Muslims are obligated to offer prayers five times a day. Offering these prayers is compulsory, and no one must skip them at any cost. Those who live abroad often find it challenging to find a proper community center or a masjid nearby where they can offer their prayers.
Therefore, they usually build a prayer space inside their homes to offer their Salah to their families. Moreover, having a proper prayer space in the comfort of your home can be a big convenience.
In this article, we will discuss how you can set up a praying space inside your home.
What Is the Importance of a Dedicated Prayer Space Inside Your Home?
Ibn ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Observe part of the [Nawafil (voluntary)] Salat (prayers) in your homes. Do not turn your homes into graves.”
[Riyad as-Salihin 1129]
We get very busy in our daily lives, and more often than not, we usually forget even to slow down and remember our creator for all the things He has blessed us with. We have designated areas for everything in our home.
We have the dining area to have our food and a bedroom to sleep in, so why do we usually miss out on making a prayer room?
Women get busy with their house chores; kids get busy with school and extracurriculars. The prayer timings for different places also vary, so it is easy to forget about offering prayers. You can read more about prayer timings here.
Having a particular prayer area at home helps to develop the habit of regularly offering Salah five times a day. It gives a personal and private space where you get a chance to reconnect with Allah.
Kids can be taught to offer prayers without distractions at a growing age. The room can be decorated to give the children a unique vibe. It should be created and designed so everyone feels obliged to offer their prayers.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Ideal Prayer Area Inside Your Home
Step 1: Selecting the Space
You don’t need to designate an entire room for your prayers. You can also select a private area with enough space to offer your prayers. Ideally, the prayer area must be free from distractions. It should not be located where you get noise from the outside.
It should be well-lit and spacious. An ideal space must be inviting to all the members of the home. Some people prefer to set up their prayer room or area near where they can efficiently perform ablution.
The reason to keep both of these places nearby is to offer convenience. However, if you do not have such a space in your house, it is not a mandatory requirement and can be skipped.
Step 2: Finding the Essentials
Once you have decided on the space, you can buy all the essentials. A prayer mat is one of the basic requirements.
Keep more than one prayer mat so more people can offer their prayers together. Next comes a book rack to place your Quran and other Islamic books.
If your prayer area has a wall, you can hang Ayah’s quotes or even Quranic scriptures that you recite daily. Some people like to add indoor plants to give the space a good vibe.
Prayer caps for men and scarves or shawls for women are also added to the list of essentials. You can also place a basket or a drawer to place all your prayer mats, scarves, tasbeeh, and other essentials in one place.
Make sure to keep the area clean. You can add non-alcoholic scents with the help of an air diffuser.
Step 3: Prayer Clock
Most Muslims living in Western countries do not get to hear Adhan or the call to prayer. Therefore, a prayer clock in the area works best in such cases.
A prayer clock displays the time of the following prayer and also gives adhan on the correct time. While a prayer clock may have become obsolete due to the invention of the latest apps and gadgets.
Yet, adding it to the prayer areas will be helpful for those who do not like to be reminded of Salah through app notifications or ringtones.
Step 4: Qibla Direction
Knowing the qibla direction is essential since your prayers will not be accepted if you do not face the Qibla.
In Surah Al-Baqra, Allah says:
“We have been seeing you turning your face to the heavens. So, We will certainly assign to you a Qiblah that you would like. Now, turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid-ul-Harām), and (O Muslims), wherever you are, turn your faces in its direction. Even those who have been given the Book know well that it is the truth from their Lord, and Allah is not unaware of what they do.”
[Surah Al-baqarah 2:144]
The direction of the qibla depends on whichever location you live in. Even two neighbours can have a different direction in Qibla. Therefore, confirming the direction before offering Salah in your prayer room is better.
Here are a few ways to confirm this direction.
- A prayer app on your phone helps you get accurate directions to the Qibla.
- You can use a compass to get the directions.
Once you have confirmed that you are facing the Qiblah, mark it in your prayer room. You can paste stickers on your floor so that everyone who prays in that room knows which direction to face.
You can even manually use a marker to mark the direction of the Qiblah.
Conclusion
Salah is the second pillar of Islam. Its importance cannot be underestimated, so Allah has instructed Muslims to offer these prayers five times daily. It is a nourishment for the soul, and it helps us to keep away from worldly sins.
These prayers help us to remember Allah throughout the day and maintain a strong connection with him.
In Surah An-Kabut, Allah states:
“Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, ˹genuine˺ prayer should deter ˹one˺ from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is ˹an˺ even greater ˹deterrent˺. And Allah ˹fully˺ knows what you ˹all˺ do.”
[Surah Al-Ankabut 29:45]
