O MY FAMILY! PRAY! PRAY!

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds; and may Allah send blessing and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his family, Companions, and those who take him as an ally. To go further:

In a Hadith:

It is narrated on the authority of Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, that whenever the family of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was given to destitution, he would address his family saying: “O my family! Pray! Pray!”
 

According to Ibn Muflih: “This Hadith seems to be Mursal, and its chain of transmission good. This concept is attested in both Sahihs by the Hadiths of eclipse.”

In confirmation of that, Allah Almighty said (what means):

- “And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah]” [Al-Baqara 2:45]

Transliteration: WaistaAAeenoo bialssabri waalssalati wainnaha lakabeeratun illa AAala alkhashiAAeena

- “O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” [Al-Baqara 2:153]
 

Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo istaAAeenoo bialssabri waalssalati inna Allaha maAAa alssabireena

Allah Almighty commanded His servants to seek aid through prayer in all of their worldly and hereafter affairs, and not only in certain ones apart from others.

He said: “And seek help through patience and prayer.”
 

Transliteration:WaistaAAeenoo bialssabri waalssalati
He mentioned patience first because faith, obligatory and supererogatory deeds could not be achieved without patience.

Then He said: “and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah]”

Transliteration:wainnaha lakabeeratun illa AAala alkhashiAAeena


That is, those who humble themselves with their hearts submissive to Allah Almighty out of adoration and veneration for, and fear of Him. This is a witness to him who finds it easy upon himself to establish prayer that he is among the humbly submissive (to Allah).

It was the habit of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, that whenever he was distressed or befallen by a calamity or disaster, he would hasten to perform prayer. That is because prayer helps to avert all disasters and calamities, by the aid of (Allah) the Creator Almighty Whom is intended by one to devote himself and come close to Him. To be sure, he, who devotes himself to his Lord, He encompasses him with care and sufficiency, for by so doing, one has turned away from anything else, and rather intended his Lord Almighty, and Allah never disappoints anyone who has hope in Him.

Furthermore, whenever the family of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was befallen by distress or hardship, he would order his family to perform prayer, and recite: “And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you, and the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness.” [Taa-Haa 20:132]

Transliteration: Wamur ahlaka bialssalati waistabir AAalayha la nasaluka rizqan nahnu narzuquka waalAAaqibatu lilttaqwa

that is, if you establish prayer, sustenance would be brought to you from where you expect not. In confirmation of that, He Almighty said (what means):

- “And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out And will provide for him from where he does not expect.” [At-Talaaq 65:2-3]
 

Transliteration: waman yattaqi Allaha yajAAal lahu makhrajan (2) Wayarzuqhu min haythu la yahtasibu

- “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me. Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider, the firm possessor of strength.” [Az-Zaariyat 51:56-58]
 

Transliteration: Wama khalaqtu aljinna waalinsa illa liyaAAbudooni (56) Ma oreedu minhum min rizqin wama oreedu an yutAAimooni (57) Inna Allaha huwa alrrazzaqu thoo alquwwati almateenu

According to a Qudsi Hadith, Allah Almighty says: “O mankind! Devote yourself to the worship of Me, so that I would fill your breast (with contentment) and remove your poverty; and if you do not do so, I would divert your breast (with worries and concerns), and not remove your poverty.” [Narrated by Ibn Majja and declared authentic by Al-Albani]
 

No doubt, prayer removes anxiety from its observer, thereupon he would be neither apprehensive, nor niggardly, nor miserly, nor greedy, nor bored, nor horror-struck, nor distressed nor impatient, as confirmed by the statement of Allah (what means): "Indeed, mankind was created anxious: When evil touches him, impatient, And when good touches him, withholding [of it], Except the observers of prayer - Those who are constant in their prayer." [Al-Ma'aarij 70:19-23]
 

Transliteration: Inna alinsana khuliqa halooAAan (19) Itha massahu alshsharru jazooAAan (20) Waitha massahu alkhayru manooAAan (21) Illa almusalleena (22) Allatheena hum AAala salatihim daimoona

It is still the refuge of the faithful believers, whenever befallen by a distress or a calamity, to hasten to talk privately to their Lord in prayer, from Adam to the last of the Prophets, peace be upon them.

