Name: Pillar 2: Where Can Muslims Pray?
Uploaded: 2020-10-03T14:00:00.000Z
Channel: Sh. Abdullah Oduro
Description: With our lives on the go, many people have the question: Where can a Muslim pray? Sh. Abdullah Oduro shares 3 benefits to praying in a mosque and the requirements for where else prayer can be performed.

With our lives on the go, many people have the question: Where can a Muslim pray? Sh. Abdullah Oduro shares 3 benefits to praying in a mosque and the requirements for where else prayer can be performed.

DH 2026 General Donation

Cookie Consent Banner

Rituals and deeds performed to demonstrate submission and devotion to God, such as prayer and fasting. These acts purify the soul and strengthen the believer's connection with their Creator.

Acts of Worship

Intro to Pillar 1: Shahada (Testimony of Faith)

Pillar 1: Who is the Shahada (Testimony of Faith) For?

Pillar 1: When Should We Make the Shahada (Testimony of Faith)?

Pillar 1: Where Should We Make the Shahada (Testimony of Faith)?

Pillar 1: Why Do We Make the Shahada (Testimony of Faith)?

Intro to Pillar 2: Prayer

Pillar 2: What is Prayer?

Pillar 2: Why do we pray?

Pillar 2: Who Should Pray?

Pillar 2: When Do We Pray?

Pillar 2: Where Can Muslims Pray?

Pillar 3: Intro to Zakat (Almsgiving)

Pillar 3: What is Zakat (Almsgiving)?

Pillar 3: Why do we give Zakat (Almsgiving)?

Pillar 3: When do we give Zakat (Almsgiving)?

Pillar 3: Who receives Zakat (Almsgiving)?

Pillar 3: Where Should We Give Zakat (Almsgiving)?

Pillar 3: Zakat Al-Fitr

Pillar 4: Intro to Fasting | Convert Resources

Pillar 4: Who Should Fast? | Convert Resources

Pillar 4: What is the Purpose of Fasting? | Convert Resources

Pillar 4: When Do Muslims Fast? | Convert Resources

Pillar 4: Why Do Muslims Fast? | Convert Resources

Pillar 4: Where Do Muslims Fast? | Convert Resources

Pillar 5: Introduction to Hajj (Pilgrimage)

Pillar 5: What is Hajj (Pilgrimage)?

Pillar 5: Why do Muslims Perform Hajj (Pilgrimage)?

Pillar 5: When do Muslims Go On Hajj (Pilgrimage)?

Pillar 5: Where do Muslims Perform Hajj (Pilgrimage)?

Pillar 5: Who Can Perform Hajj (Pilgrimage)?

All Members

Fellows

Researchers

Senior Fellow

Sh. Abdullah Oduro

What are the 5 Pillars of Islam?
1. Shahada (the testimony of faith)
2. Salat (prayer)
3. Zakat (alms giving)
4. Sawm (fasting)
5. Hajj (pilgrimage)

Whether you were born to a Muslim family and are rediscovering faith, or you are a new Muslim who has recently accepted Islam, how can you build a strong connection with your new way of life?

First step: begin with the basics.

In this series, Sh. Abdullah Oduro walks us through the "who", "what", "when", "where", and "why" of the 5 foundational pillars of Islam. This series is not just for new and renewed Muslims—it is also a vital resource for convert coaches and Imams to use in their work.

Series

Video

Sharia, or Islamic law, is the divinely ordained path governing ritual devotion and aspects of daily life. This section covers research on Islamic jurisprudence, including worship, commerce, family law, and penal codes.

Sharia

5 Pillars Made Plain

 As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.  May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all.  I'm Abdullah Oduro and welcome back.  Where can one offer the salah?  Particularly, it's highly recommended to offer the salah  in the masjid for that will serve many purposes  and many benefits.  From that is that you are praying in what is characterized  and known in the Qur'an in numerous verses  as the house of Allah.  And also the prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,  encouraged Muslims to build mosques.  Thirdly, it's important to know that when you go and pray  at a mosque, if it's the prescribed prayers,  the five daily prayers, you will be praying in congregation.  So that helps establish and strengthen the community.  And from that establishment, it creates networking  and strengthens the brother and sisterhood.  But generally, one can pray anywhere as long as it is  in a pure place, which is characterized by the absence  of any large amounts of blood or that which comes from it  being pus, et cetera, urine, or feces.  If it is not in that area, then that place is okay to pray.  So if you're playing basketball or playing a sport,  you can pray outside in the grass, you can pray on the sand,  you can pray in a parking lot.  Just make sure that when you do that,  the immediate place of where you prostrate primarily,  there is no urine, there are no feces,  and there is no blood that has not been washed off.  And from the wisdom of Allah, as the Prophet,  peace and blessings be upon him, even said,  he said, the earth was made as a mosque for him,  as a masjid.  So you can pray anywhere.  And that's from the wisdom of Allah and his mercy upon us.  So even if you're in a place that is not befitting,  try to find a place where it's serene and quiet  and doesn't have any of those impurities  that we talked about and pray.  Also, it's important to remember that the place  that we direct our prayers is towards the Kaaba.  Depending where you are in the world,  it will be a certain direction that you have to pray.  So we in America, in the West, we face the Northeast,  and that is the direction of the Kaaba.  Mind you, when you go into a mosque,  you will see sometimes an indentation  in a portion of the wall.  That is where the imam stands to lead the prayer,  which is an indication of the direction of the Kaaba.  And this is what is called biqibla.  This means the direction of the Kaaba.  That is generally where the Muslim should pray,  in that direction.  So if you're at home, it's advisable for you  to get an app, to use the app and look Northeast,  and primarily it will show you where the qibla is.  If you do not know, you are at work,  and you do not know where to pray,  if you can find someone to ask you,  find someone to ask to give you the directions  of where Northeast is located, looking on a compass,  depending on the time of the prayer,  you can possibly tell by the sun,  but other than that, it's advisable to use an app  and to let that app guide you, inshallah ta'ala.  May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless you all  in finding the proper places to pray,  and allowing those places to serve and help and assist you  in your undivided attention towards Him.  As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.  Thank you.

5 Pillars Made Plain

Sh. Abdullah Oduro

Other series

40 Hadiths on Social Justice

Confident Muslim

Sayedaty

The Faith Revival

Proofs of Prophethood

To Know Him is to Love Him: Finding Answers Through Allah's Attributes

Khutbahs

Virtues of Dhul Hijjah

Firm Roots

The Firsts (Sahaba Stories) | The Forerunners of Islam

Connect with us

Yaqeen app

Ameen app