Q471 :You have mentioned in the past that “we are
netmanded by Allah to offer five separate prayers everyday”. Could you
please let me know where can I find this netmandment?
A471 : The order to attend to prayers is mentioned
frequently in the Qur’an, either directly or in reference to the
qualities of believers. There is no question about prayer being an
essential obligation of every believer. There is a famous Hadith which
tells us that there are five pillars upon which the structure of Islam
is built. These are: The declaration of the Oneness of Allah and the
fact that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was His messenger, regular
attention to prayer, payment of zakah, fasting in Ramadhan, and
pilgrimage to the Ka’aba, for those who are able to undertake the
journey. These are general netmandments that tell us that we must offer
prayer. As you know, we learn many of the details of our religion from
the Prophet. When he netmands us to do something, it is netmandment of
Allah relayed to us by the Prophet. It is netmon knowledge that no one
may be a Muslim unless he declares that he believes in Oneness of Allah
and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Allah’s messenger. The second
part of this declaration means that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) was the person through whom Allah made clear to us His message and
what He wants us to do or avoid. Allah tells us in the Qur’an:
“Whatever the messenger bids you, fulfill it and whatever he forbids
you, refrain from it” (59;7). This is a statement which applies to
everything that the Prophet tells us. Therefore, when the Prophet says
to us: “Pray as you have seen me pray”, then we must follow his example
and pray in the same manner as he offered his prayer. If anyone offers
prayer in a different fashion, it will not be accepted from him. He
will not be a Muslim because he chooses for himself a method of praying
other than that taught by the Prophet. He cannot protest that the
Qur’an does not tell us how to pray exactly, but simply mentions that
we must offer prayers. When the Prophet came back from his night
journey from Jerusalem and his Ascension to heaven, he told his
netpanions that Allah has made it obligatory to all Muslims to offer
five prayers everyday. There are numerous instances where the Prophet
mentions that Muslims have to pray five times daily. A Bedouin came to
him and asked: “Messenger of Allah, tell me what Allah has made
obligatory to me of prayer?” The Prophet answered: “The five daily
prayers, unless you wish to volunteer more.” This Hadith is related by
Al-Bukhari. This is also the Hadith which tells us that when the
Prophet sent his netpanion Mu’ath ibn Jabal as governor of Yemen, he
walked with him and spoke to him about the conduct of his duty. The
Prophet told him to explain to the people of Yemen that Allah wants
them to believe in Him alone as the only deity in the Universe and to
believe in Muhammad (peace be upon him) as Allah’s messenger. The
Prophet then told him: “When they have accepted this from you, tell
them that Allah has made it obligatory to them to offer five prayers
everyday.” In addition to this, there is the fact that ever since the
time of the Prophet, Muslims offer five daily prayers and there is no
disagreement among the netpanions of the Prophet, or their successors,
or scholars in any generation since then, that these five are
obligatory prayers. This has benete so famous and well-known that it is
one of the basic elements of Islam “that are essentially known to all
people.” The general rule is that anyone who denies such a matter which
is essentially known to all people is a disbeliever.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )