In the Shia
Islam, “The Branches of Islam” (Furu’ e Deen) are ten. The first being the
Salaat/Prayer/Namaz. It is obligatory on every Muslim to pray five times every
day. The pre-requisite of prayer is to make wudu and if a person is sick, he
may perform “Tayammum” and if he is weak to stand for prayer, he is allowed to
pray while sitting and if he is fragile he may pray while lying in the bed and
lastly if he cannot utter the words he may use sign language. It shows the
importance of this worship!
The
obligation has been stated in many Ayahs, directly and indirectly e.g.in Surah
Is’ra Ayah 78, “Perform the prayer from the declension of the sun till the darkness
of the night, and the recitation (of prayer) at the morning , verily the
recitation (of prayer) at the morning is witnessed (by the angels)” Surah Hud
Ayah 114, “And establish the prayer at the two ends of the day and at the
approaches of the night.”
Similarly,
there are many Ayahs about the neglect of the prayer e.g. Surah al-Muddasir
Ayah 40, “In gardens, they shall ask each other. About the guilty: What has
brought you in the Hell? They shall say: We were not of those who prayed.”
Surah al-Ma’un Ayah 4-6, “And wail (woe) to the praying ones, who are unmindful
of their prayers, who do (good) to be seen.” Surah Maryam Ayah 59, “But there
came after them an evil generation, who neglected prayers and followed sensual
desires, so they will meet perdition.” Surah ar-Rum Ayah 31, “…And keep up
prayer and be not of the polytheists.”
To be a
Muslim, one must pray because on the Day of Resurrection, the first question asked
will be about prayer and if prayer is accepted then other deeds may be
accepted. Prayer is the “Mai’raj” (Ascension) of the believer.
The Noble
Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) said, “The position of prayer to the religion is similar
to that of the head to the body.” “The example of five times prayer is like
that of a clear water river flowing in front of your houses in which a person
washes himself five times a day-cleansing five times a day.”” Do not abandon
your prayers intentionally for surely the obligation of Allah and His Messenger
cease to cover one who forsakes his prayers intentionally.” “The good deeds of
one who, without any appropriate excuse does not offer his prayers until its
time passes away, are annulled. The divide between a believer and disbelief, is
the abandonment of prayers.” “The name of one who forsakes his prayers
intentionally is written on the door of Hell from which he shall (eventually)
enter.
Imam
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “Our intercession shall never reach one who
considers his prayers to be inconsequential and unimportant.” “Surely, the
Angel of Death repels Shaytan from the proximity of the one who had adhered to
and guarded his prayers, and makes him speak out the testimony ‘There is no God
except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’ during that terrifying and
frightening state (of death).
The Noble
Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) said, “A person who neglects prayers is punished with
fifteen calamities as under:
Reduction
in life span, decrease in sustenance, disappearance of righteousness sign from his
face, his good deeds not accepted, his invocations are not accepted, supplications
of other people will not benefit him. He will die in disgrace, hungry and
thirsty. His grave will be dark, and horrifying and it will squeeze him. On the
Day of Resurrection, his accounting will be very strict, and Allah will not
look at him with mercy, will not purify him and terrible punishment waits for
him.”
Sources: The Glorious Qur’an (Urdu
Translation) of Tafsir-e-Namoona by Ayatullah Nasir Makarem Shirazi, The
Greater Sins by Ayatullah Sayyid Abdul Husayn Dasteghaib Shirazi,
al-islam.org/Forty Hadith on Salat
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