IMPORTANCE OF SALAAH

• Salaah is a pillar of the Deen.

Like a building is supported by a pillar, likewise Salaah is the supporting pillar of a person’s deen. Hence, should the person discard Salaah, he has collapsed a pillar of deen.

• Salaah will be first (among the ibadaat) to be accounted for on the Day of Qiyamah.

Should the Salaah of the person be acceptable, then all other deeds shall be fine. However, should the Salaah not be acceptable, then the rest of the deeds would have defects.

• Salaah is the best and most virtuous deed in the Court of Allah Ta’ala.

It offers support towards other worships.

• Salaah is noor (light).

Through Salaah, one is exposed to a special light and in the hereafter, when all will be dark, Salaah will facilitate noor, insha Allah.

• Salaah removes sin like how dry leaves fall off the tree in the winter season.

It can be deduced from this that performing Salaah plays a very big part in the forgiveness of a person’s sins.

CROWNING GLORY OF SALAAH

Allah Ta’ala says in the Noble Qur’an in Surah Al Ankaboot,

“Indeed Salaah dispels shameful and sinful actions”

When a Mu’min stands before Allah in Salaah, his heart is engaged through the eyes of his heart, that, Allah is before him and watching every movement – even what is in the heart. When this inspiration is strongly embedded in the course of Salaah, then the same fusion would be applied outside Salaah. The concept of Allah knowing and seeing all the time will become a true reality. Hence, regular performance of Salaah inspires one to continue in other worships and protects one from sinning.

SEVERE WARNING FOR NEGLECTING SALAAH

Salaah is obligatory on every mature Muslim, male or female, young or old, healthy or sick, resident or musaafir – literally there is no excuse.

Omitting Salaah is indeed a very serious sin and some of the following ahadith express the severity and warning:

Ø      Salaah distinguishes Mu’min from a Kaafir. Leaving Salaah leaves a person on the brink of kufr.

Ø      That person who deliberately omits Salaah may be regarded as a Kaafir, i.e. he has reached very close to kufr.

Ø      He who leaves Salaah has no part to play in Islam, i.e. he is deprived of exposing his Muslim identity.

Ø      He who is unmindful of his Salaah will rise up with the worst of people, i.e. Qarun, Fir’aun, Hamaan and Ubay ibn Khalaf.

Ø      He who’s one Salaah was missed; it is like all his wealth and family have been destroyed.

SALAAH WITH JAMA’AH

Shari’ah has compelled men to perform Salaah in the masjid with congregation. Those who ignore this instruction come under the spotlight of this hadith, where Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Whomsoever hears the azaan and then, without any legitimate reason does not attend Salaah with jama’ah, then (read it individually) it is as if he did not perform it at all.” [Ibn Majah]

In another hadith, Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) severely reprimanded to burn those homes where the men folk refused to come to the masjid for congregational prayers.

Every effort must be made to perform Salaah with jama’ah. The reward of Salaah with jama’ah is twenty seven times greater.