Why do Muslims pray five times a day?
A common known tenet of Muslims that they must adhere to is the daily five prayers?. What is the significance of this?. And more importantly why do they do it? And is there any perceived benefits to this?
For people who may not be aware, there is a very famous story in Islamic lore for the five obligatory prayers. It is not some random number that followers agreed on. They call the story the Isra and mirage or the night journey. This story explains the 5 daily prayers and a few extras such as why the masjid al asqa mosque is one of the holiest sites in Islam.
I will skip many of the details of this story and try to get to the part of the five prayers. I will provide links for those eager to know more. This story has various editions, and some events happen in different ways and different locations. Please bear with me with a little bit of side tracking.
Muslim Scholars have debated over the centuries whether this was a spiritual or literal physical journey. Regardless of who is right does not detract from the story. The story begins with the Prophet Mohammed in his home in Mecca, around one year before his departure for Medina. Then the angel Gabriel came to him and took him to the front of the Kabbah. Gabriel opened up the prophets chest and brought a golden cup and rinsed Muhammad’s heart with Zamzam(In Islamic tradition this is like holy water in a well that is located within the masjid al haram very close to the Kabbah). After the purification, a winged four-legged beast appeared. This beast was called the Al Buraaq, whose purpose was to fly him from Mecca to Bayt al-Maqdis aka the Temple in Jerusalem.
In astonishment, the prophet prayed, and after a while, all the previous prophets manifested around him in prayer. Moses, Abraham, Jesus, and many more were all around in joint Salah (prayer). Subsequently, he acted as their imam (leader of worship) leading them all in a joint prayer. The significance of this is the according to Islamic belief, all prophets lead a certain group of people, with Mohammed being the final prophet he guides the entire world.
When the prayer concluded, Gabriel made a test for the messenger. He brings two drinks to choose from, one being milk and the other wine. The Angel urged him to pick one for his ummah(People). At this current time, Muslims could still drink alcohol. The chosen drink was milk and reassuringly, Gabriel said, ” you have chosen the Fitrah(pure or innocence). Gabriel being pleased asked for the gates of heaven to be opened.
Beyond earth there were 7 separate layers of heaven with 7 gates were to be traversed on this journey. Mohammed ascended them all meeting various Prophets and Angels. On his way up to Allah there will be accounts of intermingling and discussions on various things from greetings, talking about each messengers flock of followers and even some hints on the end times/day of judgement. At the very end of the seventh heaven is a heavenly tree of light called the Sidrat al-Muntaha. everything that Allah wants to bestow upon the earth emanates from that tree down the seven heavens finally to earth.
From that end point,Mohammed ascends further where even the Angel Gabriel is not permitted to go. To meet with God himself. The only thing of that conversation that’s recorded is the discussion of the daily prayers. Allah/God ordained fifty daily prayers for the muslim to to perform each day. Mohammed agreed and departed. Moses saw him leaving and asked him what did God command?. The Prophet discussed his fifty daily prayers for his flock. “Go back and tell him to lower the number” Moses replied. Moses being a earlier prophet had experience dealing with people and laying down religious laws to them. He knew the challenging rebellious nature human beings can have, thus giving him a keen sense of human limits.
Mohammed heeds this warning and goes back up and requests a lower number. Once again, Moses will urge him again to go back up and ask for a lower number. This will continue back and forth until the agreed upon number was five and Mohammed refusing to go back up being content with the number and embarrassed asking for God to change so many times. Then a voice came thundering through the heavens. It was Allah, “I have made things easy for my servants. It may be five, but it will be rewarded as fifty”.
This is where according to the Islamic lore where Surah al baquara came from. The most famous prayer and what a majority of Muslims pray at nighttime. Think of it somewhat equivalent to the christian Lord’s prayer. One of the few Prayers given directly to the messenger without a mediator like Gabriel.
“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.”
So there you have it, a brief explanation of the backstory beyond one of the major pillars of Islam. Now I will chime in and give a reason for its potential benefit. This is only my opinion, based on conjecture. God did not speak to me, nor did I consult a sheikh/scholar. When you have obligatory prayers throughout the day and they are a habit. The reason for what is important never escapes the mind. We all have had moments in our lives that fully consumed and distracted us from God. of the five prayers there is one at dawn and night before bed. Pivotal moments one being, waking up and getting ready for the day and challenges ahead. While the other a moment of reflection before the eyes shut. The other three make good break points for needed worship time to recharge spiritually.