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:

And establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night..."
What does the above mean?  

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Answer:

Establish prayer times verse

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.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 11 Surah Hud verse 114:

Establish the Salat at the two ends of the day and in the early part of the night.

In the above verse the prayers at the two ends of the day would be the obligatory dawn or fajr prayer and the sunset or magrib prayer; and the prayer in the early part of the night would imply the obligatory ‘isha’ prayer.

There are several other Verses in the Quran which Command the believers to observe the prayers at their appointed times, and these Verses in conjunction were understood and implemented by the Messenger of Allah (saws) as the five obligatory prayer times.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah verse 238:

Take great care of your Prayers, especially of the middle Prayer and stand before Allah like devoted servants.

The ‘middle prayer’ was understood and implemented by the Messenger of Allah (saws) as the obligatory ‘asr’ prayers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Bani Israel verse 78:

Establish the Salat from the decling of the sun to the darkness of the night and be particular about the recital of the Quran at dawn for the recital of the Quran at dawn is witnessed.

The prayer at the declining of the sun implies the obligatory ‘asr’ prayer, the prayer approaching the darkness of the night implies the obligatory ‘magrib’ prayer, and the recital of the Quran at dawn implies the ‘fajr’ prayer.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rum verse 17:

So, glorify Allah in the evening and in the morning; praise is due to Him alone in the heavens and the earth: and (glorify Him) in the afternoon and at the declining of the day.

The glorification of the ‘morning’ implies the obligatory ‘fajr’ prayer, the glorification of the evening implies the ‘magrib’ prayer, in the afternoon implies the ‘dhuhr’ prayer, and the glorification at the declining of the day implies the ‘asr’ prayer.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 50 Surah Qaf verse 39:

Therefore, O Prophet (saws), bear with patience whatever they say, and keep up glorifying your Lord with his praise, before sunrise and before sunset. And glorify Him again in the night and also when you are free from prostrations.

The glorifying of the Lord before sunrise was understood and implemented by the Messenger of Allah (saws) as the obligatory ‘fajr’ prayer, before sunset as the obligatory ‘asr’ prayer, and the glorification of the night as the obligatory ‘isha’ prayer.

All the above verses when read in conjunction were understood and implemented by the Messenger of Allah (saws) under the guidance of Allah as the five daily obligatory prayers.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan