Importance of Salah

Transcript of the Friday Sermon delivered by Dr. Munawar Haque on August 12, 2016 

Brothers and sisters! My khutba today is on the importance of salah. This is just to serve as a reminder to me and you. وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَىٰ تَنفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ “And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers” (al-Dhariyat, 51:55). I have chosen to talk on this topic because despite the importance of salah in our deen, it is a sad fact that many Muslims either do not pray or do not fulfill the conditions of the prayer. The purpose of salah is to put ourselves in touch with Allah (SWT); to strengthen our relationship with Him; to be grateful for all His blessings; and to remind ourselves of His greatness. Just as the body has physical needs such as food and water, the soul has spiritual needs that are provided through acts of worship, the most important of which is salah.

In the Prophet (SAW)’s mission on earth, every instruction and every commandment from Allah (SWT) was sent down through angel Jibril (AS). But, there was one commandment that was not. It was so important, that rather than sending Jibril (AS) down with it, it was given to the Prophet (SAW) on the seventh heaven during Al-Isra Wa ‘l Mi’raj. That commandment was salah—the five daily prayers. When the Prophet (SAW) was first given the instruction to pray, it was to be fifty times in a day. After asking Allah (SWT) to make it easier, it was eventually reduced to five times a day, with the same reward of the fifty prayers.

Imagine for a moment actually praying fifty times a day. Would we be able to do anything else but pray? No! And that’s the point. It is to illustrate our life’s true purpose and priority—to worship and obey Allah (SWT). This means that our lives should revolve around salah. Something is seriously wrong when we put aside our salah in order to watch a serial on a TV, for example, or postpone our salah to attend to other worldly activities. And that is for those who pray. There are those who have abandoned their salah completely.

According to a hadith, بَيْنَ الْكُفْرِ وَالإِيمَانِ تَرْكُ الصَّلاَةِ “Between disbelief and faith, i.e., between kufr and iman is abandoning the salah.

Through salah, we are able to connect with our Lord. The Arabic word salah is actually derived from the word meaning “connection.” Salah also conveys the meaning of dua or supplication. According to a hadith,

أَقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَهُوَ سَاجِدٌ فَأَكْثِرُوا الدُّعَاءَ

“The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication often.”

As one of the pillars of Islam, salah is the most regular compulsory action in a Muslim’s life. Obligatory fasting—siyam, is just for one month. Obligatory charity—zakah, is paid on one’s savings calculated at the end of one year. Hajj is only once in a life time. However, prayer is the one act that must be fulfilled at least five times a day, regardless of the situation. In fact, Allah (SWT) did not even exempt the Muslims from praying even during the battle! The Qur’an says:

حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ فَرِجَالًا أَوْ رُكْبَانًا فَإِذَا أَمِنتُمْ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَمَا عَلَّمَكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ

“Guard the prayers, and the middle prayer, and stand before Allah in total devotion. If you are in danger, then pray on foot or while riding, but when you are safe again, remember Allah, as He has taught you what you did not know.” (al-Baqarah, 2:238-239)

Man was created weak and without seeking help from Allah, it will be impossible to refrain from evil. The Qur’an tells us,

إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ

“Surely salah keeps one away from indecency and evil.” ((al-‘Ankabut, 29:45)

There is no doubt that the one who stands in front of Allah willingly will be different from the one who doesn’t. How can one continue to commit the same sins if one is standing before Allah five times a day? By realizing Allah’s greatness and dependence on Him, a believer gets rid of his false pride and arrogance. He humbles himself in salah and places his head—the source of his honor and intellect to the ground and says سُبْحَانَ رَبِّىَ الأَ عْلَى “How perfect is my Lord, The Most High.” Humbleness is one of the qualities which Allah has associated with success.

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ

“Successful indeed are the believers; those who humble themselves in their prayers.” (al-Mu’minun, Qur’an 23:1-2)

Of course this can only be achieved when we understand what we are reciting and concentrate with humility. We should try our best to learn what we recite in our salah. Knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, people commit sins. However, Allah has provided, in salah a way to wipe out those sins.

وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ذَٰلِكَ ذِكْرَىٰ لِلذَّاكِرِينَ

“Establish salah at each end of the day and in the first part of the night. Surely, good deeds wipe out evil deeds. This is a reminder for the mindful.” (Hud, 11:114)

The Prophet (SAW) gave a beautiful example when he said to his companions: “Consider if one of you had a river by his door in which he bathed five times a day. Would any filth remain on him?” They said, “No.” Then the Prophet replied: “Likewise, Allah wipes away sins with the five daily prayers.”

