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Category: Prayer

Virtues Of Congregational Prayers

Performing the (obligatory) prayers in congregation is mandatory and required of every believing adult male who has no excuse for not doing so.

{And those who remain patient, seeking their Lord’s Countenance, perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and spend out of that which We have bestowed on them, secretly and openly, and defend evil with good, for such there is a good end} [Surah Al-Rad: 22]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Offering the prayer in congregation carries 27 times greater reward than offering it alone individually.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

Ibn Masud (May Allâh be pleased with him) reported: He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow (i.e., on the Day of Requital) as a Muslim, should take care and observe the Salat when the Adhan is announced for them. Allah has expounded to your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the ways of right guidance, and these (the prayers) are part of the right guidance. If you have to perform Salat in your houses, as this man who stays away (from the mosque) and performs Salat in his house, you will abandon the Sunnah (practice) of your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the departure from the Sunnah of your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)will lead you astray. I have seen the time when no one stayed behind except a well-known hypocrite. I also saw that a man was brought swaying (on account of weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row (in the masjid).
Muslim (Book 04, chapter 85, # 1376)

This Hadith makes the following four points:
1. Emphasis on performing Salat in congregation.
2. The passion of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for Salat.
3. Evasion(avoidance) from Salat with congregation is a practice of hypocrites.
4. Inducement for following the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) because evasion from it is bound to lead one astray.

Salah: Life’s Forgotten Purpose

Man has taken many journeys throughout time. But there is one journey that nobody has ever taken.
Nobody—except one.

On a vehicle no man has ever ridden, through a path no soul has ever seen. To a place no creation has ever before set foot. It was the journey of one man to meet the Divine. It was the journey of Muhammad (SAW), Prophet of God, to the highest heaven.

It was al Israa wal Miraaj (the magnificent journey).

On that journey, Allah took his beloved prophet (SAW) to the seventh heaven—a place not even angel Gabriel could enter. In the Prophet’s mission on earth, every instruction, every commandment was sent down through the angel Gibreel. But, there was one commandment that was not. There was one commandment so important that, rather than sending angel Gibreel down with it, Allah brought the Prophet (SAW) up to Himself.

That commandment was Salah (prayer). When the Prophet (SAW) was first given the command to pray, it was to be fifty times a day. After asking Allah to make it easier, the commandment was eventually reduced to five times a day, with the reward of fifty.

The Importance Of Prayer

Sadly, many Muslims do not pray or fulfil the conditions of the prayer, despite its importance. The purpose of prayer is to strengthen your relationship with God, to be grateful for all His blessings, and to remind yourself of His Greatness. Just as the body requires physical needs, such as food and water, the soul requires spiritual needs, nourished by acts of worship, the most important of which is prayer. It could be that the body of a person is healthy, but the person is spiritually dead.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The comparison of one who remembers Allah and one who does not, is like that of the living and the dead.”

Allah says, “O you who believe! Respond to (the call of) Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life.”Qur’an 8:24

Its Importance of Direct Communication with Allah
“The closest a person is to His Lord is when he is in prostration.”

Prayer connects you with Allah. The Arabic word for prayer (As-Salah) is actually derived from the Arabic word meaning “connection”. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “When any one of you stands to pray, he is communicating with his Lord, so let him pay attention to how he speaks to Him.” Don’t sever this relationship with your Creator.

A pillar of Islam
Prayer is the second most important pillar of Islam, and is the most regular compulsory action in a Muslim’s life. Prayer is an act that must be fulfilled daily, regardless of the circumstance. In fact, Allah did not even exempt the Muslims from praying during battle! He says, “Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers… If you fear (an enemy), pray on foot, or riding.”Qur’an 2:238-9 Such is the case during war. What then, during peace?

Success lies in the Prayer
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The first of his deeds for which a man will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection will be the prayers. If it is found to be perfect, he will be safe and successful. But if it is defective, he will be unfortunate and a loser.”

Its Benefits shield against evil
Without seeking Allah’s help, it is impossible to refrain from evil.

Allah says, “Verily, prayer restrains (oneself) from shameful and unjust deeds…” Quran 29:45

How can sins be committed if you’re willingly standing before Allah 5 times a day?

Enriches your soul
Prayer satisfies your spiritual need to be in contact with your Creator. This gives your soul peace and contentment, especially with your busy lifestyle.

Allah says, “Without doubt, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” Qur’an 13:28

Salah And The Worst Kind of Theft

The only sad part of finding the straight path is when you lose it. There are many ways to fall, but no fall is more tragic than a fall in one’s deen. Sometimes, it’s a sister who decided to take off her hijab and live a different type of life; other times, it’s a brother who was once active in the community but got caught up with the wrong crowd. But, with each story, somehow, somewhere along the line, our brothers and sisters fell so far.

Sadly, these stories are not uncommon. Sometimes, we can’t help but look at them and wonder: How? Why? We wonder how someone who was so straight could have gotten so far off the path.

In wondering this, we often don’t realize that the answer may be simpler than we think. People fall into all types of sin, but there is one sin all these people have in common. There is one common denominator for every individual who lives a life full of sin. Whether that person was once on the straight path and fell, or whether that person was never on that path at all, one thing is for sure. That person had to first abandon, minimize, put aside, or ignore their Salah (prayer) before they were able to fall.

If one is praying but continues to live a life full of sin, that Salah is likely only the action of limbs – not heart or soul. See, there is a crucial characteristic of Salah that is often overlooked. Besides being a sacred meeting with our creator, Salah is a protection of the realest kind. Allah says, “Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.” (Qur’an, 29:45)

When someone decides to abandon Salah, they are also abandoning this protection. It is important to remember that this abandonment of Salah often does not happen all at once, but rather in stages. It begins by delaying prayers out of their specified times and then combining one prayer with another. Soon, it turns into missing the prayer all together. Before you know it, not praying becomes the norm.

Meanwhile, something else is happening that cannot be seen. With every delayed or missed prayer, a hidden battle is being waged: The battle of Shaitan. By abandoning the Salah, the human being has put down the armor given to them by Allah and has entered the battlefield with no protection. Now, shaytan can have full reign. Of this truth, Allah says: “And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful – We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion” (Qur’an, 43:36)

So it should be of no surprise to anyone that neglecting Salah becomes the very first step on the path to a lower life. Those who have fallen off the path need only to look back at where it began, and they will find that it began with the Salah. The same is perfectly true the other way around. For those who wish to turn their lives around, it begins by focusing on and perfecting the Salah. Once you put Salah back as the priority—before school, work, fun, socializing, shopping, TV, ball games—only then can you turn your life around.

The irony of this truth is that many people are deceived into thinking that they need to first turn their life around before they can start to pray. This thinking is a dangerous trick of Shaitan, who knows that it is the Salah itself that will give that person the fuel and guidance necessary to turn their life around. Such a person is like a driver whose car is on empty, but insists on finishing the journey before filling up on gas. That person won’t be going anywhere. In the same way, such people end up in the same place for years: not praying and not changing their lives. Shaytan challenged them and won.

In so doing, we have allowed him to steal from us what is priceless. Our homes and our cars are so precious to us that we would never think of leaving them unprotected. So we pay hundreds of dollars on security systems to keep them safe. And yet our deen is left unprotected, to be stolen by the worst of thieves—a thief who has vowed God Himself to be our relentless enemy till the end of time. A thief who is not simply stealing some carved metal with a Mercedes symbol on it. A thief who is stealing our eternal soul and everlasting ticket to Paradise.

By: Yasmin Mogahed

Hadith: Warnings About Missing Prayers

The Holy Qur’an says, “Then woe to those prayer performers. Who are heedless of their prayers (Part 30, Surah verse 4-5). The First Accounting will be for the Prayer.

Hazrat Anas Radi Allahu ta’ala anhu narrates that Rasool Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, “The first thing that a person will be questioned about is his prayers.” (Tibrani)

My Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam’s beloved devotees! How ungrateful is a person who eats the sustenance that He has given us, takes advantage of the life that He has given us, but does not bow down his head to Him? That is why we are reminded that the first thing that we will be asked about on the day of judgment is our prayers. Therefore, we should be punctual in our prayers so that we are not shamed on the day of judgment, and we can be blessed with respect in the court of Allah Ta’ala. May Allah Ta’ala make all our accounting easy through the waseela of His Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam. Aameen. Allah Ta’ala gives us sustenance. He has given us life and has ordered us to pray five times a day. Hazrat Umar radiallaho ta’ala anho narrates that Rasool Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, “Prayer is a pillar of faith. Whoever abandons it has destroyed his faith.” (Baihiqi)

My Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam’s beloved devotees! If a child drops something expensive at home, we get angry and shout at them. If a child or someone else breaks an expensive possession, we lose control. Please tell me, is there anything more valuable than our faith? Today, all members of our household are destroying their faith five times a day, but we don’t get upset at this because we are guilty of the same crime.

My Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam’s beloved devotees! Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam has proclaimed that prayer is the pillar of our faith and one who does not pray is called a destroyer of faith. No Muslim would ever desire that he should be classified as the destroyer of faith. Therefore, try to be a builder of the faith by being punctual in prayers. May Allah Ta’ala guide us all to establish prayer. Aameen.

Valley of Hell for Those that Miss Prayers
It is reported in Hadith that Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam said, “The faces of those that do not pray will be blackened first of all on the day of judgment, then he will be put in a valley of Hell called Alam. There are snakes in this valley that are as large as camels, and their length is the equivalent of one month’s travel time. They will bite the people and their poison will stay in the person’s body for seventy years, then their meat will rot”. (Makashifat Ul Quloob).

My Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam’s beloved devotees! We are not able to withstand a little mosquito bite and are troubled by its pain. Therefore, think that for missing prayers the punishment is snakebites. Who will be able to withstand that? Our state is that we believe in Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam but do not have total faith in what he has said. Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam has done great favors to us by telling us every aspect of the day of judgment and the punishments in the life hereafter.

Now that he has told us that the punishment for missing prayers is being stung by a snake, and has told us the size and appearance of the snake, it is our duty to perform prayers and save ourselves from such a punishment. May Allah Ta’ala make us all punctual performers of prayer. Aameen.

Flames in the Grave
Certain scholars have narrated that a person’s bag accidentally fell into his sister’s grave as he was burying his sister. When everyone had left, he remembered his bag. He returned to the grave and started digging it to rescue his bag. He saw that flames were burning in the grave. He covered the grave again and returned to his mother, very upset and with tears in his eyes. He asked, “Mother! Tell me what my sister’s habits were?” The Mother said, “Why are you asking?” He replied, “I have seen flames in her grave.” His Mother started crying and said, “Your sister was very lazy with her prayers and used to pray the prayers late.” (Makshifat Ul Quloob)

My Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam’s beloved devotees! Laziness in praying will result in flames in the grave as punishment. No relative will come into the grave to help us, therefore it is up to us to ensure that we pray on time and do not be lethargic about it. We should pray on time and pray with sincerity and presence of mind and body. May Allah Ta’ala save us all from the punishment of the grave and make our grave a garden from the gardens of paradise. Aameen

At the Door of Hell
Hazrat Abul Lais Sarqandi rehmatullahe ta’ala alaihe has narrated the following saying of Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam. “The person that misses even one compulsory prayer, his name is written on the door of hell, and he will certainly have to go there.” (Qurrat Ul Ain),

Missing prayer is such a great sin and leads to such displeasure of Allah Ta’ala that one is subjected to all kinds of different punishments, and one of these punishments is the punishment of the grave. We know that we cannot cope with the smallest punishment, so why then do we continue doing things that will result in greater and more severe punishment?

Let us promise that Allah Ta’ala willing, we will not sin missing prayers from now on, and that we will be punctual in our prayers and give coolness to the blessed eyes of Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam.
May Allah Ta’ala guide us all. Aameen

Wudu (Ablution) Made Easy

O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salat (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. (5:6).

Abu Hurairah (ra – may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw – may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah does not accept the prayer without ablution.” (Muslim)

Following the prescribed sequence
Allah mentioned the obligations in a specific order. Al-Ma’idah 6 explains what is obligatory, and it falls under the generality of the Prophet’s (saw) statement, “Begin with what Allah began with.” The Prophet (saw) used to follow that sequence as one of ablution’s principles. There is no such report that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, ever departed from that sequence. Ablution is part of worship, and in matters of worship, there is no room for anything except doing what has been commanded.

NOTE: Repeating each washing three times (i.e. each limb)
This is a Sunnah that the Prophet, upon whom be peace. ‘Uthman (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) would repeat each washing three times. (Related by Ahmad, Muslim and at-Tirmizhi.)

Beginning each action with the right side
Said ‘Aishah (ra), “The Messenger of Allah (saw) loved to begin with his right side while putting on his shoes, straightening his hair and cleaning (or purifying) himself.” (Related by al-Bukhari and Musilm.) Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, “When you clothe or wash yourself, begin with your right side.” (Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, and an-Nasa’i.)

Rubbing the limbs with water
This means to rub the hands over the bodily parts with water. ‘Abdullah ibn Zaid (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) was brought a pot of water which he used to perform ablution, and then rubbed his arms. (Related by Ibn Khuzaimah.) He also related that the Messenger of Allah (saw) performed ablution, and then rubbed his limbs. (Related by Abu Dawud at-Tayalisi, Ahmad, Ibn Hibban and Abu Ya’la.)

Running water through one’s fingers and toes
Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) said that when the Messenger of Allah (saw) performed ablution, he would run his fingers through his fingers and toes. (Related by “the five,” except Ahmad.) It is also related that it is preferable to remove jewelry, for example, rings, bracelets, and so on while performing ablution. Even though these reports are not accepted as fully authentic, one must follow them, for they fall under the general category of completing and perfecting the ablution.

Close sequence
Each bodily part must be washed right after the other in the prescribed sequence (without separating the washing of the different parts of acts not related to the ablution). This is the customary practice of the early and later generations of Muslims.

Economizing the use of water, even if one is in front of the sea
Abdullah ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Messenger of Allah passed by Sa’d while he was performing ablution and said, “What is this extravagance, Sa’d?” He said, “Is there extravagance in the use of water?” He said, “Yes, even if you are in a flowing river.” (Related by Ahmad and Ibn Majah with a weak chain.)

