Obligation of the Five Daily Prayers

📖Sunan Abi Dawud 425
Narrated Abdullah ibn Sunabihi: Abu Muhammad believed that the Witr prayer is obligatory. (Hearing this) Ubadah ibn as-Samit said: “Abu Muhammad was mistaken. I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘Allah, the Exalted, has made five prayers obligatory. If anyone performs ablution for them well, offers them at their (appointed) time, and observes perfectly their bowing and submissiveness in them, it is the guarantee of Allah that He will pardon him. But if anyone does not do so, then he has no guarantee from Allah — He may forgive him, or He may punish him.’”

Best Description:
This hadith clearly confirms that only five daily prayers are obligatory in Islam, not six. Witr is a highly recommended Sunnah, but not fard. The Prophet ﷺ emphasizes that performing the five obligatory prayers properly, on time, with full humility and focus, comes with a divine guarantee of forgiveness from Allah. But those who neglect them, though not automatically condemned, lose this guaranteed pardon — they are left to Allah’s Will.

It reflects the weight and mercy of Allah’s system: He asks for five prayers a day, not more, but expects them to be done sincerely and properly.

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Quranic Context:

1) Fajr (Dawn Prayer)
📖Quran 17:78
Establish prayer at the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night, and the Qur’an of dawn. Verily, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.
→ “Qur’an of dawn” clearly points to Fajr, the first prayer of the day.

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2) Dhuhr (Noon Prayer) & 3) Asr (Afternoon Prayer)
📖Quran 2:238
Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [especially] the middle prayer…
→ “Middle prayer” (commonly understood as Asr)
→ This verse, together with Quran 11:114 below, shows Dhuhr and Asr separately.

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4) Maghrib (Sunset Prayer) & 5) Isha (Night Prayer)
📖Quran 11:114
Establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night…
→ “Two ends of the day” are Fajr (start of day) and Maghrib (start of night),
→ “Approach of the night” points to Isha.