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).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sˤa.laːh/

Noun

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

1. verbal noun of صَلَّىٰ‎ (ṣallā, “to pray”) (form II)
2. prayer in general; spontaneous prayer
   • 609–632 C.E., Qur'an, 9:103:

     ‏وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَهُمْ‎

     wa-ṣalli ʿalayhim ʾinna ṣalātaka sakanun lahum

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   • 609–632 C.E., 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 dʿū l-laha ʾawi dʿū r-raḥmāna ʾayyan mā tadʿū fa-lahu l-ʾasmāʾu 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. a place for prayer or religious worship for non-Muslims, especially Jews; a synagogue
   • 609–632 C.E., Qur'an, 22:40:

     ‏وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ ٱللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا ٱسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا‎

     walawlā dafʿu l-lahi n-nāsa baʿḍahum bibaʿḍin lahuddimat ṣawāmiʿu wabiyaʿun waṣalawātun wamasājidu yuḏkaru fīhā smu l-lahi kaṯīran

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

4. (Islam) salat, namaz, prayer
5. bliss, blessing
   • 609–632 C.E., Qur'an, 2:157:

     ‏أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ‎

     ʾūlāʾika ʿalayhim ṣalawātun min rabbihim wa-raḥmatun

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

Derived terms

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

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

Descendants

• → Afar: salat
• → Bashkir: салауат (salawat), Салауат (Salawat) (proper name)
• → English: salat
• → Persian: صلات‎ (ṣalât)
• → Indonesian: salat, shalat, solat, sholat
• → Malay: solat
• → Russian: саля́т (salját)
• → Swahili: swala

Related terms

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

---

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic صَلَاة‎ (ṣalāh).

Noun

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

1. prayer