Born and raised in the Uk, from a conservative atheist family, felt there was something deeply wrong with society and Thatchers Britain, dropped out and adopted a kind of alternative nomadic lifestyle that showed me much of the world and its peoples, which helped develop my belief in the truth of the one God around 2000 but only got round to reading the Quran just last year which brings me here, as i have a load of questions..
Not had a TV since the 80s, read books and comics instead, consider my self a truth seeker..
Now settled with a beautiful wife and young family of four in Ireland, God willing i will be granted time to ask those questions and share my views..
I suppose here is a good as place as any to ask the first question?
Where can i find direction from the Quran on how to pray? is there an easy prayer for beginners as subscribed by the messenger?
Thanks in advance for your answers and please forgive my ignorance.
The Quran is a guide, it tells us many things, but it is not a Book of details... Ie, it tells you things and does not necessarily tells you exactly how. Hence, the necessity to have a 'human' guide via the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to show the way. So he taught the ways to 'implement' what is said in the Quran and these are recorded as sunnah/ hadeeth.
The verses came down over a 26 year period and often when something happens, a verse would be sent to guide .. this is so that what was revealed addressed the issue and given time to be incorporated into lifestyle.
To come back to your exact question, it says in the Quran to pray at certain times (not in any order) and it also mentions the various positions (prostrate, bow, stand etc) separately and scattered around the Quran. So, to get the full picture, it is not in the Quran, but the sunnah... like the Haj tradition, not found in the Quran what to do, but the practice has remained ...
I am clearer but still confused by my ignorance, I am not clear what sunnah and hadeeth is exactly, Am i right in thinking they are books written about Mohamed? Not so much a guide but a history or biography of Mohamed's life?
If you or anyone could post a link i would be grateful, what i am really interested in is learning a basic prayer as i want to start meditating and prying more regularly like the Quran advises, I struggle with 4 young children in a busy house to clear my mind let alone hear my inner voice these days, i can understand how reciting a simple verse could help that inner voice be heard and clear my mind from that unwelcome negative chitter chatter..
As i pray currently it takes too long to do this, i simple dont have the time..
Biographies on the prophet (pbuh) is something else..
The sunnah (in a nutshell or generalisation) is the practice of the prophet. What he used to do, how he did it, his 'being' itself, his character etc (him keeping a beard etc) whilst the hadeeth (again generalisation) is recorded sayings of the prophet (pbuh) and we ought to be more careful with hadeeths because there are inauthentic ones about.
Interesting and thanks for sharing, but way too much info for me to get my head round for now, will try to read all the same, but might take a while..I was more looking for a simple easy to learn prayer or such like...I did come across some thing years ago that was said to be direct from Mohamed that resonated with me, I think it was possibly from a hadith or sunnah, it was a short and simple and i think for people new to praying..
Welcome to this forum, it's wonderful to know that you're interested in learning more about Islam. And prayer, for me, is one of the most beautiful aspects of our religion, it's such an intimate way of connecting with Allah swt, with no intermediaries or anything between you and your Creator.
As Muslims, we pray five times a day, at set times, with set positions and prayers that you recite in Arabic. This is called salah and is a compulsory aspect of Islam.
A form of voluntary prayer is dua, these are more informal prayers you can say at any time in whatever language you prefer, they are general supplications you can make for forgiveness, asking Allah swt for something, thanks, ect.
In that sense, there is no 'short' or 'easy' version of salah, the ritual prayer, and while it can seem a little overwhelming at first, it's actually not so difficult to do. And about time, the Islamic prayer doesn't really take longer than ten minutes to complete. Again, it can seem a bit much at first, but you'll find it becoming such a wonderful part of your routine it'll hardly seem like an effort.
And, the Qur'an is the revelation of Allah to the Prophet Muhammad , and hadith are the narrations of the Prophet, and the sunnah are his actions. The Qur'an commands us to pray, and the hadith and sunnah show us how the prayer is done.
If you have any further questions, please do ask. We'd love to help, in'sha'Allah .
It has videos for each of the five prayers, it helps a lot seeing it for yourself.
And an amazing little book containing general Islamic supplications (duas) is 'The Fortress of the Muslims' you can order it off Amazon or eBay, it just costs a couple of pounds, filled with lots of little prayers from the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Ireland does seem better than uk. How do you like it there?
As greenhill mentioned and in short, Quran is the command of Allah and Sunnah is the implementation of that .
