TIMES OF PRAYERS:

AA, Many Muslims these days are becoming skeptical about the prayer times and are attributing the prayers to Hadith only.
I've humbly tried to search the references of the PRAYER TIMES from the Quran-Al-Furaqaan-Al-Burhaan, itself. Hope it will be helpful for all Muslim brothers and sister.

1- FAJR, ZUHR, ISHA

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لِيَسۡتَـٔۡذِنكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَـٰنُكُمۡ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَبۡلُغُواْ ٱلۡحُلُمَ مِنكُمۡ ثَلَـٰثَ مَرَّٲتٍ۬‌ۚ مِّن قَبۡلِ صَلَوٰةِ ٱلۡفَجۡرِ وَحِينَ تَضَعُونَ ثِيَابَكُم مِّنَ ٱلظَّهِيرَةِ وَمِنۢ بَعۡدِ صَلَوٰةِ ٱلۡعِشَآءِ‌ۚ ثَلَـٰثُ عَوۡرَٲتٍ۬ لَّكُمۡ‌ۚ لَيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَلَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ جُنَاحُۢ بَعۡدَهُنَّ‌ۚ طَوَّٲفُونَ عَلَيۡكُم بَعۡضُڪُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ۬‌ۚ كَذَٲلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ۬ (٥٨)

O ye who believe ! let those whom your right hand possess, and those of you, who have not reached puberty, ask leave of you at three times before coming into your private apartments -before the Morning Prayer, and when you lay aside your clothes at noon (in summer) and after the night Prayer. These are the three times of privacy for you. At other times there is no blame on you nor on them, for some of you have to attend upon others and to move about freely according to need. Thus does ALLAH make plain to you the Signs; for ALLAH is All-Knowing, Wise.

2- MAGHRIB, TAHAJJUD

أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِدُلُوكِ ٱلشَّمۡسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَقُرۡءَانَ ٱلۡفَجۡرِ‌ۖ إِنَّ قُرۡءَانَ ٱلۡفَجۡرِ كَانَ مَشۡہُودً۬ا (٧٨) وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَتَهَجَّدۡ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةً۬ لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبۡعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامً۬ا مَّحۡمُودً۬ا

17:78
Establish worship(Salaat/prayer) at the going down of the sun until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Qur'an at dawn is ever witnessed. (78) And some part of the night awake for it, a largess for thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised estate. (79)

3- ASR

فَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ قَبۡلَ طُلُوعِ ٱلشَّمۡسِ وَقَبۡلَ غُرُوبِہَا‌ۖ وَمِنۡ ءَانَآىِٕ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَسَبِّحۡ وَأَطۡرَافَ ٱلنَّہَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرۡضَىٰ (١٣٠)

20:130

Bear patiently then what they say, and glorify thy Lord with HIS praise before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and glorify HIM in the hours of the night and all parts of the day, that thou mayest find true happiness.

and,

فَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ قَبۡلَ طُلُوعِ ٱلشَّمۡسِ وَقَبۡلَ ٱلۡغُرُوبِ (٣٩)

50:39

So bear with patience what they say, and celebrate the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun and before its setting;

Some un-clear references about ASR.

[2:238] Attend constantly to prayers and to the middle prayer and stand up truly obedient to Allah.

[38:32] Then he said: Surely I preferred the good things to the remembrance of my Lord -- until the sun set and time for Asr prayer was over, (Solomon said):
(translated by Shakir)


AFTER ISHA

وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَسَبِّحۡهُ وَأَدۡبَـٰرَ ٱلسُّجُودِ

And in parts of the night also do thou glorify HIM, and after the prescribed prostrations.

Some Muslims use the reference of 24:58 to 'preach' that there are three obligatory times of prayers only. I encourage them to kindly study the verses in context and see that the times are mentioned with respect to the PRIVACY and not with respect to the OBLIGATION OF PRAYERS.

Wassalam

S.

........

Note: It would be inevitable and rather an asset to comprehend the real motive of the above ayaat if they are studied in Arabic. Thanks.

ZOROSTRAINIAN PRAYERS AND MUSLIM PRAYERS:

It is being propagated that Muslim Salaat/Salah/Namaz/Prayer has been under the influence of the Zorostrainian religion. It's pity that some 'Muslims' are also the part of this propaganda.

Here is what can help justify the Truth.

(zoreled.org/historyzorislamiciran.aspx)

"Though many Zoroastrians converted, many more could not give up their old familiar religion for a foreign one, whose religious book was written in a foreign language of the conquerors. They could not give up the worship of Ahura Mazda through the Holy Fires, for the veneration of a distant stone, the Kaaba in Mecca, of which they had no idea. They could not bring themselves to kneel in prayer before a blank wall facing towards Mecca, instead of standing before a bright fire. Mostly they could not believe that the supreme God, Allah could be both the source of evil and good and therefore a God you could not understand. In contrast, in our own religion, Ahura Mazda is the source of all that was good, and evil comes from a separate force that has to be battled against, with the help of Ahura Mazda and the Yazatas. They could not understand the new customs of not eating certain meats such as pork and not drinking wine."

So those who are making a false foundation of their mythical approach because of the similaritiy in the prayer times OR are offending Muslims for "praying the Sun" are absolutely wrong.

The Sun, Moon and Stars are the creations of Allah and they have their own purpose, which is keeping the track of day and night , seasons year-round, astrologyical calculations etc....and a MUSLIM can never worship them.

[13:2] GOD is the One who raised the heavens without pillars that you can see, then assumed all authority. He committed the sun and the moon, each running (in its orbit) for a predetermined period. He controls all things, and explains the revelations, that you may attain certainty about meeting your Lord.

[31:29] Do you not realize that GOD merges the night into the day and merges the day into the night, and that He has committed the sun and the moon in your service, each running in its orbit for a specific life span, and that GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do?

[35:13] He merges the night into the day, and merges the day into the night. He has committed the sun and the moon to run for a predetermined period of time. Such is GOD your Lord; to Him belongs all kingship. Any idols you set up beside Him do not possess as much as a seed's shell.

PROSTRATION:

[2:125] And when We made the House a pilgrimage for men and a (place of) security, and: Appoint for yourselves a place of prayer on the standing-place of Ibrahim. And We enjoined Ibrahim and Ismail saying: Purify My House for those who visit (it) and those who abide (in it) for devotion and those who bow down (and) those who prostrate themselves.

[22:26] And when We assigned to Ibrahim the place of the House, saying: Do not associate with Me aught, and purify My House for those who make the circuit and stand to pray and bow and prostrate themselves.

[9:112] They who turn (to Allah), who serve (Him), who praise (Him), who fast, who bow down, who prostrate themselves, who enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and who keep the limits of Allah; and give good news to the believers.

[22:77] O you who believe! bow down and prostrate yourselves and serve your Lord, and do good that you may succeed.

Some Muslims are also propagating that 'prostration' is NOT AN ISALMIC ASPECT OF THE MUSLIM PRAYER. They are calling it offensive and un-necessary.They are mis-translating and mis-interpretting the word 'Sajda, Sajood, Yusjudu etc." in the Ayaat of Quran to 'exclude' it. Their irrational stand is that how can the rest of Allah's creation perform prostration as claimed by Allah in the Quran.So prostration must be taken as mental and spiritual or metaphorical prostration only and not the physical or actual prostration.
In my humble opinion, Sajda is a beautiful aspect of the Muslim prayer and is in complete accordance with the word 'submission'. Though Muslims prostrate physically,they do it mentally and spiritually and they do it beacuse they CAN DO IT, unlike other creations of Allah. This is a gesture of acceptance that the forhead of Muslim will never bend fro anyone else except Allah.

Now while they have mis-translated the word they are against all the Hadith which include the method of praying.
Since Quran does not explain the method hence they deem it un-Islamic.

In my opinion the prayer method is in accordance with what has been ascribed in Quran by Allah and the prophet of Islam s.a.w must have used his best instinct and judgment to prescribe this way of prayer. Similarly the words of Adhan are not a bidah. It is a best/beautiful/ very humanly way of calling to the prayer.

PRAYING IN MOSQUES (MASJIDS)

Some Muslims are also propagating that it is un-necassary to pray in Mosques. I think these Ayaat will be enough to justify.

[9:17] It is not for such as join gods with God, to visit or maintain the mosques of God while they witness against their own souls to infidelity. The works of such bear no fruit: In Fire shall they dwell.

[9:18] The mosques of God shall be visited and maintained by such as believe in God and the Last Day, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity, and fear none (at all) except God. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.

[22:40] (They are) those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right,- (for no cause) except that they say, "our Lord is God". Did not God check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is commemorated in abundant measure. God will certainly aid those who aid his (cause);- for verily God is full of Strength, Exalted in Might, (able to enforce His Will).

The Ayat 22:40 shows celarly how much respect even Allah has for WORSHIP PLACES of those whom we regard as NON-MUSLIMS because Allah's name is glorified there!

IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER:

[2:153] O you who believe! seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient.

[2:45] And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones,

[2:186] And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way.

[2:238] Attend constantly to prayers and to the middle prayer and stand up truly obedient to Allah.

[2:277] Surely they who believe and do good deeds and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate they shall have their reward from their Lord, and they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.

[3:195] So their Lord accepted their prayer: That I will not waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other; they, therefore, who fled and were turned out of their homes and persecuted in My way and who fought and were slain, I will most certainly cover their evil deeds, and I will most certainly make them enter gardens beneath which rivers flow; a reward from Allah, and with Allah is yet better reward.

[5:55] Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow.

[9:71] And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Apostle; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.

