Prophet Ibrāhīm 20.02.2026

*Prophet Ibrāhīm ʿalayhi as-salām and the Wisdom of the Five Daily Prayers*

This paper is based on a talk delivered by Shaykh Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi during his visit to Batley, West Yorkshire, on 21 December 2025. It explores how Prophet Ibrāhīm ʿalayhi as-salām transformed religion into a living, reflective millah, and how the five daily prayers preserve the foundational principle that nothing transient is worthy of ultimate devotion.

*From the Preface*

_… the themes addressed are among the most profound and far-reaching in the Islamic intellectual and spiritual tradition: the central role of Prophet Ibrāhīm ʿalayhi as-salām in the history of revelation; the nature and enduring significance of his millah; and the deep wisdom underlying the divinely appointed timings of the five daily prayers._

*From the Paper*

_Every time we observe the prayer times, we discover their deep connection to decline: the sun’s descent, the stars’ retreat, the fading of what is visible. This is not accidental. These celestial bodies were once worshipped. Prophet Ibrāhīm ʿalayhi as-salām shattered their claim with lā uḥibbu al-āfilīn._

_The five daily prayers are thus a daily, living remembrance of Prophet Ibrāhīm ʿalayhi as-salām’s declaration: that nothing which declines or sets is worthy of ultimate love._

*Read | Reflect | Share*

Dr. Mohammed Akram Nadwi, Oxford