Namaz (Persian) is a special type of prayer performed according to Islamic instructions; one of the 5 pillars of Islam. N. is the first prayer obligatory for Muslims on the night of Miraj (see Isra and Miraj). It is obligatory to read N. 5 times a day (morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night). N. reading begins with saying "Allahu akbar" and includes praying, bowing, prostrating, kneeling, salutations while reciting psalms and verses of the Qur'an. There are several types of N. Mas, farz, wajib, sunnat, nafl, ishraq, tahajjud, qaza, shukri wuzu, janaza and other additional N., the performance of which is considered voluntary worship of a Muslim. Farz, wajib, and sunnah N. are included in the list of N. whose fulfillment is required by Shar'a.
