How can we reconcile God Almighty's ordination of the five daily prayers, making them five after they had been fifty, with the Prophet's (PBUH) saying concerning the Tarawih prayer: "I feared it would be made obligatory for you"?

It is narrated in the Hadith that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, refrained from going out for the night vigil (Qiyam al-Layl) for fear that it might become obligatory upon his Ummah. Some have found this apprehension problematic, based on the Hadith of Al-Isra' which states that the prayers are five and will not change. Scholars have responded to this problem with two opinions:

The first opinion: That the statement "The word shall not be changed with Me" (Qaf, 29) relates to Allah Almighty's promise that the reward for the five prayers is like that of fifty, and it does not necessarily mean that no other obligations can be added.

The second opinion: That the unchangeability relates to the number of obligatory prayers, and they have addressed the problem with several facets, among them:

a- That the fear of it becoming obligatory was a form of punishment, due to the companions' severity upon themselves. b- That the obligation the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, feared was specific to the Qiyam of Ramadan, and not the recurring daily prayers. c- That the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, feared that performing the Qiyam prayer in congregation in the mosque might be made a condition for its validity.

The summary of these opinions is that "The word shall not be changed with Me" is not a definitive text precluding the imposition of other obligations.