What Is Zuhr Prayer? The Explanation You're Looking For

Hi all readers! Are you looking for an explanation of "what is Zuhr prayer?"? If your answer is “Yes”, congratulations! Now you are reading the right article. Why? Because that is what I will explain in this article. As Muslims, we must understand that. That's why I wrote this article. So, you should read it to the end!

Specifically, there are four important things about "what is Zuhr prayer?" which I will explain in this article. The four important things I mean are as follows:

What Is Zuhr Prayer?

The first important thing about “what is Zuhr prayer?” what I'm going to explain now is a specific answer. So, you should read the explanation below very carefully.

In simple terms, I would like to say that the Zuhr prayer is an obligatory Islamic prayer which is performed when the sun has tilted (to the west) and a person's shadow is equal to his height, and during the time for the Asr prayer. The Zuhr prayer has four rakats.

We can find an explanation that the Zuhr prayer has four rak'ahs in the hadith below:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَتْ كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا افْتُرِضَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الصَّلَاةُ رَكْعَتَانِ رَكْعَتَانِ إِلَّا الْمَغْرِبَ فَإِنَّهَا كَانَتْ ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ أَتَمَّ اللَّهُ الظُّهْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ وَالْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ أَرْبَعًا فِي الْحَضَرِ وَأَقَرَّ الصَّلَاةَ عَلَى فَرْضِهَا الْأَوَّلِ فِي السَّفَرِ

From Aisha, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, she said: Among that which was obligated on Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was Salat which was two Rakats two Rakats except for Zuhr which was three, and then Allah made Zuhr, Asr and Isha four while one is not Traveling, and made it the same as it was obligated the first time while Traveling (meaning Two Rakats).

That is a brief explanation of "what is Zuhr prayer?". As Muslims, we must understand that.

Do You Have to Pray Zuhr?

The second important thing about “what is Zuhr prayer?” what I will explain now is "do you have to pray Zuhr?". I want you to understand that because it is one of the important questions in this discussion that must be well understood.

As we have understood that the Zuhr prayer is one of the obligatory prayers in Islam. We can find this explanation in the following verses of the Quran and hadith:

فَاِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلٰوةَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللّٰهَ قِيَامًا وَّقُعُوْدًا وَّعَلٰى جُنُوْبِكُمْ ۚ فَاِذَا اطْمَأْنَنْتُمْ فَاَقِيْمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ ۚ اِنَّ الصَّلٰوةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ كِتٰبًا مَّوْقُوْتًا

And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times. (An-Nisa [04]; 103).

قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِمُعَاذٍ بْنِ جَبَلٍ لَمَّا أَرْسَلَهُ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ : إِنَّكَ تَقْدَمُ عَلَى قَوْم أَهْلِ كِتَاب فَلْيَكُنْ أَوَّلَ مَا تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَيْهِ عِبَادَةُ اللَّهِ فَإِذَا عَرَفُوا اللَّهَ فَأَخْبِرْهُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ فَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ خَمْسَ صَلَوَات فِي يَوْمِهِمْ وَلَيْلَتِهِمْ فَإِذَا فَعَلُوا فَأَخْبِرْهُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ فَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ زَكَاةً مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ وَتُرَدُّ عَلَى فُقَرَائِهِمْ فَإِذَا أَطَاعُوا بِهَا فَخُذْ مِنْهُمْ وَتَوَقَّ كَرَائِمَ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said to Mu'adz bin Jabal when he sent him to Yemen, "You will come to the People of the Book. So, your first task is to invite them to worship God. If they know it, then you have to tell them that Allah has obliged them to pray five times a day. If they have done it (prayer), then tell them that Allah requires them to give alms from their property which is then given to the needy from their class. If they have obeyed the order, then take the rest. However, do not take their best assets."

So, if you ask me, "Do you have to pray Zuhr?", the answer is "Yes, if you have reached puberty (Baligh)." Muslims who have reached puberty must pray Zuhr. If they don't, they sin.

That's a brief explanation of "do you have to pray Zuhr?". As Muslims, we must understand that.

How Do You Pray Zuhr?

The third important thing about “what is Zuhr prayer?” what I will explain now is "how do you pray Zuhr?". I want you to understand that because it is one of the important questions about the Zuhr prayer that must be well understood.

In simple terms, I want to tell you that there are eight main things that we must do if we want to perform the Zuhr prayer:

• We must cleanse your bodies of minor hadas (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ) and major hadas (الحَدَثُ الأَكْبَرُ).
• We have to wear holy clothes to perform the Zuhr prayer.
• We have to find a holy place to do the Zuhr prayer.
• We have to face Qiblah.
• We have to do Takbir Ihram.

One of the prayers that we can read after Takbir Ihram is as follows:

وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِيْ فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيْفاً وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ إِنَّ صَلَاتِيْ وَنُسُكِيْ وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِيْ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَبِذَالِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ ، اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْمَلِكُ لَا إِلَهَ إلَّا أَنْتَ ، أَنْتَ رَبِّيْ وَ أَنَا عَبْدُكَ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِيْ وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِيْ فَاغْفِرْ لِيْ ذُنُوْبِيْ جَمِيْعاً إِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَاهْدِنِيْ لِأَحْسَنِ الْأَخْلَاقِ لَا يَهْدِي لِأَحْسَنِهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّيْ سَيِّئَهَا لَا يَصْرِفُ عَنِّيْ سَيِّئَهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ وَالْخَيْرَ كُلُّه فِيْ يَدَيْكَ وَالشَّرُ لَيْسَ إِلَيْكَ أَنَا بِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ تَبَارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوْبُ إِلَيْكَ

I face my face to God who has created the heavens and the earth, in conditions of accepting Islam. I am not a polytheist. Indeed, my prayer, my worship, my life, and my death are due to God, the Lord who controls the universe. There isn't anything for him. That's why I was ordered and I included people who surrendered. O Allah, You are the Ruler. There is no god but You. You are my Lord and I am Your servant. I have judged myself and I confess my sin, then forgive all my sins, actually no one forgives all sins except only You. Show the best ethical pocket. No one can show that other than You. Avoid me from the worst ethics, no one can avoid me from that except for You. I answer your call and I like to obey you. All good is in your power. Evil does not draw near to you. Your goodness is always multiplying and you are holy of all shortcomings. I ask forgiveness of you and change to you.

• We have to say the Intention to pray Zuhr during Takbir Ihram.

The Niyyat for the Zuhr prayer alone is as follows:

أُصَلِّى فَرْضَ الظُّهْرِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ أَدَاءً لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى

I intend to perform the obligatory prayers, Zuhr, four rak'ahs, facing Qiblah, as an obligation, because of Allah Taala.

The Niyyat for the Zuhr Prayer as Imam is as follows:

أُصَلِّى فَرْضَ الظُّهْرِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ أَدَاءً إِمَامًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى

I intend to perform the obligatory prayers, Zuhr, four rak'ahs, facing Qiblah, as Imam, as an obligation, because of Allah Taala.

The Niyyat for the Zuhr Prayer as Makmum is as follows:

أُصَلِّى فَرْضَ الظُّهْرِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ أَدَاءً مَأْمُوْمًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى

I intend to perform the obligatory prayers, Zuhr, four rak'ahs, facing Qiblah, as Makmum, as an obligation, because of Allah Taala.

• We have to perform all the obligations in praying the four Rakat in the Zuhr prayer.
• We must perform Salaam and intend to perform the Zuhr prayer.

That's a brief explanation of "how do you pray Zuhr?". As Muslims, we must understand that.

Why Is Zuhr Prayer Silent?

The fourth important thing about "what is Zuhr prayer?" What I will explain now is "why is Zuhr prayer silent?". I want you to understand that because it is one of the important questions about the Zuhr prayer that must be well understood.

The Zuhr prayer is one of the prayers that are performed with a silenced voice. The point is that Muslims who perform the Zuhr prayer should not raise their voices when they recite the readings in the prayer.

If you ask me, "why is Zuhr prayer silent?", the answer is because the Prophet Muhammad silenced the Zuhr prayer. He did not recite the readings in the Zuhr prayer in an audible voice as when he prayed Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr. As Muslims, we are required to imitate the way he prayed. We can find this explanation in the hadith below:

عَنْ مَالِكٍ بْنِ الْحُوَيْرِثِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : صَلُّوْا كَمَا رَأَيْتُمُوْنِيْ أُصَلِّي . رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ

From Malik bin al-Huwairits radliyallahu anhu, he said, "The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Pray as you have seen me praying." This hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari.

That is a brief explanation of "why is Zuhr prayer silent?". As Muslims, we must understand that.

All readers! That is a brief explanation of "what is Zuhr prayer?" and some important things about it. Do you understand? If you want to ask, please ask!

I think that's enough for this article. May be useful. Amen.

See you again in the next article!