The Quran prescribes specific times of prayers (4:103), not a specific number of prayers. Therefore, the prayers according to the Quran can be:
- 5 daily prayers, or
- 4 daily prayers (20:130, 30:17&18), or
- 3 daily prayers (50:39&40, 11:114), or
- 2 daily prayers (30:18, 30:17, 33:42, 40:55, 48:9, 24:36, 52:49, 76:25), or
- 1 daily prayer (2:238, 73:2, 73:20, 25:64, 39:9, 26:218),
– it all depends on how the sun moves across the sky, and that depends on your location latitude, and the time of year.
In the video above, you can see all possible combinations of prayers for all possible times of the year, for all possible locations – finally, a complete understanding of this issue.
- So, there are always five obligatory daily prayers, near the Equator, from 21° North to 21° South, which includes Mecca.
- Then, at 22° North, there are a few December days with four available prayer times. At 23° North, there are even more days with four prayer times, and so on. In these particular days and locations, the sun does not elevate more than 45°, so the shadows are always longer than their objects, which means that the day crosses from forenoon directly into Afternoon. So, the Noon and the Afternoon become one prayer, and it does not matter if you call it Noon or Afternoon, they are simply the same in those cases. We call it ‘Afternoon’ in the video, just to use one of them, but it can also be called “Noon” in that circumstance. So where in the Quran, do we find this case of four prayers? This particular case of four prayers is mentioned in the Quran, in chapter 20, verse 130 which says, “…glorify your Lord before sunrise (1. Dawn), and before sunset (2. Afternoon), and during the night (3. Night) glorify Him, as well as at both ends of the day (4. Sunset and Dawn).” As you can see, the Noon prayer is not mentioned at all in this verse, acknowledging the case when Noon and Afternoon are the same thing, simply described as the prayer before sunset. And it’s very easy to know when this case of four prayers applies, by using the sun as a timing device. So, if there is dawn, we observe the dawn prayer, and if there is no dawn, we do not observe the Dawn Prayer. If there is noon, we do the Noon Prayer, and if there is no noon, we do not do the Noon Prayer. If there is afternoon, we do the Afternoon Prayer. If there is no afternoon, we do not do the Afternoon Prayer. If there is sunset or evening, we do the Sunset Prayer. If there is no sunset or evening, we do not do the Sunset Prayer. If there is full darkness night, we do the Night Prayer, and if there is no full darkness, we do not do the Night Prayer (4:103). As simple as that. It’s remarkable how religious disbelievers have the guts to modify these rules, because they want to fit them to their preconceived idea that there must always be 5 daily prayers. We simply do not find that in the Quran. They are inventing it. The Quran mentions the prayer times, and if they happen, you do them, and if they do not happen, you do not do them. It does not matter, if they turn out to be 5 or 4 or 3 or 2 or 1.
- At 49° latitude and all the way to 67° latitude, during certain summer days, we have another set of four prayers, namely – Dawn, Noon, Afternoon, and Sunset. In this situation, the Night prayer is missing, because the sun during these days does not reach 18° below horizon, and the days simply turn into twilight, but not into a full darkness night. And this situation with four prayer times is mentioned in chapter 30, verses 17&18, where it says, “…glorify God at the start of Morning (1. Dawn) and at the start of Evening (2. Sunset)… and praise Him in (3.) Afternoon, and (4.) Noon.” You can find these in the Arabic Quran, not necessarily in translations.
- From 59° North, all the way to the North Pole, there are certain Spring and Fall days in which only 3 prayers times apply – Dawn, Afternoon, and Sunset. And again we can find this in chapter 50, verses 39 and 40, where it says, “…glorify your Lord before sunrise (1. Dawn), and before sunset (2. Afternoon), and towards the night (3. Sunset)” Of course, no other prayer time is mentioned in this case.
- Then, from 66° to 68° North, there are summer days where only 2 prayers times apply – Noon and Afternoon, and we can find these two prayers mentioned together in chapter 30, verse 18.
- Then, from 68° North, mostly during winter days, another set of 3 prayer times applies – Dawn, Sunset and Night. These three prayers are mentioned together in chapter 11, verse 114, which says, “Observe the Contact Prayers at both ends of the day (1. Dawn & 2. Sunset), and during the night (3. Night)…” This case is also mentioned in chapter 76, verse 25 and 26.
- Then from 69° North, there are summer days with only one prayer time – the Afternoon. This is mentioned alone in chapter 2, verse 238, which says, “Consistently observe the Contact Prayers, especially the middle prayer…”. As you can see, the word “especially” here implies that other prayer times might not be consistently available in certain situations. This is one of them.
- From 82° in latitude and above, there are Spring and Fall days with only 2 prayer times available – Dawn (Morning) and Sunset (Evening). These two prayers are symmetrical to one another, and always happen together in the same circumstance. This is why the Quran always mentions them together, in many verses – 30:17, 33:42, 40:55, 48:9, 24:36, 52:49, 76:25.
- And finally, at 85° North and above, there are winter days when it is always fully dark, and therefore only the Night Prayer is due in these cases. This is why we can find the Night Prayer mentioned alone in many verses 73:2, 73:20, 25:64, 39:9, 26:218.
God has designed the Contact Prayers according to the movement of the sun, and not according to their numbers. This is to keep them equally easy, regardless of the time of the year and location. For example, two prayers at the freezing North Pole, are about as easy as five prayers in the lush tropic. Or four prayers in winter, are about as easy as five prayers in summer. Prostrating in dry land, for example, is not the same as prostrating in mud or cold snow. To avoid these harsh dark conditions, you have to carry something or build something, and carrying something is not the same as walking freely empty handed.
Even for ablution, in cold weathers, you probably need a towel. In Mecca, I did not need towels. As soon as I did ablution, I felt dry and ready to go. In Europe for example, during winter, I have to untie my boots, take off my boots, take off my socks, probably my coat as well – many times a day. In Mecca, I did not need to do any of this – sandals are too easy!
The obligatory prayers together with ablution and all these practical things which might turn up are designed so that they take exactly 2.5% of your life experience, or 2.5% of your awake time which translates into a total of 24 minutes of dedicated time to God per day, regardless of your location and season, just like Obligatory Charity which is 2.5%, regardless of your net income, and really we do not need to go further with these examples to justify the numbers of prayers in certain locations, because the times of prayers are clear in the Quran, but not their number, and if you are a believer, you will do them, no matter what; 5 Contact Prayer times available, and you do them, 4 Contact Prayer times available, and you do them, and so on. You have them all now in the tables in the video – whatever applies to your location.
Let me remind you that there is not a single combination of prayers which I mentioned here, which is also not mentioned in the Quran, and also there is not a single combination of prayers which is mentioned in the Quran, which I also did not mention here – a complete match.
By the way, while the Contact Prayers are religious practices, the TIMES of Contact Prayers are scientific observations. So, these are not religious edicts which we are bringing. These are proven astronomical observations which anyone can see. You can look up in the sky, and see for yourself. There is nothing new about this. If religious leaders don’t like this, let them find another sun, one which listens to them, but we have to use the one already available, and using the suns which God provided for us, the Times of Contact Prayers are defined according to the table below:
