This paper addresses whether the term ṣalāh in Sūrah al-Isrāʾ (17:110) refers to ritual prayer, supplication (duʿāʾ), or both. The question arises from the verse’s immediate context, in which the surrounding āyāt use the term duʿāʾ and address the legitimacy of divine names and modes of calling upon Allah. The analysis draws on classical tafsīr sources — including Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī Thanwī, Mullā Jīwan, Rāghib al-Aṣfahānī, Ibn ʿĀshūr, and al-Qurṭubī — and situates the verse within the Sūrah’s broader conclusion on tawḥīd and tanzīh. The paper finds that while the verse was revealed regarding the manner of recitation in prayer, many mufassirūn affirm that it accommodates both the technical and lexical meanings of ṣalāh, encompassing prayer, supplication, and personal invocation alike.
