Muslims praying

Muslims praying
Ritual prayers, called salah or salat in Arabic must be performed five times in  a day.



 Salah is intended to focus the mind on Allah, and is seen as a personal communication with him that expresses gratitude and worship.


 Salah is compulsory but flexibility in the specifics is allowed depending on circumstances. The prayers are recited in the Arabic language, and consist of verses from the Qur'an.



A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, who often refer to it by its Arabic name, masjid. The word mosque in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated to Islamic worship, although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller, privately owned mosque and the larger, "collective" mosque (masjid jami`).


Although the primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place of prayer, it is also important to the Muslim community as a place to meet and study.



 Modern mosques have evolved greatly from the early designs of the 7th century, and contain a variety of architectural elements such as minarets.

Shia Islam permits combining prayers in succession.