 
For Muslim Gambians, prayer is a daily ritual, being one of the
Pillars of Islam. Good Muslims
will pray five times a day, with washed hands and bare feet and
heads, kneeling on mats facing Mecca.
Calls to prayers are transmitted from mosques via loudspeaker.
The five prayers and astronomical time periods are as followes,
with the Wolof name in parenthesis:
• Morning prayer - Fajr (suba): Between dawn and sunrise.
• Afternoon prayer - Zuhr (tisbaar): From when the Sun has passed
the Zenith up to Asr.
• Evening prayer - Asr (taakusaan): Between 5:00 pm and sunset.
• Dusk prayer - Maghrib (timis): From sunset to the end of dusk.
• Night prayer - Isha (gee): Between dusk and the dissapearance
of the twilight, though it can be from dusk to dawn (optional).
NOTE: The Friday prayer replaces the Zhur prayer.
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An optional dawn prayer (Fajr nafl) is said as the sun rises.
In addition to these regular prayers, blessings are said on special
occasions (e.g. before a meal, at ceremonies, etc.) These group
prayers are usually in Arabic, and you should hold your hands
in front of you differently than you would for a Christian
prayer, with palms up and the pinkie finger sides touching. "Amin"
is the appropriate response during breaks in the recital.
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Culture & Traditions Muslims
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