When we talk about salāt in the furūʿ al-dīn we are talking about the five obligatory ritual prayers in Islam which all Muslims must believe in.  

The times of these prayers are not static but dynamic as they follow the movement of the sun.  

The first prayer is the morning prayer. In Arabic it is called salāt al-fajr and it begins at dawn.  

The second prayer begins at noon and is called salāt al-dhuhur,  

the third is the afternoon prayer and it is called salāt al-ʿasr,  

the fourth praying is the sunset prayer called salāt al-maghrib  

and finally, the last prayer is called salāt al-ʿishā which is the night-time prayer.  

Each prayer has units called rakʿats where you bow with your hands on your knees. The total amount of times a Muslim must do this is 17 times across 5 prayers throughout the day.  

Salāt is the foundation of religion. Without it, none of Islam’s other practices or beliefs will stand. We say this because salāt is what establishes our relationship with God.  

Prayer is the only ritual in Islam that a person cannot be free from. One may be relieved from fasting, or Hajj, or any other ritual, but with prayer one may not do away with it as long as one is conscious, sane and reached puberty.