Importance of the Prayer - Qari Zakaullah Saleem

Opening — Khutbah al-Hajah

The Month of Rajab — Its Sanctity and Innovations

My dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam, the month we are going through — the Hijri month — is the month of Rajab, which is the 7th month of the Hijri calendar. It is one of the special months, one of the sacred months that has been given special status in the religion of Islam.

Allah says in Surah At-Tawbah:

Indeed, the number of months with Allah is 12. Out of those 12 months, 4 are the sacred months, and the Prophet has defined those 4 sacred months, and Rajab is one of them. This very month that we are going through is the month of Rajab, which is a sacred month — which means that we as Muslims must pay extra attention to the sanctity of this month.

Allah says:

O you who believe, do not violate the sanctity of the symbols of Allah, nor of the sacred month. It means that we must refrain — we must stay away — from all types of sins and evil acts and disobedience to Allah and His beloved messenger. And refraining from sins and evil acts means staying away from bad deeds as well as innovations, bid'ah, and khurafat.

We find amongst the Muslims that there are many innovations that are widely practiced during this month, the month of Rajab. For example, some of the Muslims believe that at the very first night of this month, Salatul Raghaib should be performed — a special salah at the very first night of this month — which in reality has no basis in the religion of Islam. It is a completely forbidden innovation, but the vast majority of Muslims practice this innovation within this month.

Some people believe that visiting the graveyard or the cemetery or the graves of the deceased ones during this month is a good deed. Some others believe that fasting during this month is a very good act of worship and that you can get extended and extra reward for fasting during this month, the month of Rajab. Some also believe that this month is the month of Zakah — especially well known and famous amongst the Indian subcontinent. People usually say, "The month of Rajab is the month of Zakah."

All these things have no base in the religion of Islam. There is no hadith of the Prophet that recommends fasting, or an extra reward for fasting during this month, or any other special act of worship. All that we have to do during this month is to pay attention to the sanctity and the sacredness of this month — which means we must refrain from any sin that is displeasing to Allah. But by introducing these types of innovations, you are not refraining from sins or evil acts — rather you are committing sins. You are committing sins by innovating newly invented matters into the religion of Islam.

Al-Isra Wal Mi'raj — Separating Fact from Innovation

One of the innovations related to this month of Rajab is what is widely practiced and commemorated during it — people believe that the Prophet had his night journey, which is called Al-Isra Wal Mi'raj, which is one of the biggest miracles of the Prophet and indeed of all humanity. People believe that the night journey of the Prophet took place in this month and they also specify a date — the 27th of this month, the 27th of Rajab. People commemorate celebrations of this day and night. At night, people stay awake spending that specific night — the 27th — in extra worship, then fasting the next day, and even visiting graveyards. All of this, my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, is an innovation.

Firstly, there is no consensus amongst the scholars, the historians, or the Muhadditheen that the night journey of the Prophet took place in this month. In fact, if you were to study the books of Seerah of Rasulullah, you will come to know that there is a huge dispute amongst the historians about the date, the month, and even the year when the night journey of Rasulullah took place.

Some of the historians are of the opinion that the night journey of the Prophet took place only one year after the Prophethood of Rasulullah — from the time when the Prophet received the very first revelation from Allah. They are of the opinion that it took place only one year after the Ba'th of Rasulullah. Some others say it was five years later. Some others say it took place only one year before the migration of Rasulullah from Makkah al-Mukarramah to Madinah al-Munawwarah. Some others say it took place three years before the Hijrah.

There is also dispute amongst the historians about the month in which the night journey took place. Many historians are of the opinion that it took place during the month of Rabi'ul Awwal — the month in which the Prophet was born. Some others say it took place during the month of Ramadan. Some are of the opinion it took place during the month of Dhul Qa'dah. Some others say it took place during the month of Muharram. And only a minority of historians are of the opinion that it took place during the month of Rajab — and then again, even within that opinion, they dispute on the date. Some say it was the very first night of Rajab, some say it was the 10th, and only a small number say it was the 27th.

My dear brothers and sisters, is it fair to leave all other opinions and to single out only one, and then start creating and introducing innovations and bid'ah in the name of the religion of Allah? No. If that specific night of the night journey of Rasulullah had been known by the companions of Rasulullah, then they would have been the first ones to celebrate it — but there is no proof at all. There is no proof in the hadith of Rasulullah or in the Seerah of the companions that they ever gave any special status to that specific night, the 27th of Rajab.

