Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (radiyallahu anhu) said: “…The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was given three (things): he was given five prayers, he was given the concluding verses of Soorah al-Baqarah, and the remission of serious sins for those among his Ummah who associate not anything with Allah.”
[Saheeh Muslim no: 329]
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “Allah revealed to me a revelation and He made obligatory for me fifty Salaah every day and night. Then I went down to Moosa (alaihis-salaam) who asked: “What has you Lord enjoined upon your Ummah?” I said: “Fifty salaahs.” He said: “Return to your Lord and beg for reduction (in the number of Salaah), for your community shall not be able to bear this burden. As I had been put to test by the children of Israel and tried them (and found them too weak to bear such a heavy burden).” So, the Prophet turned to Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) as if he wanted to consult him about that issue. Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) informed him of his opinion saying: “Yes, if you wish.” So, Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) ascended with him to the Allah.
[Saheeh al-Bukharee v:9, no: 608]
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “I went back to my Lord and said: “My Lord make things lighter for my Ummah.” (Allah) reduced the number by five (salaahs) for me. I went down to Moosa and said: “(The Lord) reduced it by five (salaahs) for me.’ He said: “Verily, your Ummah shall not be able to bear this burden; return to your Lord and ask Him to make things lighter. O Muhammad! By Allah, I tried to persuade my nation, Bani Israel to do less than this, but they could not do it and gave it up. However, your followers are weaker in body, heart, sight and hearing, so return to your Lord so that He may lighten your burden.”
[Saheeh al-Bukharee v:9, no: 608]
“I then kept going back and forth between My Lord, Blessed and Exalted and Moosa (alaihis-salaam) until He (Allah) said: “There are five salaahs every day and night, O Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). Each being credited as ten, so that makes fifty salaahs. He who intends to do a good deed and does not do it will have a good recorded for him; and if he does it, it will be recorded for him as ten. Whereas he who intends to do an evil deed and doesn’t (do it), it will not be recorded for him; and if he does it, only one evil deed will be recorded. I then came down and when I came to Moosa (alaihis-salaam) and informed him, he said: “Go back to your Lord and ask Him to make things lighter”. Upon this the Messenger of Allah remarked: “I returned to my Lord until I felt ashamed before Him.”
[Saheeh Muslim]
On this Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) said: “Descend in Allah's Name.” The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) then woke while he was in the Sacred Mosque (at Mecca). [Saheeh al-Bukharee v:9, no: 608]
And the narration of Saheeh al-Bukharee there is an addition of words: “… When I left, I heard a voice saying: ‘I have My Order and reduced the burden of My Worshippers.”
Allah has glorified Salaah and granted it a very high position by revealing its obligation on the night of Miraaj. All the command of Allah were conveyed by the Angel Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) on the Earth to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), whereas Salaat was prescribed by calling the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) above the seven Heavens and without any intercessor. Many Verses of the Qur’aan and numerous Ahadeeth are witness to the great importance and obligation of the Prayer.
Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) writes in his commentary of Saheeh al-Bukharee (1/460) “The wisdom of prescribing the Salaah during the Miraaj is that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was hallowed internally and externally. He was washed with Zam-Zam water and was showered with Eemaan and wisdom. Since, Salaah is preceded by ablution, it was thus appropriate that Salaah was prescribed in that state; i.e. after the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was purified…”
Allah says: “And if you count the blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them.” [Soorah (14): 34] The lessening of the Salaah is a blessing from Allah, but as Allah said: “But few of My slaves are grateful.” [Soorah (34): 13]
And: “Verily, man is ungrateful to His Lord.” [Soorah (100): 6]
What can be a greater blessing than reducing the number of Salaah from fifty to five and then rewarding each as ten which sums up to fifty?
Ibn Hibban (rahimahumullah) said in his Saheeh (1/133): “Then he (the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)) was obliged with fifty salaahs; the order was a trial, one that Allah wanted to test His beloved (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), with. When He prescribed fifty Salaats for him, Allah previously knew that He would only prescribe five salaahs for the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), but the order to pray fifty prayers was a test. This is similar to our saying that Allah might order something while willing that the ordered individual obey His orders and not necessarily carry out the order literally. An example of this was when Allah ordered His beloved Ibraheem to slaughter his son. Allah’s Will behind this order was to have His Order obeyed and submitted to: when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allah), and Ibraheem (alaihis-salaam) had laid his son (for slaughtering), Allah ransomed him with a great sacrifice. Had Allah willed the literal fulfillment of His Order, he (Ibraheem (alaihis-salaam) would have found his son really slaughtered. Similarly, prescribing fifty salaahs was meant to have His Order obeyed and submitted to, without having it literally carried out.”
Anybody who neglects the prayer has not only denied a pillar of Islam but also rejected the gift of Allah. Salaah is the first act of worship ordained for the Muslim and it will be the first worship, which the slave will be accounted for on the Day of Judgement, and it was the last command which the Prophet kept repeating. When he (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was on his death-bed, he said:“(Preserve) the prayer, the prayer, and what your right hands possess (slaves).”
[Authenticated by Sheikh al-Albanee, Ibn Majah and Musnad Ahmad]
When a person dies, he only speaks those words which he regards as very important and desires the people to adhere to his advice. Thus, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) commanded us with those words which he regarded very important, i.e. Preserve the prayer.
