The Islamic Call to Prayer

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Responding to this call on Friday afternoon, praying in the mosque, and making the pledge to Allah, is the only thing need to become a Muslim. At this point one crosses over from Dar ul Harb, the house of the pagan, into Dar ul Islam, the house of Islam (submission).

The Muslim is called to prayer five times a day. The call to prayer is heard at dawn, at the midday, about the middle of the afternoon, just after sunset, and at night fall about two hours after sunset.

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The muezzin, a man appointed to call to prayer, climbs the mineret of the mosque, and he calls in all directions, "Hasten to prayer." Many mosques no longer require the muezzin to climb the mineret. Instead, a loud speaker carries the message.

This is a very simple, faithless, and almost mindless exercise. The emphasis is on not making a verbal mistake rather than on believing something. If the Muslim makes an error in the word sequence of prayer in the mosque, he will at once rise and quietly exit in shame.