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Muslims Pray Five Times Each Day
Q. Why do Muslims have to pray five times everyday? Isn’t praying once a day sufficient?
A. 1. Salaah is not merely Prayer
To offer Salaah does not merely mean to pray. According to the Oxford dictionary, ‘pray’ means to beseech or to ask earnestly. For example “He prayed to be released in the court of law”. It also means supplication. In other religions to pray means to beseech or to supplicate. For e.g. ‘Our Lord! Give us this day our daily bread.’ In Islam, it is the Du’as that we Muslims make that is our supplication. Salaah is much broader in its meaning, content and objectives.
2. Salaah is Programming
Salaah is much more than merely praying. In Salaah we not only ask from Allah but we also thank Him, praise Him, and at the same time receive guidance from Him. Salaah in the true sense is “programming” or conditioning.
3. Unlike computers, humans have free will
Computers require programming because they do not have a free will of their own. Humans have their own free will. With the various kinds of evil influences that are present in society such as eve-teasing, cheating, bribing, robbing, alcoholism, drug addiction, obscenity, etc., there is every possibility of human beings getting de-programmed from a life of virtue and righteousness. Hence our Creator has ordained it compulsory that we should offer Salaah five times a day to be regularly programmed to remain on the Siraatal Mustaqeem that is, the Straight Path.
4. A healthy body requires three meals a day; the human soul requires five times Salaah a day
For a healthy body at least three meals a day are required. Similarly for a healthy and pious soul, a minimum five times Salaah is required in a day. You cannot remain healthy by having only one meal a day.
5. According to the Qur’an Muslims should pray minimum five times a day
According to the Qur’an, a Muslim should pray minimum five times a day. Allah (swt) states in:
(i) Surah Hud Chapter 11 Verse 114:
“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)”. [Al-Qur’an 11:114]
(ii) Surah Al-Isra Chapter 17 Verse 78:
“Establish regular prayers – at the sun’s decline till the darkness of the night, and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony”.
[Al-Qur’an 17:78]
(iii) Surah Ta-Ha Chapter 20 Verse 130:
“Therefore be patient with what they say, and celebrate (constantly) the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before its setting; yea, celebrate them for part of the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day: that you may have (spiritual) joy”.
[Al-Qur’an 20:130]
(iv) Surah Rum Chapter 30 Verses 17-18:
“So (give) glory to Allah, when you reach eventide and when you rise in the morning; yea, to Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline”.
(v) Timings of the Obligatory Salaah:
The 5 daily prescribed Salaah are:
Fajr – Between the break of dawn and sunrise.
Zuhar – After the sun reaches its highest point; that is when the sun starts declining early in the afternoon till the shadow becomes twice the size of the object or till the point between noon and sunset.
Asr – Late in the afternoon after Zuhr until sun begins to set.
Magrib – After sunset until disappearance of twilight.
Isha – Late in the evening or in the night after disappearance of twilight until the break of Fajr but preferably offered before midnight.
And Allah Knows Best
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