A Muslim follows the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and prays in the exact manner the Prophet used to pray.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pray as you have seen me pray." [294] Narrated by Al-Bukhāri.
Through prayer, a Muslim addresses his Lord five times a day to satisfy his strong desire for communicating with Him throughout the day. It is the means that Allah provided us with to address Him, and He commanded us to adhere to it for our own interest.
Allah Almighty said:
{Recite [O Prophet] what is revealed to you of the Book, and establish prayer, for indeed prayer restrains one from immoral acts and wickedness. Indeed, the remembrance of Allah is of greater merit. And Allah knows all what you do.} [295] Surat al-‘Ankabūt: 45.
As human beings, we almost never stop talking to our spouses and children on the phone on daily basis out of strong love and attachment.
The prayer also plays another important role as it acts as a deterrent on approaching evil acts and as a motivation for performing good acts; that is when one recalls his Creator, fearing His punishment and longing for His pardon and reward.
Moreover, one's deeds must be offered with pure sincerity for the sake of the Lord of the worlds, and since it is difficult for man to constantly remember this or renew his intention; therefore, there had to be certain times for prayer to communicate with the Lord of the worlds and renew one's sincerity towards Him through worship and deeds. The minimum is five times every day and night. Such times reflect the main timings and phenomena of the alternation of the day and night throughout the day: Fajr (morning), Zhuhr (noon), ‘Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), and ‘Ishā’ (evening).
Allah Almighty said:
{So be patient with what they say, and glorify your Lord with praise before sunrise and before sunset, and glorify Him during the night and at both ends of the day, so that you may be pleased [with the reward].} [296] Surat Taha: 130.
Before sunrise and before sunset: the Fajr and ‘Asr prayers.
During the night: the ‘Ishā’ prayer.
At both ends of the day: the Zhuhr and Maghrib prayers.
They are five prayers to cover all the natural changes that occur during the day and to act as a reminder of its Creator and Originator.
Allah Almighty made the Ka‘bah [297], the Sacred House, the first House for worship and a symbol of the believers' unity since all Muslims from around the world form circles at the time of prayer with Makkah lying at the center. The Qur’an presents many scenes of the interaction between worshippers and nature like the glorification and recitation of the mountains and birds along with Prophet Dāwūd (David): {Indeed, We bestowed favors upon David: “O mountains, echo Allah’s praise with him, and the birds too!” And We made iron malleable for him.} [298] Islam confirms, in more than one occasion, that the whole universe with all its creatures exalt and glorify the Lord of the worlds. Allah Almighty said: Surat Saba’:10.
{The first House [of worship] established for mankind was the one at Bakkah [Makkah], full of blessings and guidance for the worlds.} [299] Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 96. The honorable Ka‘bah is a square-shaped structure, almost like a cube. It lies in the center of the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. It has a door but no windows. It has nothing inside and it is not the grave for anyone, rather, it is a prayer chamber. A Muslim who prays inside the Ka‘bah can face any direction. It was renewed several times throughout history. Prophet Abraham was the first to raise its foundations along with his son Ishmael. In one of its corners, there lies the Black Stone. It is believed that it belongs to the time of Adam (peace be upon him); however, it has no supernatural power but it represents a symbol for the Muslims.
The spherical nature of the earth, the alternation of day and night, and the Muslims' joining them with their circumambulation around the Ka‘bah and their five prayers every day from various spots on earth while facing the direction of Ka‘bah represent part of the universal system in terms of the constant and perpetual interaction to magnify and glorify the Lord of the worlds. It is a command addressed by the Creator to His Prophet Abraham to raise the foundations of the Ka‘bah and circumambulate it, and we were commanded to take the Ka‘bah as our Qiblah (direction) during the prayer.
The Ka‘bah was mentioned many times throughout history. People used to visit it every year even from the farthest parts of the Arabian Peninsula, which showed great reverence for its holiness. It was also mentioned in the prophecies of the Old Testament: "As they pass through the Valley of Bakkah, they turn it into a spring." [300]
The Arabs used to venerate the Sacred House during their pre-Islamic era of ignorance. When Prophet Muhammad was sent, Allah Almighty made Jerusalem his first prayer direction. Then, He commanded him to turn towards the Sacred House instead to distinguish between those who were sincere to Allah and those who turned against Him from among the followers of Prophet Muhammad. The main objective behind changing the prayer direction was to make the hearts completely devoted to Allah and to purify them from all kinds of attachment to other than Allah. Muslims, thus, submitted and turned towards the new prayer direction as instructed by the Prophet. The Jews used to consider the Prophet's facing the direction of Jerusalem in prayer as an argument supporting their stance. Old Testament, Psalms: 84.
Furthermore, such a change in the prayer direction was also a turning point and a symbol of the shift of religious leadership to the Arabs after being taken away from the Children of Israel for their breach of covenants with the Lord of the worlds.