Prayer
7 items across 4 content types
Debate Excerpts (2)
Individual points from debates discussing this topic
“Does the Arabic of Surah 33:56 really mean Allah 'prays'?”
The verb 'salla ala' has a completely different meaning from 'salla li-llah.' When used with 'ala' (upon), it means to send blessings, commend, or extol — not to worship, pray, or supplicate. Arabic is a nuanced language: 'salla ala an-Nabi' means 'God sends blessings upon the Prophet,' not 'God prays to someone for the Prophet.' This is a deliberate equivocation by Wood that ignores basic Arabic morphology.
“Does Hijab further clarify the 'salah' linguistics?”
The Arabic root S-L-W has multiple meanings depending on form and preposition. 'Salla ala' means to send blessings or commend — it is used for humans too: we 'nusalli ala an-Nabi' (send blessings upon the Prophet). 'Salla li-llah' means to pray to God, to worship. No Arabic speaker confuses these. The word 'salah' itself derives from the root 'sila' (connection), meaning prayer is a connection to God. Wood's argument relies entirely on English conflation — it does not work in Arabic.
Questions (2)
What do the Bible and the Qur'an agree on?
Far more than most people realise. The Bible and the Qur'an both declare that God is absolutely one (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29; Qur'an 112:1), both command sincere private prayer (Matthew 6:5-6; Qur'an 2:45), both record fasting as an act of worship (Matthew 4:2; Joel 2:12; Qur'an 2:183), both prohibit pork (Leviticus 11:7-8; Qur'an 2:173) and intoxicants (Proverbs 20:1; Qur'an 5:90), both call for modesty in dress (1 Timothy 2:9; Qur'an 24:31), and both foreground care for orphans and the poor as markers of authentic faith (James 1:27; Qur'an 2:177). Even Jesus' posture in prayer — falling on his face (Matthew 26:39) — is the same prostration performed by every Muslim five times daily.
When Islam is against idol worship, why do Muslims worship and bow down to the Ka'bah in their prayer?
Muslims do not worship the Ka'bah. It serves as a Qiblah — a unified direction for prayer. Just as a direction is not an object of worship, the Ka'bah simply unifies the 2 billion Muslims worldwide to face one point during prayer, symbolizing the unity of the Muslim community and the Oneness of God.
Articles (1)
Common Ground: Bible Teachings That Align with the Qur'an and Islamic Practice
From monotheism to fasting, modesty to caring for orphans — the parallels between the Qur'an and the Bible are more extensive than most people realise.
TheOpenQuran Research
One of the most effective approaches in interfaith dialogue is to build on shared foundations. Muslims and Christians — and Muslims and Jews — share far more in common than their differences suggest. This article explores specific Bible verses that directly parallel Quranic teachings: the same insistence on one God, the same call to sincere private prayer, the same practice of fasting, the same prohibition of pork and alcohol, the same call to modesty, the same emphasis on caring for orphans and the poor. The Bible does not merely tolerate these Islamic practices — it commands them.
Hadith (2)
بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ وَالْحَجِّ وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ
Buniya al-Islamu 'ala khamsin: shahadati an la ilaha illallah wa anna Muhammadan Rasulullah, wa iqamis-salah, wa ita'iz-zakah, wal-hajj, wa sawmi Ramadan
Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar
أَرَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ أَنَّ نَهَرًا بِبَابِ أَحَدِكُمْ، يَغْتَسِلُ فِيهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسًا، مَا تَقُولُ ذَلِكَ يُبْقِي مِنْ دَرَنِهِ... قَالُوا لاَ يُبْقِي مِنْ دَرَنِهِ شَيْئًا. قَالَ فَذَلِكَ مِثْلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسِ، يَمْحُو اللَّهُ بِهَا الْخَطَايَا
Ara'aytum law anna nahran bibabi ahadikum, yaghtasilu fihi kulla yawmin khamsan, ma taqulu dhalika yubqi min daranihi? Qalu: La yubqi min daranihi shay'an. Qala: Fa dhalika mithlu as-salawat il-khams, yamhu Allahu biha al-khataya
Narrated by Abu Hurairah