Prayer (salah) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Prayers are supposed to be performed five times daily: at dawn (the Salat Ul Fajr), midday/noon (the Salat Ul Zuhr), mid- afternoon (the Salat Ul Asr), sunset (the Salat Ul Magrib), and nightfall (the Salat Ul Isha), and can last up to a half an hour. Prayer call (Adhan) sounds (usually via loudspeaker) from each mosque, and is just what the name says — a summons for Muslims to attend the five daily prayers and the Friday service (which is the main service of the week). The call, which is always delivered in Arabic, but has no fixed melody, may actually be sung by the Muezzin, or may be a recording.

Until recently, during prayer times, shops and restaurants would briefly close, but now this is not the case.

In Western countries, not all mosques broadcast the prayer call outside the mosque.