Extravagance is to use water without any benefit, like washing the parts more than three times. Ibn Shu’aib’s hadith, quoted earlier, illustrates the point in question. ‘Abdullah ibn Mughaffal narrated that he heard the Prophet say, “There will be people from my nation who will transgress in making supplications and in purifying themselves.” (Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa’i.)

Says al-Bukhari, “The scholars do not like one to use water beyond what the Prophet, upon whom be peace, used for ablution.”

Sequence of Wudu
1. Intention
This is the desire to do the action and to please Allah by following His command. It is purely an act of the heart, for the tongue (verbal pronouncement, and so on) has nothing to do with it.

2. Mentioning the name of Allah at the beginning
Saying: ‘Bismillah’.

3. Washing the hands three times at the beginning
This is based on the hadith of Aus ibn Aus al-Thaqafi (ra) who said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah (saw) make ablution, and he washed his hands three times.” (Related by Ahmad and an-Nasa’i.) The right hand should be washed first 3x, then the left hand. Care should be taken that the hands (including in between the fingers) are washed thoroughly up to and including the wrists, leaving no dry spots.

4. Rinsing the mouth three times
Laqit ibn Sabrah (ra) reported that the Prophet said, “When one performs ablution, he should rinse his mouth.” (Related by Abu Dawud and al-Baihaqi.)

5. Dental Hygiene (Optional)
Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, “Were it not to be a hardship on my community, I would have ordered them to use a miswak for every ablution.” (Related by Malik, ash-Shaf’i, al-Baihaqi and al-Hakim.)

6. Sniffing up and blowing out water three times
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, “When one of you performs ablution, he should sniff water up his nostrils and then blow it out.” (Related by al-Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawud.)

The Sunnah is to put the water into the nostrils with the right hand and blow it out with the left. ‘Ali (ra) once called for water for ablution, rinsed his mouth, sniffed up water into his nostrils, and blew it out with his left hand. He did that three times and then said, “That is how the Prophet, upon whom be peace, would purify himself.” (Related by Ahmad and an-Nasa’i.)

6. Washing the face
This involves “pouring” or “running” water from the top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin, and from one ear to the other.

7. Running one’s fingers through his beard
‘Aishah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) would run his fingers through his beard. (Related by Ibn Majah and at-Tirmizhi)

Anas (ra) said that when the Messenger of Allah (saw) performed ablution, he would take a handful of water and put it under his jaws, and pass it through his beard. He said, “This is what my Lord, Allah, ordered me to do.” (Related by Abu Dawud, al-Baihaqi and al-Hakim.)

8. Washing the arms to the elbow
From the wrist up to, and including the elbow must be washed, for the Prophet, upon whom be peace, did so. Starting by washing the right arm 3x, then the left arm 3x.

9. Wiping the head
This means to wipe one’s head with his hand. It is not sufficient just to place the hand on the head or to touch the head with a wet finger.
Abdullah ibn Zaid (ra) reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, wiped his entire head with his hands. He started with the front of his head, then moved to the back, and then returned his hands to the front. (Related by “the group.”).

10. Wiping the ears
The Sunnah is to wipe the interior of the ears with the index fingers and the exterior portions with the thumbs. The water used to wipe the head is also used for the ears, as the ears are part of the head. Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’d Yakrih (ra) reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, wiped his head and his ears, the interior and exterior, while making ablution. He also put his finger inside his ear. (Related by Abu Dawud and at-Tahawi.)

While describing the ablution of the Prophet, upon whom be peace, Ibn ‘Umar said, “He wiped his head and ears with one wipe.” (Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.) In one narration it states, “He wiped the inner portion of his ears with his index finger, and the outer portion with his thumb.”

11. Washing the feet and heels
The right foot should be washed first 3x, then the left foot. Care should be taken that the feet (including in between the toes) are washed thoroughly, up to and including the ankles leaving no dry spots.

Ibn ‘Umar (ra) said, “The Prophet (saw) lagged behind us in one of our travels. He caught up with us after we had delayed the afternoon prayer. We started to make ablution and were wiping over our feet, when the Prophet said, ‘Woe to the heels, save them from the Hell-fire,’ repeating it two or three times.” (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

12. Supplication after ablution
‘Umar reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, “If one completes (and perfects) the ablution and then says, ‘I testify that there is no god except Allah, the One Who has no partner and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger,” the eight gates of paradise will be opened for him, and he may enter any of them that he wishes.” (Related by Muslim.)

