What Ahmed Ali says in his preface re:Salat
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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.