Which Ritual Salat is named "Salat al Wusta" as per 2:238 ?

[God Within]

Peace be upon you,

God suffices as witness...I wouldn't worry about everyone coming to the same conclusion regarding anything. God says listen to all opinions and follow the best. You will beat yourself up for nothing by worrying about others. Just continue to share the truth for those who will see. )

Stay centered(wusta) )

[ths]

Salaam almarhom,

I believe that Salat al-Wusta is most likely Salat al-Asr.
This tradition seems to have made its way to the hadiths, as there is even a hadith that places special weight on the Asr prayer.

Every week there is a topic about salah, and until now I haven't seen a study of all the verses together as I did some time ago here:



PRAYERS SO FAR:

1. Pray during the night, specifically the first part of the night (al-layli) (73:1-7)
2. When you wake up (7eena taquum) (52:48-49)
3. During the night (min al-layli) (52:48-49)
4. At Dawn (At the retreat of the stars - adbaar al-nujoom) (52:48-49)
5. In the morning (bukratan) (76:25-26)
6. In the evening (aseela) (76:25-26)
7. And a part of the night (min al-layli) (76:25-26)
8. Before the rising of the sun (qabla tuloo3 al-shamsi) (50:39-40)
9. Before the setting of the sun (qabla 'l-ghuroob) (50:39-40)
10. During the night (min al-layli) (50:39-40)
11. During the night (min al-layli) (51:16-18)
12. In the early dawn (bil-as7aari - su7oor) (51:16-18)
13. Before the rising of the sun (qabla tuloo3 al-shamsi) (20:130)
14. Before the setting of the sun (qabla ghuroobihaa) (20:130)
15. During the night (min 2aanaa2 al-layli) (20:130)
16. At the ends of the day (different from dawn and the evening as they are mentioned in the same verse) (atraaf al-nahaar) (20:130)
17. From the sinking sun to the darkening of the night (dulook il-shamsi ilaa ghasaq al-layli (17:78-79)
18. At dawn (quraan al-fajr) (17:78-79)
19. At night (min al-layli) (17:78-79)
20. In the evening (al-3ashiyyi) (40:55)
21. At dawn (al-ibkaar) (40:55)
22. At two ends of the day (tarafay 'l-nahaari) (11:114)
23. Approaches of the night (zulfan min al-layli) (11:114)
24. In the morning (7eena tusbihuun) (30:17-18)
25. In the afternoon (7eena tumsoon) (30:17-18)
26. At the setting sun (3ashiyyan) (30:17-18)
27. At noon (7eena tudhhiruun) (30:17-18)
28. The middle prayer? (Salat al-wusta) (2:238)
29. A portion of the night (adna min thuluthay al-layli wa-nisfahu wa-thuluthahu) (73:20)
30. At dawn (salat al-fajr) (24:58)
31. At noon (al-dhaheera) (24:58)
32. In the evening (salat al-isha) (24:58)



So to summarize all this information, the salawat prescribed in the Quran are:


1. Dawn - 7eena taquum 52:48-49, adbaar al-nujoom 52:48-49, bukratan 76:25-26, qabla tuloo3 al-shamsi 50:39-40, bil-as7aari 51:16-18, qabla tuloo3 al-shamsi 20:130, atraaf al-nahaar 20:130, quraan al-fajr 17:78-79, al-ibkaar 40:55, 7eena tusbihuun 30:17-18, salat al-fajr 24:58

2. Noon - 7eena tudhhiruun 30:17-18, al-dhaheera 24:58

3. Afternoon - 7eena tumsoon 30:17-18, Salat al-wusta 2:238,

4. Evening - aseela 76:25-26, qabla 'l-ghuroob 50:39-40, qabla ghuroobihaa 20:130, atraaf al-nahaar 20:130, dulook il-shamsi 17:78-79, al-3ashiyyi 40:55, tarafay 'l-nahaari 11:114, 3ashiyyan 30:17-18, salat al-isha 24:58 

5. Night - al-layli 73:1-7, min al-layli 52:48-49, min al-layli 76:25-26, min al-layli 50:39-40, min al-layli 51:16-18, min 2aanaa2 al-layli 20:130, ghasaq al-layli 17:78-79, min al-layli 17:78-79, zulfan min al-layli 11:114, adna min al-layli 73:20,

[God Within]

Peace be upon you,

The God names the salaat ...dawn and dusk is all there is.

[san]

Stay centered(wusta) )

Nicely put. As a side note, "guerrilla" meditation throughout the day is an excellent way to keep ourselves centered. Dawn and dusk might be the best time to "get deeper" regularly, but if a quick and simple balancing act that is done every now and then helps us with our life, then why not? Ritual or not, so long as one finds balance with Salat, it's good.

[redsulphur1229]

This discussion depends on "wusta" meaning "middle" - but that is a secondary meaning.  The primary meaning is "best" or "more important".

[scaredmuslimah]

This discussion depends on "wusta" meaning "middle" - but that is a secondary meaning.  The primary meaning is "best" or "more important".

Peace RedSulphur,

Can you elaborate on that some more?  You are the first person I have seen mention this.

-Amina

[mmkhan]

This discussion depends on "wusta" meaning "middle" - but that is a secondary meaning.  The primary meaning is "best" or "more important".

Salaam RS,

Even if wusta means best or more important, why is it made different than regular Salaats? Can you answer me please?


May Allah increase us in knowledge and guide us to His only path 
mmKhan

[redsulphur1229]

see:
http://free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=11539.0

I don't presume to speak authoritatively regarding why one prayer is more important than another, but I have read the following explanation - during the time of the Prophet, Muslims praying the morning prayer at the Kaaba was not considered contraversial by the pagan Meccans.  However, the evening prayer (Salat al-Isha, which actually occurs during what we now call Salat al-Maghrib) coincided with pagan prayer time (clapping of hands etc), and so Muslims were barred from praying at the Kaaba at that time, or harassed.  I don't know the credibility of the explanation.  i do not recall the author's name - will check.

Based on my reading of the Quran, there are only 2 prayers (dawn and dusk), named Salat al-Fajr and Salat al-Isha.  If there are only 2, then there is no "middle prayer", which means that Salat al-Wusta must mean something else, and the word "wusta" actually does mean something else.  That means one of these 2 salats is more important than the other.  As to why, Allah knows best.

[scaredmuslimah]

see:
http://free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=11539.0

I don't presume to speak authoritatively regarding why one prayer is more important than another, but I have read the following explanation - during the time of the Prophet, Muslims praying the morning prayer at the Kaaba was not considered contraversial by the pagan Meccans.  However, the evening prayer (Salat al-Isha, which actually occurs during what we now call Salat al-Maghrib) coincided with pagan prayer time (clapping of hands etc), and so Muslims were barred from praying at the Kaaba at that time, or harassed.  I don't know the credibility of the explanation.  i do not recall the author's name - will check.

Based on my reading of the Quran, there are only 2 prayers (dawn and dusk), named Salat al-Fajr and Salat al-Isha.  If there are only 2, then there is no "middle prayer", which means that Salat al-Wusta must mean something else, and the word "wusta" actually does mean something else.  That means one of these 2 salats is more important than the other.  As to why, Allah knows best.

Thank you for the link and explanation.  When I was a Christian, we were always taught to pray when we woke up and before retiring for bed in the evening.  Part of me thinks that isn't a coincidence with the two salats named in the Qur'an.  I believe it was mmkhan that said that "wusta" means "central."  Forgive me if I am wrong on that...

Peace,

Amina

[mmkhan]

Salaam,

Brother RedSulphur, how to translate ahsana in 39:23?

39:23 اَللّٰہُ نَزَّلَ اَحۡسَنَ الۡحَدِیۡثِ ...
39:23 Allah has sent down the best statement...

Please click here to see other translations.

Can someone let me know at what time should be alSalaat alJuma offered if it is not at middle?


May Allah increase us in knowledge and guide us to His true path 
mmkhan