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Post by Ummati on Apr 20, 2011 21:03:18 GMT 5
The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated.
FIRST PILLAR OF ISLAM AFTER SHAHADAH
It is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned after mentioning the testimony of faith, by which one becomes a Muslim. It was made obligatory upon all the prophets and for all peoples. Allah has declared its obligatory status under majestic circumstances. For example, when Allah spoke directly to Moses, He said,
"And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you. Verily, I am Allah! There is none worthy of worship but I, so worship Me and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance." [Taha 13-14]
QAD AFLAH UL MUMINUN..
The prayer was made obligatory upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during his ascension to heaven. Furthermore, when Allah praises the believers, such as in the beginning of surah al-Muminoon, one of the first descriptions He states is their adherence to the prayers.
1. Successful indeed are the believers. 2. Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness.
THE MOST VIRTUOUS DEED
Once a man asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the most virtuous deed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that the most virtuous deed is the prayer. The man asked again and again. The first three times, the Prophet (peace be upon him) again answered, "The prayer," then on the fourth occasion he stated, "Jihad in the way of Allah." [recorded by Ahmad]
IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER
"The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad." [Recorded by al-Tabarani]
The importance of the prayers lies in the fact that no matter what actions one performs in his life, the most important aspect is one’s relationship to Allah, that is, one’s faith (imaan), God-consciousness (taqwa), sincerity (ikhlas) and worship of Allah (`ibaadah). This relationship with Allah is both demonstrated and put into practice, as well as improved and increased, by the prayer. Therefore, if the prayers are sound and proper, the rest of the deeds will be sound and proper; and if the prayers are not sound and proper, then the rest of the deeds will not be sound and proper, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself stated.
WHAT HAPPENS IF PRAYER IS PERFORMED PROPERLY?
If the prayer is performed properly – with true remembrance of Allah and turning to Him for forgiveness – it will have a lasting effect on the person. After he finishes the prayer, his heart will be filled with the remembrance of Allah. He will be fearful as well as hopeful of Allah. After that experience, he will not want to move from that lofty position to one wherein he disobeys Allah. Allah has mentioned this aspect of the prayer when He has said,
"Verily, the prayer keeps one from the great sins and evil deeds" (al-Ankaboot 45).
Also,
"Verily, man was created impatient, irritable when evil touches him and niggardly when good touches him. Except for those devoted to prayer those who remain constant in their prayers…" (al-Maarij 19-23).
HEREAFTER AND SALAH..
Allah’s forgiveness and pleasure is closely related to the prayers. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
"Allah has obligated five prayers. Whoever excellently performs their ablutions, prays them in their proper times, completes their bows, prostrations and khushu` [Khushu` in the prayer is where the person’s heart is attuned to the prayer. This feeling in the heart is then reflected on the body. The person remains still and calm. His gaze is also lowered. Even his voice is affected by this feeling in the heart.] He has a promise from Allah that He will forgive him. And whoever does not do that has no promise from Allah. He may either forgive him or punish him." [Recorded by Malik, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’I]
The prayers are a type of purification for a human being. He turns and meets with his Lord five times a day. As alluded to above, this repeated standing in front of Allah should keep the person from performing sins during the day. Furthermore, it should also be a time of remorse and repentance, such that he earnestly asks Allah for forgiveness for those sins that he committed. In addition, the prayer in itself is a good deed that wipes away some of the evil deeds that he performed. These points can be noted in the following hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
"If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it five times a day, do you think he would have any filth left on him?" The people said, "No filth would remain on him whatsoever." The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, "That is like the five daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them." (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"The five daily prayers and the Friday Prayer until the Friday prayer are expiation for what is between them." (Recorded by Muslim.)
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Post by Ummati on Apr 20, 2011 21:05:13 GMT 5
A Terrifying Angel in the Grave
Allah will assign an angel to the grave of one who missed his or her prayers, one with long fangs and nails whose mere appearance would invoke terror. Black in complexion, the angel will have long hair and his nostrils will be spewing smoke. He will then extend his hand towards the grave inhabitant’s face and the person will scream in terror.
This person would calmly miss his or her prayers without even a second thought but would be frightened very easily by the sound of a creaking door. Now when such a person is locked in a dark grave with such a horrific creature as this angel this will indeed be terrifying.
There will be no one to listen to this person’s screams or see his or her tears. This angel will be devoid of anything that can be termed mercy, and will come closer to his victim and show his long fangs. It will have a mallet in his hand with which he will strike his victim so that the latter is pushed seventy lengths into the earth. The person will then return and the angel will strike again, sending his victim back into the earth seventy lengths.
If Fajr was missed then this angel will keep striking this person thus from Fajr to Dhuhr, and if Dhuhr was missed then he will be struck thus continuously from Dhuhr to Asr. This process will continue likewise until the Day of Judgment.
People may doubt, mock and even dismiss this as tales to scare children, but the Prophet’s words are true and those who disbelieve will see with their own horrified eyes after their death. Allah has transmitted these warnings to us through the noble mouth of the Messenger of Allah and all of us should pray that these realities enter our hearts.
Benefits of Prayer
Prayer has numerous benefits for mankind, of which the following are just a sampling. · A person washes him or herself at least five times daily, refreshing and rejuvenating the body. · Prayer brings peace to the soul and allows a person to break from all the worries of this worldly life while he focuses on his Creator.
Reward of Prayer
Hadith literature states that whenever someone prays with absolute concentration and peace Allah assigns an angel for that person’s benefit. This angel will dive into a river in Paradise and the droplets of water falling from his wings will determine the amount of righteous deeds that will be written in the worshipper’s record of deeds.
Hadrat Fatima’s RA Worship
A famous story from the life of Hadrat Fatima az-Zahra j tells of a long wintry night in which she stood up to offer two rakat of prayer. Engrossed in the wonderful recitation of the Holy Quran she was immensely enjoying every moment of her prayer and thus reciting large surahs.
When she finally sat down and finished her prayer she glanced up to see that it was time for the predawn meal (suhur). Hadrat Fatima j started weeping and said in dua, “O Allah! Your nights are so short that I only made intention for two rakat and the night has already passed.” Such righteous women used to complain that the nights were too short for their worship.
BY SHAYKH ZULFIQAR AHMED
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Post by Ummati on Apr 20, 2011 21:10:51 GMT 5
Perfecting the Prayer SHE ASKED:
I know that salah is important but lately I just can't get myself to pray, especially fajr. I feel so down. What can I do?
Wish I Could Pray Again. REPLY:Salaam Wish I Could Pray Again, Well first off, well done for knowing that salah is important, you've taken the first step and you WANT to pray, that's important so mashaAllah. I'm sorry that you feel down at the moment, you know there can be lots of reasons to this. I've been there, the stress of school and grades, teachers who won't get off your back, friends who just don't understand, the backbiters, gossipers, bullies and plain nasty people, even family who won't give you a break and all you want to do is have fun! You can just want to lie in bed all day but you can't let these things dictate whether or not you should pray. The way I see it, darling, is that if I'm down about something, I really shouldn't ignore the One who can actually fix my problems, right? Shouldn't I rush to Him. Wouldn't it make more sense if I'm feeling down to go and talk to Him, ask Him to help me and give me what's best for me? ASKING THE LORD OF THE WORLDS
Let's use our imaginations, hehe, and pretend you had a ginormously huuuuuge problem and the only person who could fix it happened to be the President or leader of your country. Now do you think you'd have easy access to them, to see them directly...? You'd have to break into some official building and do a dozen illegal things like they do in the movies! Now imagine this: all you have to do is make Wudu, face the Qibla, and raise your hands and say 'Allahu Akhbar'. And ALLAH, the LORD who has all Power promises to answer your call. In fact, He doesn't just answer it. He rushes to answer it:
“…And if he comes to Me walking, I [Allah] go to him at speed.”
Can you imagine the Lord of the Lords running to you? Because you have called on Him? Remember, though, He does it in a way that befits His majesty.
Not only that, but Allah promises that He is at your disposal, that He is right there with you, closer than the veins in your neck, answering your every sentence, question, dua. IT’S TWO WAY!
Do you reeeeally know what's happening when you are reciting Surat Al Fatiha:
On the authority of Abu Hurariya, Radiya Allah Anhoo: the Prophet Sallah Allahoo alyhee wa salam reported that Allah has said:
…Allah (mighty and sublime be He), had said: I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.
When the servant says: Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-alamin (3), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has praised Me.
And when he says: Ar-rahmani r-rahim (4), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has extolled Me,
and when he says: Maliki yawmi d-din (5), Allah says: My servant has glorified Me - and on one occasion He said: My servant has submitted to My power.
And when he says: Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka nasta in (6), He says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.
And when he says: Ihdina s-sirata l- mustaqim, siratal ladhina an amta alayhim ghayril-maghdubi alayhim wa la d-dallin (7), He says: This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.
It was related by Muslim (also by Malik, at-Tirmidhi, Abu-Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).
The prayer is not a one person act. It's a partnership that is completed by the Most Loving [Al Wadud] answering your every call.WHO ARE WE PRAYING TO?
One reason many of us don't feel like praying is because we don't actually understand who we're praying to. We know prayer is important but we don't understand who Allah is. My advice for you then is read a little about Allah. What does it mean that He's As-Shakur, or The Ever Appreciative? How much more would He appreciate your prayer to Him?
He’s As-Shakur
Remember the famous hadith about the man who had killed 99 persons?
according to one version, Allah commanded the righteous town to draw closer and the evil town to move away, and He said, ’Measure the distance between them,’ and he was found to be closer to (the righteous town) by a hand span, so he was forgiven.
Allah rewarded this man so much just because of one thing. His sincere intention and for the man's desire to turn to Allah. Allah MOVED THE EARTH for him, and granted him Jannah.
THAT's how appreciative He is! Now just imagine if you actually pray to him - 5 times a day?
He’s Al-Wadud
Allah is also Al Wadud [the Loving] - what does that mean? Do we really understand it? Who wouldn't want to talk to the Loving One? What does it mean that He chose to make one good deed equal to 10 [hasanat] and one bad deed equal to one?
He’s Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim
When it's said that Allah is the Most Merciful, what does that really mean? We don't understand that mercy. Because we have been saved from so many things we don't even know ourselves. Think about the most forgiving person you know, who will forgive you for literally everything. Maybe your best friend, maybe your mother. Well multiply that by a million, trillion, gazillion! Think of the MOST merciful. That is Allah. And that is why praying your Salah is so UBER important!AM I TOO BUSY TO PRAY?
Think about it, taking ten minutes for each prayer max, so that's fifty minutes a day. Let's make it a nice number and round it up to sixty. So one hour out of the twenty-four you have in a day is what Allah has asked you to remember Him with. You might say you're too busy, well I'm sure that hour you might spend on Facebook chatting about the new kid at school can be spent somewhat differently? Or the hour you might spend watching 'Friends' re-runs after school can be used in a way which will actually benefit everything you and your loved ones do. ALLAH- THE CENTER OF MY UNIVERSE
Your life should revolve around ISLAM, not the other way around. If you find it hard to get home in time from school to pray Dhuhr, then pray at school. Find a quiet spot, ask a friendly teacher to use their classroom during lunch. If you forget the timings, then do what I do; write them on your hand in the morning. It's not preferable and it can rub off, but it gives you an idea during the day of what times you should wait for to pray. Another way which could help you complete your prayers is to simply stay in a state of Wudu. If you break it [whoops!] just make wudu again, straight away. Make Wudu everytime you use the bathroom. That way, when you see that it's time to pray you'll be fresh and squeaky clean to pray.THE FAJR PRAYER
You say you find it hard to get up for Fajr? Well yeah, me too!
I know the main difficulty is getting up when your mind and body doesn't want to know anything except your bed. Some practical things you can do for “Fighting Fajr Fatigue” is:
1. Simply get to bed earlier and before you close your eyes, make a true intention in your heart: 'I'm going to get up for Fajr!' Also, ask Allah to wake you up and pray! Then you can drop off.
2. set two alarms. One for a minute before you should get up and the other for the normal time. That way, if you're dropping off after you've put your first alarm on snooze (I've done it too!) then the second one will wake you up before you get a chance to shut those tired eyes.
3. place your alarm clock or your phone, whatever you use at the other side of your room before you go to sleep the night before. That way, you'll HAVE to get up to turn off the racket. And once you're up - the hard bit is over.
4. OR, if you've got a friend who's willing to help, who you know is quite successful in getting up for Fajr, ask her to drop you a text, she can be your official 'waker'. You might listen to a friend more than an alarm….
Okay, so you're out of bed; woo, celebrations! You've just got to zombie-walk to the bathroom and the main battle has been won, hurrah!
Once you've splashed water on your face and up your nose etc - you should be pretty much awake. At that point, you should simply concentrate on your prayer. It's a direct connection with your Lord, the Creator, the Sustainer, the One God. When you pray, make sure you know what you're saying. If you don't know Arabic, google the translation and look at it every now and then to remind yourself. If you pray with true sincerity from your heart you'll never regret it, even if you did lose your sleep because of it! When you learn to appreciate your prayers, you'll end them with a smile in your soul. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "The agreement that is between us and them is the prayer..."...meaning Allah is asking you to pray. After all the millions and gazillions of blessings He has showered you with, He wants you to pray to Him. And only good will come out of it - so let's 'JUST DO IT'!Take every day as it comes and try your hardest every day to complete your salah for just that day. Don't worry about tomorrow. Do all you can for today. When tomorrow comes, do the same. It will only get easier as you get in the habit. You can do this. So smile. P.S. I understand how difficult it can be sometimes to get up and pray. Most of us have definitely been in the same situation and still are sometimes. Ever since I began praying regularly, I have moments (when my iman is high) that I love Salah and then the moments come (when Shaitaan is whispering) when I have to drag myself to prayer. I even have those moments, Astaghfurallah, that I get distracted or forget to pray.
Just remember...life is a struggle for something bigger in the end. These ups and downs are all a part of what makes us human. We just have to remind ourselves that this is a struggle against our nafs and shaitaan will do anything to have us listen to our nafs (desires). Stay strong and keep people around you that will help you win the battle, Insha'Allah. And most of all, make lots of dua to Allah!
adopted from www.dearlittleauntie.blogspot.com
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Post by Ummati on Apr 20, 2011 21:15:08 GMT 5
If you think you CANNOT pray, think again!
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Post by Ummati on Apr 20, 2011 21:16:41 GMT 5
Salah.. The Coolness of Our Eyes (P.S. also refer to thread: Br. Nouman Ali Khan. Post: The Coolness of My Eyes)Attachments:
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Post by iLoveAllah on Apr 20, 2011 22:14:03 GMT 5
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Post by Ummati on Apr 25, 2011 19:30:30 GMT 5
“…the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon them; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing nawafil (voluntary prayers or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) until I love them, (so much so that) I become the hearing with which they hear, and the sight with which they see, and the hand with which they strike, and the leg with which they walk; and if they ask Me something, I will surely give them, and if they seek My Protection (refuge), I will surely protect them.”
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Post by Ummati on May 30, 2011 17:47:22 GMT 5
“The servant exists between the Hands of Allah at two times – while standing during performing prayer, and while standing on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever fulfills the rights of the first standing will in fact be facilitating the second one. And whoever considers this easy and does not pay due attention to it, he will be making the other one difficult for himself.”
— Ibn al-Qayyim
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Post by Ummati on Jun 23, 2011 20:11:08 GMT 5
"As long as you are performing Salah, you are knocking at the door of Allah. And whoever knocks at the door of Allah, Allah will open it for him." -Ibn Al-Qayyim
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Post by Ummati on Aug 26, 2011 16:23:39 GMT 5
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Post by Mujaahid on Aug 26, 2011 16:43:46 GMT 5
Sujood is a rukn (pillar) of the prayer, meaning that if a capable person does not perform it, whether he left it intentionally or unintentionally the prayer would be invalid. If he did not perform a pillar unintentionally (out of forgetfulness for example), then he returns back to that position when he remembers and repeats what came after it in the prayer, completing it fully, and then adds two sajdahs at the end called sajdatay as-sahw, prostrations made due to forgetfulness. This includes if a rukn (pillar) was not performed in a valid way, when a capable person makes sajdah on some but not all of the seven body parts. That is because the sajdah which is a pillar itself is made up of seven necessary elements: 1) the face with both of the following on the floor:
a) forehead b) nose
2/3) the two hands
4/5) the two knees
6/7) the two feet, the edges of the toesthat is based on the hadeeth mentioned. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: on the forehead, and he pointed to his nose, and on the two hands, the two knees and the edges of the two feet (i.e., the toes). Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 812; Muslim, 490. If he lifts up one or both of his feet, or one or both of his hands, or his forehead or nose, or both of them, then his prostration is invalid and does not count, and if his prostration is invalid then his prayer is also invalid. Liqaa'aat al-Baab al-Maftooh by Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 2/99 And the hadeeth that proves that any missing action mentioned above would render the sajdah invalid is the hadeeth narrated by Ibn 'Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with him): "There is no prayer for someone whose nose does touch the floor as much as his forehead."
Knowing this issue is of the highest level of importance, since it is related to the basic elements of a pillar of our religion, may Allaah bless us all with understanding of His Religion. I hope this helps make the issue clear, and Allaah knows best. By Abul-'Abbaas Moosaa Richardson
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Post by iloveislam on Sept 19, 2011 21:21:04 GMT 5
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Post by Ummati on Sept 26, 2011 23:57:20 GMT 5
“Prayer is also a workout for the soul. It’s a chance to let out your inner feelings to the Hearer and Responder. Every complaint, every desire, every worry, every hope, every anguish, every emotion – this is the time to let it all out. Let those tears flow. Let it come from the heart. Stand up in the depths of night and converse with your Lord Who will listen and respond to you –simply express to Him what you feel.”
— Tarek Mehanna
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Post by Ummati on Oct 15, 2011 21:58:57 GMT 5
I’ve seen photographers get on their knees to capture an angle. And painters lay on their backs to cover their canvas. A lover gets on one knee with ring and heart in hand, and farmers bow their backs as they tilth the land, so why is it then considered so strange, for a man to fall in prostration in view plain, of all, in the middle of that street you know … Is he not an artist, or a lover, with seeds to sow?
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Post by Ummati on Nov 15, 2011 17:24:50 GMT 5
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