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They have been defined as the five duties or the five Pillars in Islam ( in Islam = choosing to be in Submission to the Creator, being Muslim ).
The very first DECLARATION states the obvious and for some persons it makes known to them something of an awesome grandeur. It transpires that one does not know what is behind an impenetrable confinement until the opening is accessible and there is recognition of what is seen.
There is the remembrance of something that was forgotten.
Of the other duties, there is FASTING at the prescribed time for one month in the year and there is the GIVING of one's wealth once a year. As for PILGRIMAGE it is prescribed for once in one's lifetime at a specific month of the lunar year.
What remains is PRAYER, just as mandatory but more important then the other three duties because it is an hourly event that can silently slip by unnoticed. Prayer is five times a day, after dawn, after the midday, in the middle afternoon, after sunset and in the early night. For those not in the know it may seem like a burden to the praying every day come rain, cold or sunshine.
While the discipline in the ritual of prayer is good for the body and mind, it is man's Soul that is the main beneficiary. It is nourishment for the Soul and a continuous reminder of where it came from, its purpose and its destination with the awareness of danger points along the way. With prayer also comes that something which separates some persons from many other persons.
Prayer is also the monitoring agent of inner health because when prayer falters there are tell signs of internal difficulties that can become tricky to avoid and very hard to overcome, except by Allah's permission.
( See Quran reference
43:36. If anyone withdraws himself from remembrance of (Allah) Most Gracious We appoint for him an evil one to be an intimate companion to him. )
The statement of DECLARATION. '' I bear witness there is no Divinity but Allah .......... ''
PRAYER five times a day. '' Salat ''
FASTING in the prescribed month. '' Ramadan ''
PILGRIMAGE once in one's lifetime. '' Hajj ''
GIVING of one's wealth once a year. '' Zakat ''
Beginning
To clarify
Twighlight and Dawn as the white thread of Dawn.
Is one thing the same as the other or
does one take place before the other.
References to '' the white thread of dawn '' and it's implication.
Al-Quran Surah: 2. aya 187 - Surah: 17. aya 78 - Surah: 74. aya 33,34
and from Sahih Bukhari Hadiths
Hadith: 6. 18 -- Narrated Ibn Umar:
While some people were offering Fajr prayer at Quba' (mosque), some-one came to them and said, "Tonight some Qur'anic Verses have been revealed to the Prophet and he has been ordered to face the Ka'ba (at Mecca) (during prayers), so you too should turn your faces towards it." At that time their faces were towards Sham (Jerusalem) so they turned towards the Ka'ba (at Mecca).
Hadith: 1.595 Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud:
The Prophet said, "The Adhan pronounced by Bilal should not stop you
from taking Suhur, for he pronounces the Adhan at night, so that the one offering the late night prayer (Tahajjud) from among you might hurry up and the sleeping from among you might wake up. It does not mean that dawn or morning has started." Then he (the Prophet) pointed with his fingers and raised them up (towards the sky) and then lowered them (towards the earth) like this (Ibn Mas'ud imitated the gesture of the Prophet). Az-Zuhri gestured with his two index fingers which he put on each other and then stretched them to the right and left. These gestures illustrate the way real dawn appears. It spreads left and right horizontally. The dawn that appears in the high sky and lower down is not the real dawn.
Hadith: 2.232 Narrated Masruq:
I asked 'Aisha which deed was most loved by the Prophet. She said, "A deed done continuously." I further asked, "When did he used to get up." She said, "He used to get up on hearing the crowing of a cock."
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Hadith: 2.233 Narrated Al-Ashath:
He ( the Prophet (p.b.u.h) ) used to get up for the prayer on hearing the crowing of a cock.
Hadith: 8.468 Narrated Masruq:
I asked 'Aisha "What deed was the most beloved to the Prophet?" She said, "The regular constant one." I said, "At what time did he use to get up at night?' She said, "He used to get up on hearing the cock ( the last third of the night )."
