The
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
"Whoever
keeps on performing the prescribed Prayer, Allah will grant him five honorable
rewards: he will
lead
a happy life, avoid the torment in the grave, receive his record by his right
hand, cross Sirat (the
bridge
on Fire) as swift as lightening and enter Paradise
without being reckoned. But who is remiss in
performing
the Prayer, Allah will make him suffer fifteen kind of punishment, five in this
world, three when
dying,
three in the grave, and three when being resurrected. The worldly punishments
are: he loses the
glamor
(the blessing) of his life span, the righteous appearance diminishes from his
face, he works in vain,
he
will not have his supplications answered and he will not make use of the
righteous people's
supplications.
When
dying: he dies humiliated, hungry, thirsty even if he drinks all the rivers of
the world. In the grave: he
will
be compressed so tightly that his ribs permute, blazing
in fire day and night and will face a baldheaded
poisonous
male serpent with two black spots over its eyes which are created of Fire and
the
fingernails
of iron; each fingernail is equal to the distance covered in a day. It will
address the deceased in
1
Reported by Abu Dawud and Ahmad
2
Reported before
3
Narrated before.
a
very roaring sound like thunder saying, "I am the baldheaded poisonous
male serpent, My Lord
commanded
me to beat you for missing the Fajr Prayer until sunrise, the Dhuhr until Asr,
Asr Prayer until
Maghrib,
Maghrib Prayer until 'Isha' and Ish until Fajr."
Whoever
he strikes him, he sinks in the earth for seventy arms deep and he will keep
sinking therein until
the
Day of Judgment.Eventually, when being resurrected from his grave, he will be
risen up with three lines written on his face:
1)
You neglect Allah's right 2) You got Allah's wrath 3) As you
have neglected Allah's right in the world,
you
should despair His Mercy on this Day.”1
Ibn
'Abbas said, "On the Day of Judgment, a man is brought before Allah. Then
Allah issues a
command
to cast him into Fire. The man asks Allah, "O My Lord, why? Allah, then,
replies, "Because you
neglected
to perform the Prayer in its time and you swear falsely by Me."
"One
day the Prophet (pbuh) said before his Companions:
"O
Allah, let not any of us wretched or deprived." Then, he said, "Do
you know who the wretched and
deprived
is? “They said, "Who is that, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "The
one who neglects the Prayer. “2
The
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,"The first faces that will turn dark on
the Day of Judgment are the faces of those who neglect the Prayer.In the
HellFire.. there is a valley called AI-Malham that contains serpents. Each
serpent is as fat as acamel's neck and its length is equal to the
distance covered in a day. Then, it stings the one who neglects the Prayer, the
poison boils in his body for seventy years then the flesh is torn out.”3
Once,
an Israelite woman came to Musa (pbuh) and said, "0 Messenger of Allah, I
committed a
grievous
sin but I repented to Allah. So may you invoke Allah to forgive me and accept
my repentance?"
Musa
said, "What was your sin?" She replied, "I committed adultery
and then gave birth to a child whom I
killed."
Musa (pbuh) said, "Go away corrupt woman lest the fire strike from the sky
and bum us." Accordingly,the woman went out with a broken heart. Then,
Jibreel (Gabreal) lauded and said, "O Musa,
Allah
the Almighty asked you, why you rejected the penitent woman. Have not you found
anyone worst
than
her?" Musa asked, "Who is that Jibreel?" He replied, "The
one who intentionally neglects the Prayer."
Mas'ud
AI-Badri related that the Prophet (pbuh) said,
"A
Prayer is not valid if one's back is not upright after
bowing and prostration.” 4
Thus,
he who prays should remain motionless for a moment while bowing, prostrating,
standing etc.
It
was related that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
"The
worst thief is he who steals from his Prayer.” Someone asked, "How?"
He answered, "When he does
not
bow, prostrate or recite therein perfectly.” 5
1
Reported by As-Siuti who said it is a forged hadith.
2
Not found.
3
Reported by AI-Hakim.
4
Reported by Ahmad.
5
Reported by AJ-Darami, Ahmed and AI-Hakim.
