Quranic Salat

The concept of Quranic Salat Timings has been discussed in Hujjat Allah Al-Baligha (Arabic/Urdu) by Shah Waliullah. He said that there are three Salat timings in fact for Five Salats.

The numbers of regular daily prayers “Salat” mentioned by their respective names in Arabic in the “Quran” are “Three” as follows:

1. Salat Fajr (Dawn Prayer) ^{[Qur'an 24:58]}
2. Al-Salat Al-Wusta ( The Middle Prayer) ^{[Qur'an 2:238][Qur'an 17:78]}
3. Salat Isha’a (Night Prayer)^{[Qur'an 24:58]}

The following three “Salat” which are not mentioned in “Quran” by their names as a term in Arabic are as:

1. Salat Dhuhr (ظهر).
2. Salat Asr (عصر).
3. Salat Maghrib (مغرب).

However, the words “Dhuhr (ظهر)”, “Asr (عصر)” and “Maghrib (مغرب)” are used in Quran but not as a term defining “Salat”. The word “noon” is used but not as a “Salat Time” or as a “Salat Al-Dhuhr” but rather than as a “Time of Privacy/Rest Time”.^{[Qur'an 24:58]}

The Quran reinforces the importance of keeping a schedule of five prayers ^{[Qur'an 2:238]} and the times at which they must be given ^{[Qur'an 17:78]}, and the conditions one must meet before prayer is considered valid ^{[Qur'an 24:58]}.