Salat (prayer) is the most important single act of worship and one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims are to perform prayer at least five times daily. As such, salat is an essential part of the Muslim way of life.

Innumerable books have been written over the centuries about salat in Arabic and all other native languages of the Muslim nation. There are a number of books available on prayer in the English language. However, there is still a need for a new type of a book to meet the needs of the English speaking Muslims especially in Europe and North America, a book that is comprehensive enough to cover a wide range of topics, yet concise enough to be a practical guide to the basics. I hope this book will meet this need.

The topics are classified and tabulated for easy access. When there are a number of opinions about a certain issue, I chose the one or two most accepted by Muslim jurists. The reader is not burdened by juristic debates.

When a reference to a Quranic verse is made, the verse is written in Arabic with English translation. Every hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) mentioned, is numbered and its references are included in the appendix section.

The appendix section also includes a glossary of Arabic words used in the book. To help those Muslims new to salat, the Al-Fatiha and three short chapters of the Quran and some of the well-known supplications are included in the appendix. Each is written in Arabic with English translation and transliteration.

I hope this book will be of help to its readers and that it will find its niche in the English Muslim library. May Allah accept this endeavor as a modest contribution to the service of His cause.

Abdel Mageed Ahmed, M.D.

Los Angeles, CA