Let me start by saying that there are many passages in the Qur’an, which directly order us to obey Allah and His messenger. When we take Islam as our way of life, we are voluntarily surrendering to the commands of Allah and we are choosing to follow the practice (sunnah) of the prophet (peace be upon him).

In Surah Al-Isra verse 78, we are told:
Perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) from mid-day till the darkness of the night (i.e. the Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha prayers), and recite the Qur an in the early dawn. Verily, the recitation of dawn Qur an (i.e. the morning – Fajr prayer) is ever witnessed.
Then, from the time the sun declines, which is mid-day, until the darkening of the night, includes Zuhr (noon prayer), Asr (evening prayer), Maghrib (sunset prayer), and Isha (night prayer). These five prayers were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on the Isra a and Mi`raj and were performed by him in their specified number of rak’aas. He also taught them to Muslims, who performed them in that sequence and form ever since.
There is no secret in the number of prayers. It is simply that they are related to the course of the day and relevant to the different states of nature (day and night) that are linked to the biological clock of any Muslim. Thus, the Muslim is in continuous connection with God, throughout the different phases of the day. The day starts with Fajr (dawn) prayers, to renew the oath of worship and obedience. Then, the workday of a Muslim society should start after that. Zuhr is in the middle of the day, and Asr is a bit later. As for Maghrib, it is with sunset and Isha is when the night falls.

The prayer times are also related to the manners and times of rest in social life. There are verses in the Qur’an, which say that before Fajr, after Zuhr, and after Isha, Muslim parents are allowed a time of privacy and that other family members should respect that. Also, a Muslim is encouraged to perform prayers with a group of Muslims (jama a), these are also times of social gathering in mosques. Such gatherings are where people can simply meet and discuss their communal affairs and grass root lobbying, for societal causes. The number of prayers is simply appropriate for such social structures, relations, neighborhoods, and community ties. It is also suitable for the special structure of worship, which connects the Muslim to his Creator throughout the long day.

In a modern economy, where family members are located in different areas and where the workplace introduces new forms of communication and personal relations, the times of prayers re-formulate these relations. They remind people of their relation to Allah and to each other as well.

Hence, the competitive capitalist atmosphere of modern businesses is rendered milder. The embedded values of submission to Allah and remembering the hereafter and the socio-religious bond of Islam, keep the balance of the human self intact. One should read in our current global economy how the daily routine can result in the corrosion of character. Herein, the wisdom and philosophy of the five daily prayers in Islam, gain new meanings and implications.