Prayer (Salah)

Look at the world around us, the Muslims and the non-Muslims who do not pray. But still Allah has given them a happy life, handsome amount of money; blessed them with families and children, and everything else they require in this world, THEN WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

Then there are other types of people who pray regularly 5 times a day. But still some are suffering so many hardships, pain and struggle. Then again, WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

WHAT IS PRAYER?

Prayer is one of the five pillars of Islam and is an act of worship. It is one of the most important pillar which makes our Iman stronger and makes us closer to Allah.

Suppose we build a house with only 3 walls of a room without a roof? Can we survive in it properly? Will the house provide what it has to provide for us?

Then how can we call our self Muslims by just saying the Shahadah, fasting during the month of Ramadan by neglecting our 5 times prayer?

We can call our self Muslims only if we obey and practice all the 5 commandments of Allah.

Prayer should be offered 5 times a day without any excuse.

The common mistake we all do is that, we give excuses of our work, children and other worldy matters and delay our prayer or neglect them completely. It is Allah who gave us our jobs, children, etc. Then how can we be ungrateful to him? Why are we more grateful to our bosses than the creator who provided us with everything? 

Allah says in the Quran: “O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allâh. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers” (63:9)

WHY DO WE PRAY?

1. TO NOURISH OUR SOULS: We are human beings because of our soul. If we minus our soul, we become a beast. To keep our beastly body alive, we have food. And to keep our soul alive, we need to have spiritual food (i.e.) prayer. So if we do not pray, we become like a beastly body without a soul. So we have 2 duties:

   1. Nourish our body by food
   2. Nourish our soul by spiritual food (i.e) prayer.

   And since we HAVE to pray 5 times a day, we provide sufficient spiritual food to our soul.

2. TO REMOVE TROUBLE: We are so cunning!. We automatically remember Allah only when we are in trouble. We our self know that it is Allah and no other person who can help us at the time of difficulties. But when we are not in trouble, then who is Allah? This is the mistake we do. We need to be thankful and grateful to Allah at all times for all the bounties he has bestowed upon us.

   Allah says:

   “And when We show favour to man, he withdraws and turns away; but when evil touches him, then he has recourse to long supplications” (41:51) 
    
   “And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sâbirun (the patient). (Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly! To Allâh we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.” (They are those on whom are the Salawât (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided-ones.” (2:155-156)

   “If Allâh helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allâh (Alone) let believers put their trust”. (3:160)

3. REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH: This is one of the most important reasons as to why we have to pray. We pray because we remember Allah, and we fear the life after death which is the true life. From morning till night we pray 5 times a day, because we remember Allah.

   Allah says:
   “And certainly the remembrance of Allah is the greatest” (29:45)

   Allah says:
   “Verily, I am Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me, and perform As- Salat for My remembrance.” (20:14)

   Allah says:
   “Therefore Remember Me, and I will remember you, and be thankful for Me and do not be ungrateful to Me.” (2:152)

   Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Allah says: ‘I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.’“ (BUKHARI)

   Subhan Allah, see how grateful Allah is to us, and see how ungrateful servants we are, we don’t even have the time to pray 5 times a day. E.g.: When somebody opens the door for us, we tell him thank you. For the smallest deeds humans does for us, we thank them. Then, think about how much we should thank Allah in a day for providing us all the luxuries of life.

   Narrated Al-Mughira: The Prophet used to offer night prayers till his feet became swollen. Somebody said, to him, “Allah has forgiven you, your faults of the past and those to follow.” On that, he said, “Shouldn’t I be a thankful slave of Allah?“ (BUKHARI)

   We love our parents, siblings, spouse, and children so much. We do all the possible things to get closer to them so that their love towards us will increase. We do all this because we remember them and love them. Imagine living in the same house, we don’t do anything for each other. We don’t talk a word with each other; we don’t share any personal time together. How would our life be? Will there be peace and tranquility in that house? Will we get closer to each other? Will our love for each other increase? No, we would start having hatred towards each other.

   In the same manner, if we want Allah to love us and make our life in this world, if not our life in the hereafter better, we HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE, but to obey Allah and worship Him at all times. While praying to Allah, we are having a private and personal talk with Allah. It is a talk between the two of us only. NOBODY will hear our inner soul except Allah. We feel so much at peace and ease after having prayed sincerely and with humility.

   Allah says:
   “Those who believed (in the oneness of Allah) and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (13:28)

   Allah says:
   “And why should I not worship Allah who has created me and to whom shall be returned.” (36:22)

   Allah does not tell us to be on our prayer mat 24 hours a day and remember Him. He tells us to pray on time and then get back to our normal work. But even during the time when we are not praying we should remember Allah in whatever actions we do and by saying Dhikr all the time.

   Allah says:“Then when the prayer is ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allâh (by working, etc.), and remember Allâh much, that you may be successful” (62:10)

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