13. Praying two rak’ah after ablution
Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said to Bilal, “O Bilal, tell me what good deed you have done in Islam that I hear the sound of your footsteps in Paradise?” Bilal said, “That after I purify myself during the day or night, I pray with that purification as much as Allah has destined for me.” (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamr related that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said, “If one performs and perfects his ablution and prays two rak’ah with his heart and face (completely on his prayer), Paradise becomes his.” (Related by Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Ibn Khuzaimah in his Sahih.) Khumran, the client of ‘Uthman, added, “I saw ‘Uthman call for water for ablution, pour it from the pot onto his right hand, and wash it three times. He then put his right hand into the container, rinsed his mouth and nose, and blew the water out. Then he washed his face three times, followed by his arms up to the elbows. Then he washed his feet three times and said, ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, make ablution like this.’ And then he would say, ‘Whoever makes ablution like this and then prays two rak’ah without having any other concern on his mind, all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, and others.)

5 Daily Prayers

Salat [Prayers] Enjoined
[Quran 4:103 – Pickthall] “…………Worship at fixed times hath been enjoined on the believers”

Allah’s Command to Believers (Muslims)
[Quran 2:238 – Al-Muntakhab] “Observe your duty to Allah and maintain the prescribed prayers, especially AL-‘Asr, the afternoon prayer, and humble yourselves to Allah and exercise unqualified obedience to Him”

ENJOINED, Fajr Prayer
[Quran 11:114 – Al-Muntakhab] “Observe your act of worship at both ends of the day -the early morning and the close of the day- and at the early hours of the night -following sunset and before bedtime- and keep in mind that pious and virtuous deeds cancel evil deeds. This is simply a reminder for those who keep Allah in mind and lift to Him their inward sight”

[Quran 24:58 – Amatul Rahman Omar] “O you who believe! it is binding on those whom your right hands possess (domestic servants) and those (of your children) who have not reached the age of puberty to ask your permission (before coming into your private rooms) in three instances, before the morning Prayer, and when you lay aside your clothes due to the heat (in summer) at noon and after the night Prayer. These are three times when your privacy should be respected. At other times no blame shall lie on you or on them (if they come to you without permission), for they have to move about (waiting upon you) some of you (attending) upon others (according to need). That is how Allah explains to you His commandments, for Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise”

ENJOINED, Zuhur Prayer
[Quran 17:78 – Muhammad Asad] “BE CONSTANT in [thy] prayer from the time when the sun has passed its zenith till the darkness of night, and [be ever mindful of its] recitation at dawn: for, behold, the recitation [of prayer] at dawn is indeed witnessed [by all that is holy]”

[Quran 30:18 – Yusuf Ali] “Yea, to Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline”

ENJOINED, Asr Prayer
[Quran 2:238 – Al-Muntakhab] “Observe your duty to Allah and maintain the prescribed prayers, especially AL-‘Asr, the afternoon prayer, and humble yourselves to Allah and exercise unqualified obedience to Him”

ENJOINED, Maghrib Prayer
[Quran 11:114 – Amatul Rahman Omar] “And observe Prayer at the two ends of the day and in some early hours of the night. Surely, the good deeds wipe out the evil ones. That is a reminder for those who would remember”

ENJOINED, Isha Prayer
[Quran 24:58 – Aisha Bewley] “You who have iman! those you own as slaves and those of you who have not yet reached puberty should ask your permission to enter at three times: before the Dawn Prayer, when you have undressed at noon, and after the Salat al-‘Isha’ – three times of nakedness for you. There is nothing wrong for you or them at other times in moving around among yourselves from one to another. In this way Allah makes the Signs clear to you. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

ENJOINED Salat[Prayers], According to the Prophet of Islam’s Ahadith
[Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 2, Hadith 0430] “Narrated Abu Qatadah ibn Rab’i: Allah, the Exalted said: I made five times’ prayers obligatory on your people, and I took a guarantee that if anyone observes them regularly at their times, I shall admit him to Paradise; if anyone does not offer them regularly, there is no such guarantee of Mine for him.”

[Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 8, Hadith 1415] “There are five prayers which Allah has prescribed on His servants. If anyone offers them, not losing any of them, and not treating them lightly, Allah guarantees that He will admit him to Paradise. If anyone does not offer them, Allah does not take any responsibility for such a person. He may either punish him or admit him to Paradise”

[Bukhari, Book 23, Hadith 478] “Narrated Ibn Abbas: Thy Prophet sent Muadh to Yemen and said, “Invite the people to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and I am Allah’s Apostle, and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers in every day and night (in twenty-four hours), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay the Zakat from their property and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor.”

[Bukhari, Book 23, Hadith 480] “Narrated Abu Huraira: A Bedouin came to the Prophet and said, “Tell me of such a deed as will make me enter Paradise, if I do it.” The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “Worship Allah, and worship none along with Him, offer the (five) prescribed compulsory prayers perfectly, pay the compulsory Zakat, and fast the month of Ramadan.” The Bedouin said, “By Him, in Whose Hands my life is, I will not do more than this.” When he (the Bedouin) left, the Prophet said, “Whoever likes to see a man of Paradise, then he may look at this man.”

