Fixed prayer times, praying at dedicated times during the day, are common practice in major world religions such as
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...
,
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
, and
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
.
Judaism
Jewish law
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical comman ...
requires Jews to pray thrice a day; the morning prayer is known as
Shacharit
''Shacharit'' ( he, שַחֲרִית ''šaḥăriṯ''), or ''Shacharis'' in Ashkenazi Hebrew, is the morning ''tefillah'' (prayer) of Judaism, one of the three daily prayers.
Different traditions identify different primary components o ...
, the afternoon prayer is known as
Mincha, and the evening prayer is known as
Maariv.
According to Jewish tradition, the prophet
Abraham
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Je ...
introduced Shacharit, the prophet
Isaac
Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was ...
introduced Mincha, and the prophet
Jacob
Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ...
introduced Maariv.
Jews historically
prayed in the direction of the
Temple of Solomon in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, where the "presence of the transcendent God (''shekinah'')
esidedin the
Holy of Holies
The Holy of Holies (Hebrew: ''Qōḏeš haqQŏḏāšīm'' or ''Kodesh HaKodashim''; also הַדְּבִיר ''haDəḇīr'', 'the Sanctuary') is a term in the Hebrew Bible that refers to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle, where God's pres ...
of the Temple".
In the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...
, it is written that when the prophet
Daniel was in Babylon, he "went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open to Jerusalem; and he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously" (cf. ).
After its destruction, Jews continue to pray facing Jerusalem in hope for the coming of the Messiah whom they await.
Christianity
From the time of the
early Church, the practice of seven fixed prayer times have been taught. In ''
Apostolic Tradition'',
Hippolytus instructed Christians to pray seven times a day, "on rising, at the lighting of the evening lamp, at bedtime, at midnight" and "the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, being hours associated with Christ's Passion."
Christians attended two
liturgies on the
Lord's Day, worshipping communally in both a morning service and evening service, with the purpose of reading the Scriptures and celebrating the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...
.
Throughout the rest of the week, Christians assembled at the church every day for morning prayer (which became known as ''
lauds
Lauds is a canonical hour of the Divine office. In the Roman Rite Liturgy of the Hours it is one of the major hours, usually held after Matins, in the early morning hours.
Name
The name is derived from the three last psalms of the psalter (148 ...
'') and evening prayer (which became known as ''
vespers
Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , mea ...
''), while praying at the other fixed prayer times privately;
Christian monastics came to gather together to corporately pray all of the canonical hours communally.
This practice of seven fixed prayer times was done in the bodily positions of
prostration
Prostration is the gesture of placing one's body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Typically prostration is distinguished from the lesser acts of bowing or kneeling by involving a part of the body above the knee, especial ...
and standing, which continues today in some Christian denominations, especially those of Oriental Christianity.
Oriental Orthodox Christians (such as
Copts
Copts ( cop, ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ; ar, الْقِبْط ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group indigenous to North Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt and Sudan since antiquity. Most ethnic Copts are ...
,
Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
,
Syriacs
Terms for Syriac Christians are endonymic (native) and exonymic (foreign) terms, that are used as designations for ''Syriac Christians'', as adherents of Syriac Christianity. In its widest scope, Syriac Christianity encompass all Christian deno ...
and
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
s), as well certain
Oriental Protestant denominations (such as the
Mar Thoma Syrian Church), use a
breviary
A breviary (Latin: ''breviarium'') is a liturgical book used in Christianity for praying the canonical hours, usually recited at seven fixed prayer times.
Historically, different breviaries were used in the various parts of Christendom, such ...
such as the
Agpeya and
Shehimo
Shehimo ( syr, , ml, ഷഹീമോ; English: Book of Common Prayer, also spelled Sh'himo) is the West Syriac Christian breviary of the Syriac Orthodox Church and the West Syriac Saint Thomas Christians of India (Malankara Jacobite Syria ...
to
pray the
canonical hours seven times a day while facing in the
eastward direction, in anticipation of the
Second Coming of Jesus; this Christian practice has its roots in , in which the prophet
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
prays to God seven times a day.
In the Indian Christian and Syriac Christian tradition, these canonical hours are known as
Vespers
Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , mea ...
(
Ramsho pm,
Compline
Compline ( ), also known as Complin, Night Prayer, or the Prayers at the End of the Day, is the final prayer service (or office) of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours, which are prayed at fixed prayer times.
