Saturday, February 9, 2008
Islam according to Halacha
I once read that the reason that Muslims pray five times a day is that Islam was influenced by the traditions of the Jews that remained in Israel. In Israel they used to say Krias Shema at Netz then later on they would daven Shacharis, Minchah, Maariv and then again Kriash Shema later at night for a total of five seperate prayers.
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There's an even stronger reason that ties Islam to Judaism as to why Muslims pray 5 times/day:
The Prophet said, "Then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers. When I returned with this order of Allah, I passed by Moses who asked me, 'What has Allah enjoined on your followers?' I replied, 'He has enjoined fifty prayers on them.' Moses said, 'Go back to your Lord (and appeal for reduction) for your followers will not be able to bear it.' (So I went back to Allah and requested for reduction) and He reduced it to half. When I passed by Moses again and informed him about it, he said, 'Go back to your Lord as your followers will not be able to bear it.' So I returned to Allah and requested for further reduction and half of it was reduced. I again passed by Moses and he said to me: 'Return to your Lord, for your followers will not be able to bear it. So I returned to Allah and He said, 'These are five prayers and they are all (equal to) fifty (in reward) for My Word does not change.' I returned to Moses and he told me to go back once again. I replied, 'Now I feel shy of asking my Lord again.'
Whereby it was reduced from 50 times/day to 5 times/day. So Muslims really need to have a lot of hakaras hatov towards Moshe!
(OTOH, maybe it wasn't so smart of Moshe and he should have left it at 50. Either Islam would not have grown as rapidly or they Muslims wouldn't have so much time for terrorism!)
I also read about a connection to the 5 prayers of Kippur.
Thats all hogwash. Dr Yaakov Elman definitively says that prayer 5 times a day is from the Zoroastrians who prayed 5 times each day. It makes the most sense considering the geography and cultures.
I also heard the 5 times a day comes from the Jews from Dr. Shmuel Safrai z"l (history professor at Hebrew University)
There was also a Messianic Jewish movement in Persia led by David Alroi (subject of the earl of Beaconsfield novel) which instituted prayer seven times a day as it says in Tehillim 'sheva bayom hilalticha'.
My source for this is 'Meshichei ha-sheker u-mitnagdayehem' by Frankfurter.
There was also a Messianic Jewish movement in Persia led by David Alroi (subject of the earl of Beaconsfield novel) which instituted prayer seven times a day as it says in Tehillim 'sheva bayom hilalticha'.
My source for this is 'Meshichei ha-sheker u-mitnagdayehem' by Frankfurter.
The Ramabam in Tefila 3, 3
mentions the custom in his time to daven Mincha Gedola and ketana as well.
Noam
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