Prayer, known as Salah in Arabic (صلاة) and Namaz in Persian (نماز), is a religious obligation in Islam. It is one of the five essentials of Islam, also known as the “five pillars of Islam“. Prayer is offered five times daily, at the prescribed times. The five daily prayers, also known as the five regular prayers, are Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha.

It is one of the most mentioned and emphasized religious rituals in the Quran, appearing in many Surahs, in different contexts. The 56th verse of Surah An-Nur emphasizes that believers must establish Salah (Prayers):

Translation

So observe your devotional obligations, pay the zakat, and obey the Apostle so that you may be shown mercy.

Similarly, the time slots of the five regular daily prayers are also mentioned in the Quran in different verses, such as the 78th verse of Surah Al-Isra:

Translation

Observe the service of prayer from the sun’s declining from the meridian to the darkening of the night, and the recitation at dawn. Indeed the Recitation at dawn is palpably evident.

The 103rd verse of Surah An-Nisa mentions the importance of performing the Salah at the correct times as under:

Translation

If you are late in performing your service of prayer honour God by remembering Him, standing or sitting or lying on your sides. And when you have security perform your act of prayer befittingly; and praying at fixed hours is prescribed for the faithful.

So, from the above three verses, we understand that Prayer is obligatory and it needs to be performed at the specified times.

How Many Rakats in Each Prayer?

While the Quran narrates that Prayer is obligatory and must be performed at correct timings, the number of Rakats of each prayer is not specifically mentioned in the Quran. However, it is derived from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. The most relevant Hadith in this context is reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari at serial number 631:

Translation of relevant part –

Pray as you have seen me praying.

So, all the details of the Prayers, including the number of Rakats of each prayer, come from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. It is a general consensus among the four schools of thought in Islamic Jurisprudence that the number of Rakats of each prayer is based on the Sunnah of the Prophet, as transmitted through his companions. Accordingly, all of them agree on the number of rakats (Fard Rakats) of each prayer as under:

  1. Fajr consists of two Fardh Rakats
  2. Dhuhr has four Fardh Rakats
  3. Asr also has four Fardh Rakats
  4. Maghrib comprises three Fardh Rakats
  5. Isha has four Fardh Rakats

Hadith References – Number of Rakats of Each Prayer

Translation

The two rak’ahs at dawn are better than this world and what it contains.

Translation

I heard Ibn `Abbas saying, ‘I offered with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) eight rak`at (of Zuhr and `Asr prayers) together and seven rak`at (the Maghrib and the `Isha’ prayers) together

Additional Reference

It is believed that initially there were two rakats in each prayer, both for residents and travelers. Later on, it was increased for residents, whereas for travelers it remained the same. The reference to this tradition is taken from Hadith 350 of Sahih Al-Bukhari. The scholars are of the view that it refers to the four Fard Rakats for Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha prayers.

Translation

Allah enjoined the prayer when He enjoined it, it was two rak`at only (in every prayer) both when in residence or on journey. Then the prayers offered on the journey remained the same, but (the rak`at of) the prayers for non-travelers were increased.

Why Number of Rakats Vary for Each Prayer?

Various Quranic verses and Hadiths, as quoted above, establish the following facts:

  • Prayer is obligatory for Muslims.
  • Muslims are required to perform five daily prayers, Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha.
  • It has to be performed within the time slots assigned for each prayer.
  • The number of Fardh Rakats for each prayer is not specifically mentioned in the Quran.
  • All four schools of thought have taken reference from the Sunnah of the Prophet to determine the exact number of Fardh Rakats in each prayer. All of them agree on the same number of Rakats for each prayer.

But the question, often raised, is why each prayer consists of a different number of Rakats. To obtain a correct answer to this sensitive yet important question, we must refer to Hadith 631 of Sahih Al-Bukhari, as quoted above. It is a detailed Hadith, where it is mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ explicitly advised the people to offer Prayer exactly the same way, as they had seen him (the Prophet) praying. This Hadith forms the basis for the performance of Prayers, which also includes how many Rakats to be offered in each prayer.

Here, we can also take reference from the 7th verse of Surah Al-Hashr, where it is advised to obey the Prophet, take whatever he gives, and refrain from whatever he forbids. So, we are bound to obey the Prophet’s instructions and advice.

The Prophet advised us to pray in the same way as he used to pray. So, we are bound to pray the same number of Rakats in each prayer, as the Prophet used to pray. That means the different number of Rakats for each prayer is the Sunnah of the Prophet. Hence, we need to follow it without any reasoning or debate.

Wisdom Behind the Different Number of Rakats for Each Prayer

The wisdom behind the different number of Fardh Rakats in each prayer might be as under:

  • Fajr prayer is offered early in the morning, before sunrise. It is a time when the day is just about to commence. Hence, offering a lesser number of Rakats, as compared to other prayers, seems quite reasonable.
  • Dhuhr and Asr are offered during the daytime. This is a time when people are busy with worldly affairs. Taking some more time to recite these prayers is intended to take a break from earthly matters and focus on maintaining a connection with our Creator, the Almighty Allah. Hence, these two Prayers contain a greater number of Fardh Rakats.
  • Maghrib is the time of sunset. This time slot for this prayer is relatively shorter than the other prayers. It is the time of transition from day to night. Hence, a relatively smaller number (three) of Fardh Rakats is assigned for this prayer.
  • Isha is offered at night. It is the time when one has finished the daily routine matters. It is a time of calmness and day end. So, before going to sleep, one needs to offer a longer prayer, hence it comprises of additional Witr prayer as well.

These are just a few points that many scholars have explained regarding the different number of Fardh Rakats in each prayer. However, being a Muslim, it is part of our faith that the correct wisdom behind it is only known to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى and His Prophet, Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ.

Conclusion

Five regular daily prayers, Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha are obligatory. The time slot of each prayer is explicitly mentioned in the Quran and Hadith, which is mandatory to be followed. However, the number of Fardh Rakats of each prayer is not specifically mentioned in the Quran. For this, we need to follow the Sunnah and Instructions of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. Based on various Hadiths and traditions, the four schools of Islamic Jurisprudence derived the number of Fardh Rakats in each prayer.

All four schools of thought, Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali, have a consensus on the number of Rakats of each prayer, as two, four, four, three, and four for Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha prayers, respectively. Since it is based on the Sunnah and Hadith, everyone needs to follow it.

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