[Muslim, Book 002, Hadith 0450] “Abu Huraira reported: Verily the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: five (daily) prayers and from one Friday prayer to the (next) Friday prayer, and from Ramadhan to Ramadhan are expiations for the (sins) committed in between (their intervals) provided one shuns the major sins”

[Malik’s Muwatta Book 9, Hadith 9.25.97] “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, ‘There are five prayers during the day and the night.”

Importance Of Sutrah In Prayers

From ibn Umar the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said, “When one of you is praying then do not let anyone pass in front of him, and if he refuses then fight him for indeed he has a companion [i.e. a shaytaan] with him.”
[Ahmad, Muslim and ibn Maajah].

From Abu Sa’eed who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, saying, “When one of you prays towards something that acts as a Sutrah for him from the rest of the people and someone wishes to pass in from of him [i.e. between him and the sutrah] then push him back, and if he refuses then fight him for he is a Shaytaan.”
[Tirmidhi and ibn Maajah].

[Note: A Sutrah is an object placed in front of the one who is praying such that the people become aware that he is praying and do not pass directly in front of him but rather from beyond the Sutrah.]

His saying [no.1], “When one of you is praying then do not…” this is a general statement that finds specification in the hadeeth of Abu Sa`eed [no. 2], “When one of you prays towards something that acts as a Sutrah for him,” it is not permissible to push back or fight except for the one with a Sutrah.

Come To Prayer! Come To Success!

Prayer helps us to put into words exactly what is troubling us. It is almost impossible to deal with a problem while it remains vague and nebulous.

Are souls to be left abandoned, wandering in the labyrinths of this life, without a Lord who protects them or a helper who supports them?

No matter how strong a man claims himself to be, he is weak.

Whenever he is alone, desolation and uncertainty overwhelm him.

He may end up at branching roads and feel at a loss about which to take. If he chooses the wrong path, he may continue toiling through it for days or years without reaching a destination. This is because initially, he started without good guidance.

Man direly needs one who inspires in him the correct choice and guides him to the truth whenever mystified or confused. The human body is susceptible to pain in any place. It is like an open city that can be attacked at any time, from any side.

If he contemplates this, man will realize that every atom of his body can be a gateway to a chronic disease, causing him great pain; similarly, he will realize that an unexpected turn of events may affect his entire life.

We are truly in great need of continual good and the removal of hardships through a strong relationship with our Creator that makes life flow easily, peacefully, and blessedly.

Prayer guarantees all this to a believer. Along each day’s route, Islam designated five gracious pauses for God, distributed at specific times throughout the day, during which mankind is directed to meet their Lord, open their hearts, and speak their minds to Him, starting by praising Him and acknowledging His grandeur, followed by requesting His blessings and the averting of evils, asking for His help and seeking His contentment, and shoring up their deficient knowledge with His perfect knowledge and their inadequate power with His Supreme Power.

In a sacred hadith, God says: “I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says, {All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of existence}, Allah says, ‘My servant has praised Me.’

When he says, {the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful}, Allah says, ‘My servant has extolled Me.’ When he says, {The Owner (Master) of the Day of Judgment}, Allah says, ‘My servant has glorified Me.’

When he says, {You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)}, Allah says, ‘This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.’

When he says, {Guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not the path of those who have incurred Your Anger, nor of those who have gone astray.}, Allah says, ‘This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.’” (Muslim)

Prayers and the Purification of the Soul
The body, racing on the tracks of this life, becomes covered with sweat and dust, as does the soul; it becomes overcast by clouds and gloom. After each long round, it needs some time to tidy up and restore purity and order to that which has been soiled or disheveled. Prayer is no more than a few moments that recover this lost or sought-after perfection.

Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri narrated that he heard Prophet Muhammad saying: “The five daily prayers provide expiation for whatever occurs in the time between them. Imagine a man has worked and there are five rivers between his house and his workplace. He would go to his workplace and work as much as Allah willed, becoming dirty or sweaty. Then, whenever he came to a river, he would bathe, what would remain of his dirt?

It is like this with prayer; whenever he commits a sin, he supplicates and seeks forgiveness, so he is forgiven for whatever has preceded it.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Too much is relinquished in the struggle for existence or the battle for bread, into which people throw themselves while the instinct most active in their blood is selfishness, against which the ideals of reciprocal mercy, altruism, and benevolence are reduced to faint impulses.

Abandoning people to such fiery emotions will inevitably stifle their human virtues. No wonder God prescribed prayers throughout the day and night as a lifeline thrown out of the blaze now and then. The Prophet said: “Allah has an angel that calls out at every prayer: “O Children of Adam! Rise to the fires which you have ignited and put them out.” And he said, “You burn! You burn! And once you pray Subh (Dawn prayer), it washes it out. Then you burn! You burn!

