Summary
Understand the significance of prayer times in Ras Al Khaimah, including daily and Friday prayers, alongside the rituals of Wudhu and Salah. This guide provides essential etiquette for visiting the emirate’s beautiful mosques, such as the iconic Sheikh Zayed Mosque and Mohammed Bin Salem Mosque, offering a rich cultural immersion for visitors.
Ras Al Khaimah can offer visitors a wealth of cultural experiences, including beautiful spiritual and religious sites. Ras Al Khaimah’s mosques are well worth a visit for their architecture, atmosphere, and the opportunity they offer to learn a little more about UAE heritage and culture.
Before you pay a visit, here are some things to know about prayer time in Ras Al Khaimah’s mosques.
Explaining Prayer Time in Ras Al Khaimah
In Ras Al Khaimah, just as elsewhere in the world, Muslims must pray five times per day. This obligation is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside the declaration of their belief in one true God, a pilgrimage to Mecca, charitable giving, and fasting during Ramadan.
The exact times of prayer vary because they follow the sun’s location in the sky.
- Fajr are prayers performed at dawn, when the first sunlight appears in the east.
- Dhuhr is the name of prayers when the sun is at its highest point in the sky around noon.
- Asr are prayers performed when the sun is halfway down in late afternoon.
- Maghrib prayers begin at sunset and continue until the red light disappears.
- Isha prayers are performed at night but before midnight.
Muslims are helped to know when to pray because of the Adhan. The Adhan is a chanted call to prayer usually delivered from the minarets of mosques and in the direction of Mecca. You will probably hear the Adhan as a visitor to Ras Al Khaimah.
Friday Prayer Time in Ras Al Khaimah
In Islam, Friday is considered a holy day. On Fridays, the Dhuhr prayer is replaced by Jummah prayer time. Ras Al Khaimah’s Muslim men are expected to attend a community service of sermon and prayer at their local mosque. Women can also attend with less obligation.
Explaining What Happens During Prayer Time in Ras Al Khaimah
Salah is the name of the Islamic prayer ritual that makes up one of the five pillars of Islam. Salah decrees that Muslims must face the direction of the Holy Kaaba in Mecca during prayer.
Muslims can pray from anywhere, as long as they turn towards Mecca. However, many attend their local mosque to perform Salah. Men and women pray in separate rooms within the mosque.
Wudhu
Before Salah begins, devotees must perform a washing ritual called Wudhu. Wudhu has detailed steps but in short, it involves washing the face and ears, hands and forearms, and feet and ankles.
Salah and Rakats
Salah involves performing certain actions in cycles that include movements while reciting verses from the Holy Qur’an and chanting the Divine Names of Allah. Muslim prayer movements include raising the hands, bowing, kneeling, prostrating and returning to standing.
Each cycle of ritual is called a rakat. The five prayer times each day involve variations in the number of rakats performed. For instance, the day begins with two rakats during Fajr but ends with four rakats at Isha prayers.
Visiting Mosques in Ras Al Khaimah
Visitors are welcome at several mosques in Ras Al Khaimah. Taking a tour is a great way to learn more about the culture of Ras Al Khaimah. It’s also an opportunity to admire the incredible architecture and ornate interiors of these buildings.
Mosques are sacred places. Before visiting a mosque in the UAE, here are some things you should know.
- Where visitors are allowed, non-Muslims must visit outside of prayer times. Check opening times ahead of your visit to avoid disappointment.
- You should dress modestly, with legs covered to below the knee and arms covered to below the elbow. Women are required to cover their heads with a scarf.
- Shoes will need to be taken off at the mosque entrance.
Must-See Mosques in Ras Al Khaimah
Sheikh Zayed Mosque
Sheikh Zayed Mosque is a landmark in the Emirate and is considered one of the oldest places of worship in the UAE. It was first built in the era of Sheikh Saqr bin Rashid Al Qasimi, who ruled Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah from 1777-1803. Today, it can welcome up to 1,000 worshippers.
With a striking white facade, 60 columns, a palm-frond covered roof, three grand entrances, and 31 distinctive geometric windows with unique geometric carvings, the mosque is an architectural marvel.
Mohammed Bin Salem Mosque
The Mohammed Bin Salem Mosque is a 19th-century mosque of more modest size. It has recently undergone extensive renovations. Coral and beach stones have been overlaid with plaster as per tradition for a modest and charming exterior.
Cultural Experiences in Ras Al Khaimah
When you experience all that Ras Al Khaimah has to offer, you’ll find plenty of cultural sites. Some of the leading places to visit in Ras Al Khaimah include other historic sites and museums such as Dhayah Fort, Al Jazeera Al Hamra heritage neighborhood and the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah.
These places, combined with Ras Al Khaimah’s outstanding hospitality, luxury resorts and beautiful vistas, equal an incredible vacation experience. Make plans to visit here soon.
