Verses that speak of the times of daily wajib prayers, can be found in several surahs and can be categorized into different categories. In verse 238 of surah Baqarah,[1] all that is mentioned is the time for one of the prayers. The ‘middle’ prayer that this verse speaks of refers to the Dhuhr prayer.[2] Sometimes verses will point to the time of three of the daily prayers, like verse 114 of surah Hud which reads: “وَ أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ طَرَفَیِ النَّهارِ وَ زُلَفاً مِنَ اللَّیْل”. In this verse, “طرفی النهار” is referring to salatul fajr and maghrib, “زُلَفاً مِنَ اللَّیْل” refers to salatul Isha.[3] And sometimes, all five prayers are mentioned in a general manner, such as verse 78 of surah Isra’ which says: “Maintain the prayer from the sun's decline till the darkness of the night, and [observe particularly] the dawn recital. Indeed the dawn recital is attended [by angels].”

Although the term ‘salat’ has also been used in the Quran to denote supplication,[4] but in the aforementioned verses, it has been used for prayer. Of course, prayer also encompasses supplication and praise.