A Christian wants to become Muslim and is asking about the prayer
Q: I have not read about the prayers anywhere yet, at
least how they are performed.(movements,speach ie: what is said if
anything specific) How can one convert not knowing arabic? Isn't
this the only language the Qu'ran should be read and recitted from?
.
A: Praise be to Allaah.
Prayer is the greatest of the pillars of Islam after the
Shahaadatayn (twin declaration of faith). What is obligatory is
five prayers during the day and night. This establishes a
relationship between a person and his Lord, in which a person finds
peace, happiness and contentment, as he stands before his Lord and
speaks to Him, and calls upon Him and converses with Him, and
prostrates before Him, complains to Him of his worries and sorrows,
and turns to Him at times of calamity.
Whatever has been said to you about the prayer, nothing can really
describe how great and important it is, and no one can appreciate
it except the one who tastes its joy and spends his nights in
prayer and fills his days with it. It is the delight of those who
believe in the Oneness of God and the joy of the believers.
Allaah has prescribed purification before the prayer, so that the
body is cleansed of impurities and sins are washed away. For the
Muslim does not wash any of his limbs but sins are washed away with
the water, or with the last drop of water, as the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us.
With regard to how the prayer is done, it involves standing, saying
"Allaahu akbar (Allaah is Most Great)", reciting Qur'aan, bowing
and prostrating. All you have to do is go to an Islamic Centre in
your country to see how the Muslims pray and learn about it.
The fact that a person does not know Arabic does not affect his
Islam, and it is not deprive him of the honour of belonging to the
faith. How many people's hearts are opened to Islam every day, who
do not know even one letter of Arabic.
There are thousands of Muslims in India, Pakistan, the Philippines
and elsewhere who have memorized the Qur'aan by heart, but not one
of them can hold a lengthy conversation in Arabic. That is because
Allaah has made the Qur'aan easy, and has made it easy for people
to memorize it, as Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And We have indeed made the Qur'aan easy to understand and
remember; then is there any one who will remember (or receive
admonition)?" [al-Qamar 54:17].
{وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ
لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ}
Transliteration: Wa Laqad Yassarnā Al-Qur'āna Lildhdhikri Fahal Min
Muddakirin
In the prayer the Muslim must recite Soorat al-Faatihah in Arabic,
so he has to learn it. If he is unable to do so but he knows one
verse of it, he should repeat it seven times, which is the number
of verses in Soorat al-Faatihah. If he is unable to do that then he
should say: "Subhaan Allaah, wa'l-hamdu Lillaah, wa laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar, wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, wa laa
hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (Glory be to Allaah, praise be to
Allaah, there is no god except Allaah, Allaah is Most Great, there
is no god but Allaah, and there is no power and no strength except
with Allaah)." See question no. 5410.
The matter is easy, praise be to Allaah. How many people have
learned to speak a language other than their own very well, even
two or three languages, so how can they be unable to learn thirty
or forty words that they need in their prayers?
If the language was really an obstacle, you would not find millions
of Muslims who are not Arabs, who perform the acts of worship with
ease, praise be to Allaah.
So hasten to enter Islam, for no one knows when his appointed time
(i.e. death) will come. May Allaah save you and keep you safe from
His wrath and punishment.
All you have to do to enter this great religion is to say,
"Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ash-hadu anna
Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasooluhu (I bear witness that there is no
god except Allaah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and
Messenger)," and you will find people among your Muslim
brothers who will help you to learn the prayer and other matters of
Islam.
Please also see the following questions: 219, 12376, 6389, 6706,
378, 2585, 20239, 10590, 4319
And Allaah knows best.
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