Daily Contact Prayers (Salat)

3 or 5 Salat Prayers?

Some have attempted to use the previous scriptures as supporting evidence that historically the Contact prayers (Salat) were only performed 3 times per day. Daniel 6:10 is what is most often used:

[Daniel 6:10] "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."

However, we must not forget that GOD tells that a lot of information from the previous scriptures has been concealed by the Children of Israel at the time of printing / copying (6:91).

[6:91] They never valued GOD as He should be valued. Thus, they said, "GOD does not reveal anything to any human being." Say, "Who then revealed the scripture that Moses brought, with light and guidance for the people?" You put it down on paper to proclaim it, while concealing a lot of it. ... ...

Furthermore, we know the Bible has been distorted. Praise be to GOD, we are informed in 5:48 that the Quran supersedes previous scriptures and we are NOT to follow their wishes if it differs from the Quran (5:48). I understand this to mean sticking to the Quran if the previous scriptures say something different.

[5:48] Then we revealed to you this scripture, truthfully, confirming previous scriptures, and superseding them. You shall rule among them in accordance with GOD's revelations, and do not follow their wishes if they differ from the truth that came to you. For each of you, we have decreed laws and different rites.

Now, lets get into the Quranic argument refuting 3 daily contact prayers and confirming 5 daily contact prayers, but first, where did the 3 prayer salat understanding originate from.

Origin Of The Three Contact Prayer (Salat) Understanding

Here is an excerpt from the Reformist translation of Quran:

Reformist Translation of Quran, page 507-509

[11:114] You shall observe the contact prayers at both ends of the daylight, that is, during the adjacent hours of the night. The good deeds take away the bad. This is a reminder for those who remember.

Traditional translators and commentators consider the last clause "zulfan minal layl" of this verse as a separate prayer indicating the "night" prayer. However, we consider that clause not as an addition but as an explanation of the previous ambiguous clause; it explains the temporal direction of the ends of the day. The limits of "Nahar" (daylight) is marked by two distinct points: sunrise and sunset. In other words, two prayers should be observed not just after sunrise and before sunset, but before sunrise and after sunset.

As you can see, the translator believes that 11:114 is referring strictly to two prayers: dawn (fajr) and sunset (mahgrib). He claims that previous translators of Quran mistranslated this verse. However, the Arabic very clearly has the word ‘WA’ in front of ‘zulafan minal layl’.  The Arabic word ‘WA’ means ‘AND’ in English, and therefore means ‘something in addition to’. In this case, [11:114] ‘You shall observe the contact prayers at both ends of the day (dawn & sunset), AND during the night.” There is no way around this. There are three prayers mentioned here, not two! 

The question one must ask is how could the translator incorrectly translate such a clear verse?  Continuing on, the noon prayer is mentioned in 17:78, increasing the count to four contact prayers. 

[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.

In addition to this 2:238 mentions the ‘middle’ prayer. Therefore, the middle prayer in 2:238 would have to be the afternoon (asr) prayer, since you cannot have a middle prayer if the total number of prayers is an even number (4). Therefore, the middle prayer is a fifth prayer mentioned in a verse, giving us a grand total of five contact prayers.

[2:238] You shall consistently observe the Contact Prayers, especially the middle prayer, and devote yourselves totally to GOD.

By removing the word 'AND' in 11:114 the night prayer disappears leaving only 3 prayers mentioned instead of 4. This allows them to justify claiming the middle prayer is not another prayer, but actually the noon prayer in 17:78. This is how they derive a total of three daily contact prayers from the verses, but it is at the expense of abrogating information in the Quran. However, GOD revealed the Quran in Arabic -  the best language for establishing laws. Praise be to GOD, 2:238 strongly reaffirms there are 5 salat (contact) prayers. 

Arabic:: [2:238] Hafithoo AAala alssalawati WAalssalati alwusta waqoomoo lillahi qaniteena

2:238 above (Arabic transliteration) shows the word salawaat meaning "prayers". This implies a minimum of three (3) prayers, since the Arabic for two prayers is 'salatan' or 'salatain'. Couple this with the fact the Arabic word "wa" follows it (and the middle prayer, "waalssalati alwusta") this means that God is telling us to observe at least 3 prayers AND the middle prayer, not the middle of 3 prayers (eg: at least 3 plus a middle one). As stated previously, since you cannot have a middle of four (4) prayers.  Then the minimum is five (5) contact prayers (salat). There is no way around the clear Arabic.

Please refer to Appendix 1 at the bottom of this document for a list of English translations of 11:114, along with the Arabic transliteration. You will clearly see the ‘WA’ (and) in red and the ‘zulfan mina allayli’ in blue indicating the night prayer is in addition to the prayers at the two ends of the day (dawn & sunset). You will notice the Reformist translation of Quran has completely abrogated the word ‘WA’ altogether. The very word which directly affects the number of salat prayers.

If you still have doubts about the five daily contact prayers, then we will look at the both arguments in light of the Quran, and, GOD willing, it will become clear to you. If you look at 29:45, we learn the most important objective of the contact prayers (salat) is the remembrance of GOD. However, it also says the Contact prayers prohibit evil and vice.

[29:45] You shall recite what is revealed to you of the scripture, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), for the Contact Prayers prohibit evil and vice. But the remembrance of GOD (through Salat) is the most important objective.* GOD knows everything you do.

As we know, the contact prayers are a means of growing and strengthening our soul. It is our ‘soul food’ so to speak. When we eat food and drink water we obtain the energy required to do our daily chores. If we do not eat, we get weak and tired. Consequently, we cannot focus as well and tend to make mistakes. Similarly, if we do not do all our daily contact prayers, we do not have enough ‘soul food’ to  protect us from evil and vice. Now, lets take another look at 2:238.

[2:238] You shall consistently observe the Contact Prayers, especially the middle prayer, and devote yourselves totally to GOD.

Salat has two functions: 1) The remembrance of GOD, and 2) protection from evil and vice (29:45). We see above that God has placed special emphasis on observing the middle prayer. Since, remembrance of GOD is always achieved regardless of which prayer it is, this special emphasis in 2:238, by default, must be in relation to the second function of 'protection from evil and vice'.

Those who understand it to be only 3 contact prayers (salat) a day consider the middle prayer in 17:78 to be the noon prayer. Whereas, according to Quran and the Messenger the middle prayer is the afternoon or ‘Asr’ prayer. The best way to determine which understanding is correct (5 or 3) is to find out which understanding contradicts the Quran and which does not. As we know, there are no contradictions in the Quran, only in people’s understanding.

Sura 103 ‘The Afternoon (Asr)’

             [103:1] By the afternoon.

             [103:2] The human being is utterly lost.

Knowing the contact prayers protect us from evil and vice (29:45), and that the human being is utterly lost by the afternoon (103:1-2), makes prayer at this particular time vitally important for our souls.  Hence, GOD’s special emphasis on observing the middle contact prayer (2:238), the afternoon (Asr) prayer. Those who pray three times a day will be utterly lost by afternoon. Those following God, Qur'an, and His messenger, will perform five contact prayers daily and will receive the benefits throughout the day.

Now, I highly recommend going through Appendix 1 below containing all the different translations of 11:114 and pay close attention to the color coding. This really demonstrates how the verse has been mistranslated.

Appendix 1: Comparison of all the translations of 11:114. The 'Reformist' translation is at the bottom.