MyISLAM

Thursday, 7 December 2023

7 Simple Steps to Build Your Success

1- Define your Success

If you don’t define it, you won’t be able to work towards it effectively. And remember, we only have limited time in this world. This is your time and your only chance! Set aside your ego and think about what your real goals in life should be.

2- Set Goals Based on your Definition

Now you are at the stage in which you know what success means to you, but you don’t have a plan or a strategy to live out that success. So start by setting goals in the three basic areas of your life: worship, relationships, and work.

For example set goals that you pray your prayers on time and evaluate how you did each week. Set goals that you convey what you read or learn to your spouse, parents, or children, even if it’s one verse or hadith. Set goals that you remember Allah while at work, add a dhikr slot to your working day, so you can complete certain tasks while doing dhikr.

3- Find Inspiration and Motivation

Setting goals isn’t enough. The next step helps you to find a way to convince your brain to stick to that goal and get inspired about how to move ahead.

The best way to find motivation is through seeking knowledge. For example:

The Quran is an intercessor, something given permission to intercede, and it is rightfully believed in. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise; whoever puts it behind him, it will steer him to the Hellfire. (At-Tabarani, on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood)

Doesn’t this inspire you to set goals to get closer to the Quran?

4- Create Habits Surrounding your Goals

Goal-setting works best when you have habits surrounding your goal. If your goal is to understand the Quran then make it a habit to read the Quran with translation every day. Create spiritual habits, like daily praying the duha-prayer, daily reciting the Quran, even if it’s just a few verses.

5- Stop Procrastinating

There will be times when inspiration will stop flowing, life will seem heavy, and your time will get wasted. Here, the best advice would be to go back to step three, because this is the time when you need motivation and inspiration the most.

6- Seek the Companionship of Others Who Have High Aspirations

Umar ibn Al Khattab said:

A person is not given anything better (after Islam) than a righteous brother.

7- Stop Looking at Success Like a Distant Achievement

I’ve heard people saying: “Jannah seems so far away!” We don’t know when the angel of death will come for us, and that’s the time when you won’t be able to do any good deeds to invest in your hereafter. Your hereafter can start anytime!

Stop considering success as something distinct from you as an individual, merely something you hope to attain one day. Search for success in your day-to-day life; find success with the smallest bits of work that help you reach your goal, then stay committed to those habits and strive to live them daily!

From Understanding Quran.

Wednesday, 6 December 2023

BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION – AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Many people wonder about the theory of biological evolution – the theory that living species on Earth today are descended from others in the past, and that the present diversity of living species we see is a result of descent with modification over the course of numerous generations.

Muslims also wonder about one of the main processes that evolutionary theory proposes to explain how evolution takes place – the process of natural selection. This is the idea that the individuals within a populations of living organism vary in their individual traits – they are not exactly alike – and that the organisms which are most successful at leaving descendants will pass on their unique traits to the next generation at the expense of the traits possessed by less successful organisms in the population, thereby contributing to a long-term gradual change in the suite of traits found within the population.

To start with, it is not our intention in this article to discuss the scientific implications of evolutionary theory. We wish to explore the issue from the perspective of Islamic teachings.

We must ask:

Does the theory of evolution – and likewise the theory of natural selection as a mechanism of evolution – conform to Islamic teachings or conflict with them?

Is a Muslim allowed to believe in evolution as a scientific theory as long as he or she accepts that God is behind it?

Is a Muslim allowed to believe in human evolution? If not, how can we explain the fossils of upright, bipedal, tool-using apes with large brains that have been discovered?

We wish to re-emphasize that our concern here is not with examining the scientific merits of the theory of evolution. What we want to know is what Islamic teachings have to say about the idea. Whether evolution is true or false scientifically is another matter altogether.

When we look at the sources of Islam – the Quran and Sunnah – we see that, with respect to human beings living on the Earth today, they are all descendants of Adam and Eve.

