صلاة

Arabic

Alternative forms

• صَلَوٰة‎ (ṣalāh) – classical spelling

Etymology

Normalized spelling of earlier صَلَوٰة‎ (ṣalāh), from Classical Syriac ܨܠܘܬ‎ (ṣəlōṯ), whence the denominal root ص ل و‎ (ṣ-l-w). Compare Ugaritic 𐎕𐎍𐎚 (ṣlt).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sˤa.laːh/
  • (Gulf Arabic) IPA^(key): /sˤə.ɫaːt/

Noun

صَلَاة • (ṣalāh) f (plural صَلَوَات‎ (ṣalawāt))

1. verbal noun of صَلَّى‎ (ṣallā) (form II)
2. prayer in general; spontaneous prayer
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 17:110:

     ‏قُلِ ٱدْعُوا ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدْعُوا ٱلرَّحْمَٰنَ أَيًّا مَا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَاءُ ٱلْحُسْنَى وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَٱبْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا‎

     quli dʕū l-laha ʔawi dʕū r-raḥmāna ʔayyan mā tadʕū fa-lahu l-ʔasmāʔu l-ḥusnā wa-lā tajhar bi-ṣalātika wa-lā tuḵāfit bihā wa-btaḡi bayna ḏālika sabīlan

     Say (to them, O Mohammed): Call upon (Him by) "God" or call upon (Him by) "ar-Raḥmân" ("The Merciful One"); whichever you call upon (Him by), (remember that) the most beautiful of names belong to Him; and be not very loud in your prayers nor be very quiet but follow a way in between.

3. place of worship, especially of the Jews, hence a synagogue
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 22:40:

     ‏وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ ٱللهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَّصَلَوَاتٌ وَّمَسٰجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا ٱسْمُ ٱللهِ كَثِيرًا‎

     walawlā dafʕu llāhi n-nāsa baʕḍahum bibaʕḍin llahuddimat ṣawāmiʕu wabiyaʕun wwaṣalawātun wwamasājidu yuḏkaru fīhā smu llāhi kaṯīran

     And were it not that God checks some people by others there in fact would have been demolished churches and monastic cells, and synagogues and mosques wherein the name of God is oft-mentioned.

4. (Islam) salat, namaz, prayer
5. supplication, especially of blessing and salutation on somebody
   1. (by extension) blessing and salutation
      • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 2:157:

        ‏أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ‎

        ʔūlāʔika ʕalayhim ṣalawātun min rabbihim waraḥmatun

        Those are the ones upon whom are blessings and salutations as well as mercy from their Lord.

Declension

Declension of noun صَلَاة (ṣalāh)

Singular	singular triptote in ـَاة (-āh)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	صَلَاة ṣalāt	الصَّلَاة‎ aṣ-ṣalāt	صَلَاة ṣalāt
Nominative	صَلَاةٌ ṣalātun	الصَّلَاةُ‎ aṣ-ṣalātu	صَلَاةُ ṣalātu
Accusative	صَلَاةً ṣalātan	الصَّلَاةَ‎ aṣ-ṣalāta	صَلَاةَ ṣalāta
Genitive	صَلَاةٍ ṣalātin	الصَّلَاةِ‎ aṣ-ṣalāti	صَلَاةِ ṣalāti
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	صَلَاتَيْن‎ ṣalātayn	الصَّلَاتَيْن‎ aṣ-ṣalātayn	صَلَاتَيْ‎ ṣalātay
Nominative	صَلَاتَانِ‎ ṣalātāni	الصَّلَاتَانِ‎ aṣ-ṣalātāni	صَلَاتَا‎ ṣalātā
Accusative	صَلَاتَيْنِ‎ ṣalātayni	الصَّلَاتَيْنِ‎ aṣ-ṣalātayni	صَلَاتَيْ‎ ṣalātay
Genitive	صَلَاتَيْنِ‎ ṣalātayni	الصَّلَاتَيْنِ‎ aṣ-ṣalātayni	صَلَاتَيْ‎ ṣalātay
Plural	sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	صَلَوَات‎ ṣalawāt	الصَّلَوَات‎ aṣ-ṣalawāt	صَلَوَات‎ ṣalawāt
Nominative	صَلَوَاتٌ‎ ṣalawātun	الصَّلَوَاتُ‎ aṣ-ṣalawātu	صَلَوَاتُ‎ ṣalawātu
Accusative	صَلَوَاتٍ‎ ṣalawātin	الصَّلَوَاتِ‎ aṣ-ṣalawāti	صَلَوَاتِ‎ ṣalawāti
Genitive	صَلَوَاتٍ‎ ṣalawātin	الصَّلَوَاتِ‎ aṣ-ṣalawāti	صَلَوَاتِ‎ ṣalawāti

Derived terms

• عَلَيْهِ ٱلصَّلَاةُ وَٱلسَّلَامُ‎ (ʕalayhi ṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu)
• صَلَاة السَّاعَات الْكَبِيرَة‎ (ṣalā(t) as-sāʕāt al-kabīra)

Related terms

• دُعَاء‎ (duʕāʔ, “supplication, du'a'”)
• زَكَاة‎ (zakāh, “almsgiving, zakat”)
• صَوْم‎ (ṣawm, “fast, sawm”)

Descendants

• → Afar: salat
• → Armenian: սալավաթ (salavatʿ)
• → Azerbaijani: salavat
• → Bashkir: салауат (salawat), Салауат (Salawat) (proper name)
• → English: salat
• → Georgian: სალავათი (salavati)
• → Persian: صلات‎ (salât)
• → Indonesian: salat, shalat, solat, sholat
• → Malay: solat
• → Ottoman Turkish: صلوات‎ (salavat)
  • Turkish: salavat
• → Tatar: салават (salawat)
• → Russian: саля́т (salját)
• → Spanish: azalá
• → Swahili: swala

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Arabic صَلَاة‎ (ṣalāh).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sˤa.laː/, [sˤɑˈlɑː]

• Audio (al-Lidd)

  (file)

Noun

صلاة • (ṣalā) f (plural صلوات‎ (ṣalawāt))

1. prayer