Allaah the Exalted said:
Indeed the prayer has been enjoined upon the Believers at stated times.[1]
Al-Bukhaaree (rh) said: "At stated (fixed) times. He has set time limits for them"
Abu
Amr ash-Shaybaanee said: The owner of this house - and he pointed to
the house of Abdullaah (ibn Mas'ood) - said: I asked the Messenger
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam) 'Which action is most loved by Allaah?' He
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Prayer at its proper time." Then he
said: What next? He (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Righteous
conduct towards the parents." Then he said: What next? He (sallallahu
alaihi wasallam) said: "Jihaad in the path of Allaah." He (Abdullaah)
said: He informed me with them, If I asked him for more he would have
told me more.[2]
The
Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) explained in this hadeeth that
prayer at its proper time is the the most loved of actions and he
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam) put this before righteousness to parents
and Jihaad in the path of Allaah. The evidence for this is the use of
the particle 'What next'. This particle is used to denote order and
this is well known to the people of the arabic language.
Al-Haafidh
Ibn Hajr said in 'Al-Fath': "Ibn Bazeeza said: That which requires
looking into is the placement of Jihaad at the forefront of all the
actions of the body, as it entails sacrificing ones self, with the
exception of having patience upon preserving the obligatory prayers,
performing them at their times and also good conduct with ones parents,
a matter which is necessary all the time. None can remain patient in
being observant of Allaah in this matter except the Siddeeqoon (the
truthful) and Allaah knows best."
I say: I will put forward an example which will make clear the intent here:
There
is a man immersed in his trade and whatever other engagements it
entails and whom Shaytaan has managed to deceive so that he misses the
takbeeratul-ihraam(the opening takbeer of the prayer in congregation)
or a portion of the prayer in congregation. You come to him with texts
about Jihaad in the path of Allaah the Exalted and also stories about
the bravery of the Companions (ra). You instill in him the aspiration
for Paradise and make him renounce the world. He looks at the world
after you have admonished him and he sees it become small and
insignificant. He reflects upon the Hereafter and sees it becoming
great and awesome in his soul. So he races towards the Garden whose
width is as the width of the Heavens and the Earth. He rushes to write
his will, he concludes the rights he owes to others and says farewell
to his family and loved ones and embarks upon the journey to battle. He
is killed as a martyr in the path of Allaah.
If
you had not called this man to Jihaad in the path of Allaah, the
Exalted but had called him to preserving the prayers, mentioning the
texts which cause inspiration and instill fear and the stories which
have great effects (upon the soul), what would you have seen from him?
Perhaps
he would have responded and cried over what occured. He would have made
firm his resolution to safeguard the prayers upon their times and
perhaps he would manage that for some number of days. But then Shaytaan
comes and whispers to him, and his engagements and appointments
increase, his commitments and meetings reach high proportions and
Shaytaan therefore, obtains from him what he desired. He misses some of
the times of prayer and then returns to struggle against his soul in
order to help himself against Shaytaan. Then the same thing occurs
another time and in this manner he is constantly wrestling with and
battling against Shaytaan, five times in every day of his, and life is
nothing but days and days...
This
is a battle aginst the soul and the former example is also a battle
against the soul. But where does the first type stand when compared to
the second? This striving, is striving for a whole lifetime and that
striving is only for an hour or perhaps days, months or years. But in
either of the two situations I say: In both there is good.
I
ask Allaah the Exalted that He makes me amongst those who safeguard the
times of prayer and its khushoo' and likewise all of His commands, and
that he writes me amongst the martyrs. Indeed He has power over all
things.
Mis'ab
bin S'ad said: I said to my father: O my father! Do you consider this
verse: 'Those who are forgetful in their prayers'[3]. Which of us is
not forgetful? Which one of us does not converse with his soul (during
the prayers)? He said: That is not what is meant. It refers to the
wasting of the (correct) time for prayer. A man plays about, (wasting
time in idle talk) until the time for the prayer passes.[4]
Moosa
bin Ismaa'eel said: Mahdi narrated from Ghaylaan who narrated from Anas
(ra) that he said: I cannot recognise anything (now) which used to be
in the era of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). It was said:
The Prayer. He said: Do you not do what you do with regard to the
prayer.[5]
He meant delaying it past its proper time.
