The Holy Qur’ān does not explicitly state that prayer should be said at such and such times, but it does give indications of the times of prayer. For example, it is stated in a very early revelation: “Keep up prayer from the declining of the sun till the darkness of the night, and the recital of the Qur’ān28 at dawn; surely the recital of the Qur’ān at dawn is witnessed” (17:78). There are four prayers which follow one another successively, the two afternoon prayers and the two evening prayers; and the time of each of these extends till the time of the next following prayer, with the exception of a very short interval, when the sun is actually setting, between the late afternoon and the sunset prayer. These four prayers are, therefore, spoken of together in the words “from the declining of the sun till the darkness of the night”, and the morning prayer is mentioned separately. In another verse it is stated: “And celebrate the praise of thy Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting, and glorify (Him) during hours of the night and parts of the day, that thou mayest be well-pleased” (20:130). That the glorification here referred to is prayer, is shown by the context, since 20:132 says: “And enjoin prayer on thy people and steadily adhere to it.” Here the morning prayer and the late afternoon prayer are indicated, while the two evening prayers are spoken of together. A third verse of the later Makkan period throws further light on the times of the prayers: “And keep up prayer in the two parts of the day and in the first hours of the night” (11:114). The addition of the words “first hours” of the night here makes it clear that, apart from a prayer in the darkness of the night, which is spoken of in 17:78, there is also a prayer in the “first hours,” that is to say, immediately after sunset. Thus the morning prayer, the early afternoon and the night prayer are referred to in 17:78; the late afternoon prayer in 20:130, and the sunset prayer in 11:114.
28 The name given to the early morning prayer is an indication that there is usually a comparatively longer recitation of the Holy Qur’ān in it.