She always remembered her
grandmother’s warning, “ My daughter, you must always pray on time, do not delay
the prayer.” Although her grandmother was aged 70 whenever she heard the adhan
she shot up like an arrow from a bow and performed her salah. She, however, was
always last to offer prayer and offered it hurriedly.
Hastily she grabbed the prayer mat realising she had but 15 minutes before
Salat-al-Isha would end. Her grandmother’s words pulsed through her whilst in
sajda. When she lifted her head she found herself sat bolt upright in bed, with
beads of sweat trickling like tiny pearls from her brow. A hideous sound had
awoken her from her sleep. All about her was chaos, people running in every
direction. Some people on their knees with raised hands. She was terror-stricken
on realising what was happening.
The dreaded day of judgement had arrived.
She recalled hearing many things about this long-awaited day but all of that
seemed a distant memory. Fear of the unknown permeated every part of her. She
spotted her parents and ran frantically towards them. They looked blankly at her
and fled in the opposite direction. Suddenly bellowing out from nowhere, yet
everywhere she heard her name called aloud. She stood frozen to the spot. A few
moments of stillness enveloped her and she saw the mass of humanity cleave apart
as did the ocean for Moses (as). She was led by two angels dressed in white, one
on each side of her, down the path that had been cleared for her. Arriving at
her destination, with apprehension she lifted her bowed head and opened her
eyes. In front of her was another world. Her brother was running from one
gathering to another, giving his belongings and wealth in the way of Islam; her
mother serving guest after guest, whilst carefully observing purdah.
She too pleaded her case. I followed the five pillars of Islam, whatever Allah’s
(swa) command was I obeyed. I followed the right path. Her life flashed before
her like a documentary, her eyes firmly fixed on the Scales of Justice. The two
angels produced their papers of recorded deeds. The final decision about her
fate was at last about to be sealed. The angels dragged her towards the fiery
abyss of Jahannam. She was screaming and pleading for help quoting all of her
good deeds including her salah. The angels finally reached the edge - towards
the rocks of fire she fell. Plunging deeper and deeper into the fiery pit, she
felt the indescribable force of the heat - it seemed like an eternity. She had
almost reached the bottom when a gentle hand pulled her back up to safety.
Turning to see who her rescuer was she said, “The flames almost reached my skin,
who are you and why did you leave it to the last minute?” The old fair lady
smiled and shook her head and replied, “I’m your salah, you were always late for
me!”
At once she raised her head from salah and broke out in a sweat. It was time for
Salat-ul-Fajr, quickly she went to perform her Wudhu!
Qurán and Hadith Regarding Delayed Prayers or Missing the Prayer:
Allah most High says: “Then there succeeded them a generation which neglected
prayers and followed lusts. They will meet with destruction (Ghayy), excepting
the one who repents and believes and acts righteously”. (Quran 19:59-60)
“Woe to the worshippers who are unmindful of their prayer. Those who delay their
prayer”. (Quran 107:4-5)
"What caused you to enter Hell-fire?" They will say: "We were not among those
who prayed, nor did we feed the needy. We used to engage in vain discourse with
the vain-talkers, and we used to deny the Day of Judgment, until there came to
us that which is certain (i.e.. Allah's judgment)." Then no intercession by an
intercessors will benefit them. (Quran 74:42-48)
The Prophet (SAW) said: "The first thing which will be judged among a person's
deeds on the Day of Resurrection is the prayer. If that is in good order, he
will pass the test and prosper, and if that is defective, he will fail the test
and be a loser." (Tirmidhi)
The Prophet (SAW) said: "The covenant between us and them (that is, believers)
is prayer, so if anyone abandons it he has become an infidel." (Ahmad, Ibn
Majah, Abu Dawood, Nisai, Tirmidhi).
The Prophet (SAW) said "What lies between a man and infidelity is the
abandonment of prayer." (Muslim)
It is narrated by Abu Al-Mahh: We were with Buraida in a battle on a cloudy day
and he said, "Offer the 'Asr prayer early as the Holy Prophet (Saw) said,
"Whoever leaves the 'Asr prayer, all his (good) deeds will be annulled." (Sahih
Bukhari)
And he said: "If anyone abandons prayer deliberately he has no claim upon Allah"
(Sunan).
It is narrated by Qais: Jarir said, "We were with the Holy Prophet (saw)and he
looked at the moon--full-moon--and said, 'Certainly you will see your Lord as
you see this moon and you will have no trouble in seeing Him. So if you can
avoid missing (through sleep or business, etc.) a prayer before the sun-rise
(Fajr) and a prayer before sunset ('Asr), you must do so.' He then recited
Allah's Statement:
And celebrate the praises Of your Lord before The rising of the sun And before
(its) setting." (50.39) Isma'il said, "Offer those prayers and do not miss
them." (Bukhari)
Abdullah bin amr bin al-As (RAA) narrated the Holy Prophet (SAW) said mentioning
the prayer, "If anyone keeps to it, it will be light, evidence, and salvation
for him on the day of Resurrection; but if anyone does not keep to it, it will
not be for him light, evidence, or salvation; and on the Day of Resurrection, he
will be associated with Qaran, Pharoah, Haman, and Ubayy bin Khalaf (a great
enemy of Islam from among the Quraish)." (Ahmad, Darimi and Baihaqi)
Mu'adh bin Jabal (RAA) reported Allah's Messenger (SAW) as saying: "If anyone
abandons prayer intentionally he has no claim to Allah Most High." (Ahmad)
Umar ibn al-Khattab (RAA) reported that a man asked the Prophet (SAW):
"Messenger of Allah, what action is dearest to Allah Most High?" The Prophet
(SAW) replied: "Prayer at its proper time. The one who does not pray has no
religion. Prayer is the main pillar of the religion (of Islam)." (Baihaqi)
By Khadija Atkinson