Hadith 666

Commentary

a. According to the lexicographers and jurists the word Salât means prayer or supplication. Some of the scholars hold that the essence of Salât is reverence. The ritual prayer is so called because it signifies reverence for Allâh. b. Prayer is a devotional act consisting of a series of utterances and actions that start with pronouncing the the greatness of Allâh symbolized by the words Allâhu Akbar and end with turning one's face right and left, articulating Taslim (greeting), symbolized by the the words: As-Salâmu-'Alaikum Wa Rahmatullâh (Peace and Allâh's mercy be upon you). c. Prayer is an important pillar (among the Five Pillars) of Islam. It is the surest means of securing nearness to Allâh, the coolness of our beloved Prophet's eye, a healing for the believer's pains and miseries, a bulwark against the believer's misfortunes, and the key to the doors of Paradise for the chosen ones of Allâh, even as the Qur'ân says: "And seek help in patience and prayer." (2:153) Important as the prayer is, the manner of its performance is also equally important. A prayer performed by one's devised method will not be acceptable to Allâh. Its acceptability is linked to doing it exactly according to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, since he himself has said: Pray as you have seen me pray. (Bukhârî: 631). It is, therefore, essential that we perform the prayer complete with all the Sunnah, obligatory duties and desirable acts specified by the Prophet ﷺ. It will be a punitive act on the part of anyone who belittles and neglects anyone of the blessed Sunnah on the basis of one's own deviant interpretations and arguments. The degree of reward promised for performing prayer in conformity with the precepts of the Prophet ﷺ can be estimated by the following saying of our beloved Prophet ﷺ: Abu Hurairah ؓ reported: I heard the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ say, "Say, if there were a river at the door of one of you in which he takes a bath five times a day, would any soiling remain on him?" They replied, "No soiling would be left on him." He ﷺ said, "That is the five (obligatory) prayers. Allâh wipes out all sins as a result of performing them." (Bukhârî: 528 & Muslim: 666)