The Arabic word ‘salat’ comes from the root word ‘sila’ means make connect or contact. As such, we make direct contact with God 5 times a day through the salat prayer (al-salata) for redemption of our sins as well as for the growth of our souls to cause the increase in the physical size to be used as data to determine our destination on a Day of the Judgment (21:47). The salat prayer was first given to prophet Ibrahim came down to us from his time through practicing of people generation after generation like other practices of Islam such as Zakat (Obligatory Charity), Siyaam (Fasting during the month of Ramadan) and Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca) (4:125, 6:161, 16:123, 22:78). So the salat prayer existed long before the revelation of the Quran and the Quran only dealt with the rituals of it that had been found distorted such as nullifying ablution (4:43), requirements and steps of ablution (5:6), or needed update such as voice tone of the salat prayer (17:110) at the time of revelation of it.
We are aware of many corrupted practices of our religious rites given by God but the most corrupted practice of our religious rites is the salat prayer. It is full of misconceptions, innovations and additions that are practiced by the so called Muslims all over the world. Even there is a fairy tale among the traditional Muslims that prophet Muhammad had negotiated with God going back and forth to Him to get 5 times of the salat prayer a day from 50 times a day originally prescribed by Him. There is not a greater blasphemy than this about the salat prayer.
Commandment of Salat Prayer
There are 83 occurrences of the word ‘salat’ in 78 verses among 31 suras of the Quran. Out of 83 instances, 67 occurrences of it found in 63 verses across 28 suras are precisely commandments from God for the believers to establish the salat prayer to nourish their souls knowing it to be the prime source of nourishment for their souls (29:45) through remembering God (20:14), which are detailed out below:
[2:3] Those who believe in the unseen, and establish the salat prayer (al-salata) and spend from what we have provided them.
[2:43] And you shall establish the salat prayer (al-salata) and shall give the zakat (al-zakata) and shall bow down with those who bow down.
[2:45] And you shall seek help with the steadfastness and the salat prayer (wal-salati), and indeed, it is surely difficult except for the humble ones.
[2:83] And when we had taken a covenant from Children of Israel: “You will not worship except God, while being good with the parents, and with the relatives and the orphans and the poor. And you shall speak good to the people and shall establish the salat prayer (al-salata) and shall give the zakat (al-zakata).” Then you had turned away except a few from you and you were the averse.
[2:110] And you shall establish the salat prayer (al-salata) and shall give the zakat (al-zakata). And whatever of good you will send forth for yourselves, you will find it with God. Indeed, God is Seer of what you do.
[2:153] O you who have believed, you shall seek help with the steadfastness and the salat prayer (wal-salati). Indeed, God is with the steadfast ones.
[2:177] It has not been the righteousness that you turn your faces towards the east and the west. But the righteousness is whoever has believed in God, and the Last Day, and the angels, and the scripture, and the prophets, and has given the wealth out of his love to the near relatives, and the orphans, and the needy, and of the traveling alien, and the beggars, and in freeing the slaves, and has established the salat prayer (al-salata) and has given the zakat (al-zakata); and the keepers of their word whenever they have made and the steadfast during the suffering and the hardship, and time of the stress. Those are the ones who have been truthful, and those – they are the righteous.
[2:238] You shall be consistent on the salat prayers (al-salawaati) including the middle salat prayer (wal-salati al-wus’taa), and shall establish being obedient to God.
[2:277] Indeed, those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds, and have established the salat prayer (al-salata>), and have given the zakat (al-zakata), for them there are their rewards with their Lord, and there is no fear for them nor will they grieve.
[4:43] O you who have believed, you are not to go near (laa-taqrabuu) the Contact Prayer (al-salata) while you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying, nor are you impure (sexual contact) except on a road until you bathe; and if you have been ill or on a journey, or one of you has come from the toilet, or you have touched the women, while you do not find water, then you shall do dry ablution (fa-tayammumuu) of clean soil, that you shall wipe of your faces and your hands. Indeed, God is Pardoning, Forgiving.
[4:77] Have you seen to those who, it has been said to them, “You shall restrain your hands, and shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata) and shall give the obligatory charity (al-zakata)?” Then when the fighting had been decreed on them, then a group of them fear the people as much as they fear God, or even (have) more fear, and they said, “Our Lord, why have You decreed the fighting on us? Why You have not postponed us for a short term!” Say, “The worldly enjoyment is very little, while the Hereafter is far better for whoever has feared (God), and you will not be wronged even a hair on a date seed.”
[4:101] And when you traveled in the land, then there is no sin upon you that you may shorten of the Contact Prayer (al-salati if you have feared that those who disbelieved may harm you. Indeed, the disbelievers have been open enemy for you.
[4:102] And when you (prophet) have been with them, then you have led the Contact Prayer (al-salata) for them; so a group of them should stand with you (prophet), and of them should take their weapons, then when they have prostrated, then they should be of your behind; and the other group should come who did not pray, then they should pray with you (prophet), and they (already prayed) should take their precautions and their weapons. Those who disbelieved wished if you neglect your weapons and baggage that they may ambush upon you for a sudden attack. And there is no sin upon you if it has been a disruption with you from rain, or if you have been ill that you may lay down your weapons and shall take your precautions. Indeed, God has prepared a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers.
[4:103] So when you have completed the Contact Prayer (al-salata), then you shall remember God while standing, and sitting, and on your sides. But when you have been secure, then you shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata). Indeed, the Contact Prayer (al-salata) has been on the believers a decree at specified times.
[4:142] Indeed, the hypocrites deceive God while He deceives them. When they stood for the Contact Prayer (al-salata), they have stood lazily; they show off the people, while they remember God a very little.
[4:162] But those who are firm in the knowledge among them and the believers believe in what has been revealed to you and what has been revealed before yourself, and the observers of the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and the givers of the obligatory charity (al-zakata), and the believers in God and the Last Day, those – we will give them a great reward.
[5:6] O you who have believed, when you have intended for the salat prayer (al-salati), then you shall wash your faces and your hands to the elbows, and shall wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles. And if you have been impurity for sexual contact, then you shall purify yourselves. And if you have been ill, or on a journey, or anyone of you has come from the toilet, or has touched the women, while you do not find water, then you shall do dry ablution (fa-tayammamuu) of clean soil, that you shall wipe of your faces and your hands with it. God does not wish that He makes hardship on you but He intends that He purifies you and that He completes His favor upon you so that you may appreciate.
[5:12] And certainly, God has taken a covenant of Children of Israel, and we have raised twelve patriarchs from them. And God said, “Indeed, I am with you, certainly if you have established the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and have given the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), and have believed in My messengers and have honored them, and have loaned God a good loan, surely, I will remove your evil deeds from you, and surely, I will admit you to gardens flowing the rivers of their underneath. So, whoever has disbelieved after that from you, then certainly, he has strayed off the right path.”
[5:55] Your real allies are God and His messenger, and the believers who observe the Contact Prayers (al-salata), and give the obligatory charity (al-zakata), and they bow down.
[5:58] When you have made a call to the Contact Prayer (al-salati), they have taken it as ridicule and fun. That is because they are people who do not understand.
[5:91] The Satan intends that he causes the animosity and the hatred between yourselves through intoxicants and gambling, and hinders you from remembrance of God, and from the Contact Prayer (al-salata). So will you be those who refrain?
[5:106] O you who have believed, testimony between yourselves when the death has come to one of you at the time of a will by just two men among you or two others from other than yourselves if you have been on journey in the land, then the sudden death has befallen you. Both of them after the Contact Prayer (al-salata) that they both swear by God if you have doubted: “We will not exchange of it for a price, even if he has been of a near relative and we will not conceal God’s testimony. Indeed, we then certainly, be with the sinners.”
[6:72] “And that you shall establish the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and shall fear Him. And He is the One to Him you will be gathered.”
[7:170] And those who hold fast to the scripture, and have established the Contact Prayer (wa-aqaamuu al-salata); indeed, we will not waste a reward of the reformers.
[8:3] Those who observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and they spend of what we have provided them.
