Question:
The religion of the earlier Prophets was Islam. How they worship Allah? I mean praying how did the earlier Prophets pray?
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
The religion of all the Prophets is one, which is the religion of Islam. Allah Says (which means): {Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.}[Quran 3:19]. Moreover, the Prophet said: "All the Prophets are brothers of different mothers but their religion is one." [Al-Bukhari]
As regards how the earlier Prophets worshipped Allah, then the answer is that they worshipped Him according to the Law that Allah Has sent down to them in revelation. Every Prophet and his people worshipped Allah as He ordained them to do. Among the acts of worship that Allah commanded His previous Prophets and their nations to do is fasting. Allah Says (which means): {O you who believe! Observing the fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become pious.}[Quran 2:183]. They used also to perform the prayers and pay the Zakah. Allah Says [speaking about Ismaa'eel [Ishmael] (which means): {And he used to enjoin on his family and his people the prayers and the Zakah, and was to his Lord pleasing [i.e. accepted by Him].}[Quran 19:55]. Allah Says about 'Eesaa [Jesus] , may Allah exalt his mention,(which means): {And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and Zakah as long as I remain alive. And [made me] dutiful to my mother.}[Quran 19:31-32]. Allah further Says about Moosaa [Moses] , may Allah exalt his mention, that he told his people (which means): {We inspired to Moosaa (Moses) and his brother: ''…and make your houses [facing the] Qiblah and establish prayer and give good tidings to the believers."}[Quran 10:87].
The previous Prophets and their nations used also to perform pilgrimage. Allah Says (which means): {And (remember) when We showed Ibraaheem (Abraham) the site of the (Sacred) House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) (saying): "Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaaf (circumambulation) and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate. And proclaim to the people the hajj [pilgrimage].}[Quran 22:26].
Furthermore, it is confirmed that the Prophet said: "(I perceive) as if I am seeing Moosaa [Moses] may Allah exalt his mention, coming down from the mountain track, and he is calling upon Allah loudly (saying: Here I am! In response to your call my Lord!). Then he came to the mountain track of Harsha. He (the Prophet said: "Which is this mountain track?" They replied: "It is the mountain track of Harsha. He observed (I feel) as If I am seeing Yoonus (Jonah), may Allah exalt his mention, son of Matta on a well-built red dromedary, with a cloak of wool around him and the rein of his dromedary is made of fibers of date-palm, and he is calling upon Allah (saying: Here I am! In response to your call!)." [Muslim]
As regards whether or not their prayer, fasting and Zakah were like ours, the answer is that only Allah Knows best how these acts of worship were performed. Knowing exactly how they used to worship does not entail us to act upon it and there is no great benefit in knowing about it; we are ordered to worship Allah according to the Law which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad .
Allah Knows best.
Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb