The Five Daily Prayer Times and Why We Observe Them
鈥榊ou shall glorify and praise your Lord and be with the prostrators, and worship your Lord until you attain certainty.鈥�听[The Noble Qur'an, 15:98]
Prayer (Salah), is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is an important guiding principle that all Muslims must follow. Muslims should aspire never to miss a prayer (Namaz), although if a prayer is missed due to reasons outside of your control, you must make up the missed prayer promptly or recite the missed prayer in your next regular Salah.
The five daily prayers were gifted to Prophet Muhammad (saw) during the Night Journey and Ascension听Isra wal-Mi'raj. Allah (swt) commanded Muslims to pray 50 times a day, but this was reduced to five times after the Prophet (saw) prompted by Musa (as) requested that Allah lessen the number to something more doable for people.听However, in His generosity, Allah decreed that the reward for observing the five daily prayers would still be that of fifty prayers, 'O Muhammad [saw] they are five prayers every day and night. Each prayer is (rewarded) as ten, so that makes fifty prayers.'听[Muslim]听
Do you want to be part of preserving the site of the Prophet's ascension during the Night Journey? Find out more here
Why Must Salah be Observed?
鈥楢nd be steadfast in prayer; practise regular charity; and bow down your heads with those who bow down in worship.鈥� [The Noble Qur鈥檃n, 2:43]
- Daily prayers remind us to be faithful to Allah and provide opportunities for us to seek His forgiveness and guidance.
- Prayer contributes to the connection we feel with our brothers and sisters across the world, as together, we share in the sacraments that strengthen our faith.
- A schedule of prayer instils discipline and keeps us motivated throughout the day.
- Salah is another way in which we submit humbly and sincerely to our Lord. Submission to Allah is the foundation of Islam and reminds us that we should not be driven solely by our own egos and interests.
- Namaz at key times of the day and night ensures we keep our faith at the heart of all we do throughout each day of our lives.
How do you pray Salah?
Check out our step-by-step guide (including video) to learn exactly how to pray.听We also have an article about how to perform wudu.
What do the movements of Salah mean?
Abu Huraira reported:听
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 鈥楾he nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication [in this state].鈥� [Muslim]听
The movements of Salah are themsleves full of meaning.听Islamic scholar Al-Ghazali said:听
'Bowing and prostration are accompanied by a renewed affirmation of the supreme greatness of God. In bowing you renew your submissiveness and humility, striving to refine your inner feeling through a fresh awareness of your own impotence and insignificance before the might and grandeur of your Lord. To confirm this,听you seek the aid of your tongue, glorifying your Lord and testifying repeatedly听to His supreme majesty, both inwardly and outwardly.' [Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship]
As well as signifying our humility and revererance in the face of our Lord, the movements of prayer are said to directly reflect the way the angels (as) are in a constant state of worship to Allah.听On the authority of Hudhaifah (ra) who said, 鈥楾he Messenger of Allah (saw) said,听鈥榃e have been favored in three ways: [1] Our [prayer] rows have been made like the rows of angels, [2] the entire earth has been made a place of prayer for us, and [3] its soil is purifying for ablution if one cannot find water.鈥� [Muslim]听
Even the etiquette of standing in rows for prayer is angelic:听
On the authority of Jabir ibn Samurah (ra) who said, 鈥楾he Messenger of Allah (saw) came out to us, and he said, 鈥淏e calm in prayer.鈥� Then, he [saw] came out to us another time and he said, 鈥淲ill you not form your prayer rows as the angels do before their Lord?鈥� We said, 鈥淥 Messenger of Allah, how do the angels form rows before their Lord?鈥� He [saw] said, 鈥淭hey complete the first rows and fill in the gaps between rows.鈥濃��听[Muslim]听
Similiarly, when we prostate ourselves in prayer (sujud) we are also copying the way the angels continuously prostrate themselves infront of Allah. When the Companions (ra) asked the Prophet (saw) what outer space was like following his ascention to the skies during the night journey, he replied:
'Indeed, I see what you do not see, and I hear what you do not hear. The heavens moan, and they have the right to moan. There is no place the size of four fingers in them, except that there is an angel placing his forehead in it, prostrating to Allah. By Allah! If you knew what I know, then you would laugh little and you would cry much. And you would not taste the pleasures of your women in the beds, and you would go out beseeching Allah. Surely, I wish that I was but a felled tree.'听[Tirmidhi]
Therfore, while our lips proclaim the greatness of our Lord, through our movements we align ourselves not only with other Muslims around the world, but with the angels in Heaven in unified worship.
What are the Prayer Times?
After the miracle of the Night Journey and Ascension of the Prophet (saw), the Angel Jibril (as) taught the Prophet (saw) how and when to pray the five compulsory prayers.听
'On the authority of Ibn 鈥楢bbas (ra) who said, 鈥楾he Messenger of Allah (saw)听said:
"Jibril (as)听led me in prayer at the House [i.e. the Ka鈥榖ah].听He prayed the noon prayer (Dhuhr) with me when the sun had passed the meridian to the extent of the thong of a sandal. He prayed the afternoon prayer (鈥楢sr) with me when the shadow of everything was as long as itself. He prayed the sunset prayer (Maghrib) with me when one who is fasting breaks the fast. He prayed the night prayer (鈥業sha鈥�) with me when the twilight had ended. And he prayed the dawn prayer (Fajr) with me when food and drink become forbidden to one who is keeping the fast.听
On the following day he prayed the noon prayer (Dhuhr) with me when his shadow was as long as himself. He prayed the afternoon prayer (鈥楢sr) with me when his shadow was twice as long as himself. He prayed the sunset prayer (Maghrib) at the time when one who is fasting breaks the fast. He prayed the night prayer (鈥業sha鈥�) with me when about the third of the night had passed; and he prayed the dawn prayer (Fajr) with me when there was a fair amount of light.听
Then turning to me he said, 鈥極 Muhammad [saw], this is the time observed by the Prophets before you, and the time is anywhere between these two times.鈥欌�澨�
[Abu Dawud]听
Prayer (Namaz) times are dictated by the positioning of the sun in the sky and where you are in the world. In communities with a high Muslim population, prayer times are announced by a daily call to prayer known as Adhan. Adhan is a call made from the local mosque by the designated caller of prayer, known as a muezzin.
