Practical Hajj Guide

Establishing the Salaah

Allaah says:

(which means):

And they were not commanded except to worship Allaah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion. (98:5)

He also says:

(which means):

[O Muhammad], tell My servants who have believed to establish prayer (14:31)

The salaah (five daily, formal prayers) is the most important pillar of Islaam after the Shahaadah (testimony of faith). It is the greatest symbol of tawheed and a distinguishing factor between Islaam and disbelief. It is the backbone of the religion and the first matter about which one will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection. Neither zakaah, nor fasting nor Hajj, nor charity nor any good deed will be accepted from the one who does not establish the five daily prayers as prescribed and at their appointed times.

Allaah says:

(which means):

And what prevents their expenditures from being accepted from them but that they have disbelieved in Allaah and in His Messenger and that they come not to prayer except while they are lazy and that they do not spend except while they are unwilling. (9:54)

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Between a person and kufr and shirk is the abandonment of prayer.” (Muslim)

So it is incumbent upon every Muslim (male and female) to safeguard the five daily prayers and learn how to offer them as offered by the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) for he himself said: “Pray as you have seen me praying.” (al Bukhaari)

One also needs to strive so as to offer these prayers while being humble and focused, with presence of mind.

Allaah says:

(which means):

Certainly will the believers have succeeded:

They who are during their prayer humbly submissive (23:1-2)

And ponder over the words of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam): "O Bilaal, let us find comfort in prayer." (Abu Dawood and Ahmad) and: "My joy has been made in prayer." (an-Nasaaee, Ahmad and others) and: "A slave may pray and have nothing recorded for it except a tenth of it, or a ninth, or an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or a half." (Abu Dawood, an-Nasaaee)

Scholars of the past placed as a measure of whom they would take knowledge from, the extent to which they followed the sunnah, especially in the salaah. Ibraahim an-Nakha’ee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “When they came to a man wanting to take knowledge from him, they observed his salaah, his following of the sunnah and his overall condition, then they took knowledge from him.” As well Abu al-‘Aaliyah said: “We used to come to a man to take knowledge from him so we would look at his salaah: if he perfected it, we would sit with him…”