In this teaching we reflect on why Allah created humanity: to obey Him and to know Him. According to the discussion, the first divine command was a rhythm of worship far more frequent than the five daily prayers we practice today. Humanity was originally asked to prostrate fifty times in each 24‑hour cycle – a moment of humility before Allah roughly every twenty minutes.
The Original Divine Rhythm
Spread evenly across the day, those fifty moments fall about twenty to twenty‑five minutes apart. Each includes the full preparation for prayer – ablution, intention, Takbir – and culminates in a prostration that keeps the heart bowed before its Creator. The purpose was not to burden believers but to turn every breath and action toward remembrance (dhikr).
From Fifty to Five: Mercy and Practicality
Divine mercy later reduced this demanding schedule to the five prescribed prayers, leaving room for the essential duties of life such as eating, working and sleeping. Yet the underlying intention remains: Allah asks us to keep His name ever present in our hearts and on our tongues. Whether we stand in Salah, recite the Takbir, perform ablution or simply remember Allah during daily tasks, each act can continue that original spirit of constant prostration.
We are reminded to be grateful for the prophets – Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them) – through whose guidance this mercy reached us. By honoring the five prayers and nurturing an inner posture of remembrance, we fulfil both the outward obligation and the deeper covenant of perpetual dhikr that was part of the first divine command.
If you feel inspired to deepen your practice with fellow seekers, consider joining our live meetings, where Bayʿah can be taken and the Sufi path walked together: Live meetings. May our hearts remain ever inclined toward Allah’s presence.
