Prayer

Prayer or Salah is one of the five pillars of Islam and is obliguitary on every muslim to pray five times a day. Prayer is where we take 'time out' from our busy lives and remember our Creator, Allah Almighthy. Allah says "Remember Me and I will remember you."[The Holy Qur'an 2:152] We thank him for the blessings in our lives, ask for guidance and request for help when in need, "invoke Me (ask for anything) I will respond to your (invocation)." [The Holy Qur'an 40:60]

When Allah made us, He made us for a purpose and that was to Worship Him and Him alone. "I have only created jinns and men, that they may worship Me." [The Holy Qur'an 51:56] Praying regulalrly reminds us of this prupose and prevents us from straying off the right path. "O all you who believe, bow down and prostrate yourselves and worship your Lord, and do good deeds, so that you may be successful." [The Holy Qur'an 22:77] Theoretical recognition of Allah and saying you believe in your heart is not sufficient. Many people say that they worship God in their 'own way' but by taking this view we make ourselves gods and decide how Allah should be worshipped, rather than follow His command.

The five daily prayers have a physical and spiritual nature. They consist of a series of bowings and prostrations together with recitations of the Holy Qur’an and praises of Allah, complemented by personal requests. They are a fusion of body, soul and mind. We start the day with Fajr which is prayed at morning twilight before sunrise; the second prayer is Zuhr, prayed after the sun has passed its zenith or highest point at noon; then at mid-afternoon Asr is payed; Maghrib is prayedafter sunset, and the final prayer of the day is Isha, which is prayer after the onset of night. The five daily prayers reaffirm again and again that we are in the service of Allah. "Verily, in the rememberance of Allah do hearts find rest." [The Holy Qur'an 13:28]

How to Make Wudu (Ablution)

How to Pray

Adapted from A Brief Guide in Islam

Places to Pray in Aberdeen

Pray Room:
There is a designated prayer room in Old Aberdeen at Powis Gate (number 32 on the Old Aberdeen Campus Map). Access is via a back door facing the entrance to Crombie and requires a University ID card which must be swiped.

The Foresterhill prayer room is located to the rear of the Maternity Hospital, near the IM&T building. Friday prayer takes place there at lunchtime and the Mosque is open for regular prayer at any time of the day.

A prayer room at the RGU School Hill campus is located on the top floor of the student association building. For Muslim students and staff there is also a specifically designed wash room facility next door. The key for the this can be obtained downstairs. The prayer room has a chest of drawers containing prayer mats and a curtain to divide the room into two for privacy between men and women. At Garthdee the prayer room is next to the refectory in the Scott Sutherland Building.

Mosque:
The Aberdeen mosque is located at 164 Spital - about 2 minutes walk up the hill from College Bounds.  Here you will meet a people from all nationalities and backgrounds praying side-by-side.  The best time to be here is during Ramadan, when the Mosque provides free iftars hosted by the Aberdeen community. 

An up-to-date prayer timetable can be downloaded at: http://www.aberdeenmosque.org