PRAYER IN THE QUR’ĀN: A SEMANTIC STUDY OF THE ROOT Ṣ-L-W

Abstract

This study examines how the concept of prayer appears in the Qur’an and how the transformation of prayer in light of the pre-Islamic tradition. Some scholars argue that the practice of prayer in Islam is borrowed from Jewish tradition, Christians and other non-monotheistic ritual traditions such as pagan and Zoroastrians, which undermine the notion of prayer in the Qur’an, the ultimate of source of Muslim rituals. This study employs the semantic theory of the Qur’an developed by Toshihiko Izutsu. The scope of the present study is confined to the pre-Islamic and Qur’anic periods, without extending into the post-Qur’anic period. The term ṣalāt is derived from the root ṣ-l-w. The basic meaning of this root and its derivatives is “to turn towards.” The relational meaning of the root ṣ-l-w and its derivatives are varied. Apart from ṣalāt as the prescribed ritual act of worship, the second meaning encompasses duʿāʾ, blessings, invocation or supplication The term ṣallā as “blessings” can be seen in the fact that Allah and the angels confer ṣalawāt (blessings) to the Prophet Muḥammad (SAW). Moreover, the term al-ṣalawāt in Q 22:40 carries yet another distinct meaning, denoting synagogues, designated places of worship within the Jewish tradition. The study of prayer in many inscriptions from pre-Islamic Arabia shows that the tradition of prayer (as duʿāʾ or supplication) was commonly practiced in the pagan intellectual tradition. Also, given the audience of the Meccan Qur’an was mainly pagan, it is difficult to sustain the claims that the practice of ṣalāt was borrowed from Jewish and Christian tradition. The practice of ṣalāt in the Qur’an appears as a divine order received by the Prophet Muḥammad (SAW). Moreover, the Qur’an its self provides the origin or ṣalāt, suggesting that it was part of the covenant taken from Banī Isrāʾīl and that it was also consistently delivered to other prophets, such as the Prophet Ibrāhīm and Ismail, to Mūsā, ʿĪsā. In the Meccan Qur’an, the appearance of ṣalāt was a personal worship of the Prophet Muḥammad (SAW). The five specified times in a day was already established during the Meccan period, including the ritual purification. In the Medinan period, where the muʾminūn engaged with Jewish tradition, the most fundamental transformation of ṣalāt in this period is its transition from a primarily personal act of devotion to a fully institutionalized communal and social practice.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Islamic Studies