List of prayers explained
This is a list of prayersfor various religions.
Christian prayers
Common to several denominations
Catholic prayers[1]
Triduum Marian
- Act of Contrition
- Prayer for all Sorts and Conditions
- For General Thanksgiving
Eastern Orthodox prayers
Christian prayers specific to the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite:
Other denominations
Prayers of the Theotokos ("Mary, Mother of God")
- It Is Truly Meet
- O Virgin Pure
Islamic prayers
Salah, ritual Islamic prayer, prescribed five times daily:
- Fajr – the dawn prayer. It is a two Rakat Salaah.
- Dhuhr – the early afternoon prayer. It is a four Rakat Salaah.
- Asr – the late afternoon prayer. It is a four Rakat Salaah.
- Maghrib – the sunset prayer. It is a three Rakat Salaah.
- Isha'a – the night prayer. It is a four Rakat Salaah.
Besides the five daily prayers, other notable forms of salaah include:
- Jumu'ah – weekly congregational prayer (replaces dhuhr on Fridays two rakat along with khutba)
- Sunnah - These prayers are recommended to be performed as by the Islamic prophet Muhammad on a regular basis throughout the lifetime; missing once or twice so that it does not become fard is called Sunnat.
- 2 Rak'ats Sunnat for Fajr. (The Fajr sunnat is offered before Fajr prayers)
- 6 Rak'ats Sunnat for Zuhr. (The Zuhr sunnat is 4 rakats before Zuhr and 2 rakats after zuhur.)
- 2 Rak'ats Sunnat for Maghrib. (The sunnat for maghrib should be offered after Maghrib prayers.)
- 2 Rak'ats Sunnat for Isha. (The sunnat for Isha is 2 rakat after Isha and followed by 3 rakat of Witr.)
- However, there is no Sunnat for Asr
- Nafil Salaah
- Salat of Ja’far e Tayyar - The best time to perform it is on Friday before noon. It is four Rakat Salat, divided into two parts 2 x 2 rakat.
- Salaat -e-Gufaila - Ghufayla prayers is one of the Mustahab prayers which is offered between Maghrib and Isha prayers.
- Namaz/Salaat of Eid/festival
- Tarawih – lengthy night-time prayers during Ramadancontaining 20 rakahs and often people pray 8-12 rakahs of salatul Tarawih.
- Dua, or "supplication"
- Dhikr, or "remembrance of God", often involving various repeated phrases, most notably:
Hindu prayers
- Prayer or worship is considered to be an integral part of the Hindu religion. The chanting of mantras is the most popular form of worship in Hinduism. Yoga and meditation are also considered as a form of devotional service. The adjacent picture represents the Om sign, which is a sacred sound and a spiritual symbol in Hinduism.
The Vedas are a collection of liturgy (mantras, hymns). Stuti is a general term for devotional literary compositions, but literally means praise.
The Hindu devotional Bhakti movements emphasizes repetitive prayer. Stemming from the universal Soul or Brahman, prayer is focused on the personal forms of Devas and/or Devis, such as Vishnu, or Vishnu's Avatars, Rama and Krishna, shiva as well as Shakti, or Shakti's forms such as Lakshmi or Kali. Ganesha is also a popular deity in Bhakti.
Before the process of ritual, before the invoking of different deities for the fulfillment of various needs, came the human aspiration to the highest truth, the foundational monism of Hinduism, pertaining ultimately to the one Brahman. Brahman, which summarily can be called the unknowable, true, infinite and blissful Divine Ground, is the source and being of all existence from which the cosmos springs. This is the essence of the Vedic system. The following prayer was part and parcel of all the Vedic ceremonies and continues to be invoked even today in Hindu temples all over India and other countries around the world, and exemplifies this essence.
Jain prayers
Jewish prayers
Sikh prayers
The Sikhs believe in going to bed early, then waking up early the next morning. The Sikhs call early morning as Amrit wela. Most of the Sikhs (especially baptized) wake up at this time of day and pray
Morning prayers
In the morning most of the Sikhs recite the path by sitting in their family or sitting alone. They recite 5 paths (holy chapters) as directed by the tenth guru of Sikhs Sri Guru Gobind Singh. The list of 5 paths is:
- Japji Sahib
- Jaap Sahib
- Tav Prasad Savaiye
- Chaupai Sahib
- Anand Sahib
They try to perform these prayers on a daily basis.
Evening prayers
In the evening the Sikhs perform the path of Rehraas Sahib.
Night prayers
During night time the Sikhs recite Kirtan Sohila before sleeping. Though the Sikhs pray these special prayers they are always in touch with their God by reciting Waheguru for the whole day, follow the orders of their Guru Nanak Dev Ji to do work but keep their attention towards God.
Notes and References
- Book: Moran, Rev. Patrick. The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations. 1883. Browne & Nolan. Francis Moran (cardinal).
