The Number of Salat authorised by God in the Quran
The Prayers mentioned by name in the Quran are:
1- Salat Al-Fajr (Dawn Prayer) 24:58
3- Salat Al-Isha (Evening Prayer) 24:58
However, 99% of all Muslims in the world observe 5 daily prayers.
The 5 Salat are: Fajr - Zhohr - Asr - Maghrib - Isha.
If the correct number of daily Salat is 5, it becomes necessary to inquire why are there only three Salat mentioned in the Quran?
FIRST: Why are there only three named Salat in the Quran?
The following are all the possible explanations for this inquiry:
This claim is immediately refuted by God's assurance that the Quran is fully detailed and that nothing has been left out of the Book:
We did not leave anything out of the Book. 6:38
2- God forgot to mention the other two names of Salat!
This claim is also refuted by the knowledge that God, be praised, does not forget:
He said, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a Record. My Lord does not err, nor does He forget." 20:52
3- God did not mention the names of the other 2 Salat because they are not important.
It is therefore incorrect to say that an act of worship is not important.
This claim is also refuted by the fact that God has commanded in the Quran not to believe or follow any hadith other than the Quran:
These are God's revelations (Quran) that We recite to you with truth, so in which hadith other than God and His revelations (Quran) do they believe? 45:6
Once again this claim is immediately refuted by the clear Quranic words that prohibit us from inheriting religious practices (from those before) us when they are not authroised in the Quran:
And if they are told, "Follow what God has brought down," they say, "Rather, we follow what we found our fathers upon." What! Even if the devil is inviting them to the punishment of the Blaze? 31:21
6- God does not mention the names of the other 2 Prayers, because there are no 2 other Prayers authorised by God in the Quran.
The genuine believers who believe that the Quran contains all the details, with no ifs or buts, will not accept any option other than option 6.
SECOND: The Salat is given precise times in the Quran
We read in 4:103 that the time of each Prayer is precisely given in the Quran 'kitaban mawqootan'. The word 'kitaban' means 'book', and the Book we received from God is the Quran. The word 'mawqootan' means specifically timed. The deliberate use of these two words by God confirms that the precise appointed time for each of the Prayers is given in the Quran. This conforms to the fact that the Quran contains all the details.
The exact times of the three Salat are given in the Quran and they are as follows:
1- Salat Al-Fajr (Dawn Prayer), mentioned by name in 24:58
This Prayer starts when Fajr (dawn) starts. The start of Fajr is given in 2:187. It starts when the first thin ray of light is observed in the sky. The words in 2:187 are: 'until the white thread of dawn becomes distinguishable to you from the dark thread.' The Prayer ends at sunrise as will be explained in more detail below.
2- Al-Salat Al-Wusta (Middle Prayer), mentioned by name in 2:238
The time of the Middle (Wusta) Prayer is given in 17:78. It starts when the sun starts to decline from its highest point in the sky (dulook al-shams), which is at noon, and ends at sunset as detailed below.
3- Salat Al-Isha (Evening Prayer) mentioned by name in 24:58
The Night Prayer corresponds to the latter end of the day. It is the mirror image of the Fajr Salat. This Prayer starts as soon as the sun has set and ends when all light has disappeared from the night sky.
THIRD: Word Definitions
The words in 11:114 are key in defining the times of the Fajr (Dawn) Salat and the Isha (Night) Salat:
Observe the Salat at the two ends of the day; and during 'zulufan min al-layl' (the near parts of the night). 11:114
Traditionally, this verse has been interpreted to be speaking of three Prayers: two Salat at the ends of the day plus an additional Salat during the night, a total of 3 Salat.
However, this is a clear misunderstanding. Verse 11:114 in fact speaks of only two Prayers. This will be apparent by establishing the correct meanings of key words in 11:114.
1- The 'ends of the day' are sunrise and sunset. A command to observe the Salat at the two ends of the day is insufficient in giving us the time range for the Salat in question. This is because sunrise and sunset (the two ends of the day) are events that take around a 90 seconds each to be completed. It is impossible for us to observe a complete Salat, twice every day, in 90 seconds! It is only with the addition of the words 'zulufan min al-layl' (near parts of the night) in the same verse that we are given the correct time range for these two Salat as will be explained.
2- Some interpreters have claimed that we can observe the Salat "around" sunrise and sunset and not only during the 90 seconds that it takes for the sun to rise or to set. This is equally unacceptable since the following question would arise: When exactly would the "around" the sunrise and sunset would that be? Would it be before sunrise and sunset, or after sunrise and sunset? How long before or after sunrise and sunset would we be allowed to observe the two SaIats? It is obvious that we would be left with many unanswered questions if we follow that interpretation. However, the phrase 'zulufan min al-layl' gives us the exact timing of these two Salats.
3- There have been a number of interpretations for the words 'zulufan min al-layl'. The most commonly used are:
The word 'zulufann' is the plural of the word 'Zulfa'. The word 'Zulfa' is used in the Quran to mean 'near' or 'close' as in the following verses:
Those who take up allies besides Him: "We only worship them so that they may bring us 'zulfa' (closer) to God." 39:3
The definition of the Quranic word 'zulfa' is also confirmed in the following verses:
So We forgave him that, and indeed, for him is 'zulfa' (nearness) to Us and a wonderful homecoming. 38:25
And indeed, for him shall be 'zulfa' (nearness) to Us and a wonderful homecoming. 38:40
As a result, the phrase 'zulufan min al-layl' means the near parts of the night. The obvious question is: near to what? Nothing can be described as 'near' in absolute terms. The word 'near' can only have a meaning when we have a reference point to which this thing is near to.
For example, the following sentence is an incomplete sentence:
Observe the Salat at the two ends of the day; and during the near parts of the night.11:114
The word (and) between the 2 sentences has led to a specific misunderstandings of the message in 11:114. Various interpreters have suggested that this verse speaks of 3 Salat, they are the 2 Salat at the ends of the day and an additional Salat at night.
Here are 2 sentences to highlight this matter:
2- The weather today was sunny and warm.
It can be shown that the word (and) in 11:114 links 2 descriptions of the subject of the verse which is the 2 Salat rather than be referring to a third Salat. The word (and) in 11:114 links two pieces of information which together define the exact times of the 2 Salat.
To justify their incorrect interpretation of 11:114, which suggests a third Salat during the night, various translators have changed the meaning of the word (zulufan). As we have seen above, this word is used consistently in the Quran to mean (near). However, they changed it from (near) to (during). Thereby, they translated the phrase "zulufan min al-layl" from being (the near parts of the night) to being (during the night). From that they suggested a third Salat "during" the night.
How do we know that the word (and) in 11:114 links 2 descriptions of the times of the 2 Salat rather than suggest a third Salat?
The answer will become clear after we make note that the word (and) in 11:114 lies between two sentences and that each of the two sentences is incomplete on its own. The 2 descriptions are:
Neither of these 2 sentences on its own is sufficient to give us the exact times of the 2 Salat.
1- The ends of the day are sunrise and sunset. The time it takes the sun to rise or to set is approx 90 seconds. As mentioned before, it is impossible to observe a complete Salat in 90 seconds.
As a result, the phrase 'the ends of the day' on its own does not give us sufficient information as to when exactly are we to observe these 2 Salat.
2- Equally, the sentence 'near parts of the night' is incomplete on its own since we would need to ask: 'near to what?'
It is only when we combine the two sentences and regard them as two descriptions for the times of the two Salat that we obtain a complete informative guideline for the exact time of the 2 Salat. The word "and" therefore links two descriptions rather adds a third Salat.
The correct meaning of 11:114 is thus:
1- The Fajr Salat (named in 24:58). This Salat is due during the part of the night that is near sunrise (first end of the day).
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The Quranic definition of the 'layl' (night) is the time between sunset and sunrise, and thus, both Fajr and Isha are parts of the night. The details are at: Definition of Night in the Quran).
FIFTH: The detailed times of the three Salats
First:
In 11:114 we read about 2 Salats which are to be observed during the 'zulufan min al-layl (near parts of the night).' These 'parts of the night' are 'near' the 'ends of the Day'.
The information in 11:114 gives us the start time of Isha (sunset) and also the end time of Fajr (sunrise). These 2 Salats are to be observed during 'parts of the night', and therefore the Isha Salat starts when the sun has set and not before, since before sunset it would not be night yet.
The words 'parts of the Night' in 11:114 provide us with:
Second:
The Fajr is the period of time before sunrise when there is some light in the sky but the sun is below the horizon.
Fajr and Isha are identical periods of time but at opposite ends of the day.
The Wusta Salat
The timing of this Salat is given in the following verse:
Observe the Salat from the 'duluk' of the sun (when the sun declines from its highest point) until the 'ghasaq al-layl' (darkness of the night). 17:78
The word 'Wusta' (2:238) means Middle. Therefore, the words 'Al-Salat Al-Wusta' mean 'The Middle Prayer'. Just as the word 'near' in 11:114 cannot have an absolute meaning, but only a relative meaning, so does the word 'Middle' (Wusta) in 2:238. The word 'Middle' in 2:238 cannot have an absolute meaning. To be described as 'middle' must be in reference to two other points. Apart from the 'duluk' of the sun in 17:78, the only other reference points given in the Quran in connection with the Salat are sunrise and sunset (the ends of the day in 11:114). Thus the timing of the Middle Salat must be at the point when the sun has travelled exactly half way between sunrise and sunset. This point is midday.
