Table of Contents
The Muslim Prayer is called “Salat” In Arabic
The night of Al-Isra
All mandatory acts of worship were commanded to the Prophet (peace be upon him) on earth, except the Prayer (Salat). Rather, it was in the heavens where it was prescribed, specifically on the night of Al-Isra (miraculous night journey). A night where Allah the All-Mighty emphasizes how special and significant this act of worship is.
حَـٰفِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَٰتِ وَالصَّلَوٰةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَـٰنِتِينَ .(سورة البقرة-286)
(سورة البقرة-286)
Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.
[1:238]
Pray as you breathe
Just like the necessity for the body to breathe, for a Muslim, Salat should be equally fundamental. Allah ﷻ has ordered us to pray in all circumstances such as: wars, sickness or travel. Additionally, and by Allah’s divine mercy, he made it easy for us to maintain by providing adaptations to the salah in different situations we may find ourselves in.
فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ فَرِجَالاً أَوْ رُكْبَاناً فَإِذَآ أَمِنتُمْ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَمَا عَلَّمَكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَالبقرة
(سورة البقرة-239)
If you are in danger, pray on foot or while riding. But when you are safe, ˹take time to˺ remember Allah for teaching you what you did not know.
[1:239]
عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كَانَتْ بِي بَوَاسِيرُ فَسَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ صَلِّ قَائِمًا، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَقَاعِدًا، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَى جَنْبٍ
صحيح البخاري 1117
Narrated `Imran bin Husain: I had piles, so I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the prayer. He said, “Pray while standing and if you can’t, pray while sitting and if you cannot do even that, then pray Lying on your side.”
[Bukhari:1117]
Against the laws of physics
Allah ﷻ tells us that when a Muslim bows down to his Creator, he elevates him in value. The more humble and aware a Muslim is, the closer he gets to Allah.
The Salat performed correctly with Khushu’u (mindfulness) will greatly benefit its performer. It keeps the believer’s intention and awareness in check. It ensures that the believer constantly turns to the All-Mighty Allah in complete humility.
قَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم: أَقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَهُوَ سَاجِدٌ فَأَكثِرُوا الدُّعَاءَ.
حصن المسلم 252
Narrated `Imran bin Husain:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “The closest that the slave comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so invoke Allah much (in prostration).”
[Hisn Al-Muslim:252]
The virtues of Sujood
Sujood in Arabic refers to touching the ground with one’s forehead (together with six other parts of the body). Sujood is one of the greatest forms of humility and lowliness implemented in Salat to the Most-High. A long Sujood in Salat has been said to be the reason for a Muslim to accompany the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Jannah.
Secondly, making Du’a (supplication) to Allah ﷻ is indeed itself worship as our beloved Prophet ﷺ mentioned.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ ذَرٍّ، عَنْ يُسَيْعَ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: إِنَّ الدُّعَاءَ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: {ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ}.
صحيح (الألباني)
An-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported that the Prophet(Peace be upon him), said, “Supplication is worship.’ Then he recited, ‘Call on Me and I will answer you.'”
[Sahih Al-Albani]
حَدَّثَنِي رَبِيعَةُ بْنُ كَعْبٍ الأَسْلَمِيُّ، قَالَ كُنْتُ أَبِيتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِوَضُوئِهِ وَحَاجَتِهِ فَقَالَ لِي ” سَلْ ” . فَقُلْتُ أَسْأَلُكَ مُرَافَقَتَكَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ . قَالَ ” أَوَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ ” . قُلْتُ هُوَ ذَاكَ . قَالَ ” فَأَعِنِّي عَلَى نَفْسِكَ بِكَثْرَةِ السُّجُودِ ” .
صحيح مسلم 489
Rabi’a b. Ka’b said:
I was with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) one night. and I brought him water and what he required. He said to me: Ask (anything you like). I said: I ask your company in Paradise. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Or anything else besides it. I said: That is all (what I require). He said: Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration.
[Sahih Muslim:489]
Cleansing of sins
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ” أَرَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ أَنَّ نَهَرًا بِبَابِ أَحَدِكُمْ، يَغْتَسِلُ فِيهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسًا، مَا تَقُولُ ذَلِكَ يُبْقِي مِنْ دَرَنِهِ ”. قَالُوا لاَ يُبْقِي مِنْ دَرَنِهِ شَيْئًا. قَالَ ” فَذَلِكَ مِثْلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسِ، يَمْحُو اللَّهُ بِهَا الْخَطَايَا ”.
صحيح البخاري 528
Narrated Abu Huraira:
I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, “If there was a river at the door of anyone 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 (ﷺ) added, “That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out (annuls) evil deeds.”
[Bukhari:528]
Prevention of evil
Salat is something we do because it was ordained by our Creator but it is also something very beneficial to ourselves. Nowadays we are constantly exposed to many different ills and evil.
We are regularly invited to disobey Allah and follow the steps of Satan through a range of paths. Therefore, Allah ﷻ our Protector, has granted us a means to protect ourselves. Praying regularly should prevent us from committing sins, at the very least the major ones.
When we occupy ourselves with Salat, we won’t be occupied by that which is evil. We must find refuge in our Salat by remembering Allah and asking Him to protect us.
اتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَـٰبِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَوٰةَ ۖ إِنَّ الصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَآءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ .(سورة العنكبوت-45)
“Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, ˹genuine˺ prayer should deter ˹one˺ from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is ˹an˺ even greater ˹deterrent˺. And Allah ˹fully˺ knows what you ˹all˺ do.”
[29:45]
Satan’s sabotage
Allah has repeatedly mentioned that Shaytan (Satan) is our main enemy who has dedicated his life to leading us astray.
One of Satan’s main goals is to prevent us from performing our Salat. He does this by either making us lazy, whispering excuses to delay it and many more as mentioned by our Prophet (pbuh).
The following Ayat (verse) and Hadith exposes the Shaytan and shows that Satan himself knows the importance of Salat and its significance to a believer. Thus, it is imperative for him to stop us by all means
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَٰوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَآءَ فِى الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلَوٰةِ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ .(سورة المائدة-91)
“Satan’s plan is to stir up hostility and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling and to prevent you from remembering Allah and praying (perfoming Salat). Will you not then abstain?”
[5:91]
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ يَعْقِدُ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى قَافِيَةِ رَأْسِ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا هُوَ نَامَ ثَلاَثَ عُقَدٍ، يَضْرِبُ كُلَّ عُقْدَةٍ عَلَيْكَ لَيْلٌ طَوِيلٌ فَارْقُدْ، فَإِنِ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِنْ تَوَضَّأَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِنْ صَلَّى انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ فَأَصْبَحَ نَشِيطًا طَيِّبَ النَّفْسِ، وَإِلاَّ أَصْبَحَ خَبِيثَ النَّفْسِ كَسْلاَنَ ”. صحيح البخاري 1142
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Satan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep. On every knot he reads and exhales the following words, ‘The night is long, so stay asleep.’ When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays the third knot is undone and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart.”
[Bukhari:1142]
Your Salvation
On the day of resurrection those who preserved their Salat and did not neglect it will be granted light from the All-Mighty. This day, where no one will have light except those who have been granted one.
The following hadith tells us that the Salat will either be our salvation, light and an argument for us to enter Jannah or our downfall. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ added that whoever neglect it will be grouped and punished with the enemies of the Allah like Pharaoh and others.
عن النَّبِيِّ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ أنَّهُ ذَكرَ الصَّلاةَ يومًا فقالَ :” من حافَظَ عليها كانت لَه نورًا وبُرهانًا ونجاةً إلى يومِ القيامةِ ومن لَم يُحافِظ عليها لم يَكن لَه نورٌ ولا برهانٌ ولا نجاةٌ وَكانَ يومَ القيامةِ معَ فرعونَ وَهامانَ وأبَيِّ بنِ خلفٍ” صحيح الألباني
The Prophet mentioned prayer one day saying, “Whoever maintain it (Salat), it will be light, evidence and salvation for him on the day of resurrection; but whoever does not maintain it, it will not be for him light, evidence, or salvation, and on the day of resurrection he will be associated with Qarun, Pharaoh, Haman, and Ubayy b. Khalaf”
[Sahih Al-Albani]
Major pilar of Islam
فى جَنَّـٰات يَتَسَآءَلُونَ * عَنِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ * مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِى سَقَرَ * قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَ*
(سورة المدثر- 41, 42, 43)
…who will be in Gardens, asking one another about the wicked ˹who will then be asked˺: “What has landed you in Hell?” They will reply, “We were not of those who prayed, nor did we feed the poor.
[74:40,41,42,43]
إنَّ بيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وبيْنَ الشِّرْكِ والْكُفْرِ تَرْكَ الصَّلاةِ.
صحيح مسلم 82
Jabir said that he heard the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) saying:” Verily between man and between polytheism and unbelief is the negligence of prayer.”
[Sahih Muslim:82]
Final Thoughts
Those who learn and read Quran on a regular basis are familiar with the importance of Salah. A Muslim must realise that Salah is an obligation, but one that benefits one’s self first and foremost.
Every Muslim should submit to Allah’s will and do so with mindfulness and humility, especially during our prayers. For this is a part of our ultimate purpose and a small gesture of our appreciation. Not only for the ability to recognise and know Allah but also for being recipients of his many, many blessings.
