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Question: There
are some Muslims who pray three times a day. I was surprised to find this
out and would be grateful if you could shed light on this.
Answer: Islam is the guidance which the Almighty has sent down for mankind through His Prophets. The Prophet Muhammad (sws) is the last of these Prophets. Consequently, it is now he alone who in this world is the sole source of this religion. It is only through him that man can receive guidance and until the Day of Judgement it is only he who, through his words, deeds or tacit approval, has the authority to declare something as part of Islam. The Qur’an says:
1. The Qur’an
While every one knows what the Qur’an is, by Sunnah is meant those practices of the Prophet Abraham (sws) to which the Prophet (sws) gave religious sanction among his followers after reviving and reforming them and after making certain additions to them. The Qur’an has directed the Prophet (sws) to obey this Abrahamic tradition in the following words:
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*. The Prophets before Muhammad (sws)
were also required to pray five times. Consequently, in a Hadith in
which the Prophet (sws) has been taught to pray five times by Gabriel,
it is said that Gabriel visited the Prophet (sws) on two consecutive days
and taught him the starting and ending times of each of the five prayers.
When he was about to leave on the second day, this what he is reported
to have said:
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