THE IMPORTANCE OF SALAAH (Prayer) No other form of worship can be compared to prayer (salaah), for it is the basis of religion without which there is no religion. Prayer was practiced in some form by the earlier prophets (‘alaihimus salaam) and their followers as an essential part of the religion of Allah. Prophet Ibraheem (‘alaihi salaam) asked for support in this duty: My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer and [also] my descendants. [Qur’aan 14:40] Allah spoke to Prophet Musa (‘alaihi salaam), saying: And establish prayer for the remembrance of Me. [Qur’aan 20:14] Prophet ‘Eesa (Jesus ‘alaihi salaam) said of his Lord: And He has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live. [Al-Qur’aan 19:31] And Allah ordered Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam): Recite what was revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. [Al-Qur’aan 29:45] Islam, the final stage, the completion and the confirmation of monotheistic religion, considers prayer essential, and its denial removes one from the ranks of Islam. It is to be noted as well that in Islam the establishment of prayer (iqaamatus-salaah) is emphasized. The Qur’aan does not tell us, “pray” (salloo) but it tells us, “establish prayer” (aqeemus-salaah). Prayer is not to be merely a series of words and movements practiced occasionally or without thought, but it must be established in the heart if it is to give the desired result. Prayer is to be established by the individual at its proper times and according to its definite conditions. It is to be established in the home and in the family, and finally, in the community as a whole. This is because prayer, when established and practiced in the proper fashion, ties the individual (and the community) to Allah in a positive and fruitful way, awakening the believer’s heart to his Lord and to himself, and reminding him of that day in which he will stand before his Creator with nothing between them. Our Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) informed us: The first thing for which the servant [of Allah] shall be called to account is the prayer. If it was good, all of his work was good, but if it was bad, then all of his work was bad. [At-Tabaraani] Prayer was the first duty ordered of the Muslim community, having been made obligatory upon them in Makkah about three years before the hijrah (emigration to Medinah). It is sufficient proof of the Creator’s concern that this communication between Himself and His servants be established, that prayer alone was ordered in Heaven on the night of lsraa’ and Mi’raaj [the occurrence of the Prophet’s (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and ascension to Heaven. Ed.], whereas all other obligations were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) upon the earth. Prayer is expected of every Muslim who is sane and of age, for ‘A’ishah (radiallahu ‘anhaa) reported that the Prophet (‘alaihi salaat wa salaam) said: The pen has been lifted [i.e. does not register] for three: the sleeping one until he awakens, the child until it reaches puberty, and the insane until he becomes sane.” [Al-Bukhaari] All others are responsible for their duties before Allah, and the foremost of these duties is prayer. Prayer is ordered continuously throughout the Qur’aan. In His mercy Allah emphasizes its importance over and over, so there can be no doubt. He tells us: Keep carefully [i.e. adhere] to the prayers, [not forgetting] the middle prayer, and stand before Allah in obedience. [Al-Qur’aan 2:238] And He says: Certainly has prayer been decreed upon the believers at specified times. [Al-Qur’aan 4:103] We know from the sayings of the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that an important purpose of prayer is to wash away sins. Another is its effect on the believer’s conscience. But most important is the remembrance of Allah, for He is the source of all benefit. Allah states in the Qur’aan: “Verily, As-Salaah prevents al-fahshaa (great sins and unlawful sex) and al-munkar (disbelief and every kind of wicked deed) and the remembrance of Allah is greater indeed.” [Al-Qur’aan 29:45] The importance of keeping to prayer is affirmed in every situation: at home or while traveling, in security or fear, in peace or war, and in health or illness. Even if it is not possible to fulfill the usually required conditions of prayer such as cleanliness or proper dress, there are allowances or substitutes in certain circumstances one might face such as tayammum (using dust or earth for purification instead of water) and qasr and jam’ (shortening and joining the prayers during a journey). But never is there permission to neglect or postpone prayer. Only women at the time of post-childbirth bleeding or monthly periods do not pray. Even a person too ill to move or threatened by an enemy must pray - if only with his eyes or in his heart - as much as he is able and as long as his mental faculties are intact. During the last breaths of his life, the Messenger of Allah, in concern for his community, continued to remind them: The prayer, the prayer... There are several authentic hadeeths (sayings) of the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) defining the abandonment of prayer as kufr (disbelief), which subjects the person to eternal punishment in the Hereafter. Among the most well known of these sayings are the following: Between a man and disbelief is [only] the abandonment of prayer. [Ahmad & Muslim] The covenant between them and us is prayer, so whoever abandons it has disbelieved. [Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nisaa’i] Some scholars have interpreted these sayings to mean that anyone who does not pray is to be considered to be from among the kuffaar (non-Muslims). Other scholars have divided such people into categories, judging them by intention since the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Deeds are only according to intentions.” [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim] The latter hold the view that: 1. The person who denies the words of Allah and His Messenger that prayer is obligatory upon him and refrains from it deliberately removes himself from Islam because of his disbelief. 