The muezzin delivers the Takbir, proclaiming Allahu Akbar - 'God is Great' - and the Shahada - 'There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of God.' These are known as the Kalimah, an important part of the call to prayer and the first of the Five Pillars of Islam. A further announcement, called the iqama, is made to inform Muslims that it is time to start lining up in preparation for the beginning of prayer. Alongside delivering the Kalimah, the muezzin announces the call to prayer so Muslims in the area can retain an accurate prayer schedule.
Muslims must observe five prayers throughout the day, each based on the positioning of the sun. These are:
- Fajr (dawn): The first prayer to start your day is performed before sunrise at true dawn in remembrance of Allah (swt)
- Dhuhr (midday): A prayer to remember Allah and seek His guidance is performed either shortly before or after noon, depending on the time of year. Usually, you will have already started your work day and will need to take a short break
- Asr (afternoon): A prayer to reflect on the greater meaning of our lives takes place in the late afternoon
- Maghrib (sunset): The fourth daily prayer takes place not long after the sun has set in order to remember Allah (swt) before the day finishes
- Isha (night): The final prayer of the day, before going to bed and resting, you must take time to pray and show gratitude for Allah's presence, mercy, guidance and forgiveness.
The prayers originally consisted of only two units of prayer, but this was later increased to four obligatory units. on the authority of 鈥楢ishah (ra) who said, 鈥极谤颈驳颈苍补濒濒测, two 谤补办鈥榓丑蝉 (units of prayer) were prescribed in every prayer. Then when the Prophet (saw) migrated [to Madinah]听four 谤补办鈥榓丑蝉听were enjoined, while prayer during journeys remained unchanged [i.e. two 谤补办鈥榓丑蝉].鈥� [Al-Bukhari]听
In addition to these obligatory prayers, many Muslims choose to pray voluntary prayers as well to earn more reward. These include Tahajjud, a night prayer, often prayed in the last third of the night; and Duha prayer, offered between sunrise and noon.
Observing Prayer Times
鈥榃hen the prayers are over, remember Allah鈥攚hether you are standing, sitting, or lying down. But when you are secure, establish regular prayers. Indeed, performing prayers is a duty on the believers at the appointed times.鈥� [The Noble Qur鈥檃n, 4:103]听
Prayer times must be observed in the time given and never performed before the prescribed time, although making up a missed prayer is acceptable. If you are in a place with height variations, consideration must be paid to the height above sea level as this can affect your prayer time by a few minutes. For example, someone living or working on the top floor of a high-rise building will have a different prayer time to someone living or working on the ground floor.
Salah is the second of the Five obligatory Pillars of Islam, and is followed by Zakat 鈥� which makes the third pillar. If you would like to learn more about Zakat and what it entails, please visit our Zakat page听for more information.听
The first Qiblah听
On the authority of Abu Ishaq (ra) who said, 鈥業 heard al-Bara鈥� [ra] say,听"We prayed with the Messenger of Allah (saw) towards Bait al-Maqdis for sixteen months or seventeen months. Then we were made to change (our direction) towards the Ka鈥榖ah."'听[Muslim]听
When the Messenger of Allah (saw) was in Makkah before the migration to al-Madinah, he would put the Ka鈥榖ah in front of him when he prayed towards the Masjid al-Aqsa to the north. It is believed that he prayed behind the southern corner of the Ka鈥榖ah, which is called ar-Rukn al-Yamani (the Yemeni corner). This is alluded to in the following Hadith:听
On the authority of Ibn 鈥楢bbas (ra) who said, 鈥楾he Prophet (saw) used to pray, while he was in Makkah, towards Bait al-Maqdis, putting the Ka鈥榖ah in front of him. He stayed [praying towards Bait al-Maqdis] after his migration for 16 months, then he was turned [by Allah] towards the Ka鈥榖ah.鈥� [Ahmad]听
However, when he migrated to Madinah to the north of Makkah, he was unable to do this so Allah changed the Qiblah for His Beloved Messenger (saw):听
鈥榁erily, We have seen the turning of your face towards the sky. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah that shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of al-Masjid al-Haram (in Makkah). And wherever you people are, turn your faces (during prayer) in that direction].鈥� [The Noble Qur鈥檃n, 2:144]听
Scholars indicate that Makkah, the birthplace of the Prophet (saw) and the location of the first Masjid placed on earth was also selected directly because of the love the Prophet (saw) had for the city:听
On the authority of Ibn 鈥楢bbas (ra) who said, 鈥楾he Messenger of Allah (saw) said to Makkah [upon leaving it on the Hijrah to al-Madinah], 'How sweet of a land you are, and how beloved you are to me! If it were not that my people expelled me from you, I would not have lived in other than you.'听[Tirmidhi]听
Did you know you can earn the reward of a thousand prayers with a single action? Visit our Masjid Al-Aqsa page to learn more about how you can be involved in supporting the first Qiblah and reap the immense blessings.
Salah is the second of the Five obligatory Pillars of Islam, and is followed by Zakat 鈥� which makes the third pillar. If you would like to learn more about Zakat and what it entails, please visit our Zakat page听for more information.听
