Sh. AbdulKarim Yahya discusses the salah revealed from Allah to the Prophet (s) during the Isra wal Miraj.

Whether its the liberation of Palestine, or the liberation of self, the night prayer plays a crucial role in what is unfolding today. Tahajjud may seem like some exclusive worship for a tiny set of people, but its actually the first foundation of self and society, and the beginning of victory against a brutal enemy.

After finishing our prayer do we feel satisfied? Do we feel the connection with Allah?

Discussing the advice Prophet Luqman gave to his son regarding the prayer.

When we pray are we at full attention? Do we understand what we are saying in prayer?

Shaykh Tahir Wyatt reminds us on the importance of having focus and understanding while praying.

Mufti Menk advises us on how to make homes like the masjid full of salah and dhikr as many are confined in their homes during this time.

Dr. Tahir Wyatt reminds us to call out to Allah with meaning and intention by explaining two elements mentioned in “salaatul istikhaarah”: being steadfast on Islam, and having firm resolve to be rightly guided.

Mufti Menk reminds us that if we want to attain peace in our lives and in our hearts we must make sure we a doing all the obligatory actions that make up the fundamentals of Islam

When the adhan comes on or the notification for prayer appears on your device what is your reaction? If it was something else what do you do? Are we losing our connection with Allah?

In Ramadan, many of us try to make sure we pray all our prayers. After Ramadan what happens? How can we continue all the good we do in Ramadan beyond Ramadan?

As Ramadan draws near, how can we make sure we are ready tor reap the full benefits of this blessed month? How can we make sure we have the proper focus in our prayer?

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf delivers a sermon to nearly 1,000 worshipers praying for relief from the extreme California drought following the Salatul Istisqa (rain prayer) at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014.

Standing up is not just a posture of prayer, but a way of life that stands as a metaphor to assist us to meet our own challenges and set-backs. Listen as our teachers engage more deeply with the questions and doubts often raised in our minds. This session seeks to provide Qur’anic guidance for exploring the counter-intuitive messages of how we grow spiritually amidst personal and collective setbacks.

Dr. Ingrid Mattson explains the salah (prayer) in Islam to an audience of many faiths. It is a refreshing explanation of prayer in Islam.

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf gives a Khutbah remind us to honor the masjid that he said are sanctified and consecrated for God’s remembrance and for the worshiper to gain spiritual repose and Sakinah (peace). Shaykh Hamza encourages worshipers to modestly ornament ourselves – both physically and mentally – before and while in the mosque so we can gain nearness to Allah and to gain dignity while in this place of worship. This Friday sermon was delivered at the Muslim Community Center – East Bay (MCC East Bay) in Pleasanton, California on June 25, 2010.

What is the benefit of prayer? How can prayer help us?

When making important decisions such as picking the right college, committing to a new career, or even choosing the right spouse, it’s easy to become deceived by what ‘looks’ shiny. It can be harder to make the right choice, but one way to overcome uncertainty in decision making is to consult the Best of Planners, Allah. How can we see past the good looks or well-built resumes to know things for what they really are?

How do we make sure we have the attention and focus in our prayers? How can prevent our minds from being distracted? Shaykh Abdur-Raheem McCarthy explains.

Mufti Ismail Menk reminds us of the importance of prayer in our lives and how it will transform our relationship with Allah and the benefit of all our good deeds.

The interesting and important topic of khusur is addressed by Sheikh Jobe with the underlying message of building one’s faith from the inside out. This talk is all about the importance of humbling oneself not only in prayer, but of humbling oneself before Allah in every step of life. But, as the speaker explains, it all starts within the prayer itself and khusur should be one of the Muslim’s primary concerns because of the frequency and reliance on prayer for our connection with Allah. With the understanding of khusur being clearly conveyed, the late sheikh then summarizes the practical methodology by which we can obtain this humility, tranquility, and satisfaction in our daily prayers.

How is prayer? Why do we pray? What is the benefit of prayer? Ustadh AbdelRahman Murphy discusses this and more.

Shaykh Muslema Purmul talks about the importance of performing qiyam.

Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya presents on the topic of “Etiquette of Ritual Prayer” with excerpts from Imam Al-Ghazali’s The Beginning of Guidance (بداية الهداية).

Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda discusses how salah can transform our soul.

