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Virtues & Importance of Salah

By Shaykh Abu Zaid Zameer

Level I

Virtues & Importance of Salah

HereAfter THE KNOWLEDGE

Section I: Salaah is the best deed

1. Salaah is from the pillars of Islam.1
The Prophet said,

Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): 1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger. 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly. 3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity). 4. To perform Hajj (i.e. Pilgrimage to Makkah). 5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.
[NARRATED BY IBN UMAR RECORDED IN MUSNAD AHMED, SAHEEH MUSLIM, SAHEEH BUKHARI 2(THE BOOK OF BELIEF) 1: 7, TIRMIDHI, NASAI, AUTHENTICATED (SAHEEH) BY ALBANI IN SAHEEH AL JAAMI 2840]

2. Salaah is the best deed.

The Prophet said,

And know that best of your deeds is As-Salaah..

[NARRATED BY THUBAAN BAIHAQI, ALSO NARRATED BY IBN AMR ; RECORDED IN MUSNAD AHMED, IBN MAJAH, HAAKIM, SUNAN AL RECORDED IN IBN MAJAH, AL KABEER BY TABARANI, ALSO NARRATED BY SALMAH BIN AL-AKWA RECORDED IN AL KABEER BY TABRANI, AUTHENTICATED (SAHEEH) BY ALBANI IN SAHEEH AL JAAMI 952]

Section II: Salaah amends our deeds

1. The one whose Salaah is good, his deeds will also be good.
LEARN THIS FIRST WITH ARABIC (THEN MEMORISE OTHER POINTS ALSO) LEARN THE TRANSLATION OF THIS FIRST (THEN LEARN OTHER POINTS ALSO)
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All References from Saheeh Bukhari are from the English translation by Muhammed Mohsin Khan (9 volumes) printed by Kitaab Bhavan also available on the internet at www.islamsmessage.com

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Virtues & Importance of Salah

HereAfter THE KNOWLEDGE

The Prophet

said,

The first thing to be judged of a slave on the Day of Resurrection will be Salaah. Then if his Salaah is good - all his deeds will be good. And if it is bad all his deeds will be bad.
[NARRATED BY ANAS ; RECORDED IN AL AWSAT BY TABARANI, AD-DIYA, AUTHENTICATED (SAHEEH) BY ALBANI IN SAHEEH AL JAAMI 2573]

2. Salaah is light.
The Prophet said,

Salaah is light.
[NARRATED BY ABU MAALIK AL ASHARI ; RECORDED IN MUSNAD AHMED, SAHEEH MUSLIM : 432, TIRMIDHI, AUTHENTICATED (SAHEEH) BY ALBANI IN SAHEEH AL JAAMI 3957]
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3. Salaah stops from sins.

Allah says in the Quran4 in Surah Al-Ankabut 29:45

And establish Salaah. Indeed, prayer restrains from immorality and wrongdoing

Section III: Salaah is expiation of sins

1. Salaah and expiation of sins.
The Prophet said,

All References from Saheeh Muslim are from the English translation by Abdul Hamid Siddiqi (4 volumes with continuous numbering) printed by Kitaab Bhavan also available on the internet at www.islamsmessage.com 4 The Quran translation quoted for the most part is from the English translation by Saheeh International, available in print by Al-Qaasim Publishing House, also available on the internet at www.islamsmessage.com

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Virtues & Importance of Salah

HereAfter THE KNOWLEDGE

If there were a river at the door of any one of you in which he washed himself five times daily. What do you say! Will any of his filthiness remain? They said Nothing of his filthiness will remain. He said, That is like the five times Salaah by which Allah obliterates sins.
[NARRATED BY ABU HURAIRAH OF PRAYERS (KITAB AL-SALAT)): 1410] RECORDED SAHEEH BUKHARI, SAHEEH MUSLIM (THE BOOK

Section IV: Salaah is one of the means of seeking the Help of Allah
1. Seeking help through Salaah.
Allah says in the Quran in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:153,

O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.

