Should a Muslims Pray 3 or 5 times a day?

Look Deep into Our Daily Lives

I Seek refuge in Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD), from the Shaitan.

      In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

         Islam has two primary sources, the Quran, and the authentic Traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam),

That explains and sometimes expands on that of the Quran.

Muslims pray 3 or 5 times a day?

 Obligatory Prayer /Salat/Namaaz of the Muslim:

How many times has the Qur’an stressed about obligatory prayers Salat or Namaz (prayer)?

      700 times

Quran has mentioned 3 times praying of Jews in a day.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam however asked us to pray 5 times in a day.

Shia Muslims pray three times a day and combine Maghrib and Isha Salat whereas Sunni Muslims pray five times a day.

 Sunni Muslims fold their arms whereas Shia Muslims do not fold their arms during Namaaz

Shia Muslims add ‘Khayr al Amaal’ whereas Sunni Muslims add ‘Naum.’

 Sunni Muslims touch their heads to the ground whereas Shia Muslims use a wooden block or tablet of clay to rest their heads during prostration.

Similarly, Adhan (prayer call) was never sent by Allah,

 It was a way of calling people that was approved off by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) upon recommendation of two Muslims.

Now my question is, 'where in Quran it's written to call people to pray?'

There is no verse giving the details on how to pray, this is only done through Hadith!

Hadith is necessary in order to understand Quran,

 Because Quran can not be understood unless you have knowledge of hadith!

Because the Quran is based off the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam),

And the necessity of understanding the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam is a must.

And one can only do that through the hadith!

Today we have indeed come to treat the Prayer (Salah) as something insignificant in our lives.

Very often we hear our elders say, "I will start praying when the time comes.

“Others, specially the younger Muslims, do not find much comfort,

And joy in their Prayers. Due to our treatment of Prayer as a burden,

Our love and passion for the Prayer has vanished.

Our hearts have become hardened, and we have become a depressed and defeated people. As a result,

Many are searching for 'cures and remedies' to the distress in our lives,

Through any means available, but are unable to find any because they have ignored the greatest medicine - Salah!

If we look deep into our daily lives and diagnose the causes of our spiritual,

Social and psychological illnesses,

 We will realize that probably something as uplifting, revolutionary,

And empowering as Salah is missing.

If we, the young/old, realize the potential role of Prayer in changing our lives and as a constant source of hope,

 We would regret missing even a single Salah.

Quran mentions washing of face, hands & forearms,

Wiping head, and washing feet to perform abolition (Wudu) but we brush/miswak teeth,

 Wash our hands, rinse our mouth and nostrils in abolition... it was told by our prophet to do so.

Where in Quran it's written to part away with only 2.5% Zakat (poor men’s due)

Of you savings that are underutilized for a year?

 We do it as a usual practice.

It is mentioned to pray.

And how can one know how many rakaats is each prayer?

So who will teach you how and when Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD)? NO,

The messenger has a major role in this because he is the servant

And he tells whatever his lord Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD) tells him. All what The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam says is not from, his own knowledge,

 It’s from his creator and for that you see scientific miracles in hadith and that support it’s from Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD) not from him.

Clearly, there are five distinct times which are mentioned in this one verse, according to the three major translations of the Quran:

1. "Before the rising of the sun"

2. "Before the setting of the sun"

3. "Some hours of the night"

4. "The sides/two ends of the day (two separate prayers)"

The specified prayers are those listed below:

1. Salat Al-Fajr - Dawn Prayer / 24:58

2. Salat Jumu’ah- Friday Prayer / Salat Al-Zuhr on other days (decline of the sun)

3. Al-Salat Al-Wusta - Middle Prayer / 2:238

4. Salat Al-Maghrib - Sunset Prayer

Assalatu Ledulooki Ash-shams Ella Ghasaqi Al-layl

- At the sun's decline till the darkness of the night / 17:78

The sun is at its highest peak typically in the noon (depending on the month) between 12-1 pm (Pacific Time).

The decline of the sun begins right after 12-1 and that is the same time Zuhr is prayed. In this verse,

All prayers from Zuhr (decline of the sun), ASR (Middle prayer), Maghrib (end of the day), and Isha (night prayer) are included.

Tarafayn Wannahaari Wazulafam Min Allay

- At the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night / 11:114

(Maghrib marks the end of the day).

