Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Where are the five obligatory prayers mentioned in the Quran. I have come across people who say only three prayers are mentioned in the Quran.

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Answer:

Prayer times from quran

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 none 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.

Your Question: Where are the five obligatory prayers mentioned in the Quran. I have come across people who say only three prayers are mentioned in the Quran.

Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, the acts and times of prayer is something the Messenger of Allah (saws) established during his own lifetime literally thousands of times in public, and the tens of thousands of believers who offered their obligatory prayers with him (saws) witnessed the establishment of the five daily obligatory prayers at their separate and distinct times of the day and night.

Even the scholars of those sects who today propagate that there are only three prayer times themselves agree to the fact that at the times of the Prophet (saws), the prayer was established at five separate and distinct times of the day and night and it was much later and many years after the death of the Prophet (saws) that this sect was formed, and they started the practice of combining the five prayer times into three to differentiate themselves from the mainstream muslims.

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