Fixed-hour prayer, or praying at certain times of the day, is a central tenet in many religions, including Judaism and Islam.
Jews have been praying three times daily for more than 2, 000 years.
“It’s why we are here,” said Rabbi Jack Zanerhaft of Congregation Etz Chaim in Bentonville.
Observant Jews pray each morning, afternoon and evening, alone or together in a synagogue. In large metropolitan areas Jews are more apt to gather for daily prayers in the local synagogue. In many areas of Arkansas, however, Jews complete their daily prayers alone.
Zanerhaft said many Jews believe the practice of daily prayer came about as a substitute for animal sacrifices to God.
“If you scour the Old Testament, there’s no directive to pray,” he said. “There are examples, but they seem more the exception than the rule. You really have to look to find the instances where there’s a direct petition to God.... In other words, for Jews prayer is a postbiblical phenomenon.”
Jewish sacred texts instead focused on animal sacrifice. Zanerhaft said many passages specify which animals were to be sacrificed when petitioning or thanking God. That’s not to say that prayer was non-existent. It was simply not an integral part of daily life.
Zanerhaft said Jewish prayer gradually gained popularity, and the practice of three daily prayers was observed at the Temple in Jerusalem, but sacrifice remained prominent. That changed when the Jews were exiled.
The practice of praying three times a day can also be tied to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the times of day the Old Testament records them praying or speaking to God.
The content of the daily prayers varies. Some prayers are for thanksgiving, healing or praise. The oldest prayers for Jews are ones proclaiming the oneness of God.
Zanerhaft said prayers can also be divided into public and private occurrences. Praying with others, he said, serves as a reminder of the greater Jewish community.
“It’s an unspoken reminder that you’re not alone, that other people have trials and tribulations and that we gain strength from one another,” Zanerhaft said.
Praying in a group also lends a sense of continuity when young and old gather together.
“You find your voice among the chorus of voices,” he said. “It definitely makes you feel you are an important link in [the ] chain that spans both ways — back to the beginning of recorded history and hopefully forward.”
Zanerhaft said scheduling time for prayer is important; otherwise it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of the day.
“We get gobbled up in multitasking, in the 100-mile-per-hour life we lead,” he said. “If you don’t have a scheduled time it’s not going to happen. You have to get into the habit of it and make it part of the daily ritual.”
Prayer is also central to the lives of Muslims. Worship, or the ritual of salah (liturgical prayer ), is the second pillar or obligation required by the Koran. Muslims are to pray before dawn, at noon, at midafternoon, just after sunset and at night.
Clea Bunch is assistant professor of history and chairman of the Middle East Studies Committee at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She said Islam is an orthopraxic religion, rather than one focused on orthodoxy. Orthodoxy emphasizes proper belief, while orthopraxy is defined by proper practice of the faith.
“Practice is essential to Islam,” Bunch said.
Bunch said in many religions belief leads to the proper practice of the faith, while in Islam faith is defined by the practice of the individual. Since prayer is one of the five pillars of the faith, the practice of prayer is essential for Muslims. Prayer in Islam also emphasizes devotion and worship, rather than intercession and communication with God.
“In many religions prayer is an act of communication,” Bunch said. “In Islam prayer is a part of one’s worship. Prayer is the essential act of worship in Islam. It’s a way of integrating God into one’s daily life.”
Central themes of worship include declaring God’s greatness, showing a willingness to obey God or to submit to his will. The tradition of the daily prayers is mentioned in the Koran, but the practice is actually specified in the hadith, a narrative of the life and sayings of the prophet Muhammad. While talking with the angel Gabriel, it says, Muhammad defined the essential qualities and practices of the faith, including the daily prayers. Those instructions are included in the hadith.
To prepare for the daily prayers, Muslims perform a ritual cleansing, sometimes only washing the hands and feet, other times bathing. It’s a symbolic cleansing of the spirit in preparation for addressing Allah or God. The act of worship itself includes specific prayers and positions, from bowing the head to kneeling to prostration.
Even when praying in public or with others, the act of worship is private, between the individual and God.
“Nobody is supposed to walk in front of someone praying, because they are directly addressing God,” Bunch said.
Muslims throughout the world follow the same practices, each facing Mecca, as they worship. Despite social and economic differences, the prayers are the same.
“It’s a very egalitarian religion in that respect,” Bunch said.
But, as in other religions, individual practices vary.
“You either make a concerted effort to pray or not,” Bunch said. “Certainly, in the Middle East one might hear the call to prayer and see various responses to it.”
The practice also includes some leeway. For example, if the call to prayer comes while an individual is eating a meal, they don’t need to jump up and rush away. To do so would be entering worship without the proper preparation.
“You are supposed to have the proper mental attitude, and get in the proper frame of mind,” Bunch said.