By Dr. Norlain Dindang Mababaya
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Knowing
the rationale and benefits of Salât, it is then best for us to strive
hard to pray properly. We have to pray in accordance with the Qur’an
and Sunnah of the Prophet 
.
It is a must that we must perform our Salât
perfectly. We must take admonition
from the following Hâdîth:
Abu Qatada
narrated
that Allah’s Messenger
said: “The worst among people is one who commits theft in prayer.”
They asked: “Allah’s Messenger, how does one commit theft in one’s
prayer?” He said: “When he does not observe ruku' and sujud perfectly
well.” (Tirmidhi 885 and Ahmad)
Every time we pray, we should focus our attention on Allâh. We should pray wholeheartedly and sincerely to Him to seek His Pleasure and forgiveness. We have to remember that Allâh has given us twenty-four hours a day and He only commands us to perform five times obligatory prayers that take only a total of approximately one hour. What is one hour (out of the twenty-four hours) of our time? Is it too much for us, if we devote also part of our time praying the optional Salât? Should we not be thankful to Allâh Who is our Creator (2:29 and 39:62), Cherisher and Sustainer (7:54)? Let not anyone (even our children) nor anything in this world distract us in our prayers to our Creator. Allâh the Exalted tells us:
“O you who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allâh. And whoever does that, then, surely they are the losers.” (63:9)
We
should also guide our children to pray properly and on time. Their prayers (if
accepted) will not only benefit them but also us. The Prophet
said:
“A
man will be raised some degrees in Paradise and he will say, ‘For what reason
I am receiving this?’ He will be told, ‘Because of your son asking
forgiveness for you.’” (Bukhâri
1613)
For our own benefit, we have to be conscious of the time for prayers. Never should we miss any obligatory prayer without any valid reason acceptable to Allâh. While Allâh may forgive us for missing a prayer due to forgetfulness and sleep, let us be conscious of our major obligation. If before sleeping, we are not sure to wake up to pray on time, we have to set our alarm clock so we will not miss Salât. Our Creator makes it clear that those who missed prayers and followed lusts will meet with destruction, if they will not repent and believe and work righteousness (19:59-60).
Let us all strive to pray sincerely to Allâh and pray that He will accept our prayers. We should remember that life in this world is temporary and nothing but play and amusement. The best is the Home in the Hereafter (6:32). We should pray to Allâh that we remain true believers and righteous because He rewards the righteous believers the Gardens of Paradise as their final abode (25:15-16). They will therein enter peace and security (50:34). They shall have joy in all that they do. They and their associates will be in pleasant shade, reclining on raised couches; every kind of fruit will be there for them; they shall have whatever they call for (36:55-57). Allâh will remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury. No sense of fatigue will touch them (15:47-48). Their faces will beam with brightness of bliss (83:24). The greatest bliss is the Good Pleasure of Allâh, that is the supreme triumph (9:72). Allâh will be pleased with them and they with Him (98:8).
Those,
who feel lazy or preoccupied with worldly affairs and neglectful of their
prayers, should be heedful of Allâh’s warning. They should fear the
severity of the punishment of the Hell-fire. For the unbelievers, time has come
that they should believe in Allâh and His Messenger
and
perform Salât. They should reflect and ponder upon the many Signs of Allâh
(41:37). Allâh sent His Messengers with the commandment to worship Him,
offering Him sincere devotion, being true in Faith (8:5). They should have faith
in Allâh and His Messenger
because Allâh the Almighty says:
“To Him is the word of truth. And those whom they call upon besides Him, hear them no more than one who stretches forth his hand for water to reach his mouth but it reaches him not, for the invocation of the unbelievers is nothing but an error.” (13:14)
In the Glorious Qur’an , Allâh tells us that the unbelievers will have terrible punishments in Hell-fire (18:1-6, 20:124 and 36:63,64). They will forever suffer tribulations after tribulations in furious, blazing fire (4:56, 14:49-51and 22:19-22) and a boiling water (56:42). Their skins will be roasted and renewed (4:45). They will neither die nor live (20:74). They will taste the boiling fluid and a fluid dark, murky, intensely cold. They will suffer other penalties of a similar kind to match them (38:56-58). They shall have no portion in the Hereafter, nor will Allâh (deign to) speak to them or look at them on the Day of Judgment, nor will He cleanse them (of sin); they shall have a grievous chastisement (3:77). They will never see Allâh, for He will make them blind on the Day of Judgment. Allâh makes it very clear that those who were blind in this world (of the Qur’an as the Truth from Him) will be blind in the Hereafter (17:72).
Non-Muslims should think of the invitation to accept Islam as an invitation to the best religion and the best way of life. Verily, Islam is the light from Allâh (39:22). Allâh the Exalted makes it very clear that the only religion acceptable to Him is Islam. He says:
“The religion before Allâh is Islam (submission to His Will). Nor did the People of the Book (i.e., the Jews and the Christians) dissent there from except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them. But whoever denies the Signs of Allâh, Allâh is swift in calling to account.” (3:19)
“And whoever desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allâh), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).” (3:85)
From
the above Qur’anic injunctions, we can conclude that any form of worship that
does not conform to Islam is not valid. Any prayer outside Islamic teachings
becomes useless because Allâh will never accept it. In order to obtain Allâh’s
mercy and be successful, we must obey Allâh and His Messenger
(3:130-132). We must worship Allâh to the best we can and enjoin the same
religious duty to others or at least to our respective children and relatives.
For our success, let us take guidance from the following authentic Ahâdîth:
Imran bin Husain
narrated: “I asked the Prophet
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 2/218)
‘Abdullah
bin Sunabihi
narrated that ...Ubadah bin as-Samit said... "I heard Allâh’s Messenger
saying: 'Allâh, the Exalted, has made five prayers obligatory.
If anyone performs ablution for them well, offers them at their (right)
time, and observes perfectly their bowing and submissiveness in them, it is the
guarantee of Allâh that He will pardon him. If anyone does not do so, there is
no guarantee for him on the part of Allâh.
He may pardon him if He wills, and punish him if He wills.'”
(Abû
Dâwûd 425)
Ali bin Abu Talib
narrated that the last words which the Messenger of Allah
spoke were: “Prayer, prayer; fear Allah about those whom your right hands
possess.” (Abu
Dawud 5137)
The
above virtuous teachings from the Prophet
imply that we must not abandon any obligatory prayer all throughout our lives.
If possible, we should also perform the Sunnah (optional) prayers.
We have to pray properly (whether we are standing, sitting or lying on
our side). In addition, we must be consistent and regular in doing our Salât.
We must be conscious of our Salât at all times. We
have to worship our Creator with utmost sincerity the way He likes us to worship
Him. In short, we must perform our
prayers perfectly in order to attain Allâh’s forgiveness and hence,
salvation in the Hereafter. It is
only in this manner that we achieve the very purpose of our lives in this world.
We must always remember that Allâh has created us for the purpose of
worshipping Him all throughout our lives. It
is imperative that we pray properly to the best we can.
Therefore, for our own guidance and salvation or ultimate success, we
must perform Salât in accordance with Allâh’s injunctions in
the Qur’an and the (authentic) Sunnah
of His Messenger .
________
1.
Arabic symbol/script for "Sallallahu 'alayhe wasallam," which
means "May
the peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him."
2.
Arabic symbol/script for "Radhi Allahu
anhu", meaning: "May Allah be pleased
with him."
