Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I have many curious question if I may ask that  why we have combined all  five times namaz in three time ?...and since when we started this change and  by who's authority? Is this kind of change stated anywhere in the ayyah of  the Quaran?  I will appreciate your kind reply as soon as possible to clear my misconcept.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Why combine 5 times prayers to 3 times?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol,  no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question:  Why we have combined all  five times namaz in three time ?...and since when we started this change and by who's authority?

Brother, the truth is that whoever has started this practice of combining the five obligatory prayers into three prayers, has no authority from Allah and His Messenger (saws).    Thus whoever else’s authority he might have had, it does not matter!!   Why and when this practice started is known to Allah Alone, as there is no authentic documentation of who started this practice of praying the five obligatory prayers at three times, instead of the established Sunnah of praying at the five appointed times.

Your Question:  Is this kind of change stated anywhere in the ayyah of  the Quaran?

There is no aayah in the Glorious Quran which authorizes this change from five times to three times.   This is an innovation created by man many years after the death of the Prophet (saws).

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 103:Indeed the Salaat is a prescribed duty that should be performed by the believers at appointed times.

Allah, time and again, commands the believers to ‘establish prayer’ in the Holy Quran.  The Messenger of Allah (saws) himself prayed and taught the believers how to pray. This act of obligatory prayer was conducted by the Prophet (saws) in congregation five times a day, every day, in front of thousands of his companions.    There is absolutely no difference of opinion amongst all the sects of Islam, that the Prophet (saws) and his companions prayed the five obligatory prayers at the five appointed times. The Prophet (saws) did combine the zuhr/asr and magrib/isha prayers, but only when he was traveling. But when in Medina, the Messenger (saws) always led the prayers in congregation five times a day.

Where, why, how and on whose authority this concept of continually combining the five obligatory prayers into three times was started by some sects in Islam, is truly a mystery.  Even after the death of the Prophet (saws), the Ameer ul Mumineen carried on this tradition and commandment of leading the congregation in the obligatory prayers, five times a day.    

On whoever’s authority this change was made, it was NOT under the authority of Allah and His Messenger (saws), and thus it is not binding on the believers, who truly believe in Allah and the Last Day.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan