Salat - Differences in Practice

Differences in Practice

The Islamic worship (salat) practiced by one Muslim may differ from another's in minor details, which can affect the precise actions and words involved. Differences arise because of different interpretations of the Islamic legal sources by the different schools of law (madhhabs) in Sunni Islam, and by different legal traditions within Shia'ism. In the case of ritual worship these differences are generally minor, and do not necessarily cause dispute. It is important to note the reason why Sunni Muslims have a basic agreement on the necessary part of the Salah. Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad practiced, taught, and disseminated the worship ritual in the whole community of Muslims and made it part of their life. The practice has, therefore, been concurrently and perpetually practiced by the community in each of the generations. The authority for the basic forms of the Salah is neither the hadiths nor the Qur'an, but rather the consensus of Muslims. Differences also occur due to optional (recommended rather than obligatory) articles of prayer procedure, for example, which verses of the Qur'an to recite. Shia Muslims pray in a more complicated way from sunni Muslims, for example, at the end of the prayer, shias raise their hands three times, reciting Allah hu akbar and sunnis just look at the left and right shoulder saying salams. Also Shias in the second Rakak often read "Qunoot" which for Sunnies it is often done after Salat.