Be constant in (thy) prayer from the time the sun has passed its zenith till the darkness of night,* and (be ever mindful of its) recitation at dawn: for behold, the recitation (of prayer) at dawn is indeed witnessed.** -- Q.17: 78
*As is evidenced by the practice (sunnah) of the Prophet this verse fully circumscribes the five daily prayers laid down in Islam as obligatory for every adult man and woman.
** Most of the classical commentators take this to mean “witnessed by the angels of night as well as those of the day” since dawn is the time between night and day. Razi, however, is of the opinion that “witness” to which the Qur’an refers here is the spark of God-given illumination in man’s own soul – the heightening of his inner perception at the time when the darkness and stillness of night begins to give way to the life-giving light of day, so that prayer becomes a means of attaining deeper insight into the realm of spiritual truths and, thus, of achieving communion with all that is holy.
[God spoke to Moses] Verily, I – I alone – am God; there is no deity save Me. Hence, worship Me alone, and be constant in prayer, so as to remember Me! * -- Q.20: 14
*Thus conscious remembrance of God and of His oneness and uniqueness is declared to be the innermost purpose, as well as, intellectual justification, of all true prayer.
Prophet said
“Order your children to pray when they are boys of seven years, and at the age of ten if they do not pray, punish them…” -- H: Abu Daud. N: Amr-b-Shoaib from his grandfather.
“Whoever forgets to pray, or falls asleep, his expiration is that he shall pray when he remembers it” – H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Anas
Salat is mentioned 82 times in the Quran.
