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Those Who Don’t Offer Salah

Salat is one of the five pillars of Islam, it is a most important constituent of the faith. It is prayer of a very high level.

The Holy Quran repeatedly enjoins the offering of salat and indeed declares it to be a fundamental trait of a believer. The benefits of salat are countless. The Holy Quran says:

“And enjoin Prayer on thy people, and be constant therein. We ask thee not for provision; it is We that provide for thee. And the end is for the righteous”.

Salat strengthens man’s spiritual faculties. It is the best way to form a relationship with one’s Creator. It purifies one’s spirit, and through it, constant remembrance of Allah delivers one of the self that incites to evil.

God created man to worship Him and salat is the most excellent kind of worship. The Holy Quran also says:

“Recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book, and observe Prayer. Surely, Prayer restrains one from indecency and manifest evil, and remembrance of Allah indeed is the greatest virtue. And Allah knows
what you do.” (29:46)

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that he heard the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be
on him, say: “Tell me if one of you had a stream running at his door and he should take a bath in it five times every day would any dirt be left upon him? He was answered: No dirt would be left on him. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) observed: This is the case of the five prayers. Allah wipes out all faults in
consequence of them.” (Bukhari)

As for the punishment of not observing the salat, all matters of reward and punishment rest solely with Allah.

Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that he heard the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him, say: “Giving up prayer is tantamount to disbelief and associating partners with Allah.” (Muslim)

Five Daily Prayers

Salat, the obligatory Muslim prayer, is said at appointed time fixed in relation to the sun’s position. The time of Fajr, the morning prayer begins at dawn and ends just before sunrise. The time of Zuhr, the midday prayer, begins after the sun has crossed the zenith point and has begun to decline. The Asr prayer is said when the sun has further advanced in decline, in the late afternoon. The time of the Maghrib prayer begins immediately after sunset. It lasts till dusk. The Isha prayer can be said after dusk has finally disappeared, giving way to darkness of the night.

The Best Thing To Do At Different Times

One problem many of us face is that we want to do so much at once, and thus become overwhelmed in our thoughts trying to establish exactly what we should be doing and what our obligations are at a given point in time.

This leads us to focus on what we can’t accomplish more so than what we can accomplish. This can be well and good, and as Ibn Al-Jawzi said, a person can be rewarded for his intentions more than for his actions.

However, the point of intending is to be productive and extract something physical from that intention.

Part of being productive is to have a methodical approach as to when to focus on what. For example, if your worship and intentions for specific efforts are organized and you properly place your focus where and when it should be, you’ll find yourself accomplishing much more as a Muslim, no matter if you’re a teacher who teaches, a caller to Allah who motivates, or an ordinary worshipper who simply wants to get closer to your Lord.

Ibn Al-Qayyim wrote: “They say that the best worship is to do what will please the Lord at every time in accordance with what that particular time calls for.

“So, the best act of worship during the time of Jihad is Jihad, even if this leads to abandoning certain rituals such as night prayer, fasting, etc. In fact, this applies even if you are to not pray a complete obligatory prayer as you would in times of safety and calm.

“And the best thing to do when you have a guest, for example, is to see to his rights as a guest and to preoccupy yourself with that instead of the recommended rituals you would usually engage in at the time. Such is also the case in fulfilling the rights of your wife and family.

“The best thing to do during the early morning hours is to be preoccupied with prayer, Qur’an, du’a, remembrance of Allah, and asking His Forgiveness.

“The best thing to do when teaching a student or ignorant person is to completely turn your attention towards teaching him.

“The best thing to do during the call to prayer is to leave whatever rituals you are engaged in and to occupy yourself with repeating after the mu’addhin (one making the call).

“The best thing to do during the five prayers is to try your best in carrying them out in the best possible manner and to rush to perform them right away, and to go out to the mosque – even if it is far – is better.

“The best thing to do when someone needs help physically or financially is to engage yourself with helping that person, relieving his distress, and to place this as a priority over your private worship that you’d usually be engaged in.