Uthmaan
bin Abi Rawwaad, the brother of Abdul-Azeez said: I heard Zuhree say: I
entered upon Anas bin Maalik in Damascus and he was crying. So I said
to him: What makes you cry? He said: I do not recognise anything which
I used to know except this prayer and this prayer is being
wasted/neglected.[6]
Ibn
Hajr said in 'Fath ul-Baari': Al-Muhallib said: "And the meaning of
'wasting it' is delaying it past its proper, recommended time, not that
they perform it outside its time limit." Ibn Hajr differed with this in
his explanation which he mentions in his book and says that the meaning
is performing the prayer outside its stated times.
I say: The poet has spoken the truth here:
I said they are both bitter (even) the sweeter of the two is bitter
Anas
(ra) wept over this matter and yet what are we doing. What is that
thing which is desirable for us to do. Is it not befitting for us that
we make the plants to grow with our tears?! Due to our neglect and
wasting of the prayer and likewise the rest of Allaah's commands.
Ubaadah
bin Saamit (ra) said: I testify that I heard the Messenger of Allaah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam) say: "Allaah Azzawajall has made five
prayers obligatory. Whoever beautifies the wudhoo, prays them at their
proper times, and completes the rukoo', the sujood and khushoo within
them, has a covenant with Allaah that He will forgive him.Whoever does
not do that then he has no covenant with Allaah and if Allaah wills He
will forgive him and if He wills He will punish him."[7]
Ka'b
bin Ujra (ra) said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alaihi
wasallam) came to us and we were a group of seven, four of us were
freed slaves and the remaining three had not been slaves formerly. Our
backs were against the wall of the mosque and he said: "Why are you
sitting down?" We said: We were waiting for the prayer. He (Ka'b) said:
So he paused for a while, then turned to us and said: "Do you know what
your Lord says?" We said: No. He said: "Indeed your Lord says: Whoever
performs the prayer at its time, preserves it in this manner
constantly, and does not waste it deeming its true worth to be
insignificant has a covenant with Me that I shall enter him into
Paradise. And whoever does not perform the prayer at its proper time,
preserve it in this manner constantly and wastes it considering its
true worth to be insignificant has no covenant with me. If I will I
shall punish Him and if I will I shall forgive Him."[8]
Abdullaah
ibn Mas'ood (ra) said: The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) passed
by his companions one day and said to them: "Do you know what your
Lord, the Blessed and Exalted says?" They said: Allaah and His
Messenger know best. The Messenger said this three times and then said:
"By My Power and Magnificence non prays them at their proper times
except I will enter Him into Paradise and whoever prays them at other
than their times, if I will I shall show mercy to Him and if I will I
shall punish him."[9]
NOTES
[1] Surah Nisaa 4:103
[2] Reported by Bukhaaree
[3] Surah Maa'oon 107:5
[4] Reported by Abu Ya'laa with a Hasan isnaad and it is also in [Saheeh ut-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb], no. 575.
[5] Reported by Bukhaaree, Chapter: Delaying the Prayer Past its Proper Time.
[6] Reported by Bukhaaree, Chapter: Delaying the Prayer Past its Proper Time.
[7] Reported by Maalik, Abu Daawood, an-Nasaaee and Ibn Hibbaan
declared it Saheeh. It is also in [Saheeh ut-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb], no.
396.
[8] Reported by at-Tabaraanee in [Al-Kabeer] and [al-Awsat], by Ahmad
and it is also in [Saheeh ut-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb], no.397.
[9] Reported by at-Tabaraanee in [al-Kabeer] and it is also in [Saheeh ut-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb], no. 398.