The
Prophet (pbuh) said,
"Allah
does not look to a man who does not rise his back upright and prostration.”1
"This
the Prayer of a hypocrite who watches the sun until he finds it about to set,
then he stands and
performs
it as quick as a bird picking the seeds and he hardly remembers Allah in it.”2
Abdullah
AI-Ash'ari related, One day the Prophet (pbuh) 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 (pbuh) said, "Behold,
if this man dies, he
dies
believing in a religion other than Muhammad's."
'Umar
Ibn AI-Khattab related that the Prophet (pbuh) said,
"Whoever
prays is surrounded by two angels on right and left. If he performed it
properly, they take it and
ascend
to Allah, the Almighty. Otherwise, they struck his face with it.” 3
'Ubadah
Ibn As-Aumit related, the Prophet (pbuh) 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 is risen up skyward enveloped with light. When
approaching the heaven 's gates, it will find it opened. So it keeps on rising
up 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 is risen up skyward enveloped with darkness. Approaching
the gates of heaven, it will find it closed. Then, it will be folded as an old
cloth and kicked back to the doer's face.”4
Salman
AI-Farisi narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) 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.}
(AI-Mutafifeen:l)
1
Reported by Ahmed.
2
Reported by Muslim
3
Reported by Ad-Dar Qutni
4
Reported by Al-Haithami.
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 narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said,"Whoever prostrates
should place his forehead, nose and hands on the floor, as Allah has revealed
upon me to prostrate on five organs: Forehead, nose, the palms of hands, the
knees and feet. I have also not to prostrate on hair nor cloths. Thus, .whoever
prostrates improperly, the organ that fails to touch the floor will curse him
until he completes the Prayer.” 1
AI-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 hi,: "You did
not
pray. If you die, you will die believing in a religion other than Muhammad's
(pbuh).”2
In
Abu Dawud's narration, the above hadith is reported as following,
"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 Muhammed's (pbuh)." 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 (pbuh) said, "The first of
people works that they should be called to account for on the Day of Judgment
is the Prayer. Our Lord, Holly 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 ad succeeded; if it is wanting, then he will have failed and
lost. While 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.”3
Hence,
we should increase our supererogatory worshipping to complete the obligatory
ones if they fall
shorter.
The punishment of he who misses the congregational Prayer though he is able to
do, 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 AI-Musaiyyib commented, although they were whole in this world, they did
not answer the caller
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. 0' what a severe torture awaiting for those
who are able to perform
the
Prayer in congregation, but they do not."
The
Prophet (pbuh) said,
1
Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
2
Reported by A1-Bukhali.
3
Reported before.
"I
have considered having a man lead people at Prayer and going myself to those
who hang back from
attending
the Prayer in congregation to burn their houses down upon them.”1Behold,
this threat cannot be issued unless there is something obligatory left. It was
related that once, a blind man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said, "0
Messenger of Allah, I have nobody to lead me to the mosque." Then he asked
for a permission to pray at home. Thereby, the Prophet permitted him. But
before leaving, the Prophet called him and said, "Do you hear the Call to
Prayer?” He said, yes. The Prophet said, "Then you have to respond to it.”
2
Once,
'Amr Ibn Umm Maktum came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said, "0 Messenger
of Allah, in Madina there are numerous number of reptiles and beasts whereas I
am a blind man and live far away from the mosque. Further, I have an
inconvenient guide. Shall I have a dispension to pray at home? "Then,
the Prophet (pbuh) asked, "Do you hear the words of the Call to
Prayer?" He said, yes. The Prophet said, "Then, you have to respond
to it, I have no dispension to you.” 3
Behold,
that is a blind man and faces many hardship in his way to the mosque and has no
guide, yet the
Prophet
does not permit him to pray at home. How about the sightful people who have no
excuse?
Therefore,
when Ibn 'Abbas is asked about someone who fasts the day and prays the night
but does not
attend
the Friday or congregational Prayer. He replied, "If he dies doing that he
will enter the Hell-Fire.”4
Abu
Hurayrah said, "It is better for one's ears to be filled with molten lead
than to hear the Call to
Prayer
without answering it."
