A quotation from Imam Sadiq (as) indicates that...

A quotation from Imam Sadiq (as) indicates that ‘Ubayd-Ibn-i-Zararah questioned the Imam (as) as to the comments of this holy verse, who answered: “The Almighty has enjoined Muslims to establish four prayers, the beginning of which starts at the declining of the sun, ‘at moon’, and which ends at ‘midnight’.” [^1] In another quotation, we have it from Imam Baqir (as) in the commentary upon this very verse when asked by Zar arah, the great Shi‘ite traditionist, he (as) answered: “The declining of the sun signifies its fading away (from the meridian circle), and the Arabic phrase /qasaq-ul-layl/ denotes ‘midnight’.

These are the four set of prayers which the Prophet (S) designated for people, confirming the time, and the Qur’anic phrase /Qur’an-ul-fajr/ refers to the morning prayer.” [^2] Certainly, some commentators have offered other probable hypotheses with regard to the meaning of /dulūk/ which cannot be considered as remarkable.

As for the meaning of the Arabic phrase /qusaq-ul-layl/, one might claim that as the term /qasaq/ signifies the intensive darkness of the night, and such a darkness reaches its peak at midnight, and is utmost in its density, this phrase altogether signifies ‘midnight’. The Arabic term ‘Qur’an’ refers to that which is ‘read’ and the phrase /Qur’an-ul-fajr/, altogether refers to the ‘prayer at dawn’.

It is for this reason that the above verse is among the ones which briefly refer to the five-time daily prayers and, alongside with the other verses regarding the prayer times, as well as the numerous quotations received in this connection, the five times for daily prayers are exactly distinguished.

Certainly, one must keep in mind the fact that some of the verses of the Qur’an refer to one prayer only, like: “Guard your prayers, and (especially) the middle prayer…” [^3] in which case, the ‘middle prayer’, according to the authentic commentaries, is that same ‘ midday prayer ’.

Occasionally, those verses allude to the three times for prayers out of the five-time daily prayers, like: “And establish the prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night…” [^4] in which case, /tarafay-in-nah ar/ makes allusions to the morning and evening (Maqrib) prayers, and the phrase /zulafan min-al-layl/ alludes to the night prayer (‘Isha’ prayer). At times, all of the five-time prayers are briefly referred to, as in the verse in question.