Sunnah is the actions and life example of the Prophet ()
hadith is the recorded sayings of the prophet ()
Both are a 2nd source of information after the Quran. They are the 2nd wahi (revelation) from Allah. Allah says we sent dhikr (reminder-quran) and something like it. And that the Prophet () does not speak of his own accord but we put words in his mouth.
So both are needed (Quran and sunnah/hadith) to fully comprehend Islam and implement it in one's life.
regarding prayer, this is a good video tutorial to help inshallah:
I was not aware the obligatory prayers must be said in Arabic, i am not sure if it would feel right to pray unless i was totally 100% clear in my mind what the intention of the prayer is, I feel it would have to resonate in my heart before God could hear it? I really not sure i have the time to learn Arabic.
The other is i never knew of the importance of the hadiths and sunnahs , i thought the Quran was all that was really important.
I will not let this put me off though, my intention i suppose is just to become closer to god, be a better person, receive the guidance so to define the truth from Satan's lies, be the master of my thoughts and intentions so to overcome the fear and hate that we are bombarded with these days and be guided to do good works and ward off evil...
My intention is that rather than become part or a member of a religion, what i love about the message as i interpret it from the Quran is obey God and no one else, he has no partner and no one can speak for him, which sets it apart from the issues i have with institutionalized religion where leaders lead their flock astray and are easy influenced by Satan's lies..As i believe happened with Christianity as one example..It makes perfect sense for me for god to send a messenger with this clear message, i could go on about other truth i found and love in the quran, but alas i have little time and will leave for another day, Gog willing..
From what i gather from a bit of reading about Islamic prayer from the Hadith is if one isn't to pray in this rather strict manner they are not a true believer, given my user name i hope this doesn't offend and you will continue to be patient with me?
And BTW , Ireland is not so bad, very expensive though and hard to find work if you are the self employed type, a nation of alcoholics with an obsession with health and safety, all good for laugh, or craik as they say..
My intention is that rather than become part or a member of a religion, what i love about the message as i interpret it from the Quran is obey God and no one else, he has no partner and no one can speak for him, which sets it apart from the issues i have with institutionalized religion where leaders lead their flock astray and are easy influenced by Satan's lies..As i believe happened with Christianity as one example..It makes perfect sense for me for god to send a messenger with this clear message, i could go on about other truth i found and love in the quran, but alas i have little time and will leave for another day, Gog willing..
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Of course, actually many people who are born into Islam are not native Arabic speakers - I'm certainly not. However, it's quite easy to learn and memorise the English translation of the Arabic prayers for salah. Actually, when you are first learning how to pray, there is no harm in holding a sheet of paper with the Arabic and English upon it to help you learn.
And the ritual prayer can seem quite 'strict' and 'set', but it really is such a spiritually nourishing and comforting part of worship in Islam, since I have began praying, I have attained so much peace and a much closer connection with Allah. I'm linking you to two articles, you can read them if you wish, it just describes the inherent wisdom and benefits within each part of the ritual prayer, and why Allah has prescribed them for us:
That part I just highlighted in your post is the very foundation of a Muslims belief, we call it 'Tawhid', the oneness of God. To become a Muslim begins with testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger - and it seems to me you are very much drawn to the truth of that message. And I would say that while belief in God *is* the most essential aspect of faith, this needs to be also supplemented by the entire guidelines of religion, to truly benefit from it.
See, Islam is not just a personal, private belief, it is a complete way of life, a way of thinking, speaking and behaving. It's beauty is in the way it encompasses your life completely and seeks for you to strive for perfection in everything you do. A beautiful concept is, that even eating, sleeping, or walking to work are considered acts of worship if you do them to please Allah - that's such a wonderful thought. And you will truly experience that spiritual transformation if you embrace every aspect of Islam - and as Muslims we consider Islam to be 'the natural religion of man', and you'd find soon that many parts of Islam just seem to be natural extensions of yourself as a human being.
btw, there's nothing wrong with your username. Everyone, even those who are already Muslim, should strive to become true believers - and to just add in a bit of Arabic practise, lol, the Arabic word for a true believer is Mu'min.
Noriana
Those links were really help full, really blew my mind, learned so much.. I came here intending to just learn a prayer , but can see great benefits and reason now behind the movements and postures and all of it really..I am certainly going to give it a go, will probably start with the night prayer when the house is quiet and then seems the most relevant and holy part the day too..