Abdullah ibn Qart (radiyallahu anhu) related that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “The first act which the slave will be accountable for on the Day of Judgement will be the prayer. If it is good, then the rest of his acts will be good. And if it is evil, then the rest of his acts will be evil.”
[Related by at-Tabaranee]
Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib (radiyallahu anhu): “The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “which distinguishes us from the disbelievers and hypocrites is our commitment to the Prayer. He who gives it up, falls into disbelief.”
[al-Tirmidhee no: 1083]
Allah relates that when the people of the Fire will be thrown in the Hell, they will be asked:“What has caused you to enter the Hell-Fire?” they will reply: “We were not of those who used to offer Salaat.”
[Soorah (74): 42-43] Thus, the first thing, which they will confess, will be abandoning of Salaat.
The importance of Salaah is also demonstrated from Masjid al-Quba. It was built when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) migrated from Makkah to Medina. In between he stayed in Quba for four days. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) did not plan to stay in Quba, he did not built any place to stay or rest, but the first thing he did was to build the Mosque of Quba. This act of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) shows the great importance and significance of Mosques in Islaam. Thus, when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) sent a group of Sahabah (radiyallahu anhu) to fight in the cause of Allah, he ordered them to postpone their attack and wait until they heard the Adhaan. If the Adhaan was not pronounced then they should attack. Anas bin Malik (radiyallahu anhu) said: “Whenever the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) went out with us to fight (in Allah's cause) against any nation, he never allowed us to attack till morning and he would wait and see if he heard Adhaan; he would postpone the attack and if he did not hear Adhaan he would attack them….”
[Saheeh al-Bukharee vol: 1, no: 584]
The importance of Salaah is so great that one is ordered to observe Salaah in all circumstances, whether one is sick or traveling or even on the battlefield. Allah says:“Guard strictly (five obligatory) as-Salawaat (the prayers) especially the middle Salaah (i.e. the best prayer – ‘Asr’) and stand before Allah with obedience. And if your fear (an enemy), perform Salaat on foot or riding. And when you are in safety, offer the Salaah in the manner, He has taught you, which you knew not (before).”
[Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 238-9]
Salaah is not excused from anyone, except the sleeping, the insane or the women who is in her menstrual or post-natal period. Salaat is the only obligatory worship which every individual has to perform for himself.
The other pillars of Islam like Fast, Hajj and Zakah are excused on certain circumstances like:
Fasts: One who is ill or traveling is allowed to postpone his fasts and make it afterwards. If the illness is not curable then he is allowed to invite people and feed them the number of days he missed. Also a breast-feeding mother is allowed to postpone her fasts, but not Salaah.
Hajj: Hajj is not obligatory on him who does not posses money. If he has money but has no strength then he can ask someone to perform Hajj for him, or even if he does not do so he is under no obligation, But Salaah is prescribed in all circumstances.
Zakah: If one has money he should give charity, if he does not hold any, he is excused. But the Salaah is not excused even in the times of battle, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and his companions used to pray in the battlefield.
Aa’ishah (radhi allahu anha) said: “The Messenger of Allah used to talk to us and we used to talk to him. But when the time for prayer started, he would act as if we did not know him or if he did not know us.”
Yet, many people are unaware of as-Salaah and neglect it. Many people who claim to be the followers of Allah’s Messenger never enter the Masjids. After the Shahadah the first symbol or the sign of a Muslim is Salaah. In the Qur'aan, Allah did not just say - "pray salaah (sallu)", he said ‘Aqeemus salaah’ ‘establish the prayer’. Establishing the prayer means to perform prayer with punctuality and on prescribed time. Once the time of Salaah becomes due then everything can be delayed but the Salaat. Therefore, Allah says:“Hafizu ala-as-salawaat” meaning: “Guard your prayer strictly.” Not Performing prayers on time is similar to rejection: “So, woe unto those performers of Salaah, those who delay their Salaah.” [Soorah (107): 4-5] “Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up Salaah and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell.”
[Soorah (19): 59]
Salaah will be the last pillar of Islam which will be given up: “The pillars of Islam will be given up on after the another and every time a pillar is given, people will adhere to the next one; the first being government and the last being the prayer.”
[Authenticated by Sheikh al-Albanee, Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Hibban and al-Haakim]
The hearts of the Muslims are attached to the mosques, and thus the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “Allah will give shade to seven, on the Day when there will be not shade but His… (amongst them)… a man whose heart is attached to the mosque (to pray the compulsory prayers in the mosque in congregation). From the time he departs from it until he comes back.”
[Saheeh al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim]
And he (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) once asked his companions: “Should I direct you to (righteous) acts because of which Allah erases sins and elevates grades?” They said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)!” He said: “Performing perfect ablution in unfavorable conditions (such as extreme cold), the many steps one often takes to the mosque and awaiting the prayer after the prayer (in the mosque); verily, this is ar-Ribat (Muslim outposts to protect Muslim lands from enemy lands).”
Thus: “Successful indeed are the believers who offer their Salaah with all solemnly and full submissiveness… These are indeed the inheritors, who shall inherit the Firdaus (Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever.”
[Soorah al-Muminoon (23): 1-11]
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