2. Offering (nawafil5) Salaah at home is better.

The Prophet said,

When any one of you observes prayer in the mosque he should reserve a part of his prayer for his house, for Allah would make the prayer as a means of betterment in his house.
[NARRATED BY JAABIR ; RECORDED IN MUSNAD AHMED, SAHEEH MUSLIM (THE BOOK OF PRAYERS (KITAB AL-SALAT)): 1705, IBN MAJAH, ALSO NARRATED BY ANAS ; RECORDED BY ADDAARQUTNI IN AL-AFRAAD, AUTHENTICATED (SAHEEH) BY ALBANI IN SAHEEH AL JAAMI 731]

Optional Salaah other than the compulsory prayers Page - 4 -

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Virtues & Importance of Salah

HereAfter THE KNOWLEDGE

Section V: Taking care of the time of Salaah

1. The first thing which the slave (of Allah) will be judged about on the Day of Resurrection
The Prophet said,

Surely the first thing which the slave of Allah will be asked about on the Day of Resurrection from his deeds will be his Salaah. So if it is good indeed he has succeeded and is saved and if it is bad indeed he has failed and has lost. If his obligatory Salaah (i.e. Fardh) falls short, The Lord, the Exalted and Great, will say, See if My slave has some voluntary (salaah)? So whatever falls short in the obligatory Salaah (Fardh) will be completed by it. Then all his deeds will be judged accordingly.
[NARRATED BY ABU HURAIRAH ; RECORDED IN TIRMIDHI, NASAI, IBN MAJAH, AUTHENTICATED (SAHEEH) BY ALBANI IN SAHEEH AL JAAMI 2020]

2. The last advice of Allahs Messenger

Umme Salamah narrated,

Allahs Messenger used to say in his illness in which he died, (Take care about) As-Salaah! And what your right hands possess. He kept on saying this until his tongue could not move with it.
[NARRATED BY UMM SALMAH ; RECORDED IN IBN MAJAH, MUSNAD AHMED, AL-IRWAA: 238, AUTHENTICATED (SAHEEH) BY ALBANI IN SAHEEH IBN MAJAH 1317]

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Virtues & Importance of Salah

HereAfter THE KNOWLEDGE

3. The sin of being careless about the time of Salaah.

Allah says in the Quran in Surah Al-Maun 107:4-5,

So woe to those who pray, [But] who are heedless of their prayer.

Section VI: Salaah and Family members

1. A Muslim should order his family to establish Salaah
Allah says in the Quran in Surah Taha 20:132,

And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you, and the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness.

2. Beating children if they leave Salaah (after age ten)

The Prophet said,

Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old.
[NARRATED BY ABDULLAH BIN AMR BIN AL-AAS ; RECORDED MUSNAD AHMED, ABU DAWOOD 2: 496, HAAKIM, AUTHENTICATED (HASAN) BY ALBANI IN SAHEEH AL JAAMI 5868]
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Section VII: Leaving Salaah

1. Leaving Salaah is Kufr (Disbelief).
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All References from Sunan Abu Dawood are from the English translation by Ahmad Hasan (3 volumes with continuous numbering) printed by Kitaab Bhavan.

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Virtues & Importance of Salah

HereAfter THE KNOWLEDGE

The Prophet

said,

Surely between a man and between Shirk (polytheism) and Kufr (disbelief) is leaving Salaah.
[NARRATED BY JAABIR ; RECORDED IN SAHEEH MUSLIM (THE BOOK OF FAITH (KITAB AL-IMAN)): 147, ABU DAWOOD, TIRMIDHI, IBN MAJAH, AUTHENTICATED (SAHEEH) BY ALBANI IN SAHEEH AL JAAMI 2848]

[THERE ARE MORE POINTS WITH THE TICK IN THIS TOPIC SINCE THE PROBLEM OF LEAVING SALAH IS VERY COMMON AMONG PEOPLE CURRENTLY.]

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