Prayer is the most obligatory of the Five Pillars of Islam next to the Two Testifications of Faith, and it was ordained in the best and the most perfect way for an act of worship. Prayer includes many of the acts of worship, like the remembrance of Allah Almighty, the recitation of the Qur’an, standing humbly before Almighty Allah, bowing, prostration, supplication, and Takbeer (uttering the words ‘Allahu Akbar’).
Prayer is also the head of the physical acts of worship, of which none of the religions brought by any of Allah’s messengers is void. Prayer, unlike all other acts of worship, was enjoined by Almighty Allah on His messenger, Muhammad, sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam, the Seal of Messengers, on the night of Al-Mi’raj (the ascension of the Prophet). This is an indication of its greatness, a confirmation of its being obligatory, and a sign of its high status in the Sight of Allah. There are many hadiths indicating the virtues of prayer and showing its being obligatory on all Muslim individuals. The fact that prayer is an obligatory act of worship is primarily known in Islam. So, whoever denies this fact is considered to be an apostate.
Linguistically, prayer means invocation; Allah, the Exalted Commands the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, to ‘pray’ for the believers, saying (what means): “…And invoke [Allah’s blessings] upon them...” [Qur’an 9: 103]
According to the Shari’ah (Islamic Jurisprudence), prayer is defined as a special kind of sayings and deeds beginning with takbeer and ending with tasleem (saying ‘assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah’). It is called ‘prayer’ because it includes invocation. During prayer, the worshipper is in a state of invocation through worshipping Almighty Allah, praising Him, or supplicating Him for something.
This is why it is called ‘prayer’. Prayer was decreed by Almighty Allah on the night of Al-Mi’raj before Hijrah, as five prayers to be performed every day and night at specified times by every legally accountable Muslim. Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): “...Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.” [Qur’an 4: 103]
Those prayer times are the times pointed out by Allah’s messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, through his words or his deeds. Allah, the Exalted, Says (what means): “And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give Zakah. And that is the correct religion.” [Qur’an 98: 5]
In addition, in many verses of Allah’s Glorious Book (the Qur’an), Allah, the Exalted Says: “And establish prayer...” [Qur’an: 2: 43]
Almighty Allah also Says (what means): [O Muhammad], tell My servants who have believed to establish prayer…” [Qur’an 14: 31)
Moreover, Allah, the Exalted Says: “So Exalted is Allah when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning. And to Him is [due all] praise throughout the heavens and the earth. And (Exalted is He) at night and when you are at noon.” [Qur’an 30: 17-18]
Therefore, it is obligatory for whoever reaches one of the specified times of prayer, being adult and sane, to perform it, excluding women in a state of menstruation or postnatal bleeding. Scholars unanimously agree that it is not obligatory for women in the aforesaid two cases to perform prayer, nor to perform it later after purification. On the other hand, whoever is in a state of unconsciousness, as in sleeping, fainting, and the like, has to perform the prayer at the moment when they wake up or recover to the normal state. Allah, the Exalted, Says (what means): “...And establish prayer for My remembrance.” [Qur’an 20: 14]
In addition, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, says: “Whoever misses a prayer out of oversleeping or forgetfulness, let him perform it once he remembers it.”
A guardian of a child has to command him to perform prayer when the child reaches the age of seven, though it is still not obligatory for him. But the purpose is to make the child interested in prayer and used to it. Thus, the child and his guardian will be rewarded when the former performs prayer, for Allah, the Exalted, Says (what means): “Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgment] with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof [to his credit] ...” [Qur’an 6: 160]
Moreover, when a woman showed the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, a young boy who was with her, saying:”Does this one have to perform Haj (Pilgrimage), O Messenger of Allah?” He, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, replied, “Yes, and you will have a reward.”
So, a guardian has to teach his child how to perform prayer and how to perform ablution for it. A guardian has also to beat his child if the latter is ten years old and neglects prayer, for the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention ) said: “Command your children to perform prayer when they become seven years old, and beat them for (not performing) it (i.e. prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (so that boys and girls sleep) separately.” [Ahmad, At-Tirmithi, Abu Dawood, and other compilers of hadiths]
It is also impermissible to perform prayer later than its due time, for Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): “...Indeed prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.” [Qur’an 4: 103]
The meaning is that prayer has specified times at which it has to be performed. A prayer is impermissible to be deferred except for those who would like to combine it with the following prayer, provided that the said prayer can be combined with another, and that the case is among those in which combining two prayers is permissible as well as the person being one who is allowed to combine prayers in this way. As for delaying performing a night prayer until the morning, a day prayer until the night, or the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer until sunrise, it is by no means permissible, whether the reason is a state of major ritual impurity, minor ritual impurity, or anything else. Rather, one has to perform them at their specified times, regardless of one’s state.
