The five times of prayer are thus mentioned in the Holy Qur’ān, not in one place but in many, as if by way of reference to something which already existed. As a matter of fact, the Holy Qur’ān only enjoins the iqāmah, or organization, of prayer and the details of that organization were given by the Holy Prophet guided by the Holy Spirit (Bu. 9:1) or by inner revelation (waḥy khafiyy). The following are the times of the five obligatory prayers, and their names according to the practice (Sunnah) of the Holy Prophet:
1. Fajr, or the early morning prayer, is said after dawn and before sunrise. It is mentioned by this name in the Holy Qur’ān in 17:78 and 24:58. This prayer is to be said when a man rises from his sleep in the morning. A Muslim must therefore habituate himself to rising before sunrise, but if he gets up late sometimes, then the prayer may still be said even though the sun may have risen (Bu. 9:35).
2. Ẓuhr, or the early afternoon prayer, is said when the sun begins to decline, and its time extends until the next prayer. In the hot season it is better to delay it till the severity of the sun is mitigated a little (Bu. 9:9).
3. Aṣr, or the late afternoon prayer, is said when the sun is about midway on its course to setting, and its time extends till the sun begins to set. But it is better to say it when the sun is yet high (Bu. 9:11).
4. Maghrib, or the sunset prayer, is said immediately after the sun sets, and its time extends till the red glow in the west disappears.
5. ‘Ishā’ or the night prayer, is said when the red glow in the west disappears, and its time extends till midnight. It is mentioned by name in the Holy Qur’ān in 24:58. This prayer must be said at the time of going to bed, so that it is the last act of the day, just as the morning prayer is the first act of the day.
The two afternoon prayers, Ẓuhr and ‘Aṣr, may be combined when one is on a journey, and so may the two night prayers, Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ (Bu. 18:13, 14, 15). Such a combination is also allowed in inclement