And once you pray Dhuhr (Noon prayer), it washes it out. Then you burn! You burn! And once you pray ‘Asr (Afternoon prayer), it washes it out. Then you burn! You burn! And once you pray Maghrib (Sunset Prayer), it washes it out. Then you burn! You burn! And once you pray ‘Isha’ (Night Prayer), it washes it out. Then you sleep, and the writing down (of your deeds) stops until you wake up.” (At-Tabarani)

The hadith portrays the minor sins committed throughout the complex and entangled lives of people, and the softening and pacifying influence that prayers have on them.

Prayers and Psychological Fortitude
Prayer lifts up the soul to heaven whenever it clings to earth, and connects it with its Lord whenever it is severed from Him through heedlessness or distraction.

About the power that the experience of prayer has, Dale Carnegie narrated: “As I said before, even the scientists are turning to religion. Take, for example, Dr. Alexis Carrel, who wrote, ‘Man, the Unknown’ and won the greatest honor that can be bestowed upon any scientist, the Nobel Prize. Dr. Carrel said in a Reader’s Digest article, ‘Prayer is the most powerful form of energy one can generate. It is a force as real as terrestrial gravity.

As a physician, I have seen men, after all other therapy had failed, lifted out of disease and melancholy by the serene effort of prayer. Prayer, like radium, is a source of luminous, self-generating energy.

In prayer, human beings seek to augment their finite energy by addressing themselves to the Infinite source of all energy. When we pray, we link ourselves with the inexhaustible motive power that spins the universe. We pray that a part of this power be apportioned to our needs.

Even in asking, our human deficiencies are filled and we arise strengthened and repaired. Whenever we address God in fervent prayer, we change both soul and body for the better. It could not happen that any man or woman could pray for a single moment without some good result.’” (How to Stop Worrying, 80)

This is best explained by God’s words: {And when My servants ask you (O Muhammad) about Me, (answer them), I am indeed near. I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.} (Al-Baqarah 2: 186)

Giving your first thought upon waking up to God surrounds you with power and protection all day long.. Having woken up mindful of God, sought His Refuge, and asked for His Protection, indeed God will not forsake those who seek Him or withhold what they need. The Prophet said:

“Anyone who prays Subh is under Allah’s Protection, so do not subject yourself to His Punishment by breaching His Protection (i.e. harming those whom He protects) in any way; anyone who breaches His Protection in any way, Allah will seize, and then throw on his face into Hellfire.” (Muslim)

That is how close the connection between God and His devoted servants is. He not only takes them into His
Care, but regards them as His Self. Any transgression against them is a transgression against Himself (Glorified and Exalted be He).

“Anyone who antagonizes a devotee of Mine, I declare war against him. My slave approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My slave keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him.

And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks me, I will surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him.” (Al-Bukhari)

Such is God’s grace towards those who, with their whole being, live perpetually connected to Him through prayers and other righteous works, and whenever some difficulty comes their way, run to Him as a child runs to the protective arms of his father, for Him to ward off harm and grant them safety. It was reported in a hadith: “Whenever some difficulty arose, Prophet Muhammad would hurry to prayer.” (Abu Dawud)

Prayer fulfills basic psychological needs which have their roots in human nature. Dale Carnegie wrote: “Why does religious faith bring us such peace and calm and fortitude?

I will let William James answer that. He says: ‘The turbulent billows of the fretful surface leave the deep parts of the ocean undisturbed; and to him who has a hold on vaster and more permanent realities, the hourly vicissitudes of his personal destiny seem relatively insignificant things. The really religious person is, accordingly, unshakable and full of equanimity, and calmly ready for any duty that the day may bring forth.’

If we are worried and anxious – why not try God? Why not, as Immanuel Kant said: ‘accept a belief in God because we need such a belief’? Why not link ourselves now ‘with the inexhaustible motive power that spins the universe’?”

Even if you are not a religious person by nature or training – even if you are an out-and-out skeptic – prayer can help you much more than you believe, for it is a practical thing.

What do I mean, practical? I mean that prayer fulfills these three very basic psychological needs that all people share, whether they believe in God or not:

1. Prayer helps us to put into words exactly what is troubling us. It is almost impossible to deal with a problem while it remains vague and nebulous. Praying, in a way, is very much like writing our problem down on paper. If we ask for help for a problem – even from God – we must put it into words.

2. Prayer gives us a sense of sharing our burdens, of not being alone. Few of us are so strong that we can bear our heaviest burdens, our most agonizing troubles, all by ourselves. Sometimes our worries are of so intimate a nature that we cannot discuss them even with our closest relatives or friends. Then prayer is the answer. Any psychiatrist will tell us that when we are pent-up and tense, and in an agony of spirit, it is therapeutically good to tell someone our troubles. When we cannot tell anyone else – we can always tell God.