I am not sure though if the night prayer is the same as all others and all others the same?
I read up an looked at some Hadiths , not yet the Sunnahs...It seems there are many and a lot of reading and hard to say whether authentic, as obviously written much later and hard to prove, I take it its most commonly accepted al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are most authentic as wikipedia states?
Are there specific books on praying?
I can totally grasp how it must be a great way of life, I suppose its similar to how i naturally lived which drew me to God in the first place and how my life evolved after i first felt i made contact with prayer, years ago a Muslim friend told me I lived by his principles, will never forget that conversation inspired me more to try prayer than all else..
Before i read those links BTW I was always fearful of bowing down to anyone , was always against hierarchies and leaders and being a slave , but bowing to God and living to please him makes so much sense now...Bow to and obey and please God and live how he wants and, if we all did that and treated each other with equality and respect then we wouldn't need any other authority that can abuse its power and lead us astray..
But i am a little afraid money can buy schools and universities and the Hadiths and Sunnahs can be kind of canonized by a hierarchy that could claim to speak for God similar to what happened to Christianity?
Not saying Islam has been corrupted at all, but it must be hardest one for Satan or anyone else to twist or pervert into a tool of control that seems a common theory..
Any way full moon and some kind of planetary alignment tonight, no time like present..
Upon waking, one should wipe one's face, use a Miswaak (toothstick), and make this supplication: "There is no god but You, Glory be to You, I seek forgiveness from You for my sins, and I ask for Your mercy. O Allah, increase my knowledge and let my heart not swerve after You have guided me, and bestow mercy upon me from Yourself. All praise be to Allah who has given us back life after our death and unto Him is the resurrection."
Then, one should recite the last ten verses of chapter 'Al-'Imraan', then one should say, "O Allah, to You belongs the praise. You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and what is therein. And to You belongs the praise. You are the truth and Your promise is true. And the meeting with You is true. And the paradise is true. And the Fire is true. And the prophets are true. And Muhammad is true. And the Hour is true. O Allah, to You have I submitted. And in You have I believed. And in You have I put my trust. And to You have I turned. And by You I argue. And to You do I turn for my decisions. Forgive me of my former and latter sins, and those done in private and those done in public. You are Allah, there is no god besides You."
So last night i tried my first prayer as inspired from the info on this thread..I was hoping to wake as i normally do in the middle of the night when the children come into our bed normally forcing me into theirs, this is the only quiet time in our house and seemed a great opportunity, but by the time i finished trying to memorize the above verse they had already woke, so i washed and did my prayer with out sleep first..
I cleared my mind the best i could and focused on the feeling of love then did the whole standing a bowing and kneeling three time while trying to remember the words above with my own improvisation, trying to keep my intent clear...I certainly felt something, went to sleep content..
So this morning i did my usual brief meditation and vow and asked for a sign i was heard...Went out to give scraps to feed chickens we keep, remembering one of our favorite hens was shut out the coup last night, to my dismay she didnt come running out the bushes like they normally do when i approach the coup for their morning feed, she was no where to be seen , my hear sank remembering we lost a cockerel to a predator that was shut out the other night, i then went to check for eggs in the hen house and their she was sat on eggs, My OH confirmed she was shut out as she remembered throwing scraps quite late in the day..A Mystery, this has never happened before..And whats more we got more eggs today than any other with our current flock..It is spring but it was cold and cloudy day..
Could this be a sign?
Have been wondering what the significance to prying in Arabic is? Surely God is multilingual and ones intent is supreme..If anyone could post a link to the significance of using Arabic in prayer i would be grateful..
The call to prayers i have heard on my travels is an eerily beautiful sound that always resonated and felt touched my soul, is that all of is there a deeper meaning?
Ameen - and I am so glad you found those links helpful. I remember reading them when I first began prayer and they really did change my perspective on salah. You know, the ritual prayer is just so liberating. We prostrate ourselves entirely before Allah - and by this we refuse to prostrate towards or worship anything else, whether it be towards a government, or wealth, or fame, or desires.
About the hadith and sunnah - the sunnahs are often described *within* the hadith, if that makes sense. So, for example, a Sunnah is to use the miswak for cleaning one's teeth, this is transmitted to us via a hadith.
