3.1.5 Times Of Prayer

The institution of prayer in Islam is a perfectly regularized institution, and it is the first lesson which a Muslim learns in the organization of things. Without divesting the individual of his liberty to pray to God at whatsoever place and time and in whatsoever manner he likes, Islam has thoroughly organized the institution of prayer. As stated earlier, prayer brings about not only the development of the individual but also a perfect development of society, being a means for the unification of humanity. This latter object cannot be obtained without a properly organized institution of prayer with a fixed place and fixed times and a uniform method, so that through it individuals may be brought together. Hence it is that the Holy Qur’an requires prayer to be said at appointed times: “Prayer indeed has been enjoined on the believers at fixed times” (4:103).

The Holy Qur’an does not explicitly state that prayer should be said at such and such times, but it does give indications of the times of prayer. For example, it is stated in a very early revelation: “Keep up prayer from the declining of the sun till the darkness of the night, and the recital of the Qur’an at dawn; surely the recital of the Qur’an at dawn is witnessed” (17:78). There are four prayers which follow one another successively, the two afternoon prayers and the two evening prayers; and the time of each of these extends till the time of the next following prayer, with the exception of a very short interval, when the sun is actually setting, between the late afternoon and the sunset prayer. These four prayers are, therefore, spoken of together in the words “from the declining of the sun till the darkness of the night”, and the morning prayer is mentioned separately. In another verse it is stated: “And celebrate the praise of thy Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting, and glorify (Him) during hours of the night and parts of the day, that thou mayest be well-pleased” (20:130). That the glorification here referred to is prayer, is shown by the context, since 20:132 says: “And enjoin prayer on thy people and steadily adhere to it.” Here the morning prayer and the late afternoon prayer are indicated, while the two evening prayers are spoken of together. A third verse of the later Makkan period throws further light on the times of the prayers: “And keep up prayer in the two parts of the day and in the first hours of the night” (11:114). The addition of the words “first hours” of the night here makes it clear that, apart from a prayer in the darkness of the night, which is spoken of in 17:78, there is also a prayer in the “first hours,” that is to say, immediately after sunset. Thus the morning prayer, the early afternoon and the night prayer are referred to in 17:78; the late afternoon prayer in 20:130, and the sunset prayer in 11:114.

The five times of prayer are thus mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, not in one place but in many, as if by way of reference to something which already existed. As a matter of fact, the Holy Qur’an only enjoins the iqamah, or organization, of prayer and the details of that organization were given by the Holy Prophet guided by the Holy Spirit (Bu. 9:1) or by inner revelation (wahy khafiyy). The following are the times of the five obligatory prayers, and their names according to the practice (Sunnah) of the Holy Prophet:

1. Fajr, or the early morning prayer, is said after dawn and before sunrise. It is mentioned by this name in the Holy Qur’an in 17:78 and 24:58. This prayer is to be said when a man rises from his sleep in the morning. A Muslim must therefore habituate himself to rising before sunrise, but if he gets up late sometimes, then the prayer may still be said even though the sun may have risen (Bu. 9:35).

2. Zuhr, or the early afternoon prayer, is said when the sun begins to decline, and its time extends until the next prayer. In the hot season it is better to delay it till the severity of the sun is mitigated a little (Bu. 9:9).

3. Asr, or the late afternoon prayer, is said when the sun is about midway on its course to setting, and its time extends till the sun begins to set. But it is better to say it when the sun is yet high (Bu. 9:11).

4. Maghrib, or the sunset prayer, is said immediately after the sun sets, and its time extends till the red glow in the west disappears.

5. ‘Isha’ or the night prayer, is said when the red glow in the west disappears, and its time extends till midnight. It is mentioned by name in the Holy Qur’an in 24:58. This prayer must be said at the time of going to bed, so that it is the last act of the day, just as the morning prayer is the first act of the day.

The two afternoon prayers, Zuhr and ‘Asr, may be combined when one is on a journey, and so may the two night prayers, Maghrib and ‘Isha’ (Bu. 18:13, 14, 15). Such a combination is also allowed in inclement weather, and according to one hadith this combination may be effected even when there is neither journey nor rain. Thus Ibn ‘Abbas says: “The Holy Prophet (may peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) combined the Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers, eight rak‘ahs, and the Maghrib and ‘Isha’ prayers, seven rak‘ahs, and this was in Madinah. Ayyub said, “It may have been on a rainy night.” He replied “Maybe” (Bu. 9:12). The Holy Prophet was in this case in Madinah, and therefore not journeying, and as to rain, the narrator was not sure. The same hadith appearing in Muslim is clearer on this point. Ibn ‘Abbas’ report, there, is in the following words: “The Holy Prophet (may peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) combined the Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers and the Maghrib and ‘Isha’ prayers when there was neither journey nor fear,” and being asked why he did it, the reply was, “so that his followers may not be in difficulty” (M. 6:8). According to another report, the words are that combination was effected in Madinah when there was neither fear nor rain (M. 6:5). This combination is called jam‘ bain al-salatain or the combination of two prayers, and both prayers may be said at the time of the earlier prayer, which is called jam‘ taqdim, or an early combination, or at the time of the later prayer, which is called jam‘ ta’khir, or a late combination.

The only voluntary prayer spoken of in the Holy Qur’an is Tahajjud (17:79). This night prayer finds frequent mention in the Holy Qur’an and, while it is voluntary for the Muslims generally, the Holy Prophet, in one of the earliest revelations, was commanded to observe it: “O thou who hast wrapped up thyself! Rise to pray by night except a little, half of it, or lessen it a little, or add to it, and recite the Holy Qur’an in a leisurely manner” (73:1-4). And in the same chapter, we are told further on, that this prayer was regularly observed by the Holy Prophet and even by his Companions: “Thy Lord knows indeed that thou passest in prayer nearly two-thirds of the night and (sometimes) half of it, and (sometimes) a third of it, and also a party of those with thee” (73:20). Still, as 17:79 shows, it is called a voluntary prayer (nafilah). It is said after midnight, after one has had some sleep.