[9:5] Then when has passed the sacred months, then you shall kill the idol worshipers wherever you have found them, and shall seize them, and shall surround them, and shall ambush for them at every place of ambush. Then if they have repented and have observed the Contact Prayer (al-salata) and have given the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), then you shall leave their way. Indeed, God is Forgiving, Merciful.
[9:11] Then if they have repented and have observed the Contact Prayer (al-salata) and have given the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), then they are your brothers in the religion. And we explain in detail the verses for a people who know.
[9:18] Only he maintains God’s masjids whoever has believed in God and the Last Day, and has established the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and has given the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), and does not fear except God. Then it may have been those that they would be the guided ones.
[9:54] And what has prevented them that their spending is not accepted from them except that they have disbelieved in God and in His messenger, and they do not come to the Contact Prayer (al-salata) except while they are lazy, and they do not spend except while they are unwilling.
[9:71] And the believing men and the believing women are allies one of them to other. They enjoin to the right and forbid from the wrong, and they observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata) and give the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), and they obey God and His messenger. Those – God will grant mercy on them; indeed, God is Almighty, Wise.
[10:87] And we had inspired to Moses and his brother that you shall settle for your people houses in Egypt and shall make your houses as places of worship, and shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata). And you shall give good news to the believers.
[11:114] And you (Muhammad) shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata at both ends of the day and a first part of the night. Indeed, the good deeds remove the evil deeds. That is a reminder for those who take heed.
[13:22] And those who have been steadfast seeking their Lord’s pleasure, and have observed the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and have spent from what we have provided them secretly and publicly, and they repel the evil with the good – those for them is the best final abode.
[14:31] Say to My servants who have believed to observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and to spend from what we have provided them secretly and publicly, before that a day comes there is no trade, nor is there any friendship.
[14:37] “Our Lord, I have settled of my offspring in an uncultivable valley near Your Sacred House. Our Lord, that they observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata). So make hearts of the people incline towards them and provide them with the fruits, that they may appreciate.
[14:40] “My Lord, make me a observer of the Contact Prayer (al-salati) and from my offspring. Our Lord, and accept my prayer.
[17:78] You (prophet) shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata) at declining of the sun towards darkness of the night and Quran at the dawn. Indeed, Quran at the dawn has been a witnessed.
[19:31] “And He has made me (Jesus) blessed wherever I am, and has enjoined me with the Contact Prayer (bil-salati) and the Obligatory Charity (wal-zakati) for as long as I am alive.”
[19:55] He (Ismael) has done to enjoin his people with the Contact Prayer (al-salati) and the Obligatory Charity (al-zakati), and he has been pleasing with his Lord.
[19:59] Then has succeeded generations after them, have disregarded the Contact Prayer (al-salata) and have followed the desires. So, they will meet evil.
[20:14] “Indeed Me, I am God; there is no god except I. So, you (Moses) shall worship Me and shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata) for My remembrance.
[20:132] And you shall enjoin your family with the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and shall be steadfast for it. We do not ask you for provision; we provide for you. The end belongs to the righteousness.
[21:73] And we made them leaders who guide by our command, and we inspired (wa-awhaynaa) to them doing of the good works and observance of the Contact Prayer (wa-iqaama al-salata) and giving of the Obligatory Charity (wa-itaa-a al-zakata), and they were worshipers to us.
[22:35] Those who when has been mentioned God has feared their hearts, and the steadfast upon whatever has afflicted them, and the observers of the Contact Prayer (al-salati), and from what we have provided them they spend.
[22:41] Those who, if we had established them in the land, they would have observed the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and would have given the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), and would have enjoined with the right, and would have forbidden from the evil. And to God is end of the matters.
[22:78] And you all shall strive for God with His due striving. He has chosen you and has placed no hardship on you in the religion, a religion of your father Abraham. He (God) has named you submitters before, and in this that the messenger may be a witness among you, and you may be witnesses among the people. So, you shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata) and shall give the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), and shall hold fast to God; He is your Protector, is the best Protector and the best Supporter.
[24:37] There are people – neither trade nor business can distract them from remembering God, and establishing the Contact prayer (al-salati) and giving the Obligatory Charity (al-zakati). They fear a day in it will overturn the hearts and the eyes.