[19:59] But there came after them an evil generation, who neglected prayers and followed and sensual desires, so they win meet perdition,

[23:9] And those who keep a guard on their prayers;

[29:45] Recite that which has been revealed to you of the Book and keep up prayer; surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil, and certainly the remembrance of Allah is the greatest, and Allah knows what you do.

PRAYER ETIQUETTES:

[5:6] O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you are under an obligation to perform a total ablution, then wash (yourselves) and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith, Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may be grateful.

[4:43] O you who believe! do not go near prayer when you are Intoxicated until you know (well) what you say, nor when you are under an obligation to perform a bath -- unless (you are) travelling on the road -- until you have washed yourselves; and if you are sick, or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth, then wipe your faces and your hands; surely Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving.

[17:110] Say: Call upon Allah or call upon, the Beneficent God; whichever you call upon, He has the best names; and do not utter your prayer with a very raised voice nor be silent with regard to it, and seek a way between these.

[4:103] Then when you have finished the prayer, remember Allah standing and sitting and reclining; but when you are secure (from danger) keep up prayer; surely prayer is a timed ordinance for the believers.

[4:101] And when you journey in the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve will cause you distress, surely the unbelievers are your open enemy.

[2:239] But if you are in danger, then (say your prayers) on foot or on horseback; and when you are secure, then remember Allah, as. He has taught you what you did not know.


FRIDAY PRAYER:

[62:9] O you who believe! when the call is made for prayer on Friday, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trading; that is better for you, if you know.

[62:10] But when the prayer is ended, then disperse abroad in the land and seek of Allah's grace, and remember Allah much, that you may be successful.

ALL PROPHETS ESTABLISHED PRAYERS:

[7:31] O children of Adam! attend to your embellishments at every time of prayer, and eat and drink and be not extravagant; surely He does not love the extravagant.

[2:125] And when We made the House a pilgrimage for men and a (place of) security, and: Appoint for yourselves a place of prayer on the standing-place of Ibrahim. And We enjoined Ibrahim and Ismail saying: Purify My House for those who visit (it) and those who abide (in it) for devotion and those who bow down (and) those who prostrate themselves.

[5:12] And certainly Allah made a covenant with the children of Israel, and We raised up among them twelve chieftains; and Allah said: Surely I am with you; if you keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and believe in My apostles and assist them and offer to Allah a goodly gift, I will most certainly cover your evil deeds, and I will most certainly cause you to enter into gardens beneath which rivers flow, but whoever disbelieves from among you after that, he indeed shall lose the right way.

20:14] Surely I am Allah, there is no god but I, therefore serve Me and keep up prayer for My remembrance: (MOSES)

[19:31] And He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined on me prayer and poor-rate so long as I live; (JESUS)

[19:55] And he enjoined on his family prayer and almsgiving, and was one in whom his Lord was well pleased.(MOSES)

31:17 O my son! keep up prayer and enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and bear patiently that which befalls you; surely these acts require courage; (LUQMAN)

[11:87] They said: O Shu'aib! does your prayer enjoin you that we should forsake what our fathers worshiped or that we should not do what we please with regard to our property? Forsooth you are the forbearing, the right-directing one. (SHUAIB)

20:132 You shall enjoin your family to observe the contact prayers (Salat), and steadfastly persevere in doing so. We do not ask you for any provisions; we are the ones who provide for you. The ultimate triumph belongs to the righteous.

[73:20] Surely your Lord knows that you pass in prayer nearly two-thirds of the night, and (sometimes) half of it, and (sometimes) a third of it, and (also) a party of those with you; and Allah measures the night and the day. He knows that you are not able to do it, so He has turned to you (mercifully), therefore read what is easy of the Quran. He knows that there must be among you sick, and others who travel in the land seeking of the bounty of Allah, and others who fight in Allah's way, therefore read as much of it as is easy (to you), and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and offer to Allah a goodly gift, and whatever of good you send on beforehand for yourselves, you will find it with Allah; that is best and greatest in reward; and ask forgiveness of Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

PEOPLE MOCK AT PRAYER AND SATAN HINDERS IT:

[5:58] And when you call to prayer they make it a mockery and a joke; this is because they are a people who do not understand.

[5:91] The Shaitan only desires to cause enmity and hatred to spring in your midst by means of intoxicants and games of chance, and to keep you off from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you then desist?

RELUCTANCE TO PRAY:

[19:59] But there came after them an evil generation, who neglected prayers and followed and sensual desires, so they win meet perdition,

[4:142] Surely the hypocrites strive to deceive Allah, and He shall requite their deceit to them, and when they stand up to prayer they stand up sluggishly; they do it only to be seen of men and do not remember Allah save a little.

PRAYER FOR PRAYER:

[14:40] My Lord! make me keep up prayer and from my offspring (too), O our Lord, and accept my prayer:


[6:162] Say. Surely my prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are (all) for Allah, the Lord of the worlds;

Prayer is mental masturbation.