“The best thing to do when reciting the Qur’an is to have your heart and mind present in order to reflect over and understand it as if Allah is personally addressing you with it. So, to have your heart present to understand and reflect over it and to have the zeal to implement its commands is greater than the attentiveness of the heart of one who has received a message from the ruler to that message.

“The best thing to do when having attendance at ‘Arafa is to exert yourself in being humble before Allah, making du’a, and remembering Him, instead of fasting.

“The best thing to do during the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah is to increase in worship, especially saying ‘Allahu Akbar,’ ‘La ilaha illa Allah,’ and ‘Alhamdulillah.’ This is better here than the Jihad that is not an individual obligation.

“The best thing to do during the last 10 nights of Ramadan is to stay in the mosque and to seclude oneself in it without mixing with others and being distracted by them.

“The best thing to do when you have a brother who is sick or dying is to visit him, attend his funeral, and to prefer this over your private worship or social activities.

“And the best thing to do when a disaster befalls you or when people hurt you is to fulfill the obligation of having patience while continuing to interact with them and not running away from them, since the believer who mixes with people and is patient despite their harm to him is better than the believer who doesn’t mix with them and isn’t harmed by them.

“And the best thing you can interact with them in is whatever is good, and this is better than to seclude yourself from them in such a case.

As for bad things, it is better to seclude yourself from them in such a case. However, if you know that mixing with in this case will help remove or reduce the bad, it is better to mix with them than to abandon them.

“So, the best thing to do in every time and situation is whatever will please Allah at that particular time and situation and to focus on the foremost obligation at that particular time and whatever it necessitates and requires…” (Madarij As-Salikin, 1/188)

While Ibnul Qayyim’s words above mention specific actions, it is the larger picture that is underscored. The attitude he is promoting here is to focus on what’s in front of you and needs to be done then and there, as this is the best way to please Allah in that particular situation.

If you employ this attitude in your day-to-day activities in general and your service to Allah and Islam in particular, you’ll find that you’ll get much more out of yourself.

Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi’raj: Everlasting Lessons

ONE of the most important lessons of the journey of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi’raj (Night Journey and Ascension) is that it highlights the high status that Al-Aqsa Mosque has in the Muslim Ummah. It was to Al-Aqsa Mosque that the Night Journey of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was made and it was from it that the Prophet’s ascension to the Heavens took place.

The journey of Al-Israa’ was a sign that the leadership of the world would pass on to the Muslim Ummah. Such leadership was based on mercy and justice, not on oppression and aggression.

Another significant lesson of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi’raj is knowing the importance of prayer; it is through prayer that one can directly communicate with his Almighty Lord.

Al-Israa’ was a land-to-land journey that Allah Almighty caused His Prophet (peace be upon him) to make from Makkah to Jerusalem, that is, from Almighty Allah’s Sacred House to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Mind that Allah Almighty had blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and its neighborhood and referred to it even before the Prophet’s Mosque was built, as the Prophet’s Mosque was established after his immigration to Madina.

Mind also that when prayer was ordained on the Muslims, Al-Aqsa Mosque was the Qiblah to which they were to turn during prayer. They would turn their faces in prayer toward it for three years in Makkah, and for 16 months in Madina before the Qiblah was changed to Allah’s Sacred House.

Besides, Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of the three mosques to which Muslims are to dedicate time for visiting; the other two mosques are the Sacred Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina. Allah Almighty wanted to establish and emphasize the significance and sacredness of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Muslims’ hearts so that they do not cede it for anything. They are to hold it as sacred as both Allah’s Sacred House and His Prophet’s Mosque.

That was why the Muslims [when they were strong] were zealous to keep Al-Aqsa Mosque under their rule and protection.

Hence, Muslims must realize the importance of Jerusalem in their history and the significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque in their religion and life.

Allah Almighty wills that we remember the importance of Al-Aqsa Mosque when we celebrate the anniversary of Israa’ and Mi’raj.

This is to remind us of the gravity of the circumstances in which Al-Aqsa Mosque is in this age. We must not give up our responsibility in defending Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem. This is a sacred issue to fight for. Brothers and sisters, we should not, under any circumstances, give up our duty in that regard.

