The status of prayer in Islam
Q: I hope that you can explain to us the status of prayer
in Islam.
A: Praise be to Allaah.
Prayer occupies a great status in Islam that is not shared by any
other act of worship. This is indicated by the following:
1 - It is the pillar of the religion, which cannot
stand without it.
According to a hadeeth narrated by Mu'aadh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be
pleased with him), the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: «Shall I not
tell you of the head of the whole matter and its pillar and
top?» I [Mu'aadh] said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allaah." He
said, «The head of the matter is
Islam, its pillar is prayer and its top is jihad» [Narrated
by al-Tirmidhi, 2616; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Tirmidhi, 2110].
2 - It is second in status to the Shahaadatayn
(twin testimony of faith) as further proof of the soundness of a
person's belief and as visible evidence of the beliefs that reside
in the heart.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: «Islam is built on five
[pillars]: the testimony that there is no god but Allaah and that
Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, establishing prayer, paying
zakaah, performing pilgrimage to the House, and fasting
Ramadaan» [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 8; Muslim, 16].
Establishing prayer means performing prayer in full with all its
words and actions, at the appointed times, as it says in the
Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, As-Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at
fixed hours" [al-Nisa' 4:103].
{إِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَاباً مَّوْقُوتاً}
Transliteration: 'Inna Aş-Şalāata Kānat `Alá Al-Mu'uminīna Kitābāan
Mawqūtāan
i.e., at defined times.
3 - Prayer occupies a special position among other
acts of worship because of the way in which it was enjoined.
It was not brought down to earth by an angel, rather Allaah wanted
to bless His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) by taking him up to heaven and addressing him directly
concerning the obligation of prayer. This is something that is
unique to prayer among all the rituals of Islam.
Prayer was enjoined on the night of the Mi'raaj [Prophet's ascent
to heaven], approximately three years before the Hijrah.
Fifty prayers (per day) were enjoined at first, then the number was
reduced to five, but the reward of fifty remains. This is
indicative of Allaah's love of prayer and its great status.
4 - Allaah erases sins by means of prayer
Al-Bukhaari (528) and Muslim (667) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said - and in the hadeeth of Bakr it is narrated that he heard the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say
- «What do you think if there was a
river by the door of any one of you and he bathed in it five times
a day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?» They
said, "No trace of dirt would be left on him'' He said, «That is like the five daily prayers, by
means of which Allaah erases sin».
5 - Prayer is the last part of religion to be
lost, and if it is lost the whole religion is lost.
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn 'Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: «Between a
man and shirk [associating others with Allaah] and kufr [disbelief]
there stands his giving up prayer» [Narrated by Muslim,
82].
Hence the Muslim should be keen to perform the prayers on time, and
not be lazy or take the matter lightly. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"So woe unto those performers of Salaah (prayers)
(hypocrites),
Those who delay their Salaah (prayer from their stated fixed
times)" [al-Maa'oon 107:4-5].
{فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ (4)
الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ}
Transliteration: Fawaylun Lilmuşallīna, Al-Ladhīna Hum `An
Şalātihim Sāhūna
And Allaah warns those who cause their prayers to be lost by saying
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up
As-Salaat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaat (prayers) to be
lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly
or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have
followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell" [Maryam
19:59].
{فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ
أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ
غَيّاً}
Transliteration: Fakhalafa Min Ba`dihim Khalfun 'Ađā`ū Aş-Şalāata
Wa Attaba`ū Ash-Shahawāti Fasawfa Yalqawna Ghayyāan
6 - Prayer is the first thing for which a person
will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection:
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say: «The first
deed for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of
Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is good then he will have
prospered and succeeded, but if it is bad then he will be doomed
and have lost. If anything is lacking from his obligatory prayers,
the Lord will say, 'Look and see whether My slave did any voluntary
prayers, and make up the shortfall in his obligatory prayers from
that.' Then all his deeds will be dealt with likewise»
[Narrated by al-Nasaa'i, 465; al-Tirmidhi, 413. Classed as saheeh
by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 2573].
We ask Allaah to help us to remember Him, give thanks to Him and to
worship Him properly.
Reference: al-Salaah by Dr.
al-Tayyaar, p. 16; Tawdeeh al-Ahkaam by al-Bassaam, 1/371; Taareekh
Mashroo'iyyat al-Salaah by al-Balooshi, p. 31.
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