Muslims Should Keep the Obligatory Prayers Five Times a Day

By: Ali Farkhan Tsani, Preachers of Al-Fatah Indonesia Islamic Boarding Schools

Allah commands the Muslims to maintain the obligatory prayers five times a day.

It is mentioned in the Quran:

حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ

“Maintain with care the (obligatory) prayers and (in particular) the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.”

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(Al-Baqarah [2]: 238)

Through this verse, Allah clarified the primacy to maintain obligatory prayers, as a proof of faith in Allah. Allah emphasizes the primacy to keep the Wustha Prayer, means mid or center.

Some Ulema (Muslim Scholars) have argued that the Wustha Prayer is Asr. In General, the verse indeed underlines that all prayers should be fulfilled as well as possible. Not only the Asr prayer, but also the whole time of praying, namely Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.

The prayer should be maintained, as this is the main things that distinguishes everyone, if he/she is a Muslim or a disbeliever.

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In a hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad, Shallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam said:

إِنَّ بَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَبَيْنَ الشِّرْكِ وَالْكُفْرِ تَرْكَ الصَّلَاةِ

“Indeed, the boundary that separates a man to shirk and kufr is abandoning the prayer.” (hadith narrated by Muslim)

Thus, Allah commands Muslims to always keep the prayers five times a day. If we sincerely keep the prayers, Insha Allah, it will keep ourselves from doing evil and unjust things. Aside from that, maintaining prayers will also tranquilize soul of all the anxieties that befall us.

Maintaining prayer becomes really important considering it is the means of meeting of a weak servant to the Great Allah. With prayers, a servant will feel a closeness to Allah, giving peace of mind, and bring coolness to the soul.

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Prayers like cool springs that will never dry by the scorching heat of the world. Therefore, a reasonable person will certainly be happy to dip him/herself into springs of prayers, five times a day.

In addition, prayer is a liaison between the creature and the Creator. Prayer is the biggest one’s proof of faith and the greatest symbol of Islam. Prayer is a sign of gratitude for favors which Allah has given to His servant and is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam said:

اَلصَّلاَةُ عِمَادُ الدّيْنِ فَمَنْ اَقَامَهَا فَقَدْ اَقَامَ الدّيْنِ وَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا فَقَدْ هَدَمَ الدّيْنِ

“Prayer is the pillar of religion. Anyone who uphold prayers, it means he is establishing religion, and anyone who left the prayer meant he tear down religion.” (Hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)

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In another hadith mentioned: