The Benefits Of Performing Prayers (Part 2)
The Benefits of Performing Prayers (Part 1)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah does not look to a man who does not raise his back upright and prostrate.” (Reported by Ahmed)
“This is the prayer of a hypocrite who watches the sun until he finds it about to set, then he stands and performs it as quickly as a bird picking the seeds, and he hardly remembers Allah in it.” (Reported by Muslim)
Abdullah AI-Ash’ari related: One day the Prophet (peace be upon him) led the companions in the prayer. After finishing the prayer, someone came in to pray. He started to pray so fast that he could hardly remain motionless for a moment while bowing or prostrating. Meanwhile, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Behold, if this man dies, he dies believing in a religion other than Muhammad’s.”
‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever prays is surrounded by two angels on the right and left. If he performs it properly, they will take it and ascend to Allah, the Almighty. Otherwise, they will strike his face with it.” (Reported by Ad-Dar Qutni)
‘Ubadah Ibn As-Aumit related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever makes ablution properly and performs properly the integrals of Prayer: bowing, prostration, and recitation therein, the Prayer says, ‘May Allah preserve you as you preserve me.” Then the prayer rises skyward, enveloped with light. When approaching the heaven’s gates, it will find them opened. So it keeps on rising until it reaches Allah. There, it intercedes for the one who performed it. But if he does not perform (its integral) properly—bowing, prostration, or recitation therein—the prayer says, “May Allah neglect you as you neglected me.” Then, the prayer rises skyward, enveloped with darkness. Approaching the gates of heaven, it will find them closed. Then, it will be folded as an old cloth and kicked back to the doer’s face.” (Reported by Al-Haithami)
Salman AI-Farisi narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The prayer is a measure. Whoever gives a just measure, he will be rewarded in full. Whoever stints, you know what Allah says about the stinters. Allah, the Almighty, says, {Woe to the stinters.} (Al-Mutaffifin: I)
The stinter is he who stints when weighing or measuring out goods or prayers. Allah promises to punish them with Wail. A valley in the Hell-Fire from its heat, the Hell itself seeks refuge. We seek Allah’s refuge from it.
Ibn ‘Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever prostrates should place his forehead, nose, and hands on the floor, as Allah has revealed to me to prostrate on five organs: Forehead, nose, the palms of the hands, the knees, and feet. I have also been told not to prostrate on hair or clothes. Thus, whoever prostrates improperly, the organ that fails to touch the floor will curse him until he completes the prayer.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Huzayfa Ibn AI- Yamman (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that he once noticed a man praying, but he bowed and prostrated improperly. He said to him, “You did not pray. If you die, you will die believing in a religion other than Muhammad’s (peace be upon him).” (Reported by A1-Bukhali)
In Abu Dawud’s narration, the above hadith is reported as follows: “How long have you prayed in this manner?” He said, “Forty years ago.” He said, “You did not pray forty years ago, and if you died, you would die believing in a religion other than Muhammad’s (peace be upon him).”
AI-Hassan AI-Basri used to say, “O son of Adam, what is dearer to you of your religion than prayers? It is the first thing that you will be called to account for on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The first of people’s works that they should be called to account for on the Day of Judgment is the Prayer. Our Lord, Holy and Exalted, will say to His angels, while knowing better than they, ‘Look at the Prayer of My servant.'” Did he perform it in full or fall short of it?” If it is in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded; if it is wanting, then he will have failed and lost. If anything is missing from it, He will say, “Look to see if my servant has any supererogatory worship.” And if he has, Allah will say, “Complete My servant’s obligatory prayers for him from his supererogatory ones. “And he will be dealt with likewise in his other works.”
Hence, we should increase our supererogatory worship to complete the obligatory ones if they fall short. The punishment of he who misses the congregational Prayer, though he can do so, Allah, the Almighty Says, {The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to prostrate, but they shall not be able, their eyes will be cast down, ignominy will cover them; seeing that they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and had refused.)} (AI-Qalam: 42-43)
Sa’id Ibn Al-Musaiyyib commented that although they were whole in this world, they did not respond to the call to prayer. On the other hand, Ka’b AI-Ahbar said, “By Allah, this Ayah is only revealed concerning those who missed the congregational prayer.” O, what severe torture awaits those who can perform the prayer in congregation, but they do not.”