Title: Why Does the Qur'an not Give an Express Directive Regarding the Five Prayers? Question: Why the God did not reveal the verse mentioning explicitly about the five prayers in a day? It's true that the God did not reveal everything in detail, especially about the aspects that had been going on already at that time. But still the figure 'five' has its enormous importance too. He could have mentioned at the time of mairaj (Al-Isra 17:1). People were not praying five times a day at that time, were they? Jazzakallah khairun Answer: A close examination of the Qur'anic verses relating to prayer will reveal that indeed the five daily prayers are mentioned. [1] As for the number "5," I am not aware of any numerical significance it may consist of. The number actually relates only to the mandatory daily prayers, as you well know. The interpretation and explanation of the events of the Isra' and Mi`raj is beyond the scope of this reply as the event does not relate specifically to the establishment of the five prayers. In fact, the five daily prayers had been adhered to by the Prophet and his followers all along. Moreover, all the prophets of God practiced this prescribed number of times to worship. When the angel Gabriel was teaching the Prophet to pray he said, "O Muhammad! it is in these five times that the Prophets before you also prayed." [2] One may appreciate the establishment of the five daily prayers by understanding that it has been passed down from generation to generation until our present times. Though parts of it had become corrupted with time, just as many other elements of religion, the Prophet Muhammad rejuvenated and re-established this practice. Thus, the five daily prayers are founded upon the Sunnah (i.e. religious practice) of the Prophet and not on the Qur'an. An explicit statement in the Qur'an regarding the number of prayers may have been without contextual significance and even redundant as it had been mentioned implicitly in its Surahs (i.e. chapters) and definitively elaborated upon in the Sunnah . I hope I have clarified the issue. God knows best. Ronnie Hassan May 21, 2004 [1] Al Isra' 17:78, Ta'Ha 20:130, Qaf 50:39-40 [2] Abu Da'ud, Kitabu'l-Salah