The second pillar of Islam is performing prayers.  

A Muslim is enjoined to perform five obligatory prayers everyday to keep himself in relation with his Lord, to involve and implore him, and to refrain himself from committing lewdness or indecency.  These prayers do not only ensure psychological rest to the Muslim in this present life, but they also pare the way to him to gain eternal happiness in the hereafter.

To perform prayer, one should be pure, wearing clean clothes and pray in a clean place.  Before prayer, the Muslim should clean his or her with pure water, removing all traces of stool, urine, or any other dirty.  In this way he purifies himself physically and morally.  
Prayer is the pillar of religion.  It follows the two important testimonies, therefore, it is not only a duty on a Muslim to perform prayers from his maturity up to his death, but he should order his household to perform it and also order his children to start practicing it from the time when they are 7 years old so that they will be accustomed to perform it promptly.  

Evidence from the Quran: for such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times (4:103).  Further evidence from the Quran: (And they have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah offering him sincere devotion.  Being true (in faith): to establish regular Zakat and that is the religion right and straight (98:5) in the first of these two verses, Allah told people that prayer is a prescribed duty on all believers and that they should fulfil this duty at its fixed time in the second verse, Allah made it well known to mankind that he had created them in order to worship him alone, be sincere in their devotion to him, perform prayer and pay the Zakat (i.e, obligatory) to those who deserve it.  

The prophet may the grace of Allah be upon him, said: The obligation which distinguishes between us and the unbeliever is prayers. Therefore, whoever desists from prayers becomes an unbeliever. Prayer is a duty on the Muslim in all circumstances, even if he or she is sick or even frightened, he or she should perform daily prayers through sitting, standing or lying if he or she is unable to perform it in any of these ways, he or she is permitted to perform it by his eye gestures, or even by his heart.

The five obligatory daily prayers are the morning prayers (Fajr), the noon prayer (zuhr), the afternoon prayer (Asr), the evening prayer (Maghrib) and the night prayer (Ishaa). The time due for morning prayers begins at true down and extends until the sun rises.  It should not be delayed beyond this span of times.  The time for noon prayer starts from the Zawal (a little after the sun has passed the meridian) and extends till one's shadow. The time enjoined for afternoon prayers starts after the end of noon-prayer time and extends until the sun turns yellow.  One must hasten to perform it while the sun is still bright.

The evening prayer time begins soon after sunset and lasts till the disappearance of the twilight.  Its performance should no be delayed.  The night prayer time begins after the disappearance of the twilight and last till midnight.  If a Muslim delays one of these five prayers, he commits a grievous sin.  He should turn to Allah for repentance and refrain himself from recommitting it.  The Quran warns those who delay their prayer from its fixed times:- so woe to the worshippers, who are neglectful of their prayers (5-4:107).

Rules of prayer
Purification: Before a Muslim starts his prayer, he should purity himself by cleaning his excretion organs if he had urinated or evacuated his bowels.  Then he performs ablution.  The first step in performing ablution is to intend it.

There is no nee to express the intention is a loud voice, but it is enough to intend it by heart, because Allah knows the intention of his bondmen. Thus, every Muslim should follow his way.  The worshippers continues his ablution by rising his mouth with water thrice, washes his face three times making sure that the water reaches all the parts of his face. After washing the face, the worshipper washes his hands, arms and elbows, the right hand before the left, then wipes his head with his hands starting from front to back and visa versa, rubs has ears and finally washing his feet up to his ankle three times, the right leg before the left leg. A Muslim should keep up his ablution of he urinates after ablution evacuates his bowels, passes wind or loses his consciousness for any reason, he should re-perform ablution to clean himself again before practicing prayer.

If a Muslim is in a deserted area or on a journey or in a state of major impurity, (discharge of semen in erotic dreams or sexual intercourse.....etc), he or she, should clean his body by taking a bath. Women also should carry out this cleansing bath to purity themselves after menstruation or childbirth.

Allah has disburdened women and exempted them from performing prayer during menstruation and childbirth periods.  As for other periods, they are required to perform prayer promptly.  If a Muslim is in a deserted area or on a journey and tends no water, or if he fears that using water will harm him (because of sickness), he is permitted to purity himself by using good clean earth or sand instead of water.  

This is called "Tayammum" or purification with earth. It is done in the following way" you intend by heart to perform it.  Then you strike the dust (or sand) with your hands and wipe your right hand over your face the back of your right hand and over the back of your left hand by your right hand. Purification with earth is also permissible to women after the period of menstruation or confinement if water is not available, or if its use could harm them.

To be continued