God also says:

“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with God is the one who is the most God-fearing.” (Quran 49:13)

The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, identified the "male" mentioned in this verse as being Adam. He said:

“Human beings are the children of Adam and Adam was created from Earth. God says: ‘O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with God is the one who is the most God-fearing’.” (Al-Tirmidhî)

We also see that God created Adam directly without the agency of parents.

God says:

“The similitude of Jesus before God is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: ‘Be’ and he was.” (Quran 3:59]

We also know that Eve was created from Adam without the agency of parents.

In the Quran, God states clearly:

“O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women.” (Quran 4:1)

Therefore, the Quran tells us that Adam and his wife were the father and mother of all human beings living on the Earth today. We know about this by way of direct revelation from God.

The direct creation of Adam (peace be upon him) can neither be confirmed nor denied by science in any way. This is because the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) was a unique and singular historical event. It is a matter of the Unseen and something that science does not have the power to confirm or deny. As a matter of the Unseen, we believe it because God informs us about it. We say the same for the miracles mentioned in the Quran. Miraculous events, by their very nature, do not conform to scientific laws and their occurrence can neither be confirmed nor denied by science.

What about other living things, besides the human beings living on the Earth today? What about plants, animals, fungi, and the like?

When we turn our attention to this question, we find that the Quran and Sunnah do not tell us much about the flora and fauna that was present on the Earth before or at the time of Adam and Eve’s arrived upon it. The sacred texts also do not tell us how long ago Adam and Eve arrived upon the Earth. Therefore, these are things we cannot ascertain from the sacred texts.

The only thing that the Quran and Sunnah require us to believe about the living things on Earth today is that God created them in whatever manner He decided to create them.

God says:

“God is the Creator of all things and over all things He has authority.” (Quran 39:62)

Indeed, God states specifically that He created all life forms:

“And We made from water all living things.” (Quran 21:30)

We know that “God does what He pleases.” God can create His creatures in any manner that He chooses.

Therefore, with respect to other living things, the Quran and Sunnah neither confirm nor deny the theory of biological evolution or the process referred to as natural selection. The question of evolution remains purely a matter of scientific enquiry. The theory of evolution must stand or fall on its own scientific merits – and that means the physical evidence that either confirms the theory or conflicts with it.

The role of science is only to observe and describe the patterns that God places in His creation. If scientific observation shows a pattern in the evolution of species over time that can be described as natural selection, this is not in itself unbelief. It is only unbelief for a person to think that this evolution took place on its own, and not as a creation of God. A Muslim who accepts evolution or natural selection as a valid scientific theory must know that the theory is merely an explanation of one of the many observed patterns in God’s creation.

As for the fossil remains of bipedal apes and the tools and artifacts associated with those remains, their existence poses no problem for Islamic teachings. There is nothing in the Quran and Sunnah that either affirms or denies that upright, brainy, tool using apes ever existed or evolved from other apelike ancestors. Such animals may very well have existed on Earth before Adam’s arrival upon it. All we can draw from the Quran and Sunnah is that even if those animals once existed, they were not the forefathers of Adam (peace be upon him). - islamreligion.com

Tuesday, 5 December 2023

What Guarantees a Successful Marriage?

There is no guarantee for any marriage to be successful or fulfill an ultimate happiness for the bride or groom.

However, Islamically, there is a guarantee that if you fulfill the conditions and guidelines of obeying God and His messenger, in your marriage, you will have a real potential of reaching that marital happiness that everyone seeks.

Before we even discuss these Islamic guidelines, we need to understand the importance of a successful marriage to the quality of one’s life. God said:

And amongst His miracles and proofs is that He created from amongst yourselves spouses to reach peace and calm with, and made mercy and love between yourselves (Ar-Rum 30: 21)

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that:

“A righteous wife is one of the treasures of dunya (worldly life).” (Muslim)

How to Choose the Right Spouse

The number one secret of a successful marriage is (correctly) choosing the right spouse. You cannot choose the wrong husband/wife and then spend the rest of your life looking for solutions, mediators, and family members to try to fix the never-ending problems with your spouse. Prophet Muhammad said:

“Whoever proposes to your daughters of what you accept of his religion and his manners, then accept his proposal, otherwise it would be a major ordeal.” (Al-Bukhari)

So, yes, one of the conditions of Islam is that there is equitability between the husband and wife in the same cultural, social, and financial environment; yet the ultimate parameter to choose the husband from within these same levels is his religion and as the Prophet had specified, his manners, Islamic manners that is.

