Obligatory prayers is
commanded at specific times
In
the Quran it is stated that the command to establish obligatory prayers or “As
Salat” Is
based on the timing and the timing is be done at specific and not a span of time as most scholar claimed
as seen by this verse will verify as stated:----- “but when you are free from
danger set up regular prayers: For such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated
times.(Surah 4:103).
The
following verses are the specific times being mentioned in the Quran:-
And
establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of
the night: For those things, that are good remove those that are evil: Be that
the word of remembrance to those who remember (their Lord): (Surah 11:114).
In
the above verse since it is mentioned the day at its two ends will give the
meaning that it qualifies the time at sunrise and the time of sunset as both
timings are in the daytime with sunrise being just turning bright at the early
morning part of the day while the other end at sunset still has its brightness
but moving towards darkness during the late part of the day. The time of early
night has no problem to be defined it is the situation when there is no sun can
be seen and total darkness had prevailed. Thus from Surah 11:114 alone the
prayers that is to be established are at sunrise, sunset and at early night.
The
next clear verse mentioning a specific time is as follows:-
Establish
regular prayers at the sun's decline towards (ila) the darkness of the night (Surah
17:78) this is the time of the sun’s decline at noon from its zenith. Although
some translators uses the Arabic “ila” to mean “until the darkness of the
night” it is inaccurate as no one can establish the prayer continuously until
night time so it is more prudent to describe it is the sun which is turning
towards the darkness of the night to indicate a specific time to establish the
prayer. And there are others who claimed that this time “dulukish shamsi” at
Surah 17:78 is not noon but sun set then again the argument can be dispelled as
there is the Arabic “maghribas shamsi” at Surah 18:86 to mean sunset. The Surah
17:78 cannot be other than a specific time at noon.
Thus
so far the specific times extracted are sunrise (11:114), noon (17:78), sunset
(11:114) and early night (11:114) and the next specific time can be deduced
from the verse mentioning a specific time to be in the middle of the above four
timings in the following verse of the Quran as stated:-
O
ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of
Assembly), hasten earnestly to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off business
(and traffic): That is best for you if ye but knew! (Surah 62:9)
The
above prayer is also to be done at a specific time which is clearly defined in
the Quran as the time when the sun settled at the middle point between the time
of the sun’s decline at noon and sunset. This specific time in the Quran is known
as “business or trading time” and this specific timing is at late noon but
before sunset and is also known as the Middle Prayer. This time is the only
specific time that can be done in congregation prayer as the other four times
are not suitable as it fall under the category of privacy time as stated:-
O
ye who believe! let those whom your right hands possess, and the (children)
among you who have not come of age ask your permission (before they come to
your presence), on three occasions: before morning prayer; the while ye doff
your clothes for the noonday heat; and after the late-night prayer: these are
your three times of privacy: outside those times it is not wrong for you or for
them to move about attending to each other: Thus does Allah make clear the
Signs to you: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. (Surah 24:58)
It
can be seen that morning, noon, and early night are privacy times and that of
sunset is also near to privacy time at night or Ishaa as the Surah 62:10 mentioned
after prayer there is command to seek bounty but it can only be done during
late noon but not after sunset when everybody will be at home with the family.
Although
this prayer is mentioned to be establish on a weekly basis at Surah 62:9 but in
another verse Allah commanded this specific time to be observed as a daily
prayer will all the other four prayers as obligatory as the following verse
indicated:-
Guard
strictly your (habit of) prayers, and the Middle Prayer; and stand before Allah
in a devout (frame of mind). (Surah 2:238).
From
the above verses it is clearly defined in the Quran that Allah ordained five
times of salat prayers daily for Muslims to obey as follows:----------
Sunrise
(11:114), noon (17:78), Middle Salat (2:238 and 62:9), sunset (11:114) and
early night (11:114) are the timings for the obligatory prayer.
The names of prayers
mentioned in the Quran
There
is only one prayer name being mentioned in the Quran not three names as many
now claimed. Although there are those who establish three times of prayer
because they claimed there are three names mentioned in the Quran this is
however a false belief as there is only one salat or prayer name being mentioned
in the Quran which is “The Middle Prayer” stated in the Surah 2:238.
The
claimed that the Surah 24:58 mentioned the other two specific names of daily
obligatory salat is misinterpreted:-
O
ye who believe! let those whom your right hands possess, and the (children)
among you who have not come of age ask your permission (before they come to
your presence), on three occasions: before morning prayer (salaawatil Fajri);
the while ye doff your clothes for the noonday heat; and after the late-night
prayer (salaawatil Ishaa): these are your three times of undress: outside those
times it is not wrong for you or for them to move about attending to each
other: Thus does Allah make clear the Signs to you: for Allah is full of
knowledge and wisdom. (Surah 24:58).
The
“Salaawatil Fajri” and the “Salaawatil Ishaa” are not specific names of the
daily obligatory prayers as the Arabic word “Salaawatun” in the above verse
indicate that the word is not singular in meaning but to be plural in
activities. There are other verses in the Quran showing similar words with the
same spelling and it does not mean the obligatory daily prayer or salat as
stated:-
They
are those on whom descend blessings (salaawatun) from Allah, and Mercy, and
they are the ones that receive guidance. (Surah 2:157).
But
some of the desert Arabs believe in Allah and the Last Day, and look on their
payments as pious gifts bringing them nearer to Allah and obtaining the prayers
(salaawati) of the Messenger. Aye, indeed they bring them nearer (to Him): soon
will Allah admit them to His Mercy: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
(Surah 9:99).
(They
are) those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right,- (for
no cause) except that they say, "our Lord is Allah". Did not Allah
check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been
pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues (salaawatun), and mosques, in
which the name of Allah is commemorated in abundant measure. (Surah 22:40)
So
the word “salaawatun” do not take the meaning of daily obligatory prayer but of
other meanings and it is therefore wrong to base on the argument on names of
salat mentioned in the Quran. Also to be noted in the Quran all the words
indicating to mean the daily obligatory prayer, the Arabic word “salat” must
carry the prefix definite article “Al” or “The” in English to denote it is referring
to that specific word. This can be shown by several examples in the Quran as
follows:-
And
be steadfast in prayer (Assalat); practice regular charity; and bow down your
heads with those who bow down (in worship). (Surah 2:43)
O
ye who believe! When ye prepare for prayer (Assalat), wash your faces, and your
hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your
feet to the ankles. (Surah 5:6)
And
establish regular prayers (Assalat) at the two ends of the day and at the
approaches of the night: (Surah 11:114)
Thus
the word “salat or prayer” without the definite article “Al” or “The” before
the word does not carry the meaning of the daily obligatory salat or prayer it
means something else as the various verses above indicated. So the only word salat
or prayer to indicate by name is the “AssalatulWusta” or “The Middle Prayer” but
the name carry the definite article “Al” or “The” before the word “Salat” to
indicate that it refers to the obligatory prayer and it also indicate the
specific timing linked to its name “middle”.
Asar