Man is surrounded by numerous trials and problems. Once we focus on strengthening our relationship with our Lord, He, who is All-Powerful, will fix our problems.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

“O you who believe, seek help through patience and salah; surely, Allah is with the patient ones.” (al-Baqarah, 2:153)

When the prayer is performed in congregation, it cultivates brotherhood, equality and humility between Muslims. The worshippers stand in rows, shoulder to shoulder, without any distinction of race, nationality, color, wealth, family or status, and all pray together as one body. This act of unity helps demolish barriers which stand between men. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Prayer in congregation is better than praying alone by twenty-seven degrees.” We don’t only have to perform salah but have to establish it, which means that the system of prayer should be organized on a collective basis. One of the duas that Ibrahim (AS) made while building the Ka’bah was:

رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ 

“My Lord! Make me and my descendants people who establish salah. Our Lord, accept my prayer.” (Ibrahim, 14:40)

If there is a person in a locality who prays individually but no arrangements are made for congregational prayer, it cannot be claimed that prayer is established in that locality. The whole purpose of our existence is to worship Allah. Yet those who do not perform or establish salah as prescribed are disobeying their Creator every day. The Qur’an tells us that the people in Hell will be asked,

مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِي سَقَرَ () قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَ ()

“What has caused you to enter Hell? They will say: We were not of those who used to pray.”(al-Muddathir, 74:42-43)

How many of us will be among those who say “we were not of those who prayed, or we were not of those who prayed on time, or we were not of those who made prayer a priority in our lives?” Why is it that if we are in class or at work or fast asleep at the time of Fajr and we need to use the restroom, we make time for that? In fact, the question almost sounds absurd. We don’t even consider it an option not to. The truth is that we put the needs of our body above the needs of our soul. We feed our bodies, because if we didn’t, we would die. When we starve our souls by not praying, we cause our souls to die. Ironically, the body that we tend to is only temporary, while the soul that we neglect is eternal. Prayer satisfies our spiritual need to be in contact with our Creator. This gives the soul peace and contentment.

أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

“Truly it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find peace.” (al-Ra’d, 13:28). Allah (SWT) commanded Musa (AS) in these words: وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي

 “And establish salah to remember Me.” (Ta Ha, 20:14).

The person who does not pray regularly, who does not remember Allah (SWT) constantly, and who has no connection with Allah (SWT) helplessly seeks alternatives to look for calmness and happiness. He does so in vain, and wanders aimlessly. Allah (SWT) says,

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ

“And whoever turns away from My remembrance; indeed for him is a life of hardship. And on the Day of Resurrection, We shall raise him blind.” (Taha, 20:124)

What excuses will the person who does not pray at all, or who does not pray regularly give to his or her Creator on the Day of Judgment?  May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq to establish salah, and to remember Him.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين.

Brothers and sisters! Refusing the invitation of our Creator to establish this close relationship with Him through salah is the ultimate ingratitude.

قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ

“Say, ‘It is He who created you, and made for you hearing, eyesight, and hearts. Little do you thank.” (al-Mulk, 67:23)

The Prophet (SAW)’s feet would sometimes get swollen because he would stand in prayer for lengthy periods, and when asked about this, he would reply, “Should I not be a grateful servant (of Allah)?” شَكُورًا أَفَلاَ أَكُونُ عَبْدًا. In the Books of Hadith (Sunan) it is said that when something serious troubled the Messenger of Allah (SAW) he took refuge in salah.   

Explaining the benefits of salah, Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) says in his well-known book al-Tibb al-Nabawi, “Prayer can bring about one’s provision (rizq); it preserves health; wards off harm; repels diseases; strengthens the heart, brightens the face; gladdens the soul; removes laziness; invigorates the limbs; reinforces the faculties, expands the breast, nourishes the spirit; lights up the heart; preserves well-being; protects against affliction; attracts blessing; keeps Satan at a distance; and brings one closer to the Merciful…Prayer has a wonderful effect in warding off the evils of this life, especially when it is given its due and is properly performed, outwardly and inwardly.”

On a final note, let us remind ourselves that we have to hold on firmly to the salah till we die, for Allah says,

فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُنْ مِنَ السَّاجِدِينَ () وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ ()  

“So glorify the praise of your Lord and be among the ones who prostrate themselves. And worship your Lord until what is certain comes to you” (al-Hijr, 15:98-99).

Brothers and sisters! Salah was the first act of worship of Allah (SWT) to be legislated, and the last ritual worship that the Prophet (SAW) advised his Ummah to guard, before he departed from this world. This is the importance and centrality of salah in a believer’s life.  

May Allah make us understand the importance of salah and may He grant us the tawfiq to pray as we are required to pray; ameen. 

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