Firstly: it was made obligatory by Allah, Exalted is He, directly upon His Messenger, without any intermediary.

Secondly: it was made obligatory on a night that, as far as we know, was the best of nights for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

Thirdly: it was made obligatory in the highest place that human beings can reach.

Fourthly: it was initially made obligatory as fifty prayers. This indicates Allah’s love for it and His special care for it, Glorified and Exalted is He. Then it was lightened, so that it became five in actual performance but fifty in the scale of reward, as though one had prayed fifty prayers. What is meant is not merely that a good deed is multiplied tenfold; for if that were what was meant, it would have no distinction over other acts of worship, since in every act of worship a good deed is multiplied tenfold. Rather, what appears to be meant is that a person is actually recorded as having the reward of fifty prayers. This is supported by the fact that the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him—being the leader of his nation—accepted and was pleased with the obligation of fifty prayers. Then Allah, Exalted is He, lightened it, and recorded for the nation the reward of what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, had accepted and been pleased with: fifty prayers.

This is indicated by what al-Bukhari narrated in the hadith of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: “So I returned to Him”—meaning Allah—“and He said: ‘They are five, yet they are fifty.’” (1) In Muslim’s version, Allah said: “O Muhammad, they are five prayers every day and night; each prayer counts as ten, making fifty prayers.” (2) In al-Nasa’i’s version: “So five count as fifty. Establish them, you