Imam Zaid Shakir talks about our community’s proclivity to procrastination so we can hasten to implement God’s commands to us and to avoid the prohibitions. He gave tips to remedy and beat our laziness, including performing our prayer (Salat) on time.

This sermon was delivered at the Muslim Community Center – East Bay (MCC East Bay) in Pleasanton, California on Friday, February 2, 2018.

Shaykh Saad Tasleem explains how importance of the night in Islam and for us as Muslims what we can benefit from worshiping Allah during the Night. A lecture by Sh. Saad Tasleem on July 6, 2012 at IIOC “They Used to Sleep but Little of the Night”.

Have we focused the most important element of our children’s education? The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said the first thing we should teach our children is salah (prayer).

Salah is one of the most important aspects of Islam and being a Muslim. Why is salah so important and what can we get from salah? Shaykh Abdur-Raheem McCarthy explains.

Shaykh Okasha Kameny reminding the community about the importance of Salah and how it is what differs the Muslims from non-Muslims and is the most important topic in Islam.

Mufti Ismail Menk discusses the importance and the role of the Masjid in the life of a Muslim.

Mufti Ismail ibn Musa Menk explains the importance and blessings of praying and why it will benefit us to make sure we are consistent with this obligation.

Brother Adeel Hussain died while travelling to the event where Mufti Ismail ibn Musa Menk was speaking. Upon hearing this news, Mufti Menk decided to change the topic and remind us all about death. We need to reflect on when and how we will die. How do you want to leave this world?

The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated. It is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned after mentioning the testimony of faith, by which one becomes a Muslim. It was made obligatory upon all the prophets and for all peoples. Allah has declared its obligatory status under majestic circumstances. For example, when Allah spoke directly to Moses, He said,

“And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you. Verily, I am Allah! There is none worthy of worship but I, so worship Me and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance.” [Taha 13-14]

Similarly, the prayers were made obligatory upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during his ascension to heaven. Furthermore, when Allah praises the believers, such as in the beginning of surah al-Muminoon, one of the first descriptions He states is their adherence to the prayers.

Once a man asked the Prohpet (peace be upon him) about the most virtuous deed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that the most virtuous deed is the prayer. The man asked again and again. The first three times, the Prophet (peace be upon him) again answered, “The prayer,” then on the fourth occasion he stated, “Jihad in the way of Allah.” [This is form a hadith recorded by Ahmad and ibn Hibban. According to al-Albani, the hadith is hasan. Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, Sahih al-Targheeb wa al-Tarheeb (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami, 1982), vol. 1, p. 150]

The importance of prayer is demonstrated in the many of the Prophet’s statement. For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad.” [Recorded by al-Tabarani. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol.1, p. 503

In this lecture Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed discusses the importance of salah and our connection to Allah.

Explanation and procedure of Salat-ul-Istikharah.

The title of the lecture is ṣalāh in focus – creating some focus in regards to ṣalāh. Let’s go back to a time in the history of our ummah when the focus of ṣalāh was solidified. The most important period in our history is the life of the Prophet (s) . To understand the focus ṣalāh has in our dīn (religion) and in the life of the Prophet (s), we have to go back to the most difficult and tragic time in the life of the Prophet (s): a period of his life remembered as The Year of Grief and Sorrow.

A unique look at how the Islamic tradition articulates itself, irrespective of how it has been practiced by its people. In a strategic and tactful manner, Hamza Yusuf makes clear the whole concept of “islam” by analyzing the profound meaning of the word as it is explained in the Holy Qur’an. He then moves into a descriptive examination of the Islamic teaching by thoroughly explaining the fundamental practices of Islam: prayer, zakat (obligatory alms-giving), fasting, and hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca). These series of lectures have been immensely popular due, in large part, to the atmosphere created by the classroom-style format and the interaction and engagement by the speaker with the non-Muslim audience. (Recorded at the Dar al Islam Teachers’ Institute seminar). Other topics discussed: the meanings of “surah” and “ayat”, submitting when death comes, religion as self-deception, development and discipline of children, the four seasons as a metaphor for the cosmology of life, determining the prayer times using the sun, women in the mosque, women in the home, wudu (ablution), why pork is forbidden, want vs. need, envy, obeying the laws of the land in which you live, revolution in Islam, symbols in Islam, and going to extremes in practice.