2. The person who admits that he should pray, neglecting it due to laziness or preoccupation with worldly pursuits is still considered a Muslim, although an extremely disobedient one, subject to severe punishment in the Hereafter. 3. It is generally conceded that a person who claims to believe in prayer, yet not once in his life has prayed (actions being more convincing than words) has died in a state of disbelief. Had belief been present, he would have made some effort, even if only briefly throughout his lifetime. Shaykh Al-Islam Ahmad bin Taymiyyah continues, “But many people perform prayers at times and leave them at times, not keeping to it regularly. Those are the ones who come under the threat, and it is them about whom the saying came that is among the traditions - the hadeeth of ‘Ubadah in which the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Five prayers did Allah decree upon [His] servants during the day and night. Whoever keeps fast to them has a contract with Allah that He will let him enter Paradise. But he who does not keep fast to them has no contract with Allah. If He wishes, He will punish him, and if He wishes, He will forgive him. So the keeper of prayer is the one who prays during its set periods as Allah has ordered and does not postpone it at times or neglect its essential parts. The one who does those things is subject to the decision of Allah, the Exalted. Yet it could be that he might have some extra prayers (nawaafil) to complete his obligatory prayers, as is told in the hadeeth.” (Fataawa lbn Taymiyyah, vol.22, p.49. The hadeeth being referred to is an authentic one related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and An-Nisaa’i in which the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “The first thing from their deeds that people will be called to account for on the Day of Resurrection is prayer. Our Lord will say to the angels (while He knows the most), ‘Look to My servants’ prayer; has he completed it or left it incomplete?’ So if it was complete, it will be recorded as complete, but if it was lacking anything, He will say, ‘Look, does My servant have any voluntary prayer?’ And if he had some voluntary prayer, He will say, ‘Complete for My servant his obligatory prayer from his voluntary ones.’ Then all deeds are taken accordingly.”) Any person who has never been informed of his duties in Islam and therefore is ignorant is not responsible until he has obtained this knowledge. But once he knows that prayer is binding upon him as a Muslim, he is to be judged according to his response. A number of the Prophet’s companions (radiallahu ‘anhum) were of the view that deliberately refraining from even a single prayer until its time has passed is reversion to disbelief (riddah), punishable by death. Among them were ‘Umar bin Al-Khattaab, ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ood, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbaas, Mu’adh bin Jabal and others (radiallahu ‘anhum ajma’een). None of the other companions are known to have disputed this view. Do the negligent people of today belong to this category of deliberate rejecters, or are they simply ignorant of their duties? Could any believer commit such a sin except out of ignorance? On the other hand, is it possible that ignorance could be so completely widespread? Allah reproaches mankind: O man, what has deceived you concerning your generous Rabb - the One who has created you, proportioned you and balanced you? In any form He wills has He assembled you. [Al-Qur’aan 82: 6 – 8] What has seduced you, O man, into such a state that you neglect the One who created and sustains you, inducing you to disobey Him and to feel secure from His punishment, neither admitting His right upon you nor showing gratitude for the countless blessings bestowed upon you...? Since refusing the invitation of our Creator to establish this permanent relationship with Him is the ultimate ingratitude and rejection of His mercy, we can be sure that on the contrary, the person who responds and strives to please his Rabb will be loved by Him and gain the happiness of both worlds. As in the previously mentioned hadeeth, he is the only one who has a covenant with Allah, and the reward of righteous servants shall be what no eye has seen and no ear has heard and has never occurred to a human heart. [Al-Bukhaari, Muslim and others) Finally, no soul should despair because of sin. The door of repentance (tawbah) is open to all, whatever their previous condition. Most scholars are of the opinion that sincere repentance and regret for the past and determination to correct the situation is all that is needed to be accepted by Allah. One can start anew at any time without even the burden of compensation for years past, for the Prophet (salawaatullahi wa salaamuhu ‘alaih) has said, Acceptance of Islam wipes away the sins that occurred before it, and repentance wipes away the sins that occurred before it. [Ahmad & Muslim] The final word is spoken by the Rabb Himself: Say, O My servants who have committed excess [i.e. sinned] against themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Certainly does Allah forgive all sins, for it is He who is the Ever-Forgiving, Merciful. [Al-Qur’aan 39:53] And when those who believe in Our signs come to you, say, ‘Peace be upon you. Your Rabb has written [i.e., decreed] upon Himself mercy that any of you who does wrong out of ignorance then repents after that and corrects himself; certainly is He Forgiving, Merciful. [Al-Qur’aan 6:54] Umm Muhammad This article is an excerpt from the book The Path To Prayer with a description of the Prophet’s prayer Abul-Qasim Publishing House, Jeddah Saudi Arabia 1994 |