We must believe that Allah Almighty is with us and that He will grant us victory and make Islam prevail, as He, Most High, always supports the true believers.

The second most important lesson that we are to learn from Israa’ and Mi’raj is concerning prayer (Salah). It is known that prayer was ordained on that great night.

It is because of the great importance of prayer that Allah Almighty ordained it in Heaven. Allah sent for His Messenger (pbuh) to mankind and caused him to go on a night journey and ascend to Heaven and the Lote Tree to inform him (peace be upon him) of the command of prayer.

Mind that all other commandments were decreed on the earth. This indicates how important prayer is in Islam. It symbolizes ascension to Heaven; it is the Muslim’s spiritual ascension to Heaven. Thus, prayer is the gift that the Prophet (pbuh) brought with him from that journey for all Muslims so that they can worship Allah Almighty through it.

Prayer therefore has much to do with Al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Aqsa Mosque was the first Qiblah in Islam. If it is true that Israa’ took place in the tenth year of the Prophet’s mission, this would mean that the Muslims’ Qiblah in prayer was toward Al-Aqsa Mosque for three years before the Hijrah to Madina and 16 months after it.

The Jews spread rumors that the Muslims’ prayer [to the first Qiblah] was invalid and so would not be rewarded. Allah Almighty refuted their claims as He, most High, says: (And We appointed the Qiblah, which you formerly observed only that We might know him who follows the Messenger from him who turns on his heels. In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided. But it was not Allah’s purpose that your faith should be in vain, for Allah is full of pity, Merciful toward mankind.)

To sum up, prayer is the spiritual means through which Muslims can ascend to their Lord. If the Prophet (pbuh) ascended to Heaven (once), we, brothers and sisters, could spiritually ascend to that as much as we can through prayer.

Allah Almighty says in a Qudsi (divine) Hadith : “I have divided the prayer into two halves between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for. When the servant says, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe,’ Allah the Most High says, ‘My servant has praised Me.’ And when he (the servant) says, ‘The Most Compassionate, the Merciful,’ Allah the Most High says, ‘My servant has lauded Me.’ And when he (the servant) says, ‘Master of the Day of judgment,’ He Almighty remarks, ‘My servant has glorified Me.’ And when he (the worshiper) says, ‘Thee do we worship and of Thee do we ask help,’ He Almighty says, ‘This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.’ Then, when he (the worshiper) says, ‘Guide us to the straight path, the path of those to whom You have been Gracious not of those who have incurred Your displeasure, nor of those who have gone astray,’ He (Allah Almighty) says, ‘This is for My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.'”

Procrastination And Laziness

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “During your sleep, Satan ties three knots at the back of your Decks. He breathes the following into them, ‘The night is long so keep on sleeping.’ If the person wakes and praises Allah, then one of the knots is unfastened. And if he performs ablution, the second knot is unfastened. When he prays, all of the knots are unfastened. After that he will be energetic and happy in the morning. Otherwise he would get up listless and grouchy.”
Recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari

Al-Bukhari also records that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about a man who sleeps until the morning comes, that is, after the time of the dawn prayer. He said, “That is a man whom Satan has urinated into his two ears.”

Procrastination and Laziness are two of Satan’s strongest strategies to stop us from performing good deeds. It is necessary for the wise person to take matters into his/her own hand and act upon his/her energy. The wise person finds the time to do things and does not procrastinate and turns away from just dreaming.

[Compiled from Satan Hinders the Slave from Acting by Means of Procrastination and Laziness]

Holidays Can be Real Fun!!!

Some Ways of Making your Kids Vacation more Rewarding

During the vacation there is a good opportunity to recharge our kids spiritual batteries and start afresh in daily activities. It is a joyous period and a unique break from our busy schedules. Most of us welcome vacations for its fun. It is good to have fun but this must always be done by not compromising the Islamic way of life!!!

