Page:Thomas Patrick Hughes - Notes on Muhammadanism - 2ed. (1877).djvu/134

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PRAYER.
113

of rakʾats, either one, three, five or seven, said after the night prayer. These divisions of prayer are entirely distinct from each other. They each begin afresh with the Niyyat. The worshippers may rest for awhile between them, but not converse on worldly subjects. The Wahhábis think it correct to say the Sunnat prayers in their houses and only the Farz prayers in the mosque.[1]

In order that our readers may be able to judge of the mechanism of this Muhammadan performance of prayer, we annex a time-table of the Muslim's common prayer, showing the number of rakʾats or forms; from which it will be seen what is required of a pious Muhammadan. The five times of prayer are enjoined in the Qurán, the other three periods of prayer are voluntary. (See next page.)

Upon reference to the form of prayer, or rakʾats, which we have given, and which admits


  1. Mr. Palgrave, in his "Central and Eastern Arabia," states that he observed that the Wahhábis were careless as to the legal ablutions. Perhaps he was not aware that the worshippers had performed the ablutions, and had said the Sunnat rakʾats privately before they came into the mosque.