Manipulation of 30:17-18
So 'subhan Allah' (glory to God) when you retire at night and when you rise in the morning. And
'Lahu Al-hamd' (praise is due to Him) in the heavens and the earth, in the evening and when you are at midday.
30:17-18
When the advocates of the 5 Salat can only find 3 names of Salat in the Quran, which are the Fajr Salat (24:58), the Wusta Salat (2:238) and the Isha Salat (24:58), they resort to manipulating the meaning of a number of Quranic words implying they speak about the Salat, thereby justifying the 5 Salat.
The relevant words from the above verses that we need to focus on are: Subhan Allah and Al-Hamd.
Tasbeeh: The noun of the word 'Subhan' is Tasbeeh. This word is used in the Quran to mean the glorification of God as in:
'Sabbaha l'Allah' (Glorifying God) is what is in the heavens and the earth. He is the Dignified, the Wise. 57:1
Hamd: This word, often used in the Quran, means praising God, as in:
He is God; there is no god except Him. To Him belongs 'al-hamd' (praise) in the First and in the Hereafter. Judgment belongs to Him, and to Him you shall be returned. 28:70
We are invited to do Tasbeeh (glorifying God) and Hamd (praising God) at all times of the day (when we are able):
1- Before sunrise and before sunset (50:39).
2- In the evening and at midday (30:18).
3- In the evening and early morning (40:55).
4- During the night (20:130).
5- When we wake up (52:48).
6- in the night and after the stars fade away from view(52:49).
7- At the ends of the day (20:130).
The above times just about cover all times of the day. What the above verses tell us is that we are invited to glorify and praise God at any time and as often as we can.
In contrast, the Salat is a specifically structured ritual which is to be observed at specific times of the day. Each one of the three Salat has a defined time range and cannot be observed outside these defined times:
Salat: The worship ritual of the Salat comprises the ablution, facing Qibla, standing, bowing and prostrating while glorifying God with Quranic words.
There are major differences between the ritual of Salat and the acts of glorifying and praising God, they are:
1- Glorifying and praising God can be done at any time of the day. In contrast, the three authorized Quranic Salat can only be observed during their prescribed times:
The Salat has been appointed specific times for the believers. 4:103
2- The ritual of Salat cannot be observed before a number of pre-requisites are observed, such as ablution, facing Qibla. In contrast, glorifying and praising God do not require any pre-requisites to be performed.
3- To observe the Salat we must leave everything else we are doing and devote all our time and attention to the observance of the Salat. In contrast, we may glorify and praise God while we are doing other things. For example, we can praise God while we eat, when we walk or when we are doing anything else.
4- Even though we are invited to glorify and praise God whenever we are able to, if we are busy or forget to praise God on a specific day, we would not be held accountable. In contrast, if we miss observing our Salat we would be held accountable by God.
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The following glorious verse establishes the clear difference between Salat and Tasbeeh:
Have you not seen that everything in the heavens and the earth glorifies God, even the birds in their flight formation? Each has known its prayer and its glorification. God is Knowledgeable of what they do. 24:41
This verse proves that Tasbeeh and Salat are not the same thing. If they were, God would not have to say "each has known its Salat (prayer) and its Tasbeeh (glorification)", as this would be an unnecessary repetition.
In view of all the above, we can easily see where, and why, the deliberate corruption occurred.
The words in 30:17 and 30:18 do not speak about the Salat, nor is the word Salat mentioned in these verses. When God wishes to speak about the ritual of Salat, the word Salat is always used. Compare the above verses with verses which speak specifically about the Salat, such as 17:78 and 11:114.
The only named Salat in the Quran are three and they are:
- The Fajr Salat (24:58)
- The Wusta Salat (2:238)
- The Isha Salat (24:58)
The same kind of manipulation, intended to justify the non-Quranic 5 Salat, can also be seen with regards to the interpretation of 20:130. Please see: Manipulation of 20:130
The same kind of manipulation, intended to justify the non-Quranic 5 Salat, can also be seen with regards to the interpretation of 20:130. Please see: Manipulation of 20:130