Salat: Making it easy in LA

                   As you know, the second pillar of islam, Salat, is the prayer 5x a day. In primarily Muslim areas, the muezzin calls everyone to prayer at dawn, noon, midday, sunset, and nightfall. The imam, or leader of the prayer, stands in front of the congregation, facing Mecca. The imam starts the prayer cycle by saying “Allahu akbar!” (“God is most great!”) , and everyone lines up in rows behind him, following his various body positions. Not all people line up at a mosque--some prayer is done at school, work, or even in the streets. Before the prayer is a ceremonial cleansing from the fountain in a mosque. They kneel the direction of Mecca, reciting the Qur’an. But this city doesn’t stop for prayers, and it’s hard to know when to begin or what direction to face. With new technology, you can find many mobile apps to help you figure it out. Our favorite, Muslim Pro, features accurate prayer times, a compass for the direction of Mecca, the full Qur’an with Arabic texts, a Muslim calendar, and much more. This is easily downloaded from iTunes or the app store, so you can always pray on time.