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As each and every one of us welcome a new day into our lives, we also welcome a daily routine.
From waking up in the morning,
getting refreshed,
driving to a variety of different destinations,
cooking,
or going to school, work, college
There are a lot of things that every person must do in a day to be productive and successful.
However, for millions of Muslims all around the world,
praying five times a day is a part of our daily routine.
I set out to ask my sixth grade students the following question.
"What does prayer mean to you?"
"So, prayer means, spiritually to me that we have a healthy relationship with Allah
and in the end result, you are very peaceful."
"To me, prayer means being able to show Allah you really worship him
and that you really care."
"What Islam means to me is praising Allah and following his rules
like praying five times a day. I am happy to be a Muslim :)
"What Salah means to means to me: I don't think it's just like
um
Just like repeating like arabic that like you don't know the meaning of,
and you're just saying it over and over again and you have no idea what it means
I think it's like communicating with Allah.
and
uh
yea"
"To some people, Salat means a prayer. To me, it means a conversation with Allah."
and it's like an honor to be talking to him."
"So, I think prayer means to me that we do good for Allah
and that we respect Allah in every single way that we can."
*hand clasp*
"Prayer means to me praising God and thanking him for everything he gives us.
Like a roof over our head, food on the table and more."
"Prayers mean to me that I show respect Allah and show him I'm a good being."
Now that'd you've heard the why, let's move on to the how.
Cleanliness is an important aspect in every Muslim's life.
Muslims must perform a series of cleansing movements before praying and reading the Quran.
This process is called Wudhu.
You begin with your intention.
This is a silent proclamation to God of stating your intention to clean yourself for prayer.
Second, wash your hands up till your wrists starting with the right hand three times
Repeat with the left.
The third step is to thoroughly gargle your mouth, especially if you have eaten beforehand.
Repeat 3 times.
Fourth, cup water into your nostrils and forcibly exhale, thus cleaning the nose of impurities.
Next, wash your face three times making sure to cover your hairline and chin.
Next, wash your arms up till your elbows.
Start with the right, end with the left and repeat three times.
Next, take wet hands and run them along your head, neck, and ears.
To finish off Wudhu, clean your feet.
Start with the right, end with the left and...
Repeat three times!
Dry your hands, arms, legs, everything thoroughly.
Now, you're ready to pray!
The motions of prayer differ very slightly
for men and women
and will be demonstrated by Elisha and Omeir.
To begin, women place their hands on their chests
while men place their hands around the navel area.
The rest of the motions, however, remain the same for both genders.
So no matter what roads your life takes you on, always remember:
Prayer is something you can turn towards in times of happiness, gratitude and everything in between.
For Allah says in the Quran:
"Remember me and I will remember you." [2:152]