3. Prayer puts into force an active principle of doing. It is a first step toward action. I doubt if anyone can pray for some fulfillment, day after day, without benefiting from it – in other words, without taking some steps to bring it to pass. A world-famous scientist said: ‘Prayer is the most powerful form of energy one can generate.’”

Caringly and lovingly, God warns people not to trust their own power as sufficient, as this deficient view would deprive them of the blessings of providence and keep them forever imprisoned within the confines of their own weakness and ignorance.

In a sacred hadith, God says: “O My slaves, all of you are astray except those whom I guide, so seek My Guidance and I will guide you. O My slaves, all of you are hungry except those whom I feed, so ask me for food and I will feed you. O My slaves, all of you are naked except those whom I clothe, so ask me for clothing and I will clothe you.O My
slaves, you err by night and by day and I forgive all sins, so ask for My forgiveness and I will forgive you.” (Muslim)

Have you felt the sincerity of persistence to lead back strayed humans to God, their Lord, in order to receive provisions, place their reliance on Him, and empower themselves with His infinite power?

Truly, only those who are poor in their hearts and minds live away from such inexhaustible, divine goodness.

By Sheikh Mohammed al-Ghazali

The Importance Of Enjoined Five Daily Prayers

Allah, Enjoined Prayers As The Moral Law
[Quran 98:5 – Umm Muhammad] “And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion”

Allah Commands Believers
[Quran 6:72 – Yusuf Ali] “To establish regular prayers and to fear Allah: for it is to Him that we shall be gathered together”

Allah’s Promise For Those Steadfast In Prayer
[Quran 35:29 – Amatul Rahman Omar] “Surely, (only) those who follow the Book of Allah and observe Prayer and spend (for the cause of Allah) privately and in public out of that which We have provided for them (thereby) hope (to do) a bargain which will never fail”

Allah’s Praise For Those Who Pray For Allah’s Pleasure
[Quran 48:29 – Yusuf Ali] “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against Unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other. Thou wilt see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), seeking Grace from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. On their faces are their marks, (being) the traces of their prostration. This is their similitude in the Taurat; and their similitude in the Gospel is: like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem, (filling) the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the Unbelievers with rage at them. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness, and a great Reward”

Allah Informs Mankind, Prayers Thwart Evilness And Immorality
[Quran 29:45] “Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer should deter one from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is an even greater deterrent. And Allah fully knows what you do”

Hadith
[Sunan Abu Dawud, Book #3, Hadith #0863] “Narrated Abu Hurayrah: Anas ibn Hakim ad-Dabbi said that he feared Ziyad or Ibn Ziyad; so he came to Medina and met Abu Hurayrah. He attributed his lineage to me and I became a member of his lineage. Abu Hurayrah said (to me): O youth, should I not narrate a tradition to you? I said: Why not, may Allah have mercy on you? (Yunus (a narrator) said: I think he narrated it (the tradition) from the Prophet (peace be upon him):) The first thing about which the people will be called to account for their actions on the Day of Judgment is prayer. Our Lord, the Exalted, will say to the angels – though He knows better: Look into the prayer of My servant and see whether he has offered it perfectly or imperfectly. If it is perfect, that will be recorded perfectly. If it is defective, He will say: See there are some optional prayers offered by My servant. If there are optional prayers to his credit, He will say: Compensate the obligatory prayer with the optional prayer for My servant. Then all the actions will be considered similarly.

[Bukhari, Book 10, Hadith 506] “Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “If there was a river at the door of any one of you and he took a bath in it five times a day would you notice any dirt on him?” They said, “Not a trace of dirt would be left.” The Prophet added, “That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out (annuls) evil deeds.”

[Muslim, Book 004, Hadith 1410] In the hadith narrated by the authority of Abu Huraira the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) is reported to have said. while in the hadith narrated by Bakr (the words are like this): He heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: Just see, can anything of his filthiness remain (on the body of) any one of you if there were a river at his door in which he washed himself five times daily? They, said: Nothing of his filthiness will remain (on his body). He said: That is like the five prayers by which Allah obliterates sins.

[Muslim, Book 004, Hadith 1411]“Jabir b. ‘Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The similitude of five prayers is like an overflowing river passing by the gate of one of you in which he washes five times daily Hasan said: No filthiness can remain on him.”

[Muslim, Book #001, Hadith #0152] “Abdullah b. Mas’ud reported: I said: Messenger of Allah, which of the deeds (takes one) nearer to Paradise? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: prayer at its proper time, I said: What next, Messenger of Allah? He replied: Kindness to the parents. I said: What next? He replied: Jihad in the cause of Allah”