Rule
Relaxations

Because the Sala is essentially a personal communication

between the one who prays and God,

there are two aspects of any form that prayer may take,

the inward and the outward.

The outward shape of the Sala is something shared with other muslims,

and they come together in the mosque to enjoy that sharing as a community,

a sharing that they trace back to the Messenger himself.

So the rules that are followed

are the cultural memory

of the rules followed by Muhammad the Messenger.

And as with virtually all the different aspects of Islam,

beyond the Unity of God and a recognition of Muhammad's Revelation,

the rules relating to the Sala,

what are considered to be its limits and requirements

have cultural variations

as well as recognised relaxations.

For all the traditions recognise

that there are times when making the Sala would be too difficult for someone.

The Sala is not meant to be a hardship,

let alone make impossible demands.

So at times of sickness the Sala is not a requirement.

But that always leaves the question of

how sick is sick enough.

And that sort of ruling can never be made

by anyone other than the person involved.

The external rules of the shape of the Sala come from others,

but the internal rules are much harder to define,

They involve faith,

belief and understanding,

sincerity, and honesty,

commitment, patience, and surrender.

No-one else can tell you how bad you feel,

or for that matter how self-indulgent you are being.

Of course, other people's opinions can help,

especially if they have knowledge,

and especially when there may be traditions that relate directly to an issue,

such as how to define the actual conclusion of a woman's monthly period.

And clearly there is a vast difference between now and a woman's situation at the time of the Messenger,

when women had no more than at most a piece of rag to deal with the issue,

as opposed to the socially enabling sanitary products of today,

but traditional opinions can still provide some relevant insights and understandings.

When it comes down to it, however,

there is only one person going to decide when to return to the Sala,

and that is the one actually making the Sala.

You have to want to make it.

And the fact that it is not possible to make the form of the Sala

does not mean that all prayer is to be avoided.

For those who are Mindful of God try to stay in communication all the time,

with dzikr and du'a, and even perhaps an internal shadow form of the Sala.

Such an internal form of the Sala is even permitted

as a substitute for the external shape of the Sala

when facing no more than the inconvenience of travelling,

an example that is traced back directly to the practice of the Messenger.

So, because the Messenger could make his Sala while riding on the back of a camel,

that makes it possible

to make an acceptable prayer while sitting on a bus or train, or plane

a shadow prayer,

but still recognising the turning of the world we live in

by the timings of the Sala.