Hadith: 3.139 Narrated Al-Bara:
It was the custom among the companions of Muhammad that if any of them was fasting and the food was presented (for breaking his fast), but he slept before eating, he would not eat that night and the following day till sunset. Qais bin Sirma-al-Ansari was fasting and came to his wife at the time of Iftar (breaking one's fast) and asked her whether she had anything to eat. She replied, "No, but I would go and bring some for you." He used to do hard work during the day, so he was overwhelmed by sleep and slept. When his wife came and saw him, she said, "Disappointment for you." When it was midday on the following day, he fainted and the Prophet was informed about the whole matter and the following verses were revealed: "You are permitted To go to your wives ( for sexual relation ) At the night of fasting." So, they were overjoyed by it. And then Allah also revealed: "And eat and drink Until the white thread Of dawn appears to you Distinct from the black thread." (2.187)
Hadith: 3.140 Narrated 'Adi bin Hatim:
When the above verses were revealed: 'Until the white thread appears to you, distinct from the black thread,' I took two strings, one black and the other white, and kept them under my pillow and went on looking at them throughout the night but could not make anything out of it. So, the next morning I went to Allah's Apostle and told him the whole story. He explained to me, "That verse means the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn."
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Hadith: 3.141 Narrated Sahl bin Saud:
When the following verses were revealed: 'Eat and drink until the white thread appears to you, distinct from the black thread' and of dawn was not revealed, some people who intended to fast, tied black and white threads to their legs and went on eating till they differentiated between the two. Allah then revealed the words, 'of dawn', and it became clear that meant night and day.
Hadith: 6. 36 Narrated Ash-Sha'bi:
'Adi took a white rope and a black one, and when some part of the night had passed, he looked at them but he could not distinguish one from the other. The next morning he said, "O Allah's Apostle! I put ( a white thread and a black thread ) underneath my pillow." The Prophet said, "Then your pillow is too wide if the white thread ( of dawn ) and the black thread ( of the night ) are underneath your pillow! "
Hadith: 6. 37 Narrated 'Adi bin Hatim:
I said, "O Allah's Apostle! What is the meaning of the white thread distinct from the black thread? Are these two threads?" He said, "You are not intelligent if you watch the two threads." He then added, "No, it is the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the day.''
Hadith: 6. 38 Narrated Sahl bin Sad:
The Verse:--"And eat and drink until the white thread appears to you distinct from the black thread." was revealed, but: '... of dawn' was not revealed (along with it) so some men, when intending to fast, used to tie their legs, one with white thread and the other with black thread and would keep on eating till they could distinguish one thread from the other. Then Allah revealed' ... of dawn,' whereupon they understood that meant the night and the day.
Hadith: 1.531 Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "If anyone of you can get one Rak'a of the 'Asr prayer before sunset, he should complete his prayer. If any of you can get one Rak'a of the Fajr prayer before sunrise, he should complete his prayer."
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Hadith: 1.550 Narrated Qatada:
Anas bin Malik said, "The Prophet and Zaid bin Thabit took the 'Suhur' together and after finishing the meal, the Prophet stood up and prayed ( Fajr prayer ). " I asked Anas, "How long was the interval between finishing their 'Suhur' and starting the prayer?" He replied, "The interval between the two was just sufficient to recite fifty 'Ayat." ( Verses of the Quran )."
Hadith: 1.553 Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever could get one Rak'a (of the Fajr prayer) before sunrise, he has got the (morning) prayer and whoever could get one Rak'a of the'Asr prayer before sunset, he has got the ('Asr) prayer."
Hadith: 1.569 Narrated 'Abdullah bin Abi Qatada:
My father said, "One night we were traveling with the Prophet and some people said, 'We wish that Allah's Apostle would take a rest along with us during the last hours of the night.' He said, 'I am afraid that you will sleep and miss the (Fajr) prayer. ' Bilal said, 'I will make you get up.' So all slept and Bilal rested his back against his Rahila and he too was overwhelmed (by sleep) and slept. The Prophet got up when the edge of the sun had risen and said, 'O Bilal! What about your statement?' He replied, 'I have never slept such a sleep.' The Prophet said, 'Allah captured your souls when He wished, and released them when He wished. O Bilal! Get up and pronounce the Adhan for the prayer.' The Prophet performed ablution and when the sun came up and became bright, he stood up and prayed."
Hadith: 1.592 Narrated Hafsa:
When the Muadh-dhin pronounced the Adhan for Fajr prayer and the dawn became evident the Prophet ordered a two Rakat light prayer ( Sunna ) before the Iqama of the compulsory ( congregational ) prayer.
Hadith: 1.831 Narrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle used to offer the Fajr prayer when it was still dark and the believing women used to return (after finishing their prayer) and nobody could recognize them owing to darkness, or they could not recognize one another.
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Hadith: 2. 46 Narrated Aisha:
Once in the middle of the night Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) went out and prayed in the mosque and some men prayed with him. The next morning the people spoke about it and so more people gathered and prayed with him (in the second night). They circulated the news in the morning, and so, on the third night the number of people increased greatly. Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) came out and they prayed behind him. On the fourth night the mosque was overwhelmed by the people till it could not accommodate them. Allah's Apostle came out only for the Fajr prayer and when he finished the prayer, he faced the people and recited "Tashah-hud" (I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His Apostle), and then said, "Amma ba'du. Verily your presence (in the mosque at night) was not hidden from me, but I was afraid that this prayer (Prayer of Tahajjud) might be made compulsory and you might not be able to carry it out."
Hadith: 2.105 Narrated Ibn Umar:
Once a person asked Allah's Apostle about the night prayer. Allah's Apostle replied, "The night prayer is offered as two Rakat followed by two Rakat and so on and if anyone is afraid of the approaching dawn (Fajr prayer) he should pray one Raka and this will be a Witr for all the Rakat which he has prayed before." Nafi' told that 'Abdullah bin 'Umar used to say Taslim between (the first) two Rakat and (the third) odd one in the Witr prayer, when he wanted to attend to a certain matter (during that interval between the Rakat).
Hadith: 2.108 Narrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle used to pray eleven Rakat at night and that was his night prayer and each of his prostrations lasted for a period enough for one of you to recite fifty verses before Allah's Apostle raised his head. He also used to pray two Rakat (Sunna) before the (compulsory) Fajr prayer and then lie down on his right side till the Muadh-dhin came to him for the prayer.
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Hadith: 2.109 Narrated Anas bin Sirin:
I asked Ibn 'Umar, "What is your opinion about the two Rakat before the Fajr (compulsory) prayer, as to prolonging the recitation in them?" He said, "The Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to pray at night two Rakat followed by two and so on, and end the prayer by one Raka Witr. He used to offer two Rakat before the Fajr prayer immediately after the Adhan." (Hammad, the sub-narrator said, "That meant (that he prayed quickly.)"
Hadith: 1.516 Narrated Abu Al-Minhal:
Abu Barza said, "The Prophet used to offer the Fajr (prayer) when one could recognize the person sitting by him (after the prayer) and he used to recite between 60 to 100 Ayat (verses) of the Qur'an. He used to offer the Zuhr prayer as soon as the sun declined (at noon) and the 'Asr at a time when a man might go and return from the farthest place in Medina and find the sun still hot. (The sub-narrator forgot what was said about the Maghrib). He did not mind delaying the 'Isha prayer to one third of the night or the middle of the night."
Hadith: 1.535 Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
The Prophet used to pray the Zuhr at mid-day, and the 'Asr at a time when the sun was still bright, the Maghrib after sunset and the Isha at a variable time. Whenever he saw the people assembled (for Isha' prayer) he would pray earlier and if the people delayed, he would delay the prayer. And they or the Prophet used to offer the Fajr Prayers when it still dark.
Hadith: 1.542 Narrated Abu Musa:
My companions, who came with me in the boat and I landed at a place called Baqi Buthan. The Prophet was in Medina at that time. One of us used to go to the Prophet by turns every night at the time of the Isha prayer. Once I along with my companions went to the Prophet and he was busy in some of his affairs, so the 'Isha' prayer was delayed to the middle of the night He then came out and led the people (in prayer). After finishing from the prayer, he addressed the people present there saying, "Be patient! Don't go away. Have the glad tiding. It is from the blessing of Allah upon you that none amongst mankind has prayed at this time save you." Or said, "None except you has prayed at this time." Abu Muisa added, 'So we returned happily after what we heard from Alllah's Apostle ."
Hadith: 2.210 Narrated Az-Zuhri:
Salim told me, "'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, 'I saw Allah's Apostle delaying the Maghrib prayer till he offered it along with the Isha prayer whenever he was in a hurry during the journey.' " Salim said, "Abdullah bin Umar used to do the same whenever he was in a hurry during the journey. After making the call for Iqama, for the Maghrib prayer he used to offer three Rakat and then perform Tasllm. After waiting for a short while, he would pronounce the Iqama for the 'Isha' prayer and offer two Rakat and perform Taslim. He never prayed any Nawafil in between the two prayers or after the 'Isha' prayers till he got up in the middle of the night (for Tahajjud prayer)."
Hadith: 7.3739 Narrated Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet said, If supper is served and the Iqama for ( Isha ) prayer is proclaimed, start with you supper first."
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