By the same token, it is not a bad idea to take time out during these pressure-free holidays to reflect and possibly change our positions and life for the better.

There is an area that is largely ignored by parents when they go on holidays and that is how to guide their children and teenagers to a sin-free vacation. Very often, the newer generations of Muslims growing up in the West have little guidance and sometimes even less knowledge of the Islamic rules that govern our Islamic way of life and they often end up imitating the free unislamic western lifestyle that surrounds them.

No doubt, if we don’t take a proactive approach to maintaining our iman (faith), we might really lose it. The vacation represents an ideal opportunity to boost one’s deen (religion). However if it’s spent inappropriately, it can lead to disastrous consequences. If we truly value our faith, it is imperative that we use this opportunity to its fullest extent.

Parents have a great responsibility to guide their children to an Islamic lifestyle and to provide a vice-free environment. They should use all available strategies to carry out this responsibility effectively and successfully. This can be achieved by attempting to implement the following tips:

PRAYER –
Parents should ensure that prayers are performed punctually and be keen to pray on time, especially when their children are with them. This will help the children learn the importance of prayer and the value of time. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as said, “Refresh yourselves with Prayer…” (Hadith Al-Bukhari).Men should perform prayer at the Masjid.However if on vacation a Masjid is not close by then pray together as a family. Prayer in Jamaat is better than praying alone. Children love to call azan. Make the youngest one the salaat manager, taking care of prayer rugs, timing, and inviting everyone to salaat.

ENVIRONMENT –
Always remain within an environment that is free from sin. Psychologist emphasize that environment has a great effect on the upbringing of kids. Plan visits to places that do not in any way encroach on our Islamic way of life. Parents should try to keep their children and teenagers away from the immoral scenes that people usually see in holiday resorts during vacations. The free intermingling of sexes is totally prohibited in Islam. Children are vulnerable and very easily succumb to peer pressure. Parents need to be diplomatically assertive in emphasizing Islamic values.

INTERACT –
Regular interaction with your children is vital. Teach them through cool behavior. Trying to appear “cool” in front of their peers during adolescence brings tremendous pressure on children. “Children often don’t feel that their parents know what’s cool and what’s happening, so they turn to their peer group for the answers by trying to imitate them. By starting regular interaction while your children are young, parents can ensure that their kids will use them as their role models and not their peer groups. Time spent with children enhances the parent-child relationship, so that in their later life children will emulate their parents’ values and attitudes and that makes the gift of time the greatest gift of all.

Winter: Best Season For A Believer

The righteous people of the past would rejoice with the approach of winter. Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali mentions its virtues in his book Lata’if Al-Ma’arif (pg. 276)

Winter is the best season for the believer because Allah strengthens his practice by making worship easy for him. The believer can easily fast during the day without suffering from hunger and thirst. The days are short and cold, and he doesn’t feel the hardship of fasting.

As for praying at night, due to winter’s long nights, one can have his share of sleep and then wake up to pray. He can recite the Qur’an that he usually does in a day while having enough time to sleep. So, it becomes possible to fulfill the interests of both – his religion and the comfort of his body.

Abdullah Bin Mas’ud said: “Welcome to winter! Blessings descend in it. Its nights are long to pray, and its days are short to fast.”

When it was winter, Ubayd Bin Umayr would say: “O people of the Qur’an! Your nights are now long for you to recite. So, recite! Your days are now short for you to fast. So, fast! Night prayer in the winter equals fasting during the day in the summer.” This is why Mu’adh wept on his deathbed. He said: “I weep because I will miss the thirst I felt when I fasted, praying at night during the winter, and sitting knee to knee with the scholars during the gatherings of knowledge.”

Leaving Asr Prayer

Allah, the Most Perfect and the Most High has ordered His slaves to establish the prayers with due care. He has told us to take special care concerning the middle prayer, which is the Asr prayer. (This is the opinion
of the majority of the people of knowledge from the Companions and those after them, that the middle
prayer is the Asr prayer.) (Sharh us-Sunnah of al-Baghawee 2/232-237)

He, the Most Perfect and the Most High, says: “Guard strictly your prayers, and your middle prayer, and stand before Allah in devoutness.” (al-Baqarah 238)

He, the Most Perfect and the Most High, has warned us about being neglectful of them, due to wealth, family
and from other temptations of this world. He has particularized the doer of these actions with a severe
punishment, particularly regarding the Asr prayer.