Similarly, the Prophet advised Muslim men with the ingenious advice of making Islamic mannerism the ultimate filter of choosing a wife. In his well-known quotation, Prophet Muhammad said:

“A woman is pursued for marriage for four reasons: for her money, for her social status, for her beauty, and for her religion (Islamic manners), so marry the one with the religion, otherwise you will win dust (gain nothing).” (Al-Bukhari)

In my humble opinion, this quotation speaks about women, but actually its meaning is also valid for men. For the young lady and the young man can choose the handsome, wealthy, funny, hip spouse, and blind themselves to their spouse’s religion and real Islamic manners.

After three weeks to a month after the marriage, all the flashy, funny, pretentious facades fall down to a boring normal, what’s left will always be the true metal of the character that in many cases is a troubling time bomb that eventually ends the marriage or at least undermines its quality.

So the ultimate rule is yes a handsome, witty, wealthy husband or wife is great but only as an addition to their good religion, and their true Islamic characters, for that true religion/character is what lasts.

Advice for the Wives

Prophet Muhammad said:

“If the woman prayed her five, and fasted her thirty, protected her chastity, and obeyed her husband, it would be said to her: ‘enter from whichever door of paradise you want’.” (At Tirmidhi)

So what does it mean to obey the husband especially to the pride of the bride?

If we look at marriage through modern and pragmatic lens, we cannot ignore that it is a cooperation or some sort of human corporation, where ultimately, like it is with any successful entity made of multiple individuals, there has to be a leader who’s ultimately responsible for the well-being of the whole entity.

God had burdened men with such leadership and responsibility for the entire family, based on their natural task of providing, protecting, and most importantly, attending to all the family needs:

Men attend to women with what Allah had preferred some over the other, and with what they provided from their monies. (An-Nisa’ 4: 34)

A wife’s obedience to her husband in that case is exactly like a director or a vice president of a corporation engages with the president, with input, requests, and demands, yet while knowing that the ultimate decision would lie on the shoulders of the president for he also bears the ultimate responsibility.

People understand this business concept very easily, yet sometimes couples never digest it with the influence of Western habits, where the relationship between a man and a woman is competitive, not integrative.

Having said that, the ultimate guidelines of a wife’s mandated obedience to her husband falls underneath the cardinal rule in Islam; “there’s no obedience to a created by disobeying the creator” i.e. what both husband and wife obey is God and when the wife obeys the husband, she only obeys what satisfies God. So if the husband asks the wife to cheat, lie, steal, or kill, then it is a big NO to the husband, no matter what the justification is.

The couple understanding the concept of obedience is half the way of having a really peaceful, successful marriage.

One time I was interviewed by an American TV station, and I was asked, isn’t dating and having a relationship before marriage the ultimate test to find out if the couple fit together for marriage?

On its face, the question seems somewhat logical, yet in reality, it is absolutely the opposite. For what makes a marriage or any relationship for that matter successful is that all parties use the same guidelines as a reference, and they both tune to the same wavelength, and that is the only guarantee of their potential harmony.

Evidenced by the fact that the result of all these dating and illegitimate haram (unlawful) relationships in the West not only result in less than 50 percent actual marriage ratio, but even these marriages fall apart over 40 percent of the time, within four to five years.

If there is initial acceptance and attraction that is verified by both of them adhering to the same reference of Islamic manners and obedience to God, then that is a marriage that not only will most likely last, but will provide happiness for both parties.

In the next article, I will talk about how to enhance a husband’s responsibility and a couple’s personal behavior to achieve happiness for the entire family.

(From Discovering Islam archive)

Monday, 4 December 2023

Can I Practice Islam Alone?

You show that you are searching for the right way to respond to Almighty Allah and to His love for you in calling you to embrace Islam.