The exact time for the Middle Prayer (Salat Al-Wusta), which is given in 17:78, is from the moment the sun begins its descent from its highest point at midday (duluk al shams) until the darkness of the night starts (ghasaq al-layl).
God assigned the times of all the Salat in relation to the movement of the sun in our sky, thereby the believers would know the exact times long before the advances in technology and detailed astronomical charts. When the sun rises, the shadows on the ground are the longest. As the sun travels upwards in our sky, the shadows it forms start to get shorter. When the sun reaches its highest point above our heads it forms the shortest shadow on the ground. This is midday. It is when the sun has travelled half its journey in our sky; hence the name "Middle Salat". As soon as the sun starts to descend from its highest point in the sky, the shadows start to get longer once again, then we know that it is the start of the Wusta Salat.
As for the end of the Wusta Salat, the words "the darkness of the night" in 17:78 give us 2 conditions that must occur to signal the end of the Wusta Salat, they are:
1- Darkness
2- Night
The darkness starts creeping in around 20 minutes or so before sunset. But the darkness alone does not signal the end of the Wusta Prayer. The second condition (Night) must also be fulfilled.
The Quranic definition of night is the time between sunset and sunrise. The night starts as soon as the sun has set, and not when it is totally dark as some claim. To see the Quranic definition of night (start and end points) please go to:
When does the 'Night' begin?
The first moment in time when both: Darkness and Night occur, is as soon as the sun has set. This is the end point of the Wusta Salat.
To sum up, the time to observe the Wusta Salat is any time between noon and sunset.
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As presented above, we have three distinct names of Prayers in the Quran, and likewise, we also have three precisely defined times for Prayers in the Quran. The advocates of the 5 daily Prayers cannot find names of 5 Prayers, nor can they find clearly defined start and end times for their five Prayers in the Quran. All their information comes from sources outside the Quran. They have no problem proclaiming that the Quran does not have all the details. By doing so, they demonstrate their disbelief in God's assurance that the Quran is fully detailed (6:114) and that nothing has been left out of the Book (6:38)!
The diagram below is of the exact times of the 2 Quranic Prayers in 11:114:
SIXTH: Various manipulations intended to justify the un-Quranic 5 Salat:
Since there are only three named Salat in the Quran, the advocates of the five Salat resorted to manipulate the meaning of a number of Quranic verses in order to imply that the Quran authorises 5 prayers. The following are some of these manipulations:
1- Some interpreters claimed that the word 'zahira' in 24:58 refers to the Salat which they call 'Zhohr'. However, if we look at verse 24:58, we note that the word 'Salat' in 24:58 is used in connection to only 2 Salats (Fajr and Isha), but when God spoke of Zahira God did not say Salat Al-Zahira, in other words, God referred to Zahira as a time of day, and not a name of a Salat. Naturally, if there was a Salat called Salat Al-Zahira, we would expect to see the words 'Salat Al-Zahira/Zohr' in 24:58, just like God mentioned Salat Al-Fajr and Salat Al-Isha in the same verse.
2- Some have also referred to the word 'Asr' (afternoon) in 103:1 to claim that there is a Salat by that name. However, we do not see any mention of the word Salat in 103:1 nor in any of the verses of Sura 103. Asr is merely a time of the day which God refers to. The Quran speaks of other times of the day such as 'duha' (morning) in 93:1, and as we have just seen, 'zahira' in 24:58, but this does not mean that there are Salat by those names!
3- Yet another case of manipulation is through the attempt to change the meaning of the Quranic word 'tasbeeh' (glorification) to claim that it refers to the Salat in specific verses. The Quran invites us to glorify God at various times of the day (3:41, 20:130, 50:39, 30:17-18). The act of 'tasbeeh' is different from the act of Salat. Tasbeeh (glorifying God) can be done at any time and has no pre-requisites, but the Salat must be observed at specific times of the day and can only be observed according to specific rules such as ablution, facing Qibla, precise physical movements, and so on.
SEVENTH: God has set the sun as the timer for the Salat for all mankind
In previous times, people did not have printed lists of 'prayer times' nor astronomical charts. They could not turn on a radio or TV or sign on to an app. to get the times of the Salat. For that, God gave mankind a reliable natural means for knowing the exact times of the Salat that is accessible to all people at all times.
All the three Salat are timed in reference to the movement of the sun in our sky. This is a natural timer which can be applied by all people, at all times and at all locations.
As long as there is any light in the sky (before sunrise and after sunset) we know it is the time for Fajr and Isha respectively. If there is no light at all in the sky, then we are either too early (for Fajr) or too late (for Isha).
The time of the Salat Al-Wusta it is also easy to determine. As long as the shadow formed is getting shorter, it is not time yet for the Wusta Salat. Then, as soon as the shadow starts to elongate once again, it is the start of the Wusta Salat. The Wusta Salat then ends when the sun has set. It cannot be easier!