In the Islamic religion, there are five pillars upon which the pathway to God rests: One of them is prayer. There are five times a day specifically set aside for the practice: upon waking, at noon, in midafternoon, after sunset, and before sleep. Besides specific times to pray, there are specific ways to do so, including phrases uttered and prostrations repeated while facing toward Mecca. All these specifics, however, are only to serve the main intention of prayer as commanded in the Koran -- to be in constant communication with the divine.
While the directions for prayer are specific, what is perhaps more interesting for non-Muslims is the content of Muslim prayers, which is universal. According to Huston Smith in his classic book "The Religions of Man," there are two great themes to Muslim prayer: praise and gratitude, and supplication.
Supplication does not mean asking for things or favors (please let me win the lottery, please get me that promotion), but rather, asking for qualities (please make one more loving, more devout, more worthy of grace and mercy).
Prayer -- however, whenever, wherever practiced -- is clearly a way to connect with spirit. Much of the collected wisdom on prayer supports the Muslim belief that the most important contents of our prayers are praise, gratitude, and supplication, and that the specifics are only there to support the intent, which is to be in constant contact with the divine. (Jennifer Leigh Selig, Thinking Outside the Church, p. 41-42)
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