You can be sure that you are loved very much by Allah when He has called you from your previous way of life to submit to His will as a Muslim.

My Experience from Christianity to Islam

It might help you, dear brother, if I tell you something of my own experience in returning to Islam. Like you, for many years I was Christian. I still hold in reverence all those good people I once knew and worked with who still hold Christian beliefs.

Like you, I found emptiness in my heart and in my life, that nothing could fill. With great sadness, I left the Church. Little did I know that this was all a part of Almighty Allah’s plan for my life.

And I, too, found myself wandering about in a spiritual wilderness, not really knowing where to turn or who to turn to for the spiritual light I was looking for.

When you say that you feel lost these days, I pray that you will find what you are looking for in Islam. Your new-found faith, though, must be encouraged for it to grow.

You do need the help and the support of others around you to help you to know more about Islam and be a better Muslim. Thank God that your parents have quietly accepted your decision.

This is a great gift, because many people find open rejection from family or friends when they tell them of their decision.

Find Muslims

What you need now is to find Muslim friends and companions who can help you. You are right that there are many different voices, saying many different things about Islam.

Newspaper and television don’t help when they are always giving the wrong idea about Islam and Muslims. I personally see that AboutIslam.net, though, presents a very balanced and moderate view of Islam. So, you can find answers to questions of faith here.

Moreover, you must try to meet other Muslims. This is very important. Their experience of Islam will help your faith to grow. We are not angels, but human beings, so we need others to encourage and support us.

It is easy to lose heart and even to give up altogether if we have nothing to help us. Always praying on our own, without having other brothers and sisters to pray and talk with, is very difficult — though not impossible.

Find a Mosque

Islam is a brotherhood. In fact, Islam calls the whole of humanity to be brothers and sisters, so you need brethren as support and for your faith to fully blossom.

Is there an Islamic center or a mosque anywhere near you that you could visit? If there is, you should try and introduce yourself, slowly, to those you meet there.

I must admit that some of my first experiences with mosques in London were not all that helpful. Unfortunately, when I was most looking for help and support, many people in the mosque did not make me feel very welcome at all. In fact, I felt very much like an outsider.

However, with perseverance, I found a mosque with a special program for those who were new to Islam and this came to be my spiritual home. So, trying to find a mosque is very important for you.

If there really is no mosque at all anywhere near you—try searching on islamicfinder.org—why not try to make a journey just to visit a mosque in another town or city from time to time?

More Tips

You will find that praying with others, if only occasionally, will give you great strength, until you find your own mosque. Without a mosque of your own, you will have to rely on books and Internet resources. Just be careful with whom you are talking. Not all sources are authentic or valid.

Reading about the life and example of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) helps us guide our lives in the right direction. Learning and reciting verses from the Noble Quran will not only help your knowledge of Islam, but will also give great peace to your life in your new faith.

You are right that there are a lot of conflicting voices about Islam. In terms of correcting others’ wrong impressions about Islam, the best thing all of us can do is to set good examples.

Words are easy, but words alone don’t change people’s lives. It is the day-in, day-out, good examples of Muslims which can touch people’s hearts.

If you still find yourself lost and without help or support for your faith, trying to argue or debate with others about Islam at the moment might only make you feel even more frustrated.

Quietly giving them a good example, on the other hand, is the best thing you can do, for the time-being. Allah says in the Quran:

(It may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims.) (Al-Hijr 15:2)

Your life has been touched by the presence of Almighty Allah and you have felt drawn to Islam. Your question, which comes from the heart, shows how sincere you are in seeking the right way to live as a Muslim.

In sha’ Allah, He will answer your prayers and will provide the ways for you to come ever closer to Him. Just move step by step and give each step its time. - aboutislam.net

Sunday, 3 December 2023

All Was Going Well Before Istikhara, Is My Anxiety a Negative Sign from Allah?

Marriage is such a big decision that brings many changes in life. Of course you feel anxious; I would say this is totally normal.

Good Signs

It is really a good sign that your father accepts him and is planning your engagement.

You said you also liked him when you met, you feel a kind of attachment to him, even after praying istikhara.

