etc... I must clarify a few things. What is correct of the following? salat is a noun? the root of salat Sawd-Lam-Waw I understand that its root could also be Sawd-Lam-Alif & Sawd-Lam-Ya However, in Lane, the root of SLY is warm/burn/roast etc. . It is nothing like SLW. There is nothing under SLA. Words such as "yoosala" , "salla" , what is the root for these words? Are they the verb of salat? OR are the root of these words Waw-Sawd-Lam? From Lane Waw-Sawd-Lam = attain, reach, connect, apply, make close, to come/deliver/convey, to continue, union (of companions/friends/lovers) ... which fits perfectly with such words/verses. Is it the case that salat can have different roots? If so, is it possible to eliminate the possibilities by Al-Quran's usage? In Anwar's article, the following notes are given The word 'sawlaat' can be from the second form of the root 'salawa'(sawd, lam, waw being the one which will be of most importance) or sawlaa(sawd, lam, ya or sawd, lam, alif rendering 'sawllaa' consisting of the Arabic letters 'sawd, lam(with shaddat= 2 lams) and ya', not 'wasawla' which is 'waw, sawd, lam'. 'Wasawla' means to reach, connect, etc. From this verb the NOUN 'sillah' or properly 'sillatun' is derived. The word 'sawlaat', being a derivitive 'sawllaa' Any comments? I do not want personal opinion. I just want the facts. thanks, Wakas

Attention please!!! You know one of our new member "MH", he consider himself as a messenger. I know this man and met him severel times. His obssession is about 19. He picked many of his speechs about salats and others topics from one of my website in french and from the work of one of my friend!!!! He is a liar and a buggler!!! Shame on you mh!!! ! In french to Mr MH Cher Mr mh, je sais d'o? vous tenez vos sources et comment vous les avez obtenues. Mais je vois avec beaucoup de plaisir votre revirement dans l'interpr?tation du Quran et je m'en f?licite, mais qu'est devenu votre mission de messager? ?tre vous toujours en qu?te du chiffre 106 (Peugeot???) ? Ne m'en veullez pas de vous railler car c'estpour de basses raisons que vous nous avez insult? autrefois et aujourd'hui vous rejetez vos anciennes id?es en paraphrasant des sources qui ne sont aucunement de vous. Dieu sait cel?, mais vous, vous le savez? Au plaisir de vous lire, la prochaine fois que vous changerai de veste, car vous la retournez toujours du bon c?t?!!!

Peace all 5040 Wamina allayli fasabbihhu waadbara alssujoodi And from the night glorify Him and after alssujoodi The verse can appear obvious, but this is not clear for me Thanks for your comments Marie

Salaam, I'm from the New York area, and have been wanting to get together a monthly meeting for Islamic discussion. I'm a person that believes solely in the Quran, and I think collective minds and research will create more awareness. Opening our hearts is the key. So if any of you guys from New york are interested or think it's a good idea, maybe we can get a community hall or something, invite the "hadith only folks..hehe", and make it a learning experience. Just an Idea, Z

Why has the possibility of multiple meanings of salat been ruled out, when certain people accept multiple meanings in other areas such as the 'beating your wife' quote? I am not saying I believe there to be multiple meanings, but it is merely a general question.

peace brothers & sisters, Just thought I'd let you think about this concept, which forms the basis of my article on salat (of which I'm about 70% complete). My understanding thus far... al salat is not the prayer. al salat is not the link. This is essentially its purpose however. al salat is not the assembly. Although, this is the form in which it would take place most of the time. al salat = the oration http//dictionary.reference.com/search?q=oration Ponder on it a while... Wakas