The English ...
(Soutoro
pm,
Nocturns (Lilio
2 am,
Matins
Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning.
The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which was originally celebrated ...
(Sapro
am, third hour prayer (
Tloth sho`in am, sixth hour prayer (
Sheth sho`in 2 pm, and ninth hour prayer (
Tsha' sho`in pm.
In the Coptic Christian and
Ethiopian Christian tradition, these seven canonical hours are known as the First Hour (
Prime
A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
am, the Third Hour (
Terce
Terce is a canonical hour of the Divine Office. It consists mainly of psalms and is held around 9 a.m. Its name comes from Latin and refers to the third hour of the day after dawn. With Sext, None and Compline it belongs to the so-called "Litt ...
am, the Sixth Hour (
Sext 2 pm, the Ninth Hour (
None pm, the Eleventh Hour (
Vespers
Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , mea ...
pm, the Twelfth Hour (
Compline
Compline ( ), also known as Complin, Night Prayer, or the Prayers at the End of the Day, is the final prayer service (or office) of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours, which are prayed at fixed prayer times.
The English ...
pm, and the
Midnight office 2 am monastics pray an additional hour known as the Veil.
Church bells are tolled at these hours to enjoin the faithful to Christian prayer. Those who are unable to pray the canonical hour of a certain fixed prayer time may recite the ''Qauma'', in the Indian Orthodox tradition.
In
Western Christianity
Western Christianity is one of two sub-divisions of Christianity ( Eastern Christianity being the other). Western Christianity is composed of the Latin Church and Western Protestantism, together with their offshoots such as the Old Catholi ...
and
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
, the practice of praying the canonical hours at fixed prayer times became mainly observed by monastics and clergy, though today, the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
encourages the laity to
pray the
Liturgy of the Hours
The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: ''Liturgia Horarum'') or Divine Office (Latin: ''Officium Divinum'') or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the ...
and in the
Lutheran Church
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
es and
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
, breviaries such as
The Brotherhood Prayer Book and the
Anglican Breviary
The ''Anglican Breviary'' is the Anglican edition of the Divine Office translated into English, used especially by Anglicans of Anglo-Catholic churchmanship. It is based on the ''Roman Breviary'' as it existed prior to both the Second Vatican Cou ...
, respectively, are used to pray the Daily Office;
the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
tradition has emphasized the praying of the canonical hours as an "essential practice" in being a
disciple of Jesus, with the
Order of Saint Luke, a Methodist religious order, printing ''The Book of Offices and Services'' to serve this end.
Many Christians have historically hung a
Christian cross the eastern wall of their houses, which they face during these seven fixed prayer times.
Before praying, Oriental Orthodox Christians and Oriental Protestant Christians
wash their hands, face and feet in order to be clean before and present their best to God;
shoes are removed in order to acknowledge that one is offering prayer before a holy God.
In these Christian denominations, and in many others as well, it is customary for women to wear a
Christian headcovering when praying.
Mandaeism
Daily prayer in Mandaeism called ''brakha'' consists of a set prayers that are recited three times per day.
Mandaeans stand facing north while reciting daily prayers.
Unlike in Islam and Coptic Orthodox Christianity,
prostration
Prostration is the gesture of placing one's body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Typically prostration is distinguished from the lesser acts of bowing or kneeling by involving a part of the body above the knee, especial ...
is not practiced.
Mandaean priests recite
rahma prayers
[Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. ''Mandäische Liturgien''. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.] three times every day, while laypeople also recite the ''
Rushma
The rushma ( myz, ࡓࡅࡔࡌࡀ, translit=rušma, lit= sign) is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism. It is a "signing" prayer recited during daily ablutions (rishama). The same word can also be used to refer to the ritual signi ...
'' (signing prayer) and ''
Asiet Malkia'' ("Healing of Kings") daily.
The three prayer times in
Mandaeism
Mandaeism (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ ; Arabic: المندائيّة ), sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnostic, monotheistic and ethnic religion. Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abe ...
are:
[Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.]
