The details of the law concerning obligatory prayer are summarized in section IV.A.1.-17. of the Synopsis and Codification. (167:1)

4. nine rak'ahs
A rak'ah is the recitation of specifically revealed verses accompanied by a prescribed set of genuflections and other movements. (167:2)

The Obligatory Prayer originally enjoined by Baha'u'llah upon His followers consisted of nine rak'ahs. The precise nature of this prayer and the specific instructions for its recitation are unknown, as the prayer has been lost. (See note 9.) (167:3)

In a Tablet commenting on the presently-binding Obligatory Prayers, Abdu'l-Baha indicates that "in every word and movement of the Obligatory Prayer there are allusions, mysteries and a wisdom that man is unable to comprehend, and letters and scrolls cannot contain". (167:4)

Shoghi Effendi explains that the few simple directions given by Baha'u'llah for the recital of certain prayers not only have a spiritual significance but that they also help the individual "to fully concentrate when praying and meditating". (167:5)

5. at noon and in the morning and the evening
Regarding the definition of the words "morning", "noon" and "evening", at which times the currently binding medium Obligatory Prayer is to be recited, Baha'u'llah has stated that these coincide with "sunrise, noon and sunset" (Q and A 83). He specifies that the "allowable times for Obligatory Prayers are from morning till noon, from noon till sunset, and from sunset till two hours thereafter". Further, Abdu'l-Baha has stated that the morning Obligatory Prayer may be said as early as dawn. (167:6)

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