Prayer According to Islam

 What Is Salah

Salah (Prayer) is an arabic word for prayer.It's one of the five obligatory acts/deed which Allah s.w.t has ordered all muslims to perform. Muslims offer obligatory salah five times a day. Namely they are :

1-Fajr(at early morning)

2-Zuhar (At Noon almost at 1 o clock)

3-Asr(After Noon before sun set)

4-Maghrib(When Sun set)

5-Isha (in the night)

 various time for winter and summer.

Five times obligatory prayer have a lot of reward and benefits.

Surah Baqarah ,2nd Chapter says:

Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,(2:3)

And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith].(2:4)

Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful.(2:4)

But those who hold fast to the Book and establish prayer – indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of the pious.

Qur'an - Chapter 7, Verse 170

Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.
Qur'an - Chapter 29, Verse 45
2:43 And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].

35:18 And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And if a heavily laden soul calls [another] to [carry some of] its load, nothing of it will be carried, even if he should be a close relative. You can only warn those who fear their Lord unseen and have established prayer. And whoever purifies himself only purifies himself for [the benefit of] his soul. And to Allah is the [final] destination.

So Performing prayer is obligatory for muslims.

Why Salah is Ordered

And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).

Qur'an - Chapter 51, Verse 56

It's an order from Allah s.w.t and sunnah of Prophet(s.a.w).We have to follow Prophet(peace be upon him).

When Salah was Introduced

The Story of Isra and Mi’raj:

Exalted is He who took His Servant (Prophet Muhammad) by night from al-Masjid al-Haram (In Makkah) to al-Masjid al- Aqsa (Jerusalem), whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.Qur'an - Chapter 17, Verse 1

In the early days of IslamThe normative view amongst Sunni Muslims who ascribe a specific date to the event is that it took place on (621 A.D) the 27th of Rajab, slightly over a year before Hijrah.

The last part of the Isra and Mi’raj story begins at the moment the angel Gabriel (Jibreel) brings Muhammad (peace be upon him) from Makkah to Jerusalem, and then to He visited heavens with angel Jibraeel.

When I reached the nearest heaven. Gabriel said to the heaven gatekeeper, ‘Open the gate.’ The gatekeeper asked, ‘Who is it?’ He said, ‘Gabriel.’ The gatekeeper asked,’ Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel said, ‘Muhammad.’ The gatekeeper said, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel said, ‘Yes.’ Then it was said, ‘He is welcomed. What a wonderful visit his is!’ Then I met Adam and greeted him and he said, ‘You are welcomed O son and Prophet.’

Then we ascended to the second heaven. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel said, ‘Gabriel.’ It was said, ‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been sent for?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ It was said, ‘He is welcomed. What a wonderful visit his is!” Then I met Isa (Jesus) and Yahya (John the Baptist) who said, ‘You are welcomed, O brother and a Prophet.’

Then we ascended to the third heaven. It was asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel said, ‘Gabriel.’ It was asked, ‘Who is with you? Gabriel said, ‘Muhammad.’ It was asked, ‘Has he been sent for?’ ‘Yes,’ said Gabriel. ‘He is welcomed. What a wonderful visit his is!’ (The Prophet added:). There I met Joseph (Yusuf) and greeted him, and he replied, ‘You are welcomed, O brother and a Prophet!’

Then we ascended to the 4th heaven and again the same questions and answers were exchanged as in the previous heavens. There I met Idris and greeted him. He said, ‘You are welcomed O brother and Prophet.’

Then we ascended to the 5th heaven and again the same questions and answers were exchanged as in previous heavens. There I met and greeted Aaron (Harun) who said, ‘You are welcomed O brother and a Prophet”.

Then we ascended to the 6th heaven and again the same questions and answers were exchanged as in the previous heavens. There I met and greeted Moses (Musa) who said, ‘You are welcomed O brother and a Prophet.’ When I proceeded on, he started weeping and on being asked why he was weeping, he said, ‘O Lord! Followers of this youth who was sent after me will enter Paradise in greater number than my followers.’

Then we ascended to the seventh heaven and again the same questions and answers were exchanged as in the previous heavens. There I met and greeted Abraham who said, ‘You are welcomed O son and a Prophet.’

Then I was shown al-Bait al-Ma’mur (i.e. God’s House). I asked Gabriel about it and he said, This is al-Bait al-Ma’mur where 70,000 angels perform prayers daily and when they leave they never return to it (but always a new group comes into it daily).’

Then I was shown Sidrat al-Muntaha (i.e. a tree in the seventh heaven) and I saw its Nabk fruits which resembled the clay jugs of Hajr (i.e. a town in Arabia), and its leaves were like the ears of elephants, and four rivers originated at its root, two of them were apparent and two were hidden. I asked Gabriel about those rivers and he said, ‘The two hidden rivers are in Paradise, and the apparent ones are the Nile and the Euphrates.’

Then fifty prayers were enjoined on me. I descended till I met Moses who asked me, ‘What have you done?’ I said, ‘Fifty prayers have been enjoined on me.’ He said, ‘I know the people better than you, because I had the hardest experience to bring the Israelites to obedience. Your followers cannot put up with such obligation. So, return to your Lord and ask Him (to reduce the number of prayers).’ I returned and asked Allah (for reduction) and He made it forty. I returned and (met Moses) and had a similar discussion, and then returned again to Allah for reduction and He made it thirty, then twenty, then ten, and then I came to Moses who repeated the same advice. Ultimately Allah reduced it to five. When I came to Moses again, he said, ‘What have you done?’ I said, ‘Allah has made it five only.’ He repeated the same advice but I said that I surrendered (to God’s Final Order)'” God’s Apostle was addressed by Allah, “I have decreed My Obligation and have reduced the burden on My servants, and I shall reward a single good deed as if it were ten good deeds.

— Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 4, Book 54, Hadith number 429

Most surely, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find solace.Qur'an - Chapter 13, Verse 28