[24:56] And you shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and shall give the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), and shall obey the messenger, that you are given mercy.
[24:58] O you who have believed that should ask you permission of those whom has been rightfully yours (attendants) and those who do not reach the puberty among you at three times – before the Dawn Prayer (salati al-fajri), and when you put aside your garments during the rest time, and after the Night Prayer (salati al-`ishaa-i), are three instances for you. It has not been for you nor for them any blame after that mingling among you – yourselves with others. Thus that God makes clear the verses for you, and God is Knower, Wise.
[27:3] Those who observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and give the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), and they are with the Hereafter – they ascertain.
[29:45] You (prophet) shall recite what has been revealed to you (Muhammad) of the scripture and shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata). Indeed, the Contact Prayer (al-salata) prevents from the evil and the vice; while surely, God’s remembrance is great, and God knows what you (all) do.
[30:31] Turning to Him, and you shall fear Him, and shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and you do not be among the idol worshippers.
[31:4] Those who observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and give the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), and they are with the Hereafter – they ascertain.
[31:17] “O my son, you shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and shall enjoin with the right, and shall forbid from the evil, and shall be steadfast over what has befallen you. Indeed, that is determination of the matters.
[33:33] And you (wives of prophet) shall settle down in your homes, and you are not to display yourselves as displaying of the older days of ignorance. You shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and shall give the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), and shall obey God and His messenger. God only wishes to remove the impurity from you, O family of the Shrine, and to purify you a complete purification.
[35:18] And no one will bear burden as a bearer of another. And if someone with heavy load calls to its load, nothing will be carried from it, even if he may be of near kin. You can only warn those who fear their Lord in the unseen, and have observed the Contact Prayer (al-salata). And whoever has purified oneself, then he only purifies for himself. To God is the destination
[35:29] Indeed, those who recite God’s scripture and shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and have spent from what we have provided them, secretly and publicly, should expect a commerce will not perish.
[42:38] And those who have responded to their Lord and have observed the Contact Prayer (al-salata) and their affairs are consultation among themselves, and they spend of what we have provided them.
[58:13] Have you feared that you cannot give charities before your consultation, then when you do not do it while God has turned to you. So, you shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata), and shall give the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata), and shall obey God and His messenger. And God is Cognizant of you what you do.
[62:9] O you who have believed, when a call has been made for the Contact Prayer (lilsalati) on a day of the Friday (min yawmi al-jumu`ati), then you shall hasten to remembrance of God, and shall leave the business. That is better for you, if you have done to know.
[62:10] Then when has been completed the prayer (al-salatu), you shall spread through the land and shall seek God’s bounty, and shall remember God very often that you may succeed.
[73:20] Your (prophet) Lord knows that you may awake less than two thirds of the night, and half of it, and one third of it, as well as a group of those who are with yourself (prophet). And God has designed the night and the day. He has known that you cannot keep it up, so He has turned to you that you shall read what has been easy of the Quran. He has known that there will be sick among you, and others may travel in the land seeking of God’s bounty, and others may fight in God’s way. So you shall read what has been easy of it, and shall establish the salat prayer (al-salata) and shall give the zakat (al-zakata) and shall loan God a good loan. And whatever of good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with God, it will be better and greater reward. And you shall seek God’s forgiveness; indeed, God is Forgiving, Merciful .
[98:5] And they have not been commanded except that they worship God being sincere to Him, in the religion of monotheism, and would observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata) and would give the Obligatory Charity (al-zakata). And that is the established religion.
Mathematical Confirmation
The precise commandment of observing Contact Prayer found in 63 verses across 28 suras can also be mathematically confirmed. If we add the relevant sura and verse number, the total is a multiple of 19 => 4674 = 19x246 as shown in the table below:
Note: 1 instance out of 3 instances of Salat in verse 103 of sura 4, of 2 instances of it in verse 58 of sura 24 and of 2 instances of it in verse 45 of sura 29 is used in the mathematical calculation.
