Islamic prayer is one of the cornerstones of any Muslim's religious practice. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, which enjoy wide secular interpretations throughout the U.S., Islam requires its followers to pray five times daily in the direction of Mecca, Islam's holiest site. The times of these prayers are morning, noon, mid-afternoon, sundown, and evening.

Many non-Muslims suffer from a misconception about the nature of Allah. They impute from the religion's stern practices that Allah is a draconian, punishing God, which is simply false. In traditional Islam, Allah is benevolent and forgiving. All but one of the Koran's 114 chapters begin with characterizations of God as merciful and compassionate.

The Entirety of Islamic Prayer

It is also misleading to think of Islamic prayer as the sole form of worship among Muslims. It is even stated in the Koran that everything a Muslim does for the love of Allah is to be considered a form of worship, not just the five daily prayers. That means that everything from the choice of one's diet to the types of activities one engages in are part of Islamic worship.

That's not to deny the importance of prayer in Islam, though. Ritual worship is thought to elevate man's spirit, provided it's matched in daily practices and not simply done mechanically. All of this underscores the importance of "oneness" in Islamic culture, a pronouncement and acceptance of which constitutes one of the religion's Five Pillars ("shahada").