Allah, the Most High, says, {But after them there followed a posterity who missed Prayers and followed after lusts soon, then, will they face destruction, except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness.} (Maryam: 59-60)

Commenting on the above verses (Ayat), Ibn ‘Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) said, “Allah’s statement, ‘Who missed Prayers does not mean that they did not perform it at all, but rather they did not perform it in its due time.”

Sa’id Ibn AI-Mussaiyyib, Imam of the Tabi’een (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “It is he who postpones the Dhuhr (Early Afternoon Prayer) until the time of Asr Prayer (Late Afternoon Prayer) and so are Maghrib (Sunset Prayer) until’ /sha’ (Evening Prayer), /sha until Fajr (Dawn Prayer) and Fajr until the sun rises. If someone dies persisting in such habits and does not repent to Allah, Allah promises to make him face Ghayy (destruction). But Ghayy may also be the name of a valley in Hell whose bottom is so deep and tastes so bitter.

Allah, the Most High, says, {So woe to the worshipers who are neglectful of their Prayer.} (Ma’un: 4-5)

Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas (radi Allahu anhu) related, “I asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the meaning of ‘the worshipers who are neglectful of their Prayer.’ He said, “It is the delaying of performing the prayer at its definite time.” The word (Wayl) in the Ayah may refer to severe torture, or it may be the name of a valley in Hell. If the whole mountains of the world brought in such a valley, it would melt because of severe heat. This is the abode of those who are not serious in prayer unless they repent to Allah and regret what they have done.

Allah, the Almighty, says, {O ye who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah; if any act thus, surely they are the losers.} (AI-Munafiqun: 9)

The exegetes said, “The remembrance of Allah in the above Ayah means the five daily prayers.” Therefore, whoever preoccupies himself with his property, trade, livelihood, or children rather than performing prayer in its definite time will be a loser. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The first of one’s works that he shall be called to account for on the Day of Judgment is the Prayer. If he performed it well, he will be prosperous. Otherwise, he will be a loser.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi, who said it is an authentic hadith but singular)

Allah, the Most High, says, {What led you into Hell-Fire? They will say, ‘We were not of those who prayed, nor were we of those who feed the indigent. But we used to talk vanities with vain talkers, and we used to deny the Day of Judgment until there came to us (the Hour) that is certain. Then will no intercession of any intercessor profit them.} (Al-Muddathir: 42-48)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The covenant between them and us consists of the prayer: whoever leaves it has disbelieved.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)

It was related that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Between a man and unbelief is the nonperformance of the Prayer.” (Reported by Muslim)

“Whoever neglects the prayer of ‘Asr (Late Afternoon Prayer) will have his deeds vain.” (Reported by AI-Bukhari)

“Whoever neglects the prayer intentionally will be free from Allah’s covenant.” (Reported by Al-Haythami and Ahmed)

“I have been commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and perform the Prayer and pay Zakah. If they say it, they have saved their blood and possessions from me, except for the right of Islam over them, and their final reckoning is with Allah.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

“Whoever keeps on performing Prayers (in its due time), it will be a light, a proof, and redemption for him on the Day of Judgment. Otherwise, he will be assembled with Pharaoh, Qarun, Haman, and ‘Ubai Ibn Khalaf.” (Reported by Ad-Darmi and Ahmad)

‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Whoever neglects the prayer is beyond the pole of Islam.” (Reported by Malik.)

One of the scholars of sacred knowledge said, “He (the one who neglects the Prayer) will be assembled with these four people because he is either preoccupied with performing Prayer by property, kingdom, ministry, or trade. If he is preoccupied with wealth, he will be assembled with Qarun. If by kingdom, he will be with Pharaoh. If by ministry, he will be with Haman, and if by trade, he will be with Ubai Ibn Khalaf.”

Mu’adh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever intentionally misses an obligatory Prayer thereby becomes an unbeliever.” (Reported before)

‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (radi Allahu anhu) said, “A man came to the Messenger of Allah and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), what are the most beloved deeds to Allah in Islam?” The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “To perform Prayers on time, and whoever neglects Prayers has no religion. Prayers are the pillar of Islam.” (Reported by AI-Baihaqi. It has a weak chain of transmission)

When Umar (radi Allahu anhu) was stabbed, he was called to Prayer and replied by saying, “Yes, whoever misses Prayer is non-Muslim.” He then prayed while bleeding.”

‘Abdullah Ibn Shaqiq, one of the Tabi’een, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The Prophet’s Companions did not view the nonperformance of anything as unbelief besides the Prayers.” (Reported by At- Tirmidhi)

When’ Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about a woman who did not pray, he said, “Whoever neglects Prayers is an unbeliever.”

Ibn Mas’ud (radi Allahu anhu) also said, “Whoever does not pray is an infidel.”

Ibn ‘Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) stated, “Whoever intentionally misses an obligatory prayer entails Allah’s wrath when he dies.”

The Messenger of Allah c) said, “Whoever dies neglecting the prayers, Allah will not regard any of his good deeds.” (It is cited by AI-Ghazali.)

Ibn Hazm said, “The most heinous sins next to Shirk (polytheism) are the delayment of Prayers and taking a life of a believer except for just cause.” Ibrahim An-Nakh’i also said, “Whoever leaves the Prayers has disbelieved.” Moreover, ‘Aun Ibn ‘Abdullah said, “When a servant is laid in his grave, he will be asked, first, about the Prayers. If it is accepted, his other works will be examined. If not, nothing will be examined further.”

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “When a servant performs a prayer on time, it will rise skyward enveloped with light until it reaches the Throne. There, it asks forgiveness to its doer up to the Day of Judgment and says, “May Allah preserve you as you have preserved me.” But if the servant performs a prayer out of its time, it will rise skyward enveloped with darkness. When it reaches the sky, it will be folded as an old cloth and then kicked back to the doer’s face and says, “May Allah make you lose as you missed me.” (Reported by A1-Haithami and At-Tabarani)

‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr Ibn AI-As related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah does not accept the Prayers of three people: whoever leads a group of people who dislike him, whoever prays after missing the due time of the Prayer, and he who enslaves someone after freeing him.” (Reported by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever joins two prayers together without a legal excuse, he then commits a major sin.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi and AI-Hakim)

by Imam Shamsu ed-Deen Dhahabi

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