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Prophetic Reminders About the Importance of Prayer

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Lately, I’ve been missing my prayers and for no due reason. I don’t know what’s wrong with me – I just seem to have forgotten the importance. I was wondering if you can remind me of the importance of rewards for doing one’s prayers and in a timely fashion, as well as the punishments for missing them with the intention of making them up, and missing them altogether … ??? I’ve noticed that in the past, it is this type of information that has influenced me greatly …

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate

The Prophet said in this regard: “The first thing that will be judged among a person’s deeds on the Day of Resurrection is the prayer. If that is in good order, he will pass the test and prosper, and if that is defective, he will fail the test and will be a loser. (Tirmidhi)

Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As said that the Prophet mentioned prayer one day saying: “If anyone keeps to it, it will be a light, evidence, and salvation for him on the Day of Resurrection; but if anyone does not keep to 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 bin Khalaf (a great enemy of Islam from among the Quraish). (Ahmed, Darimi, and Baihaqi)

‘Umar ibn al-Khattab reported that a man asked the Prophet: “Messenger of Allah, what action is dearest to Allah Most High?” The Prophet said,” Prayer at its proper time. The one who does not pray has no religion. Prayer is the main pillar of the religion.” (Baihaqi)

After Umar had been stabbed, it was said to him, “As-salat, ya amir al-mumineen (The prayer, leader of the believers)!” He said, “Yes, truly! If anyone misses prayer, he has no share in Islam,” and thereupon he prayed while his wounds were bleeding.

When Ali was asked about a woman who did not pray, he replied, “The one who does not pray is an unbeliever.” Ibn Mas’ood said that the one who does not pray has no religion, and Ibn Abbas said, “The one who leaves off a single prayer will find, when he meets Allah Most High, that He is angry with him.”

Abdullah bin al-As reported that Allah’s Messenger said:” There are three kinds of people whose prayer Allah will not accept: a leader who is hated by his nation, a master who oppresses his slave after making a contract to set him free, and a person who observes prayer after its proper time (Abu Dawood).

From Riyad as-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous) – An-Nawawi

Chapter: On the excellence of the prayers

1042. Abu Hurayra said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘What do you think would happen if there was a river by someone’s door in which he washed five times every day? Do you think that any dirt would remain on him?’ They said, ‘Not a scrap of dirt would remain on him.’ He said, ‘That is a metaphor of the five prayers by which Allah wipes out wrong actions.'” [Agreed upon]

1043. Jabir reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The metaphor of the five prayers is that of an sizeable flowing river at the door of one of you in which he washes five times every day.” [Muslim]

1044. Ibn Mas’ud reported that a man received a kiss from a woman and went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him about it. Allah sent down, “Establish the prayer at the two ends of the day and in the first part of the night. Good actions eradicate bad actions.” (11:114) The man said, “Messenger of Allah, is this for me?” He said, “It is for every single one of my community.” [Agreed upon]

1045. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The five prayers, and Jumu’a to Jumu’a is expiation for what is between them as long as a man has committed no major sins.” [Muslim]

1046. ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, “There is no Muslim man who attends a prescribed prayer and does wudu’ for it well and is humble in it and in its bowing, without that being expiation for the sins before it as long as he did not commit any major sin. This will always apply.” [Muslim]

Wassalam,

Sunni Path Fiqh Team

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