Sister, there are all indications, inshallah, that you are on the right track!

What worries you? What are the exact thoughts in your head when you feel anxious? What are you afraid of?

And what could you do to calm these worrisome thoughts that cause trouble in your heart?

Perhaps you’d like to ask him some more questions? Or get to know him better? I would dig a bit deeper into this through journaling.

Journaling

Take a notebook or a piece of paper and start writing out all your feelings and thoughts. Inshallah, it usually brings clarity and peace.

One thing is to have thoughts in your mind; another is to see them on a piece of paper. I highly encourage you to do this exercise.

Moreover, keep doing it every day. Journaling is such a powerful tool for understanding ourselves. Inshallah, it will help you calm down and see everything clearly.

Counseling

If you feel the thoughts still bother you excessively, I would encourage you to seek help from a professional. Even About Islam provides counseling services.

Maybe you would like to talk through your worries with a psychologist—there is no shame in it. It would be better than entering into a marriage with all kinds of excessive fears.

Turn to Allah

At the same time, I encourage you to turn to Allah. Complain to Him about your worries in your duas.

He is the only One who can change hearts and help you have peace. Tell him what bothers you and what you are afraid of, and ask Him to help you.

Pray Istikhara

I would also encourage you to pray istikhara and see what life brings to you.The answer of istikhara comes through events in life that either facilitate or block the issue you made istikhara about.

Walk with open eyes.

Prepare for marriage

The third thing I would encourage you to do is prepare for marriage.

There are many great books and courses online that would help the two of you enter into such a sacred bond with a clear mind and an attached heart. Maybe you want to enroll together so that this also brings you together.

May Allah calm your heart and bless your marriage, insha’Allah.

Disclaimer: The conceptualization and recommendations stated in this response are very general and purely based on the limited information provided in the question. In no event shall MyISLAM or AboutIslam, its counselors or employees be held liable for any damages that may arise from your decision in the use of our services.

About Timea Aya Csányi

Timea Aya Csányi studied Psychology and Islamic Studies Bsc. at the International Online University. She is a certified NLP® Practitioner, one of our writers and counselors at the "Ask the Counselor" section. She has been the editor of the "Ask the Counselor" section for 10 years. Now she mainly works as a fitness trainer and journalist.

- aboutislam.net

Saturday, 2 December 2023

Real Talk: Is Islam a Religion for Arabs Only?

I start my answer with the word “salam” which means “peace”, though your simple and direct question caused my heart to ache!

The pain I felt when I read your question was because I was surprised that some would think that God would limit his generous gift to a certain sect of humanity or a specific race. Allah, the Most Merciful, is much greater than such a “discriminative” idea.

God is the God Of All The Worlds

Julia, Islam is the universal religion addressing all mankind.

The meaning of Islam is actually the unconditional and peaceful submission to the One and Only God, Who is the Creator of existence.

When God refers to Himself in the Quran, He does not limit His divinity to a certain category or sect of humanity.

On the contrary, He declares Himself to be God of all beings and worlds:

Praise be to God, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds (Quran 1:2)

He never defines himself as the God of all Arabs or even the God of all Muslims only, but He is God of all things, including all mankind:

God is the Creator of all things, and He is the Guardian and Disposer of all affairs. (Quran 39:62 )

On the other hand, Islam regards any person who submits to the Creator and who calls to this submission as a true Muslim.

Prophets Came from All Over the World

According to the Quran, all prophets who called to the idea of submitting to God, throughout the history of humanity, are true Muslims:

Say: “We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to God do we bow our will (in Islam).” (Quran 3:84)

Prophets and messengers sent by God to call mankind to Islam were not mostly Arabs, but they were from different nations, backgrounds and races.

Among the Arab ones were Prophet Salih and Messenger Muhammad, the last of all prophets (peace be upon them all).

Muhammad: A Blessing to All Mankind

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is considered God’s final messenger to all mankind, not to Arabs or people of the Prophet’s time only.