*dawn (sunrise)
*noontime (the "seventh hour")
*evening (sunset)
Islam
Muslims pray five times a day, with their prayers being known as
Fajr (dawn),
Dhuhr (after midday),
Asr (afternoon),
Maghrib (sunset),
Isha Isha may refer to:
* Isha (Fantasy), the fictional deity from ''Warhammer Fantasy''
* Isha Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
* Isha prayer, the night-time daily prayer obligatory in Islam
* Isha Upanishad, the ...
(nighttime), facing towards
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...
.
The direction of prayer is called the
qibla
The qibla ( ar, قِبْلَة, links=no, lit=direction, translit=qiblah) is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayer for the ...
; the early Muslims initially prayed in the direction of Jerusalem before this was changed to Mecca in 624 CE, about a year after
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...
's
migration to Medina.
The timing of the five prayers are fixed intervals defined by daily astronomical phenomena. For example, the Maghrib prayer can be performed at any time after sunset and before the disappearance of the red
twilight
Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this i ...
from the west.
In a mosque, the
muezzin broadcasts the
call to prayer at the beginning of each interval. Because the start and end times for prayers are related to the solar
diurnal motion, they vary throughout the year and depend on the local latitude and longitude when expressed in
local time.
In modern times, various religious or scientific agencies in Muslim countries produce annual prayer timetables for each locality, and electronic clocks capable of calculating local prayer times have been created. In the past, some mosques employed astronomers called the ''
muwaqqit
In the history of Islam, a ''muwaqqit'' ( ar, مُوَقَّت, more rarely ''mīqātī'') was an astronomer tasked with the timekeeping and the regulation of prayer times in an Islamic institution like a mosque or a madrasa. Unlike the mu ...
''s who were responsible for regulating the prayer time using mathematical astronomy.
Baháʼí Faith
Followers of the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...
must choose either a short, medium, or long prayer each day to fulfill the requirement of the daily obligatory prayer. Reciting these
prayers is considered one of the Baháʼí's most important obligations. The short prayer can only be said between noon and sunset, while the medium prayer must be said three times during the day: once between sunrise and noon, once between noon and sunset, and once in the two hours following sunset. The long prayer is not bound by a fixed prayer time. The text of these prayers is taken from the writings of the religion's founder,
Baháʼu'lláh
Baháʼu'lláh (born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Qajar Iran, Persia, and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Bábism, Bábí ...
.
Sikhism
Initiated Sikhs are obligated to perform five daily prayers at varying times during the day, from the collection of Nitnem prayers. In the morning, typically right after waking and bathing, the
Japji Sahib,
Jaap Sahib, and
Tav Prasad Savaiye prayers are recited. In the evening, the
Sodar Rahras Sahib is recited, and before bed the
Kirtan Sohila is recited.
See also
*
Ad orientem
*
Awgatha
*
Breviary
A breviary (Latin: ''breviarium'') is a liturgical book used in Christianity for praying the canonical hours, usually recited at seven fixed prayer times.
Historically, different breviaries were used in the various parts of Christendom, such ...
*
Buddhist devotion
*
Cetiya
upright=1.25, Phra Pathom Chedi, one of the biggest Chedis in Thailand; in Thai, the term Chedi (cetiya) is used interchangeably with the term Stupa
Cetiya, "reminders" or "memorials" (Sanskrit ''caitya''), are objects and places used by Buddhi ...
*
Cantharus
*
Cross necklace __NOTOC__
A cross necklace is any necklace featuring a Christian cross or crucifix.
Crosses are often worn as an indication of commitment to the Christian faith, and are sometimes received as gifts for rites such as baptism and confirmation. C ...
*
Direction of prayer
*
Daily devotional
*
Mealtime Prayer
*
Home altar
*
Hygiene in Christianity
In certain denominations of Christianity, hygiene in Christianity includes a number of regulations involving cleanliness before prayer, as well as those concerning diet and apparel.
History
The Bible has many rituals of purification relating ...
*
Jingxiang
*
Prayer book
A prayer book is a book containing prayers and perhaps devotional readings, for private or communal use, or in some cases, outlining the liturgy of religious services. Books containing mainly orders of religious services, or readings for them ar ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*{{cite book, title=The Hours , date=2022 , publisher=Apostolic Faith Books
External links
Shehimo - Indian Orthodox Christian prayer timesAgpeya - Coptic Christian prayer timesSalah - Islamic prayer timesIslamic prayer times calculator worldwide
Jewish practices
Christian prayer
Salah
Time in religion