Virtues of the Prayer
AUTHOR: Imaam Muhammad bin Saalih Al-'Uthaimeen
SOURCE: Sifat Salaat-in-Nabee
The Prayer: is the second pillar from the pillars of Islaam and the
most important pillar of Islaam after the Shahaadah (testimony) of
Faith.
The Prayer: is a link between the servant and his Lord. The Prophet
(sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Indeed, when one of you prays,
he speaks privately with his Lord." [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree] And
Allaah says in the qudsee hadeeth: "I have divided the prayer between
Myself and My servant into two parts, and My servant will have what
he asks for.
So when the servant says: `Al-Hamdulillaahi Rabb-il-`Alameen' , Allaah
says: `My servant has praised Me.'
And when he says: `Ar-Rahmaan- ir-Raheem' , Allaah says: `My servant
has extolled Me.'
And when he says: `Maaliki-yawm- id-Deen', Allaah says: `My servant
has honored Me.'
And when he says: `Iyyaaka Na'bdu wa Iyyaaka Nasta'een', Allaah
says: `This is between Me and My servant and My servant will have
what he asks for.'
And when he says: `Ihdinaas-Siraat- al-Mustaqeem. Siraat-aladheena
an'amta `alaihim. Ghairil-Maghdoobi `alaihim wa lad-Daalleen' , Allaah
says: `This is for My servant and for My servant will be what he asks
for.'" [Reported by Muslim]
The Prayer: is a garden of `ibaadaat (acts of worship), in which
every splendid type of worship is found. There is the takbeer, by
which the prayer is initiated, the standing in which the person
praying recites the words of Allaah, the bowing in which he extols
his Lord, the rising from the bowing position, which is filled with
the praising of Allaah, the prostration in which he glorifies Allaah
by His highness and in which he implores him through supplication,
the sitting in which there is the tashahhud and (more) supplication
and the closing with tasleem.
The Prayer: is a means of support and assistance in times of distress
and grief. And it prevents one from evil and shameful deeds. Allaah
says: "Seek assistance in patience and prayer." And He says: "Recite
what has been revealed to you from the Book and establish the prayer.
Verily, the prayer prevents one from evil and shameful deeds."
The Prayer: is the light of the believers in their hearts and in
their place of gathering (on the Day of Judgement). The Prophet
(sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "The prayer is light." And he
(sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever guards it (his
prayers), it will be a light, a proof and a (means of) salvation for
him on the Day of Judgement." [Reported by Ahmad, Ibn Hibbaan and At-
Tabaraanee]
The Prayer: is the joy and delight of the believers' souls. The
Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "My delight was placed
in the prayer." [Reported by Ahmad and An-Nasaa'ee]
The Prayer: wipes away sins and expiates evil deeds. The Prophet
(sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Do you think that if there was
a river by the door of one of you and he bathed in it five times a
day that there would remain any dirt on him?" They (the Companions)
answered: "There would not remain any dirt on him." The Prophet
(sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "That is how it is with the
five (daily) prayers, through them Allaah washes away the (minor)
sins." [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] And the Prophet
(sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "The five (daily) prayers and
Jumu'ah (prayer) to Jumu'ah (prayer) are an expiation for what (sins)
occur between them so long as one is not guilty of major sins."
[Reported by Muslim]
The Prayer in Congregation: Ibn `Umar (radyAllaahu `anhu) reported
that the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Prayer in
congregation is better than praying alone by twenty-seven degrees."
[Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Ibn Mas'ood (radyAllaahu `anhu)
said: "Whoever would be happy to meet Allaah tomorrow as a Muslim,
then let him preserve (in establishing) these five prayers from the
place where they are called from (i.e. masjids), for verily, Allaah
has legislated for your Prophet the ways of guidance. And indeed
these (five prayers in the masjid) are from the ways of guidance. And
if you were to pray in your homes as this man who refrains (to pray
in the masjid) prays in his home, then you would have abandoned the
Sunnah of your Prophet. And if you were to abandon the Sunnah of your
Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) you would go astray. There is
not a man that performs the ablution and does it well, then sets out
to go to one of these masjids except that Allaah records a good deed
for him for every step he takes and raises him up one level and
erases one evil deed due to it. You have certainly seen us, and no
one would refrain from the prayer (in the masjid) except the
hypocrite whose hypocrisy was well known. And indeed a man would be
brought supported by two men until he was made to stand in the row
(for prayer)." [Reported by Muslim]
Al-Khushoo' (Submissiveness) in the Prayer, which means that 1) the
heart is present and attentive, and 2) preserving that condition -
are both from the means of entering Paradise. Allaah
says: "Successful indeed are the believers. Those who in their
prayers are submissive. And those who turn away from vain talk. And
those who pay their Zakaat. And those who protect their private
parts - Except in front of their spouses or those (women) whom their
right hands possess, for indeed they are not held to blame (in that).
So whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors. And
those who keep their trusts and covenants. And those who preserve
their prayers. They are the inheritors - the ones who will inherit Al-
Firdaus (highest level in Paradise), in which they will abide
forever."
Being sincere to Allaah in the prayer and performing it according to
the manner it is described in the Sunnah are the two fundamental
conditions for its acceptance. The Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) said: "Verily, actions are by intentions and every person
will have what he intended." [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]
And he (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Pray as you have seen
me pray. {Reported by Al-Bukhaaree]
Written by Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-`Uthaimeen
On 4-13/1406H