God has declared this repetitively and explicitly in the Quran, when He addressed or mentioned Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures. (Quran 21:107)
Say: “O mankind! I am sent unto you all, as the Apostle of God, to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He That giveth both life and death. So believe in God and His Apostle, the Unlettered Prophet, who believes in God and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided.” (Quran 7:158)

Islam Teaches All People Are Equal

I would also like to add that since Islam is God’s last universal message to all His servants, conveyed through His final messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), its principles strongly support the concept of equality between all mankind.

Islam emphasizes that the criterion that ranks one person higher than another is never his race, color, kind, nationality or wealth, but rather, it is his devotion, piety, and strength of faith.

For Allah, there is no distinction between an Arab and a non-Arab except according to the piety of the believer. In addition, the Quran also confirms this principle:

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (Quran 49:13)

This principle was always fulfilled and proved throughout the history of Islam.

Important Non-Arabs In Islam’s History

Numerous non-Arab figures played fundamental roles in supporting the foundation of the Islamic civilization throughout its history.

Worth mentioning are the great companions of the Prophet like Salman the Persian, Sohaib the Roman and Bilal the African, along with others.

Those great companions played fundamental roles in spreading Islam when it was still in its early ages.

They were also known to be of great devotion and piety among the companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Later, in the history of the Islamic civilization, among the greatest scholars specialized in the different disciplines of Islamic studies, were many non-Arab figures.

Among the numerous great Islamic empires, there were many non-Arab rulers. An important example is the Ottoman Empire.

It was a powerful Muslim Turkish empire, that dominated the Muslim world since the mid of the 16th century till the beginning of the 20th century.

The bond between the individuals of the Muslim nation is not based on their race, but rather, it is their sincere belief and submission to the One and Only God.

Arabs: Only 20% Of All Muslims

Yes, it is a fact that Arabs played a major role in the history of Islam, especially in its early ages, for they served as a means for communicating this great religion to all mankind.

This is due to more than one reason, among which is that God’s final messenger was an Arab.

If he was not so, and if he was from any other race, his people would have played the same role carried out by the Arabs.

Actually, statistics prove that Islam has spread enormously among non-Arabs and that Arabs make up only 20% of the Muslim nation today.

To conclude, what I am trying to clarify is that Islam is the final message from our Beloved Great Creator, calling upon all mankind to submit peacefully to Him and to His divine doctrine.

It is the divine message that teaches equality between mankind and that God judges any person only according to his honest sincerity and nothing else.

(From AboutIslam’s archives)

Friday, 1 December 2023

Does the Quran Say Pray 5 Times a Day?

In the Quran, Allah, Most High, has given us some specific times of prayers, but He did not mention the number. It is not said anywhere in the Qur’an that one must pray five times or three times.

The Quran mentions that the prayer is prescribed for the believers at specific times (An-Nisaa’ 4:103).

Allah says,

{Establish regular prayers at the sun’s decline till the darkness of the night, and (the recital of) the Quran at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Quran at dawn is ever witnessed. And some part of the night awake for it, a largess for thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised estate.} (Al-Israa’ 17:78-79)

The time of “the sun’s decline” (duluk ash-shams) is interpreted as Zhuhr, Asr and Maghrib. The “darkness of the night” (ghasaq al-layl) is interpreted as Isha prayer. And “the recital of the Quran at dawn ” (Qur’an al-fajr) is Fajr prayer.

Allah also says,
{Therefore be patient with what they say, and celebrate (constantly) the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before its setting; yea, celebrate them for part of the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day: that thou mayest have (spiritual) joy.} (Taha 20:130)

{So (give) glory to Allah, when you reach eventide and when you rise in the morning. Yea, to Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline.} (Ar-Rum 30:17-18)

The number of prayers are not mentioned in the Quran, but they are mentioned in the hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Prophet under the guidance of Allah told us when to pray, how many times to pray and how to pray. He gave us five times of prayers. He told us that Allah has prescribed for us five prayers every day.

There are hundreds of hadiths on this subject. The whole Ummah is unanimous and has a consensus (ijma) that five prayers are obligatory.

Anyone who denies this, or says that the obligatory prayers are less than five or more than five, that person is not a Muslim.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.