Salah Timings
Qur’aanic Verse 17.78:
Transliteration:
78. Aqimi alssalata lidulooki alshshamsi ila ghasaqi allayli waqur-ana alfajri inna qur-ana alfajri kana mashhoodan
Translation:
78. Establish ritual prayer during the interval from the time the sun sets till the darkness of the night spreads completely. And recite the Qur’aan at dawn. The recitation at dawn is indeed to be in the presence of a congregation.22
Study Note:
22. This is the first Verse in the chronological order of revelation prescribing a fixed time for a ritual prayer (salah). The time fixed here is dusk. Along with the ritual prayer at dusk, the believers were asked to read the Qur’aan in a congregation at dawn. Refer study notes 451 to 455 on Verse 2.238 in this regard.
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The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXVIX. It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXVIII already published and freely available thereon.
Mohammad Shafi
Author of ‘ISLAM & INTEREST‘
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:05 am
I refered the above mentioned study note 451 to 455 and I would like comment on your words mentioned in 453 (quoted below )
453. But where is the Qur’aanic authentication for our uasur and uishaa prayers? I do not find it anywhere. But interpreters twist the plain meanings of the above-quoted and other verses of the Qur’aan to count the number of prayers in a day to five.
Brother Mohamed Shafi, how can you say Isha prayer is not mentioned in the quran. Please refer 24:58. Salatul Isha is mentioned there.
The topic under discussion seems to make confusion regarding the number and times of our regular prayers. Some Quranist says only three salat are mentioned in the quran and some others says 5 are mentioned in the quran. Based on my little knowledge I would like to mention the following
3 salat are confirmed from the verse 11:114.
[11:114] You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) at both ends of the day, and during the night. The righteous works wipe out the evil works. This is a reminder for those who would take heed.
Obeviously both ends of the day means before sun rise and after sunset- Fajr and Magrib and by during the night means Isha prayer.
Again in 24:58 , 2 paryers are mentioned by names ( Fajr and Isha )
[24:58] O you who believe, permission must be requested by your servants and the children who have not attained puberty (before entering your rooms). This is to be done in three instances - before the Dawn Prayer, at noon when you change your clothes to rest, and after the Night Prayer. These are three private times for you. At other times, it is not wrong for you or them to mingle with one another. GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.
[17:78] You shall observe the Contact Prayer (Salat) when the sun declines from its highest point at noon, as it moves towards sunset. You shall also observe (the recitation of) the Quran at dawn. (Reciting) the Quran at dawn is witnessed.
Here we can see the time of Noon prayer as when the sun decline from its highest point at noon and it moves towards sunset.
[2:238] You shall consistently observe the Contact Prayers, especially the middle prayer, and devote yourselves totally to GOD.
In this verse we are commanded to perform the middle prayer. ( Asar)
Mohammad Shafi responds:
I didn’t say Isha prayer is not mentioned in the Qur’aan. What I said was that there is no authentication in the Qur’aan of our Isha prayer, meaning the night prayer Muslims offer now after darkness of night sets in.
The confusion about the timings of the prayers is not because of any lack of clarity in the Qur’aanic Verses. It is purely because of Muslims’ illogical & highly laboured misinterpretation of the Verses done merely to bring them in tune with the ahaadeeth.
I reiterate what the plain meaning of the Verses tell me. And what these Verses tell me is described in my study notes 2.451 to 2.455