Salah is the daily prayer enjoined upon all Muslims as one of the five Pillars of Islam. It is performed five times a day by all Muslims. Muslims pray or, perhaps more correctly, worship five times throughout the day:
The prayers consist of recitations from the Quran in Arabic and a sequence of movements: standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting.
The postures of prayer are symbolic of humankind’s relationship with Allah. We stand and assert our existence, we bow to show humility and we prostrate in awe of our Creator’s power and strength. From this state of complete abasement we acknowledge our total reliance on and need of Allah. Allah however is not in need of our prayers; it is us, the frail human being that is in constant need of His protection and love. Thus the postures of prayer are not a random set of movements.
Muslims begin the salah (prayers) words Allahu Akbar. Allah is the greatest. It is an affirmation that there is none greater and thus none more worthy of worship than Allah himself. We raise our hands and say Allahu Akbar and this signifies the beginning of our audience with Almighty Allah. We put the world behind us and the prayer has begun, our connection is secure. Throughout the prayer we repeat the phrase, Allahu Akbar, Allah is the greatest, over and over. Each time we move from standing to bowing or standing to prostrating or prostrating to sitting, we say these words, this phrase precisely, because it changes our psychology. It keeps us focused on the awe and reverence of the one before whom we’re praying. It constantly reminds us of the greatness of the Creator and the insignificance of this world