Definition of Salah

*These Notes are based on the Meaningful Salah class taught by Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda*

Linguistic Definition of Salah:

• صئلا - Connection
•  Root of the word Salah
• الصلوان - Hips 
• The hips are the most important part of movement.  Just like in any sports, the most important part of the body to strengthen is the core.  For a muslim Salah is the core of our deen.
• الصلي - To burn
• When metal is heated and can be bent and shaped as if it were humbled.  A human should be humbled in salah so his personality is moulded into that of a slave of Allah.

Technical Definition of Salah: To worship Allah by means of certain known and prescribed sayings and actions at specified times.

• من الله - If the doer is Allah then it means to have mercy and grant blessings.

It is He who confers blessing upon you, and His angels [ask Him to do so] that He may bring you out from darknesses into the light. And ever is He, to the believers, Merciful. [33:43]

Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. [2:157]

• من الملائكة - If the doers are the angels then it means to seek forgiveness.

Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace. [33:56]

Those (angels) who carry the Throne and those around it exalt (Allah) with praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who have believed, (saying), "Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire. [40:7] 

• من الانسان - If the doer is a human being, it means to worship Whether or not it is done for the sake of Allah

O you who have believed, when called for the prayer (للصلوة) on the day of Jumu'ah, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew. [62:9]

And their prayer (صلاتحم) at the House was not except whistling and handclapping. So taste the punishment for what you disbelieved. [8:35] 

• In this ayah Allah calls it Salah even though he is referring to the prayers of the disbelievers and even though it is not the Islamically prescribed salah.