Information:
For Muslim Gambians, prayer is a daily ritual, being
one of the Pillars of Islam. Good Muslims
will pray five times a day, with washed hands and bare
feet and heads, kneeling on mats facing Mecca.
 Calls
to prayers are transmitted from mosques via loudspeaker.
The five prayers and astronomical time periods are as
followes, with the Wolof name in parenthesis:
• Morning prayer - Fajr (suba): Between dawn and sunrise.
• Afternoon prayer - Zuhr (tisbaar): From when
the Sun has passed the Zenith up to Asr.
•
Evening prayer - Asr (taakusaan): Between 5:00 pm and
sunset.
• Dusk prayer - Maghrib (timis): From
sunset to the end of dusk.
• Night prayer
- Isha (gee): Between dusk and the dissapearance of
the twilight, though it can be from dusk to dawn (optional).
NOTE: The Friday prayer replaces the Zhur prayer.
An optional dawn prayer (Fajr nafl) is said as the sun
rises. In addition to these regular prayers, blessings
are said on special occasions (e.g. before a meal, at
ceremonies, etc.) These group prayers are usually in
Arabic, and you should hold your hands in front of you
differently than you would for a Christian
prayer, with palms up and the pinkie finger sides touching.
"Amin" is the appropriate response during
breaks in the recital. |