According to Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him: “It was the habit of the Prophets, peace be upon them, that whenever they were distressed, they would take refuge to prayer.”

Why do the faithful believers not take refuge to the prayer, given that it is the fundament of religion? It is the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who told that the prayer is the fundament of religion.

Al-Maruzi said: “Allah Almighty commanded His servants to copy the guidance of Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam; and Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ordered them, if they saw the signs in which they fear the punishment of Allah, to take refuge to the prayer. He said: “No doubt, both sun and moon are two of the signs of Allah. So, if sun eclipsed, you should take refuge to (perform the eclipse) prayer.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari]
 

He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, himself took refuge to the prayer under the same conditions. There is no act of worship, therewith Allah Almighty averts punishment (from His servants) like the prayer. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, prayed when the sun eclipsed, with increase in (the number and length of) Ruku‘, and went on weeping and imploring in his Sujud.”

Umm Kulthum Bint Abi Mu‘ayt, may Allah be pleased with her, was among the early emigrating women. Once, her husband ‘Abd-Ar-Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, may Allah be pleased with him, fell unconscious and was thought to have died. On that she went out to the mosque, to seek help through patience and prayer as she was commanded.

It is related that Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, and he was on journey, received the death news of his brother Quthum, thereupon he said: “We all belong to Allah, and to Him we all shall return.” Then, he stepped aside, dismounted and performed a two-rak‘ah prayer, where he prolonged sitting, after which he returned to his mount reciting: ““And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah]” [Al-Baqara 2:45]
 

Transliteration: WaistaAAeenoo bialssabri waalssalati wainnaha lakabeeratun illa AAala alkhashiAAeena

Let’s quote here the words of Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, in this issue: “The prayer is the greatest source of delight, strength, joy, cheerfulness and pleasure the heart could ever receive. The relation of the soul and heart with Allah Almighty, closeness to Him, blessedness in remembering Him, cheerfulness of talking to Him in private, standing in front of Him, using all parts, faculties and instruments of the body in His worship, with each taking its share of it, engagement by Him from any worldly benefits, and having one’s soul and heart attracted to his Lord and Creator, and the comfort one receives during prayer – all of this makes the prayer the greatest medicine, the most pleasant, and the best nourishment which fit only the sound hearts.”

The prayer then is the greatest assistant which helps one obtain the benefits of both the world and hereafter, and avert the evils of both the world and hereafter. It forbids sin, repels the heart diseases, removes the bodily ailment, and enlightens the heart, brightens the face, activates both organs and soul, brings about sustenance, wards off injustice, supports the wronged, curbs the desires and is of great advantage in many abdominal troubles.

In sum, prayer has a wonderful effect in saving the health and power of both the body and heart, and averting badness from them. No two persons have been tried with a disability, a disease, an affliction, or a disaster but that the one who performs prayer would have the smaller share, and the safer consequence of it.

The prayer has an astonishing trace in averting the worldly evils, especially if it is performed perfectly and completely as it is due to it outwardly and inwardly. Nothing like the prayer has ever averted the evils of both the world and hereafter, and brought about their benefits.

The mystery lying behind this is that the prayer links the servant with his Lord Almighty: as much as a servant is linked with his Lord Almighty, the gates of good things are opened to him, and the means to evils are cut off from him, and he turns to receive from his Lord flows of success and help, wellbeing and health, gain and richness, comfort and bliss, delights and pleasures – all quickly without delay.

We ask Allah Almighty to make us sincere (to Him) in word and deed; and may Allah send blessing and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his family and Companions.



Translated by Wathakker.net website