It is an innovation. And our mother Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrates that the Prophet said:

Whoever introduces anything new in the matter of our religion, it will be rejected and refused. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2697; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1718)

He is not going to receive any reward from Allah by introducing or practicing innovation and bid'ah.

The Greatest Lesson of Al-Isra Wal Mi'raj — The Five Daily Prayers

Unfortunately, when people relay the story of the night journey of Rasulullah — and most specifically those who celebrate the 27th night of Rajab as the night of the night journey — they very rarely mention the lessons that we can take from that specific night or from that specific miracle of the Prophet.

One of the greatest lessons — and the most important lessons — that we should learn from the study of the night journey of Rasulullah is the lesson of our five daily prayers. When the Prophet was taken from Mecca to Jerusalem and then from there to all the seven heavens — a miracle granted to him by the will of Allah — there are many lessons for us and many events that took place during that night. One of the greatest lessons we need to learn and pay attention to is the lesson of the five daily prayers.

Any Muslim who is aware of the night journey of Rasulullah, anyone who understands this miracle or comes to study it, knows that Allah obliged the Prophet with 50 prayers every single day at the very initial stage. When our beloved Nabi met with Allah during the night journey, Allah gave as a gift to the Prophet 50 prayers every single day.

When the Prophet was returning, he met Sayyiduna Musa, peace be upon him, and Musa asked him about the gift he received from Allah. The Prophet made mention of the 50 prayers. Musa, peace be upon him, suggested to the Prophet to go back to Allah and request Him to reduce the number of prayers, because 50 prayers every single day would be very difficult. So the Prophet went back and he requested, and 10 prayers were reduced — and then again — until at the very last request of the Prophet, Allah said:

"5 daily prayers, O Muhammad. If you and the people who follow you perform these 5 daily prayers, I — out of My mercy and Rahma for you and for your Ummah — will give them the reward of 50 prayers. They will be performing only 5, but I will give them the reward of 50 prayers."

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, this is the biggest lesson that we should learn from this miracle — Al-Isra Wal Mi'raj. Salah — Prayer — is the act of worship that is the most beloved to Allah. Why? Because every other act of worship, Allah legislated by sending Jibreel, peace be upon him, with the revelation. But for this specific act of worship — the prayer — Allah did not send Jibreel to the Prophet. Rather, Allah called the Prophet to the seventh heaven and then Allah legislated the prayer.

Prayer — The Pillar That Cannot Be Left

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, prayer is the most important act of worship in the religion of Islam. It is the most important pillar of Islam after the testimony of faith — after the declaration of the oneness of Allah and the belief in the Prophet as the last Prophet. And the Prophet said:

Between a man and shirk and kufr is the abandonment of the prayer. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 82)

There is only one barrier between the slave of Allah and disbelief and kufr — and that is the barrier of prayer. If you continue performing your prayers on a regular basis, then you are within the fold of Islam. But as soon as you leave and abandon the prayer completely, you are about to leave the fold of Islam. In fact, many of the Muhadditheen and many of the previous scholars were of the opinion that someone who abandons the prayer completely is not classified as a Muslim. To this extent, the companions of Rasulullah did not even consider the person who abandons the Zakah, or fasting, or Hajj as being outside the fold of Islam — except the person who abandons the Salah.

My dear brothers and sisters, I do not say that if you abandon the Salah you are a kafir and not a Muslim — but I am giving you the proof from the ahadith of Rasulullah that show the importance of the prayer in the religion of Islam.

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, the prayer is the act of worship for which you have no concession at all. If you are ill, you must pray. If you are travelling, you must pray. You are at work — you must pray. You are at college or university — you must pray. You are trapped in any hardship and difficulty — you must pray. Every single prayer, all five daily prayers — O Muslims, O servants of Allah, O slaves of Allah — this is the obligation upon you all. You cannot abandon, you cannot miss, you cannot leave even one single prayer in your life. This is the importance of prayer.

Allah did not allow someone who falls ill to miss the Salah. And even during the battlefield — during the time of the Prophet when Muslims used to fight during war — they were not even allowed to miss the Salah. If they could not pray all four or three rakahs, they would pray only one rakah — but they must pray. There is concession in the number of rakahs: if you are travelling, for Zuhr, Asr, and Isha prayer, instead of four you can — and should — pray two rakahs only. You can leave the sunnah prayer as well. But you cannot miss it completely.

And it is also because of the importance of this Salah that the Prophet, while he was leaving this dunya, made a special will — your Nabi, my Nabi, made this will to you and I:

The prayer, the prayer... (Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 5156; Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 27563 — reported as among the last words of the Prophet)

الصَّلَاة، الصَّلَاة، الصَّلَاة — Pray, pray, pray, my Ummah.

The First Thing Accounted For on the Day of Judgement

But unfortunately we find amongst the Muslims people who are very active in charity work, very active in doing other good deeds — but when it comes to the matter of Salah, they are neglectful. Remember the hadith of Rasulullah in which he said:

The first thing a servant will be held to account for on the Day of Judgement is the prayer. If it is sound, the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is corrupt, the rest of his deeds will be corrupt. (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 413; at-Tabarani — graded Hasan)

O servants of Allah, the very first thing that you will be held to account for on the Day of Judgement by Allah is going to be Salah. And the Prophet has further explained: whoever is successful in the matter of Salah, his other good deeds will be looked at — Allah will reward you for your Zakah, for your fasting, for your Hajj, your Umrah, your good akhlaq, your character, and every other good deed. You will be rewarded by Allah for those good deeds only if you are successful in the matter of Salah. But if you fail in the matter of Salah, then all other good deeds will go in vain. And this is not my statement — it is the statement of the one you believe to be the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad Rasulullah.

So my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, this is the most important lesson that we need to learn from the night journey of Rasulullah. May Allah allow us to understand our religion. May Allah also enable us to be regular in our five daily prayers. And may Allah also allow us to convey the message of Islam — the message of prayer — to other Muslims.

Second Khutbah — Prayer Prevents Evil

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, prayer is something that helps you rectify your mistakes and errors. That is why it has been given so much importance in the religion of Islam. Allah says in the Quran:

Recite what has been revealed to you from the Book of Allah and establish the prayer. Indeed the prayer prevents and stops from committing sins and evil acts.

Two words are mentioned in this specific ayah. Al-Fahsha — any immoral act, any unethical act, for example fornication, nakedness — these types of acts are called fahsha in the terms of the Quran and the ahadith of Rasulullah. The other word is Al-Munkar — munkar means anything and everything that people hate. Just look around: whatever people hate — people hate murder, especially the murder of innocent people; they hate backbiting; we hate cheating; we hate other evil acts and sins. So every single thing that a human being hates is called munkar within the religion of Islam.

So Allah says: indeed the prayer prevents from evil acts and munkar and sins.

Reflecting on the Quality of Our Prayer

Although I talked about the importance of prayer in the first khutbah, now very briefly I would like to shed light on the other side of this matter — related to all those who are regular in their five daily prayers.

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, I need to ponder and reflect on my routine and my practice of five daily prayers — and you also need to look at the practice of five daily prayers that you perform on a regular basis. Has your prayer stopped you from evil acts? Has your prayer stopped you and prevented you from backbiting and cheating and lying and even murder? If yes, then thank Allah — this is the type of prayer that is required by your Lord, your Creator, Allah.

But if you pray — you continue praying on a regular basis, five daily prayers — but on the other hand you cheat, you backbite, you lie, you murder, you commit zina, you drink — all these types of acts you continue doing — then it means there is something wrong with your prayer. Your prayer is not being accepted by Allah.

Someone who murders the innocents and claims that he is a good Muslim and is regular in five daily prayers — we say: no, wallahi, his prayer is not accepted by Allah. He is not performing the prayer that is required by his Lord and Creator, Allah. If you pray and then you lie, it means your prayer has not changed you — because the statement of Allah is nothing but true: indeed the prayer prevents and stops from committing sins and evil acts.

So we as Muslims — and especially those who are regular in their five daily prayers — we need to reflect on our prayers: whether our prayers are the prayers that are required by Allah or not. Because Allah has cursed those who pray yet are neglectful about their prayer, as He says:

Woe to those who pray — yet they are heedless about their prayers, they don't pay attention to their prayers. They just come into the masjid, they stand, they perform ruku, they bow down, they make sujood, they sit down, they utter the words — but if their prayers are not bringing any changes into their lives, then these people are cursed by Allah in the Quran.

May Allah allow us to perform the prayer that is required and accepted by Him. May Allah allow us to perform the prayer that is going to increase the reward and increase the weight in the scale of our good deeds on the Day of Judgement. May Allah allow us to understand our religion. May Allah keep us obedient to Him and obedient to His messenger.