On the rocks of Sunset Cliffs beach in San Diego, on an airplane up in the sky, in the halls of Madison Square Garden during a Knicks game, or on the freshly cleaned green carpet inside the walls of the Sacred Mosque in Makkah—these are just a few of the locations on the list of places where I have had the opportunity to pray.
It is well known that Muslims are required to pray five times a day: 1 – at dawn (fajr), 2 – midday (zuhr), 3 – afternoon (asr), 4 – sunset (maghrib), and 5 – night (isha) to describe the timings generally. While fajr and isha can usually be completed at home or mosque when other responsibilities are taken care of, the remaining three often fall during a work or school day, social engagement, or other outing.
Completing all five prayers on time may sound like a daunting task at first, but there are quite a few ways to make the obligation easier.
Prayer Apps
While it’s very normal to get busy during the day and have other responsibilities get the best of one’s attention, a packed schedule does not remove the responsibility of the five daily prayers. Every Muslim I know has some type of prayer app that sends a notification upon the entry of each prayer time. Some even have trackers and automated alarms that play the call to prayer. When the notification goes off, it indicates that the window of time (which can range from an hour and a half to several hours depending on the prayer and time of year) for a particular prayer has started. Some apps have features that notify a user before the window of time ends, in case they didn’t get a chance yet to pray. Ask any Muslim, and I’m certain they’ll tell you they accidentally had their phone’s prayer app go off in the middle of a meeting or class or important phone call.
Many of these apps also have a feature that displays the qiblah, or the direction of Makkah, which is where Muslims face when they pray. Along with the ritual ablution called wudu, facing the qiblah is a prerequisite to the prayer. One has to do their best to determine the direction of Makkah, so making sure a phone is charged and the compass/prayer app is running smoothly is essential. While the qiblah is already obvious inside of a mosque and determined in one’s own home, the direction shown on the apps is very helpful when one has to pray on the go.
Remaining in Wudu
As mentioned above, being in the ritual state of wudu, or purity, is a prerequisite to prayer in Islam. This means having done the ablution which consists of washing the hands/arms, face, and feet, as well as wiping the head at minimum. A tip I try to practice is performing the ablution regularly, even if I am not immediately praying after. For example, every time I use the restroom or wake up from sleeping, I make sure I perform the ablution so I can be ready to pray at a moment’s notice. So even if I have to squeeze in a prayer between meetings or before running to pick up the kids from school, I don’t have to worry about making wudu because I make sure to maintain the state throughout the day.
In those times when one finds themselves not in the state of wudu, they can quickly head towards the restroom for water. If a person is on the road, it’s helpful to keep a spray bottle full of water available in the car. The minimum requirement of wudu, stated above, takes just a minute or two to complete and actually very little water.
Planning Ahead
Like anything in life, planning ahead can really remove the stress from the task at hand. Prayer times are set and predictable, so if a person knows they’ll be in a new place during a prayer time, they can scope out a clean area to pray ahead of time. In college, I used to head to my lecture halls early if I had to find a place nearby to pray in the middle of the class. I’d figure out the qiblah and sit close to the door to make a subtle exit without disturbing my professor or classmates.
Carrying a travel prayer mat absolutely helps! They fold up small and have saved me from laying my jacket down on the ground more times than I can count. It doesn’t hurt to have a water bottle on hand if you ever find yourself in a bind for wudu.
Mindset Shift
Last and perhaps most important, instead of thinking of the prayers as a task or chore, it’s helpful to change the outlook and view them as five opportunities during the day. They are scheduled moments to reflect and reset.
A good friend of mine once told me, “There’s always a way to pray.” I used to worry about when or how I’d pray when my schedule would have me out and about during prayer times, but after hearing my friend’s mindset, I realized I didn’t have to stress. Muslims believe God intends ease for us, and not difficulty—her words made me realize that. God made the entire world a place of prostration (save for a few places like the restroom) as a way to get closer to Him. Knowing that, the obligation of prayer feels more like a loving relationship God wants us to maintain, as it brings solace, meaning, and pause to the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
The five daily prayers offer a lifeline for Muslims. They are a welcomed break from the dunya, this world. They allow us to reconnect with our Creator whom we love and refocus on our true purpose—worshiping Him. While the prayers interrupt daily routines, they are gifts that reorient Muslims to what is important and serve as a reminder that the ultimate interruption of death returning us to our Creator will surely come.
If you have questions about Islam, need help connecting with Muslims, or want to find your local mosque, reach out to 877-Why-Islam.