He, the Most High, says: “So woe to the worshipers who are neglectful of their prayers.” (al-Maa’oon 4-5)

The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: “Whoever misses the Asr prayer, it is as if he has lost his family and wealth.” (al-Bukhari 2/30, Muslim 626 and others) from the Hadith of Ibn Umar, (May Allah be pleased with him).

It is related from Aboo al-Mulaih Aamir Bin Usaamah bin Umair Bin al-Hadhalee, who said: “We were with
Buraydah in a battle on a cloudy day, and he said: ‘Be early with the Asr prayer, for the Prophet said: ‘Whoever leaves the Asr prayer, then his actions will be invalidated.'” (al-Bukhari 2/31,66, Ahmad 5/349-450, 357, 360,361, al-Baihaqee 1/444, al-Baghawee in Sharh us-Sunnah 329, and others.)

Prophet Muhammad: Starting The Day With Prayers

Let us try to paint a picture of one day in the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) of Islam. For certain, he wakes up well before dawn, when the dark curtain of the night still covers everything. As he begins to move, he says: “Praise be to God who has returned my spirit to me, given me physical strength and permitted me to glorify Him.” Consider how he welcomes life, full of optimism: “Praise be to God who has returned my spirit to me.”

The life we are given is a blessing for which we thank God and we must use well. It offers a chance of success for whoever aims to succeed. Yet God reminds His servants of the blessing He has given them in the form of sunrise and sunset: “It is God who has made for you the night in which to rest, and the day to make you see. God is limitless in His bounty to man, but most people do not give thanks.” (40: 61) Great is life when it is coupled with good health. It is then that the body organs can function well, without trouble. A Muslim will then move about to willingly fulfill his duties well. It is for this that we praise and thank God for giving us good health.

We need to reflect on the Prophet’s early words as he praises God for “permitting me to glorify Him”. Can we imagine a more polite way in addressing the Lord? Here is an acknowledgement that a new day means permission to resume worship right at the break of dawn.

Muhammad, God’s ever grateful servant, begins his praises using words that impart certitude of faith and pure love in every letter. He says these words morning and evening: “My Lord, I pray You to grant me sound health in this life and in the life to come, to forgive me and to give me purity in faith, life, family and property. My Lord, grant me a cover of my flaws and reassurance in time of fear. Protect me from what lies ahead of me, behind me, to my right, to my left and above me. I appeal to Your greatness to protect me from any danger that lies beneath me.”

The Prophet urged every Muslim to say as he begins or ends his day: “My Lord, You know all that is beyond human perception and all that is witnessed by anyone; You are the Originator of the heavens and the earth; You are the Lord and owner of all. I bear witness that there is no deity other than You. I seek refuge with You from the evil that is within me and from the machinations of Satan.”

As they start their day, the Prophet and his companions say: “We have started this day in the original state of submission to God, with the pure word of faith, following the religion of our Prophet Muhammad and the creed of our father Abraham who followed the pure faith and never associated partners with God.”

That the Prophet’s companions should assert that they follow the religion of Prophet Muhammad is perfectly understandable. Why does the Prophet himself say the same? This occurs in many supplications the Prophet used to say, always asserting his belief in his prophethood or in the truth of his message. I feel that this serves more than one purpose. The first is that it confirms his commitment to implement what he preaches. Many are the religious leaders who appear to consider that their task is to teach others what to do. As for themselves, they consider themselves above accountability. Another purpose is to spite unbelievers by asserting that Islam is the faith of unquestionable truth. Moreover, it is an acknowledgement of the grace God has bestowed on His messenger, and an expression of gratitude and happiness for being chosen for this noble task.

-By SHEIKH MUHAMMAD AL-GHAZALI