From 50 to 5: The Miraculous Story Behind the Five Daily Prayers in Islam
Assalamu Alaykum
Salah is the greatest act of worship and the 2nd pillar of Islam. It is the first deed that a person will be questioned about after death. Salah is a direct connection between the servant and Allah. This is an act of worship that was not revealed on Earth through revelation (Wahi), but rather, it was gifted directly to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during the journey of Isra wal-Mi'raj when he went to meet Allah.
Many people know that when Allah first commanded the prayer, it was 50 times a day. However, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, out of concern for his Ummah, interceded and brought it down to 5 times. Prophet Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ also played a major role in this, which many Muslims might not know. Today, through this article, we will talk about this very incident.
Aam al-Huzn (The Year of Sorrow)
The event of Isra wal-Mi'raj took place when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions were going through an extremely difficult period. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had lost his wife Khadijah رضي الله عنها and his uncle Abu Talib رضي الله عنها. It was a time of physical abuse, isolation, relentless mockery, and rejection of the message. Everyone had been driven out of their homes. Despite all this, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions رضي الله عنهم remained patient.
Isra: The Night Journey
Allah says in the Quran:
“Glory be to Him Who took His servant by night from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed…” (Surah Al-Isra 17:1)
In a single night, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ traveled from Makkah to Jerusalem on the heavenly Buraq. When he arrived, he found all the Prophets who had come before him. He then led the prayer with all the Prophets behind him. This was a clear sign that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was the leader of all Messengers and Prophets.
READ ALSO: HOW IMPORTANT WAS RAJAB?
READ ALSO: HOW TO PRAY SALAH IN ISLAM?
Mi'raj: Ascension through the Heavens
Then, as he ascended through the heavens, he met different Prophets at each level. On the first heaven, he met Adam عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, on the second, Isa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ and Yahya عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, and so on, meeting Yusuf عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, Idris عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, Harun عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, and finally Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ.
At the end, he reached Sidrat al-Muntaha (The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary), where Jibraeel عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ said:
"If I were to go beyond this point, I would burn."
From there, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ traveled alone to meet his Lord.
Direct Commandment of 50 Daily Prayers
When he met Allah, a great conversation took place. Then, Allah commanded Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to offer 50 prayers every day. This was an act of worship given directly to the Prophet ﷺ without any intermediary, which is why Salah is of immense importance. Allah loves it when His servant prays. After the conversation, the Prophet ﷺ began his descent back to Earth.
Reduction of Prayer from 50 to 5 Times a Day
As he was returning through the seven heavens, he again met Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ. Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ asked:
"What has your Lord obligated on your Ummah?"
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ replied:
"50 prayers everyday."
Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, who had years of experience dealing with the Children of Israel, said:
"Your Ummah will not bear this. I tested people before you. Go back and ask your Lord for ease."
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ went back and requested Allah to reduce the prayers. The number was reduced from 50 to 40. When he returned, Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ again said the Ummah wouldn't be able to bear it. This happened repeatedly: 40 to 30, 30 to 20, 20 to 10, and finally to 5. When Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ asked him to go back once more for further reduction, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ replied:
"I feel shy before my Lord"
Thus, the prayer was fixed at 5 times. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ went back and forth nine times to have the prayers reduced. Allah then declared that 1 prayer is equal to 10 in reward; therefore, 5 prayers are equal to 50.
READ ALSO: WHY DO GOOD PEOPLE SUFFER?
Reasons for the Process
Many ask why Allah didn't just set it at 5 from the start, as He knows everything. There are several reasons:
To show the importance of Salah and how beloved it is to Allah.
To show how Allah has mercy on His servants and does not burden them beyond their capacity.
To demonstrate the love and concern Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had for his Ummah.
To allow the servant to earn a huge reward for a small deed (1 prayer = 10 rewards).
CONCLUSION
We should all offer our prayers every day. Allah showed us mercy by reducing 50 prayers to 5, yet giving us the reward of 50. Salah is the 2nd pillar of Islam and the first thing we will be questioned about. It is your direct connection with Allah. This was just a brief story of how the prayers were reduced. Inshallah, I will try to post the full, detailed story of Isra wal-Mi'raj in a future article.
That is all for today. We will meet with a new topic next. Take care of yourself and your family. May Allah forgive all our sins and accept our supplications. Ameen.
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