Abdullah-bin- Umar (Radhi Allaho anho) narrates that he heard the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) saying: "Islam is founded on five pillars :bearing witness that their is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is His servant and apostle; establishment of salat; paying zakat; perfoming of Hajj; and fasting in the month of Ramadan."
The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) has compared Islam to a canopy resting on five supports. The Kalimah is the central support and the other four pillars of Islam are, so to say, the remaining four supports one of each corner of the canopy. Without the central support, the canopy cannot possibly stand, and if anyone of the corner supports is missing, a collapse will result in the defective corner. Now let us judge for ourselves how far we have kept up the canopy of Islam. Is there really any pillar that is being held in its proper place?
The five pillars of Islam mentioned in this hadith signify the most essential duties of a Muslim. Although a Muslim cannot do without any of them, yet salat in Islam occupies a position next only to Imaan. Abdullah bin Masood ((Radhi Allaho anho) says: Once, I inquired of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam), which act (of man) was the dearest to Allah. The Prophet replied, "salat".
Mullah Ali Qari (Rahmatullah alaihe) quoted this hadith in suport of the belief that salat is the most important religious duty after Imaan. This is further corroborated by a hadith, in which te Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) is reported to have said: "Salat is the best of all that has been ordained by Allah."
Abuzar (Radhi Allaho anho) narrates that once the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) came out of his house. It was autumn and the leaves were falling off the trees. He caught hold of a branch of a tree and its leaves began to drop in large number. At this he remarked, 'O Abzar Radhi Allaho anho) when a Muslim offers his slat to please Allah, his sins are shed away from him just as these leaves are falling of this tree."
Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allaho anho) narrates that once the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) asked his companions, "Do you believe that dirt can remain on a person bathing five times a day in a brook runnng in front of his door?' 'No' replied the companions, 'No dirt can remain on his body.' The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) remarked : 'So, exactly is similar is the effect of salat offered five times a day. With the Grace of Allah, it washes away all the sins."
Jabir (Radhi Allaho anho) narrates that he heard the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) saying: "The likedness of five times daily salat is as the likeness of a deep brook running in front of the door of a person who bathes there in five times a day."
Running water is generally free from dirt, and the deeper it runs the cleaner and purer it is. A bath in such water surely removes dirt from the body and makes it clean. Salat offer with due regard for its essentials likewise cleanses the soul of all sins. There are several hadiths of the same meaning, though with slight variations in expressions, narrated by different companions of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam).
Abu Saeed Khudri (Radhi Allaho anho) narrates that he heard the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) saying:"Each of the five salats expiates the sins committed since the salat preceding it. To explain, let us take this case of a person working in a factory. His job is such that his body is covered with dust. But there are five streams of running water in between the factory and his house and, on his return from the job, he takes a bath in each stream. The effect of five times daily salat s quite similar. Any sins of omission and commisson between two salats are forgiven on account of 'Istighfar and Taubah in each salat."
The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) through such parables, aims at impressing that salat has the wonderful power of removing the sins. If we fail to avail of Allah's mercy, surely we ourselves are the losers.
To err is human. We are likely to commit innumerable acts of displeasing Allah and deserve thereby His wrath and punishment, but look how relenting our dear Allah is! He has most graciously shown us the way to earn His mercy and forgiveness. It is a great pity if we do not avail of this great favour. Our Allah is always eager to show us His mercy on very small grounds. It is said in a hadith that if a person goes to bed with the intention of getting up for Tahajjud, and perchance does not wake up, he recieves the full reward for Tahajjud, although he has been enjoying his sleep at of Tahajjud. How boundless is the grace of Allah and what a tremendous loss and deprivation if we do not receive blessing from such a Giver.
Huzaifa (Radhi Allaho anho) says that, whenever the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) happened to face any difficulty, he would at once resort to salat.
Salat is a great blessing of Allah. To resort to salat the time of worry is ti hasten towards His mercy, and when Allah's mercy comes to rescue, there can remain no trace of any worry. There are many traditions concerning this practice of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam). Similar was the practice of his companions, who followed him in the minutest detail.
Abu Darda (Radhi Allaho anho) says: "Whenever a strong wind blew, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) would immediately enter the mosque and would not leave until the wind had subsided. Similarly, at the time of sular or lunar eclipse, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) would at once start offering salat. Sohaib (Radhi Allaho anho) was informed by the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) that all the previous apostles of Allah (peace be upon them) also use to resort to salat in all adversities.
Ibne Abbas (Radhiallaho anho) was once on a journey. Oh his way, he got the news of the death of his son. He got down from his camel and offered two rakaat of salat praying in Tashahud for a long time. He then recited Inna-Lillahi-wa-inna-ilaii-rajeun' and, said " I have done what Allah has ordered us to do in his Holy Book ie.: "Seek Allah's help with patience and salat." (II: 45). Another similar story is narrated about him. He was on a journey when he received the news about the death of his brother Qusum. He descended from his camel by the road side, and performed two rakaats of salat and kept praying in Tashahhud for a long time. After finishing his slat, he rode his camel reciting the following verse of the Holy Qur'an: Seek Allah's help with patience and salat and truly it is indeed hard except to the humble minded.
When Abada (Radhiallaho anh) was about to breathe his last, he said to the people around him, " I prohibit one and all from crying over me. When my soul departs, I ask everyone to perform abulution observing all its essentials, and go to the mosque and pray for my forgiveness, because our Gracious Allah has enjoined on us to 'seek help with patient and salat' After that, lay me down in the pit of my grave.
Nadhr (Radhiallaho anho) narrates: "Once it became very dark during the day in Madina. I hurriedly went to Anas (Radiallaho anho) to know if he had ever experienced similar conditions during the life time of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam). He said to me, "Maazallah! During those blessed days, whenever the wind blew strong, we would hurry to the mosque lest it should be the approach of the Last Day.
Abdullah-bin- Salam (Radhiallaho anho) narrates that whenever the members of the Prophet's family were hard-pressed in any way, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) would enjoin upon them to say salat, and would recite the following verse of the Qur'an: "And enjoin salat upon thy people and be thyself constant therein. We ask not of thee to provide sustenance. We provide it for thee. And the Hereafter is for the righteousness." XX: 132)
It is said in a hadith that when somebody is confronted with a need, whether pertaining to this life or the Hereafter, or whether it concerns Allah or a mortal, he should perform a perfect abulution, offer salat of two rakaats, glorify Allah, then ask blessings for the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) and then pray: There is no go save Allah- the Clement - the Bountiful. Glorified be Allah, the Lord of the tremendous throne. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I ask Thee all that leadeth to Thy Mercy and deserveth Thy forgiveness. I ask Thee abundance in all that is good and refugee from all is evil. Leave me no sin but Thou pardonest it, and no distress but Thou removes it, and no need but Thou fulfillest it. O most Merciful of those who show mercy!"
Salat is a tremendoud asset. Besides pleasing Allah, it often gets us deliverence from the calamities of this life and provides us with tranquility and peace of mind. Ibn-Sirin writes: " If I be allowed to choose between paradise and salat of two rakaats, I would prefer salat. The reason is quite clear. Paradise is for my own pleasure while salat is for the pleasure of my dear Lord." The Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) has said: "Enviable is the lot of that Muslim who is with least encumberance, whose main fortune is salat, who remain content with humble provision throughout his life, who worships his Lord in a dutiful manner, who lives a nameless life and who dies an early death, with very little to bequeath and very few to mourn him." In another hadith, the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) is reported to have said: "Offer your salat at your homes quite frequently so that these may be blessed with Allah's Grace and Mercy.
To be continued next week.
Culled from Faza'il-E-A'maal.
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