Question:
Why do Muslims have to pray five times every day. Isn’t praying once a day sufficient?
Answer:
1. Salaah is not merely Prayer
Salaah does not merely mean to pray. According to the Oxford dictionary, ‘pray’ means to beseech or to ask earnestly e.g. “He prayed to be released in the court of law.” It also means supplication. In other religions to pray means to beseech or to supplicate e.g. ‘Our Lord! Give us this day our daily bread.’ The Dua’ we Muslims make after Salaah is actually our supplication.
2. Salaah is Programming
Salaah is much more than merely praying. In Salaah we not only ask from Allah but we also thank Him, praise Him, and at the same time receive guidance from Him. Salaah in the true sense is “programming” or conditioning.
3. Unlike computers humans have free will
Computers require programming because they do not have a free will of their own. Humans have their own free will and with the various kinds of evil that are present in society such as eve-teasing, cheating, bribing, robbing, alcoholism, drug addiction, obscenity, etc., there is every possibility of the human being getting deprogrammed. Thus it is compulsory that we should regularly be programmed to remain on the Siraatal Mustaqim that is, the Straight Path.
4. Healthy body requires 3 meals a day, spiritual soul requires 5 times Salaah a day
For a healthy body three meals a day are required. Similarly for a spiritual soul , a minimum five times Salaah is required in a day. You cannot remain healthy by having only one meal a day.
5. According to the Qur’an Muslims should pray minimum five times a day:
It is mentioned in:
(i) Surah Hud Chapter 11 Verse 114:
“And establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night: for those things that are good remove those that are evil: be that the word of remembrance to those who remember (their Lord)”.
[Al-Qur’an 11:114]
(ii) Surah Al-Isra Chapter 17 Verse 78:
“Establish regular prayers – at the sun’s decline till the darkness of the night, and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony”.
[Al-Qur’an 17:78]
(iii) Surah Ta-Ha Chapter 20 Verse 130
“Therefore be patient with what they say, and celebrate (constantly) the praises of thy Lord before the rising of the sun, and before its setting; Yea, celebrate them for part of the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day: that thou mayest have (spiritual) joy”.
[Al-Qur’an 20:130]
(iv) Surah Rum Chapter 30 Verses 17-18:
“So (give) glory to Allah, when ye reach eventide and when ye rise In the morning; Yea, to Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline”.
(v) Timings of 5 times Salaah:
The 5 daily prescribed Salaah are:
Fajr Between the break of dawn and sunrise.
Zuhar After the sun reaches its highest point that is when the sun starts declining early in the afternoon till the shadow becomes twice the size of the object or till the point between noon and sunset.
Asr Late in the afternoon after Zuhur until sun begins to set.
Magrib After sunset until disappearance of twilight.
Isha Late in the evening or in the night after disappearance of twilight until the break of Fajr but preferably offered before midnight.
If you are going to use a computer analogy; then it is better to say that from time to time, when you use the internet, you store information onto the RAM disks. If the RAM disks have no capacity to store more information then data is stored onto the hard drive.
ReplyDeleteIt is wise to clear away the temporary internet files, cookies, browsing history.
In like manner, when making Salah the focus is to forget the world and all the matters of the world and think about Allah.
The spacing between prayers is roughly 3 hours between the majority of them.
In 3 hours time plenty happens in life that can distract you from righteous thoughts and conduct.
5 times per day we are given the task of refocusing attention on righteousness and pious conduct.
I totally agree with Brother Tomasz for the nice comment. It is very true indeed. One cannot imagine how much may happen in a three hour gap!!! Jazakallahu-hairan brother.
ReplyDeleteNot everybody knows about computers that much to use that kind of advanced analogy. Da'wa should be as simple as possible, that the other person may understand, on a common ground, with a common language
ReplyDeleteBut those verses mention only three times prayer. Why do you then pray five times?
ReplyDeleteThanks appreciate. Messenger of Allah instructed it as such. 1. Morning namaz. 2. Zuhur and Asar = day light prayers 3. Maghrib and Isha = evening prayers. Thats it.
ReplyDeleteits a misconception that other religions only ask everything from god, every religion speak about the attitude of gratitude. unlike other religions Islam have 5 specific time for praying , so it doesn't mean that other religions people pray less. They may pray more than 10 times some times. Once who cannot respect other religion will never respect their own religion.
ReplyDeleteits a misconception in ur mind..........muslim offer 5 compulsory pray in a day regularly( let me remind u the whole concept of one prayer is entirely different then prayer of other religions........so no means to compare it) and second thing,,,,,,,,,5 times a day is a lower limit not a upper limit...........if one wish one can offer as many as he can........for eg....one can pray for whole night........
DeleteI came across a very enlightening article on Salaat. Would like your views on it Dr Zakir.
ReplyDeleteMeaning and Essence of Prayer ----Salaat
By: Dr. Mansoor Alam
http://www.tolueislam.org/Bazm/Mansoor/MA_Salaat_1.htm