Namaz is the Urdu word for Prayer. The Arabic word for Prayer is Salah. Namaz is the form of Worship of Allah S.W.T performed by Muslims.Namaz is one of the most important of the 5 pillars of Islam. Allah S.W.T has mentioned the benefits and the importance of Namaz as many as 500 times in the Holy Qur?an. Apart from the spiritual benefits that Namaz offers to Muslim worshippers, it is also one of the best forms of exercise that one can do on a regular basis. Namaz has been made compulsory for Muslims 5 times daily the five times are:

Fajr: Early morning just before sunrise. It consists of 4 Rakats.Zuhar: Afternoon paryers post the period of Zawaal (when sun is perpendicular to earth). It consists of 12 Rakats.

Asar: Post afternoon and before Sunset. It consists of 8 Rakats.Maghrib: Just after Sunset. It consists of 7 Rakats.Isha: Late evening after the Sunset is complete and darkness of the night is complete and the cooling effect of the atmosphere begins. It consists of 17 Rakats

A Rakat is one complete cycle of Standing, Bending, Prostrations and subsequent Sitting or Standing up again in the Namaz. Each posture of the Namaz has a standard defined procedure and recitations that are observed by every Muslim irrespective of where he lives or what race he belongs to. Muslims follow the methods as taught to us by Prophet Muhammad (SAW

Praying Namaz requires one to be clean in all respects, be it?s the physical self, the surroundings or the intent. No matter how hard a person prays or for how long he lies in prostration (Sajda), unless his intention are clean and motives selfless, the Namaz will not be accepted by Allah.

It is required that a person ensures the surrounding is clean and free from sins where he intends to offer Namaz. The Prophet (SAW) advised that except for the washroom or where one relieves himself and the graveyard, Allah has made the whole world as a place of worship for his believers.

For men, it is advisable to pray in a Masjid in congregation behind an Imam, as it is 27 times more rewarding than praying alone at home, but for women it is equally rewarding whether she prays alone within the confines of her home or in a congregation in a Masjid. The distinction does not signify that Islam discriminates men from women, as during the times of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), men and women would pray inside a same Masjid in separate lines or separate areas marked specifically for women, behind one Imam, and it is practiced even today in many Masjid's around the world the Haram Sharif or the Kaba and Masjid-e-Nabvi included.

One should ensure before praying that the surroundings are clean and also advisable to lay out a clean piece of cloth called the Musalla (Prayer mat), on which to pray rather than on bare ground. Another important requirement in preparation for Namaz is the Wuzu (ablution) which requires one to clean his mouth, nose face, hands, head, neck and feet with running water to purify oneself physically. Running water does not mean wasting of water with taps opened as is observed amongst most of us, but to use a minimum and sufficient amount so as to thoroughly clean yourself

Namaz is basically to purify oneself, seek forgiveness for the sins we commit intentionally and unintentionally, and pledge not to repeat it. It teaches one to have his feet on the ground and submit to the Will of the Almighty, before Him all are helpless. Namaz makes us compassionate and believe in the equality of mankind. It gives a message that when the Jamaat (congregation) stands before Allah for observing Namaz, there is no distinction between the prince and the pauper. All will stand alongside each other and pray in a similar way and recite the same verses from the same Holy Qur?an.

Namaz makes us disciplined and brings feeling of regularity and gives a direction to our daily life, 5 times a day, if we make it a routine to get up on hearing the Azaan, do the Wuzu (ablutions) and head for prayers, either in a congregation or alone, we feel a sense of Time Management in our daily chores