Practices in IslamWorship in the mosque and at home

Both the mosque and the home are important places of worship and prayer for Muslims. Wherever they pray, Muslims observe qiblah, which means facing in the direction of the Ka’ba in Makkah (Mecca).

Prayer in the mosque

All mosques have a qiblah wall, which is the wall of the mosque that is closest to Makkah. Worshippers face this wall when they pray so that they are praying towards the holy city of Islam.

At the mosque, men and women pray in separate rooms performing the series of movements in a sequence. This involves bowing and kneeling as well as prostration and reciting praises to God.

Jummah

Jummah is congregational prayer held on a Friday just after noon at the mosque. Praying together as a community is meant to develop the feeling of unity among the Muslim community.

The imam gives two sermons and a series of rak’ahs are performed. Men are obliged to go to Friday midday prayers (Jummah) except if they are ill or too old to attend. Women do not have to go to Friday prayers at the mosque and instead may choose to pray at home.

Prayer at home

Fulfilling the obligation of Salah at home is a big part of family life for many Muslims, with meals and other family activities often scheduled to fit around prayer times. At home, families tend to pray all together – male and female, adults and children. Some Muslim families have a room set aside especially for prayer.

Du’a

Du’a is the word used to refer to personal prayer that is done in addition to Salah. This may take the form of quietly talking to God in one’s head, reciting set prayers or asking Allah for help.