Part 4

command to cast him into Fire. The man asks Allah, "O My Lord, why? Allah, then, replies, "Because you

neglected to perform the Prayer in its time and you swear falsely by Me."

"One day the Prophet (pbuh) said before his Companions:

"O Allah, let not any of us wretched or deprived." Then, he said, "Do you know who the wretched and

deprived is? "They said, "Who is that, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "The one who neglects the Prayer. "2

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"The first faces that will turn dark on the Day of Judgment are the faces of those who neglect the Prayer.

In the HellFire.. there is a valley called AI-Malham that contains serpents. Each serpent is as fat as a

camel's neck and its length is equal to the distance covered in a day. Then, it stings the one who neglects

the Prayer, the poison boils in his body for seventy years then the flesh is torn out."3

Once, an Israelite woman came to Musa (pbuh) and said, "0 Messenger of Allah, I committed a

grievous sin but I repented to Allah. So may you invoke Allah to forgive me and accept my repentance?"

Musa said, "What was your sin?" She replied, "I committed adultery and then gave birth to a child whom I

killed." Musa (pbuh) said, "Go away corrupt woman lest the fire strike from the sky and bum us." Ac-

cordingly, the woman went out with a broken heart. Then, Jibreel (Gabreal) lauded and said, "O Musa,

Allah the Almighty asked you, why you rejected the penitent woman. Have not you found anyone worst

than her?" Musa asked, "Who is that Jibreel?" He replied, "The one who intentionally neglects the Prayer."

Mas'ud AI-Badri related that the Prophet (pbuh) said,

"A Prayer is not valid if one's back is not upright after bowing and prostration." 4

Thus, he who prays should remain motionless for a moment while bowing, prostrating, standing etc.

It was related that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"The worst thief is he who steals from his Prayer." Someone asked, "How?" He answered, "When he does

not bow, prostrate or recite therein perfectly." 5

Reported by As-Siuti who said it is a forged hadith.

Reported by AJ-Darami, Ahmed and AI-Hakim.

"Allah does not look to a man who does not rise his back upright and prostration."1

"This the Prayer of a hypocrite who watches the sun until he finds it about to set, then he stands and

performs it as quick as a bird picking the seeds and he hardly remembers Allah in it."2

Abdullah AI-Ash'ari related, One day the Prophet (pbuh) led the companions in the Prayer. After finishing

the Prayer, someone came in to pray. He started to pray so fast that he could hardly remain motionless for a

moment while bowing or prostrating. Meanwhile, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Behold, if this man dies, he

dies believing in a religion other than Muhammad's."

'Umar Ibn AI-Khattab related that the Prophet (pbuh) said,

"Whoever prays is surrounded by two angels on right and left. If he performed it properly, they take it and

ascend to Allah, the Almighty. Otherwise, they struck his face with it." 3

'Ubadah Ibn As-Aumit related, the Prophet (pbuh) said,

"Whoever makes ablution properly and performs properly the integrals of Prayer: bowing, prostration

and recitation therein, the Prayer says, "May Allah preserve you as you preserve me." Then the Prayer is

risen up skyward enveloped with light. When approaching the heaven 's gates, it will find it opened. So it

keeps on rising up until it reaches Allah. There, it intercedes for the one who performed it. But if he does

not perform (its integral) properly: bowing, prostration or recitation therein, the Prayer says, "May Allah

neglect you as you neglected me.." Then, the Prayer is risen up skyward enveloped with darkness.

Approaching the gates of heaven, it will find it closed. Then, it will be folded as an old cloth and kicked

back to the doer's face."4

Salman AI-Farisi narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said,

"The Prayer is a measure. Whoever gives a just measure, he will be rewarded in full. Whoever stints, you

know what Allah says about the stinters. "

The stinter is he who stints when weighing or measuring out goods or Prayers. Allah promises to

punish them with Wail. A valley in the Hell-Fire from its heat the Hell itself seeks refuge. We seek Allah's

Ibn ' Abbas narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said,

"Whoever prostrates should place his forehead, nose and hands on the floor, as Allah has revealed upon

me to prostrate on five organs: Forehead, nose, the palms of hands, the knees and feet. I have also not to

prostrate on hair nor cloths. Thus, .whoever prostrates improperly, the organ that fails to touch the floor

will curse him until he completes the Prayer." 1

AI-Bukhari reported on the authority of Huzayfa Ibn AIYamman (may Allah be pleased with him) who

said that he once noticed a man praying but he bowed and prostrated improperly. He said to hi,: "You did

not pray. If you die, you will die believing in a religion other than Muhammad's (pbuh)."2

In Abu Dawud's narration, the above hadith is reported as following, "How long have you prayed in

this manner?" He said, "Forty years ago;" He said, "You did not pray forty years ago and if you died you

would die believing in a religion other than Muhammed's (pbuh)."

AI-Hassan AI-Basri used to say, "O son of Adam what is dearer to you of your religion than Prayers. It

is the first thing that you will be called to account for on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (pbuh) said,

"The first of people works that they should be called to account for on the Day of Judgment is the Prayer.

Our Lord, Holly and Exalted will say to His angels, while knowing better than they, "Look at the Prayer of

My servant. Did he perform it in full, or fall short of it?" If it is in order, then he will have prospered ad

succeeded; if it is wanting, then he will have failed and lost. While if anything is missing from it, He will

say, "Look to see if My servant has any supererogatory worship." And if he has, Allah will say, "Complete

My servant's obligatory Prayers for him from his supererogatory ones. "And he will be dealt with likewise

Hence, we should increase our supererogatory worshipping to complete the obligatory ones if they fall

The punishment of he who misses the congregational Prayer though he is able to do, Allah, the Almighty

{The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to prostrate, but they shall not be

able, their eyes will be cast down, ignominy will cover them; seeing that they had been summoned

aforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and had refused.)} (AI-Qalam: 42-43)

Sa'id Ibn AI-Musaiyyib commented, although they were whole in this world, they did not answer the caller

to Prayer. On the other hand, Ka'b AI-Ahbar said, By Allah, this Ayah is only revealed concerning those

who missed the congregational Prayer. 0' what a severe torture awaiting for those who are able to perform

the Prayer in congregation, but they do not."

Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

"I have considered having a man lead people at Prayer and going myself to those who hang back from

attending the Prayer in congregation to burn their houses down upon them."1

Behold, this threat cannot be issued unless there is something obligatory left.

It was related that once, a blind man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said,

"0 Messenger of Allah, I have nobody to lead me to the mosque." Then he asked for a permission to pray at

home. Thereby, the Prophet permitted him. But before leaving, the Prophet called him and said, "Do you

hear the Call to Prayer?" He said, yes. The Prophet said, "Then you have to respond to it." 2

Once, 'Amr Ibn Umm Maktum came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said,

"0 Messenger of Allah, in Madina there are numerous number of reptiles and beasts whereas I am a blind

man and live far away from the mosque. Further, I have an inconvenient guide. Shall I have a dispension to

pray at home? "Then, the Prophet (pbuh) asked, "Do you hear the words of the Call to Prayer?" He said,

yes. The Prophet said, "Then, you have to respond to it, I have no dispension to you." 3

Behold, that is a blind man and faces many hardship in his way to the mosque and has no guide, yet the

Prophet does not permit him to pray at home. How about the sightful people who have no excuse?

Therefore, when Ibn 'Abbas is asked about someone who fasts the day and prays the night but does not

attend the Friday or congregational Prayer. He replied, "If he dies doing that he will enter the Hell-Fire."4

Abu Hurayrah said, "It is better for one's ears to be filled with molten lead than to hear the Call to

Ibn 'Abbas related that the Prophet (pbuh) said,

"Whoever heard the caller to Prayer and did not answer not because of an excuse." Someone asked,

"What kind of excuse is that, Messenger?" He said, "Fear or sickness, he will not have his Prayer

i.e., the Prayer which he performed at home.

Ibn ' Abbas also related that the Prophet (pbuh) said,

"There are three people whom Allah cursed: Whoever leads a group of people in Prayer who dislike him,

a woman whose husband spends the night angry with her and whoever heard the call to Prayer but he does

'Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "A Prayer of a neighbor of a mosque is only

accepted in the mosque." Someone asked, "Who is a neighbor of a mosque?" He said, "Whoever hears the

`Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud related that the Prophet (pbuh) said,

"A person who likes to meet Allah tomorrow (on the Day of Judgment) as a true Muslim, he should then

Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.

Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.

Reported by Abu Dawud, AI-Hakim and Ibn Hibban

take care of those Prayers where (and when) he is summoned for them. This is necessary as Allah has laid

down some practices and rules for us to follow (which have reached us) through our Prophet (pbuh) and

these Prayers are among them. If you offer Prayers at your houses as this good for nothing person is doing,