5. Salat Al-Isha - Night Prayer / 24:58

There are clearly 5 different prayers mentions in the first verse I provided. The Hadiths of the 5 prayers only conform to that of the Quran.

Praising in that verse refers to praising within the prayer:

Another important factor is the prayers people claim to be referred to by name, when they are in fact mentioned by times and referred to as times:

"Guard strictly the [obligatory] prayers AND the middle prayer and stand before Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD), devoutly obedient." - 2:238

If there are three prayers in total (according to Edip Yuskel and Reformist Submitters), why does this verse suggest there are more?

In the English language, two grammatical numbers exist: singular and plural.

In the Arabic language, however, there are three grammatical numbers: Singular (1), dual (2), and plural (3+). Referring to the Arabic verse, we have three important points to look at:

- Grammatical number usage

- The use of the conjunction "wa" and its mistranslation

- The number of prayers

The word "prayer" conjugated with the addition of the grammatical number prefix is as follow:

- The prayer (As-Salah) - singular (one), definite

- The prayers (As-Salawat) - dual (two), definite, genitive case

 - The prayers (As-Salawat) - plural (three or more), definite

The key phrase within the verse above is:

The word being used for "prayers" in Arabic is that of the third case:

 - The prayers (three or more, plural suffix, not dual)

- And the Middle Prayer (1 prayer)

We can conclude from this verse that there are over three prayers.

The grammatical number usage suggests 3+ prayers AND the middle prayer.

This will bring the total number of prayers to 4 or more.

Since "the middle prayer" also suggests it is an "odd" number of prayers

And there are more than 4; the total number will be 5 (by reference of times mentioned in the Quran).

So why only three are mentioned by name and others are mentioned by time.

 The three prayers mentioned by name are: Fajr (dawn), Wusta (Middle), And Isha (night). So, what are the definitions of "Fajr" and "Isha"?

Fajr = Dawn

Isha = Night

They are times just like all the other prayers.

 Each is mentioned as "times" and there are 5 as specified by those times in the Quran.

Allah, subhanahu WA Ta’aala, is the creator of mankind

And therefore knows his nature more intricately than mankind himself.

 Allah, subhanahu WA Ta’aala, has therefore chosen for us a religion best suited to the nature of mankind,

 A religion that goes neither to the extremes of hardship nor of laxity,

 But instead provides a middle path; in other words, a religion of ease. Allah, subhanahu WA Ta’aala, said;

"Allah intends for you ease, and does not want to make things difficult for you" [2:185];

 And "Allah does not want to place you in difficulty" [5:6].

Such easiness is well explained in the hadith reported by Abu Hurairah, radiyallaahu 'anhu,

That the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihi wasallam, said, "Religion is easy..." [Bukhari],

 He also said; "The best of your religion, is the easiest." [Ahmad]

An example that illustrates this point is Salah, an act so important

And vital to Islam that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam), said;

 "Between a person and disbelief is discarding prayer" [Muslim].

He also warned against leaving Salah, even at the time of his death, in his very last breaths before departing from this world.

Yet in this worship Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD) has also prescribed easiness.

At first, the number of prayers was fifty in number, but they were reduced several times until they were five.

 Then it was proclaimed 'O Muhammad, the order is not changed. These five are (equal in reward) to fifty' [Tirmidhi].

We were originally meant to be praying 50 times a day,

But beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) asked Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD), that the Ummah (Muslim community) wouldn't be able to achieve this daily.

So Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD), with all His mercy, dropped the amount of prayers down to only 5! Yet still people complain...

Let me remind you what is more important to be worried about!

- Having firm faith in One Unseen Everlasting Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD) of Abraham,

- His Angels, His Messenger, His Books, and in the Hereafter...

- Helping the kinsmen, the poor, the needy, the traveler, the beggar, a person in debt

- keeping your promises, fulfilling your covenant,

- staying patient & steadfast against any hardship, misfortune, and peril

- performing the prayer

These things in fact more important than being worried about the number of times that we have to pray!

        May Allah make us from the Companions of His Book and unite us with His righteous slaves in the highest gardens of Paradise. Amen.

May Allah Subhanawataala grant us what is best in this world and the next!

Action speaks louder then words my friend’s practice Islam the way of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) did.

 May Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD) help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him?

May Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’aala (GOD) make our efforts sincere and keep us all on the straight path...........

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         P.S.: "Have fun praying don’t forget to make dua for me...