A person might happen to be detained in hospital where he is confined to a bed that he cannot leave to pray, or cannot change the impure clothes he wears, or cannot find pure earth to perform tayammum (dry ablution) instead of ablution to pray. Some ignorant people in this case defer prayer on the pretext that they will perform it later when possible. In fact, this is a grave mistake and a means of missing prayer whose reason is unawareness and lack of juristic consultation. What they have to do is to perform prayer at its specified times regardless of their states. Their prayer will be sufficient, even if it is performed without tayammum or in impure clothes; Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): “So fear Allah as much as you are able...” [Qur’an 64: 16]
Even if they pray without facing the Qibla (the direction of Ka’aba), provided they are unable to face it, their prayer is still valid.
The prayer is the basic pillar of Islam, and the main difference between a Muslim and a disbeliever. So, whatever good deeds one might do are useless if one is negligent of prayer, we ask Almighty Allah for safety. (Extracted from: A Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence)
Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/
Tips to help you safeguard and improve your prayers
The following is some advice to help you preserve and safeguard your prayer, and perform it in a proper manner, which makes it more likely to be accepted:
l Perform Wudhoo’ (ablution) properly because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Allah made compulsory upon Himself to Admit into Paradise any Muslim who properly performed Wudhoo’, then prays two Rak’ah with attentiveness and submissiveness.” [Muslim].
* Leave your house in the state of Wudhoo’ because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “The one who leaves his house in a state of Wudhoo’ to perform an obligatory prayer will get the reward of pilgrimage.” [Ahmad].
* Be keen to perform it as soon as its time is due because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “The best of deeds is performing prayer on its due time” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
* Be keen to perform it with the congregation because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Prayer with the congregation is 27 multiples better than praying alone.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
* Be keen to reach before the Imaam utters the initial Allahu Akbar because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Whosoever prays forty days with the congregation, attending the initial (Allahu Akbar) of the prayer, will be free of two things: Hell Fire and hypocrisy.” [Ahmad]
* Be keen to walk to the mosque because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Give glad tidings to those who walk to the mosque during dark with complete light on the Day of Resurrection.” [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi]
* Be attentive with your heart while performing prayer.
lWait in the mosque for the next prayer as often as you can because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said when he mentioned the seven whom Allah The Almighty will protect under the shade of His throne: “A man whose heart is attached to mosques.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
* Learn the rulings of prayer and the Sunnah (tradition) of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.
* Perform the regular optional prayers at home because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “The best prayer is the one performed at home except the obligatory prayer.” [At-Tabaraani]
lBeware of staying up late at night because you are likely to miss the Fajr prayer.
* Beware of eating, drinking and laughing too much, because this makes performing prayer heavier on the heart.
* Set your alarm for Fajr or get someone to call you to wake up for prayer.
* Ponder upon the verses recited during the prayer.
* Read about the Salaf (righteous predecessors) and their ambition and keenness to guard prayer.
* Think about the glory of Allah The Almighty before you start praying.
* Always say the recommended supplications and remembrance after prayers, and do not leave the mosque before finishing them.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
“There are five ranks of people in relation to prayer,
First, is he who transgresses against himself by neglecting parts of Wudhoo’, its timings and some of its conditions; and he will be punished.
Second, is he who maintains its timings and conditions, but his mind is occupied during prayer; and he will be questioned.
Third, is he who maintains its timings and conditions and all its rights and struggles against himself not to become busy thinking of something else; so he is in a state of Jihaad while praying; and he will forgiven.
Fourth, is he whose heart is fully consumed by praying during his prayer, and his main concern is establishing it properly and perfectly, and he is in a state of servitude to his Lord; and he will be rewarded.
Fifth, is he who does as the fourth, but in addition he sets his heart in the Hands of his Lord, watchful of his Lord, glorifying and honoring Him as if he can see his Lord; his mind is concentrated on praying; and this type is far higher than any other rank; and he is close to his Lord and will have the pleasure of being close to his Lord in the Hereafter .”
Which one of these five ranks do you fit in? Hold yourself accountable and weigh it according to your performance of prayer, because it is an accurate scale.
Ways to glorify the status of prayer:
1. Perform it on time.
2. Perfect its conditions and compulsory acts.
3. Rush to perform it.
4. Feel sorrow if any portion was performed improperly, like the one who becomes saddened for not performing it with the congregation because he missed out on the twenty-seven multiples of reward; or if he was inattentive during prayer, for a prayer without complete submission is like a body without a soul.
Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/