And about the authenticity of the hadith and sunnah, this is another really interesting topic. You're right, they were written some time after, sometimes quite a few years after the death of the Prophet , but the methodology used to collect and then analyse them is so thorough it is scientific in nature. In fact, the study of hadith is known as the 'science of hadith'. It's methods is such that it can't really be subjective at all and we are well-assured they are authentic, I'm linking you to another couple of articles, I hope they help inshaAllah - a long read, but really mind-blowing:
And as for the importance of the Arabic language (keep in mind, not only is the Qur'an in Arabic, but Arabic is such a complex language, it seems to have been made especially to describe matters of religion and faith, in way no other language can) :
And it's amazing you read salah for the first time - it really does seem to move something deep inside, doesn't it?
And then, this isn't so surprising, because worshipping Allah swt is our natural state. When we worship Allah, we liberate ourselves from the bonds of the world. So by becoming His slave, we attain the truest form freedom. In the Qur'an we are told we were created to worship God - and so when we pray, we are fulfilling the purpose of our life, our existence, and that feeling of contentment far surpasses any fleeting happiness something 'worldly' can give us.
Sometimes going into sujood - the full prostration - is so overwhelming it can move you to tears, because your soul seems to recognise this is where it belongs.
And as for signs, they are all around us, the signs of Allah. The sky standing above us, our every breath and heartbeat, the earth rotating around the sun, these are such powerful signs of the existence of Allah, that when you actually look for them your can't believe you never even noticed for them before.
btw, I also have chickens - now that's a very interesting coincidence, isn't it?
Noraina,
Thanks again for your replies, i am again finding them very helpful..Especially the last one about Arabic language..interesting site btw, some good articles about the economic philosophy in Islam thats another thing that deeply resonates with me..
Not had time to look too much at the Hadith links God willing i will one day, for now i want to spend what time i have studying and experimenting with Prayer..
I was woke last night and tried again, Rather than memorizing i wrote down the above prayer i copy and pasted and read from the Quran..Didnt feel as natural and a strong connection but still felt ok..
This morning i broke my normal routine of Coffee, cigarette and internet before the school run and actually found time for a brief mediation, reflection and prayer in my own way, as i have for a few years now..I actually put my cigarette out half way, that niggling voice at the back of my head an addict would normally dismiss became more clear, This might be the first time for a while now i actually want to quit, and prayer is showing me a way to break that habitual cycle, that addiction is perhaps my biggest most destructive bond to this world?
What moved me most after my first prayer i suppose was a clear understanding of how giving up my free will to God is a good thing.I could never see it as good before. On reflection i suppose i had given it up to God years ago in my own way i just wasn't conscious of it, i never really understood what it meant..That first prayer kind of opened my mind to that truth, and as a truth seeker i am grateful..
I agree the signs are around us all the time, the closer to God i felt i became over the years have helped me become aware of them..
Coincidences or synchronicity as i call them are different , i found happen for a reason , and i believe is a way for God to let the individual know they are on the right path, gods way of communicating to us...Would this theory be in line with Islamic teachings?
It was a certainly a string of amazing coincidences that gave me faith and led me to read the Quran and to here where i am today..
thanks for giving your time to reply, May Allahs blessings be upon you..
Coincidences or synchronicity as i call them are different , i found happen for a reason , and i believe is a way for God to let the individual know they are on the right path, gods way of communicating to us...Would this theory be in line with Islamic teachings?
It was a certainly a string of amazing coincidences that gave me faith and led me to read the Quran and to here where i am today..
Well, in Islam it is said then when you turn towards Allah, He opens up your heart and guides you to distinguish between truth and error, right and wrong. So as you embrace His faith and His teachings, so many things are explained, and so many things seem to fall into place.
There's this wonderful hadith I think will resonate with you:
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: Allah said:"I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me.
If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and
if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an
assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw
near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running."It was related by al-Buhkari
Noraina, that certainly rings true..Raises the question, how does God do these things?
I feel i already know , and is being confirmed as i draw closer..
Yesterday was a great day..
And btw when i have been praying i have not been facing any particular direction, is there an app for that..or before internet how did people know which direction Mecca was?
May God bless you for your time and patience in your replies..
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which brings me here, as i have a load of questions..
, and hadith are the narrations of the Prophet, and the sunnah are his actions. The Qur'an commands us to pray, and the hadith and sunnah show us how the prayer is done.
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Peace be upon you
i hope this doesn't offend and you will continue to be patient with me?
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