Crucial Advices for us to be concern about Salat
There are also additional 16 occurrences of the word ‘Salat’ in 16 verses among 11 suras of the Quran, which are not commandments but talk about other aspects of Salat to be recommendations for us including to give proper attention to it as well as to establish it being reverent to God. Here are the details of these additional instances:
[2:157] These have deserved blessings (salawatun) from their Lord and mercy. These are the guided ones.
[2:238] You shall attend to the Contact Prayers (al-salawaati), and the middle prayer (wal-salati al-wus’taa) and shall establish for God being obedient.
[6:92] And this scripture we have revealed it is a blessed, confirming which was its before, and that you may warn the central community and whoever is around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they attend to their salat prayer (salatihim).
[6:162] Say, “My Contact Prayer (salatee), and my worshipping, and my living and my dying, are for God, Lord of the worlds.
[8:35] And it has not been their Contact Prayer (salatuhim) at the shrine (Ka`ba) except play and amusement. So, you shall taste the punishment of what you have done to disbelieve.
[9:99] And among the Arabs who believes in God and the Last Day, and he takes what he spends to make him closer to God, and to support (wa-salawaati) the messenger. Indeed, it makes them closer. God will admit them in His mercy; God is Forgiving, Merciful.
[9:103] You shall take a charity from their wealth to purify them and cause them increase by it, and you shall bless for them. Indeed, your blessings (salataka) is a reassurance for them. And God is Hearer, Knower.
[11:87] They said: “O Shu’aib, does your prayer (asalataka) order you that we leave what our fathers served, or that we do not do with our money as we please? You are the compassionate, the sane!”
[17:110] Say, “Call Him God, or call Him Most Gracious; whichever name you use, to Him belongs the best names.” You shall not utter your Contact Prayers (bi-salatika) too loudly, nor secretly; use a moderate tone.
[22:40] Those who have been evicted from their homes without just, except that they say, “Our Lord is God.” If it were not God’s repelling of the people – one of them by other, surely it would have been demolished of monasteries, and churches, and synagogues (wa-salawaatun), and masjids, is mentioned God’s name frequently in them. And surely God will help whoever helps Him. Indeed, God is surely Strong, Almighty
[23:2] who are reverent during their Contact Prayers (salatihim).
[23:9] And they observe their Contact Prayers (salawatihim) regularly.
[24:41] Do you not see that everything in the heavens and the earth glorifies God? Even the birds perched together, each knows its prayer (salatahu) and its glorification. And God is fully aware of everything they do.
[70:23] Who always observe their Contact Prayers (salatihim).
[70:34] They consistently observe their Contact prayers (salatihim).
[107:4] And woe to those who observe their Contact Prayers (salatihim)
Conclusion
The Contact Prayer (Salat) existed long before the revelation of the Quran as it was given to prophet Ibrahim including other religious rites, who was the founder of Islam (22:78). Hence, we do not see even a single verse in the Quran about prophet Muhammad’s concern to deliver any rituals of Salat or any other religious rites. Moreover, he was a convert (Sabian in Arabic) who used to worship idols before the clear proofs came to him (40:66). However, he had practiced the religion of prophet Ibrahim during his lifetime as commanded by God found in (16:123, 22:78) while his sole mission was to deliver the Quran (3:20, 13:40, 16:82, 42:48). So the story of negotiation of Muhammad with God to get 5 times of Salat a day going back and forth to Him is not only a fairy tale but also contradictory to the information given in (2:185,17:1, 44:1-4, 53:4-18, & 97:1-5) as Muhammad, the soul, was taken to the highest Heaven to give him the whole Quran once. The precise commandment of observing Salat found in 63 verses of 28 suras supported by the Quran’s mathematical code (74:30) and His crucial advices to be concern about Salat are clear indications how and what we should do to observe our Salat expecting recompense from God. Now the popular belief of getting 5 times Contact Prayer a day on negotiation or common question or concern of NOT having details of Salat in the Quran or any other additions to Salat that we notice are no way acceptable to any of true believers of God and His last revelation rather than a Satanic trick to prevent them from perfecting their Salat to divert them from the right path of God. Now we should use our logic and common sense to perfectly practice the Contact Prayer knowing the truth to successfully get back to God to whom we belong (2:156).
Peaceful Friday, Salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal