Özet:

Institutions are corner stones of the social life. Religion is one of the basic institutions constituting a society. As the experience of holiness in general respect, religion has always become one of the institutions affecting individuals and societies the most. Religions, as a form of experience and expression, generally appear and continue in the form of belief, prayer and religious community, in other words, sociological expression. The main subject and purpose of this study is to discuss and analyze the social dimensions of prayers, which is one of the religious expressions, from the perspective of the sociology of religion by documentation method. In this regard, in forming and maintenance of Islamic society, prayers allow people to experience social dimensions, such as submission to Allah, brotherhood and cooperation, caring for each other, overcoming hardships together, realization of social sharing and integration by getting away from evil and meeting at the common ground of goodness by means of its psychological effects. Therefore, prayers do not only guide individuals but also organize social life. For example, salaat and fasting not only ripen the person individually and direct them to the rules of ethics, but also contribute to the prevention of crime and security problems as well as compliance with norms, values and moral principles in social terms. Likewise, zakat, beyond its personal influence, causes socio-economic solidarity by positively affecting the perception of social actors to both wealth and people with low income. Therefore, it is seen that prayers not only direct individuals but also regulate social life.