Ibn
'Abbas related that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever heard the caller
to Prayer and did not answer not because of an excuse.” Someone asked, "What
kind of excuse is that, Messenger?" He said, "Fear or sickness, he
will not have his Prayeraccepted.”5i.e., the Prayer which he performed at
home. Ibn ' Abbas also related that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "There are
three people whom Allah cursed: Whoever leads a group of people in Prayer who
dislike him, a woman whose husband spends the night angry with her and whoever
heard the call to Prayer but he does not answer.” 6
'Ali
Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "A Prayer of a
neighbor of a mosque is only
accepted
in the mosque." Someone asked, "Who is a neighbor of a mosque?"
He said, "Whoever hears the
call
to Prayer."`Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud related that the Prophet (pbuh) said,
"A
person who likes to meet Allah tomorrow (on the Day of Judgment) as a true
Muslim, he should then
1
Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.
2
Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.
3
Reported by Muslim.
4
Reported by At- Tirmidhi.
5
Reported by Abu Dawud, AI-Hakim and Ibn Hibban
6
Reported by At- Tirmidhi.
take
care of those Prayers where (and when) he is summoned for them. This is necessary
as Allah has laid
down
some practices and rules for us to follow (which have reached us) through our
Prophet (pbuh) and
these
Prayers are among them. If you offer Prayers at your houses as this good for
nothing person is doing,
you
will be guilty of neglecting the way of your Prophet (pbuh) then you go astray.
I have seen the people
in
condition when only known hypocrites used to be out of the lines of
congregation. Some of us used to be
brought
to the mosque with the help of two men on account of their weakness or illness,
until they could
stand
in line.” 1
Ar-Rabie
Ibn Khutham had a disease in his leg. He used to go out for Prayer leaning on
two men. They
advised
him, "O father of Muhammed, Allah has permitted you to pray at home as you
have a legal
excuse."
He said, "Ok, but I hear the call to Prayer. Whoever could answer even if
he creeps or crawl, it is
better
to do so." Hatim AI-Asam said, "One day, I missed a Prayer in
congregation but no one lead me except Abu Ishaq AI-Bukhari. However, if one of
my children died, there would be ten thousand people who offer me condolence.
This is because a trial in religion is easier than a one at the sight of
people.
Someone
of early Muslims said, a congregational Prayer is missed because of sins. Ibn
'Umar narrated,
"Once
Umar was in his garden, when coming back, he found that the people had
performed the Asr Prayer.
Thereby,
he said, "We will surely return to Allah! I missed the Asr Prayer
in congregation. May you
witness
that I gave my garden in charity to the needy so as to expiate what 'Umar had
done."
It
is recommended to pay more attention to 'Isha' and Fajr. The
Prophet (pbuh) said,
"The
hypocrites find dawn (Fajr) and night (Isha') Prayers in congregation as very
oppressive. If they
could
know the virtues of these two Prayers, they would certainly join them, even if
they had to go
crawling.”
2 Ibn 'Umar said, "When missing a man in the
congregational Prayer of Isha and Fajr, we might think that he
was a hypocrite."
'Ubaydallah
Ibn Amr Al-Qawarir said, "I have never missed Isha Prayer in
congregation. One night I
had
a grief which occupied me from performing the' Isha' Prayer in
congregation. Thereby, I sought for
another
mosque allover AI-Basra to realize the Prayer but of no avail all the mosques
were closed. Then I
went
home and decided to apply what is stated in the hadith,
"Recompense
for Prayer offered along with the congregation is twenty seven times more than
the
Prayer
offered in home or.”3
Therefore,
I performed' Isha' Prayer twenty seven times. Afterwards, I slept. I
dreamt that I was riding
my
horse racing some other people who were also riding their horses but I could
not catch them. Then one
turned
to me and said, "Do not get your horse toiled, you would never catch us. I
asked him why? He said,
1
Reported by Muslim.
2
Reported by AI-Bukhari.
3
Reported by Muslim
we
performed the 'Isha' Prayer in congregation but you did alone. Then I
got up so sad.
We seek Allah's help and guidance for He is the Most
Generous, the Most Bounteous.
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