Go back and pray, for you have not prayed!
by Muhammad Al-Shareef, LL.B. Shari'ah
A Khutbah

 

During the night, Abu Lu'lu' Al Majusi hid in the shadows in preparation for the Fajr Salah where he would execute his satanic mission: to Murder the Ameer of the Believers: Umar ibn Al-Khattab (Radi Allahu Anhu).   Umar would lead the Fajr with a long surah, giving time for the community to join the congregation. As he led that Salah, Abu Lu'lu advanced from a dim pillar, a poisoned dagger hidden in his sleeve.  He jumped in front of Umar (Radi Allahu Anhu) and tore open his stomach with the dagger. Abu Lu’lu’ then attempted an escape through the congregation, slashing left and right, murdering in his path many others. One Companion threw a cloth over and – realizing that he was caught – Abu Lu'lu' killed himself.  Umar completed the Fajr Salah and passed away later in his bed Radi Allahu Anhu.


The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated. It is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) mentioned after mentioning the testimony of faith, by which one becomes a Muslim. It was made obligatory upon all the prophets and for all peoples. Allah declared its obligatory status under majestic circumstances. For example, when Allah spoke directly to Moses, He said,

"And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you. Verily, I am Allah! There is none worthy of worship but I, so worship Me and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance."
[Taha 13-14]

Similarly, the prayers were made obligatory upon the Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) during his ascension to heaven. Furthermore, when Allah praises the believers, such as in the beginning of surah al-Muminoon, one of the first descriptions He states is their adherence to the prayers. [Successful are the believers, those that offer their Salah with all earnestness and full obedience]
[Surah Al-Mu'minoon, 23: 1-2]

The importance of prayer is demonstrated in many of the Prophet’s statements. For example, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,
"The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad." [Recorded by al-Tabarani].

In reality, when the prayer is performed properly – with true remembrance of Allah and turning to Him for forgiveness – it will have a lasting effect on the person. After he finishes the prayer, his heart will be filled with the remembrance of Allah. He will be fearful as well as hopeful of Allah. After that experience, he will not want to move from that lofty position to one wherein he disobeys Allah. Allah mentioned this aspect of the prayer,

"Verily, the prayer keeps one from the great sins and evil deeds" [Surah al-Ankaboot, 45].

However amongst our community of Musalleen (those who perform Salah) we find some hazy actions that need to be brought back into focus.

· Some do not concentrate on what they are saying.
· Some speed when they pray
· Some wander with their gaze during Salah,
· The number of raka’aat performed is constantly forgotten.
· For some, the Dunya hugs their hearts during Salah and clouds their minds.
· Sometimes, before the Imam says Allahu Akbar, some in the congregation are already in the next prostration.

Compare this to those that came before us: People used to think that ar-Rabi' bin Khaitham, due to his constant lowering of his gaze and keeping his head low (in Salah), was blind. He used to live behind the house of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud for twenty years and when his servant girl used to see him she would say: Your blind friend is coming, and Abdullaah used to laugh at her speech.

In Bukhari and Muslim, from Abu Hurairah (Radi Allahu Anhu), a man entered the Masjid and the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) was sitting.  The man prayed (2 rak'ah) and then came to the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and said salam. 
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) replied the salam and then said, "Go back and pray for you have not prayed."  So the man went back, prayed (2 rak'ah) like he did the first time and then came back and repeated the salam.  The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) replied the salam and then said, "Go back and pray for you have not prayed."  So the man went back, prayed (2 rak'ah) like he did the first time and then came back and repeated the salam.  The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) replied the salam and then said, "Go back and pray for you have not prayed."  He said it three times until – on the third time the man said, "By He who sent you with the truth O Messenger of Allah, I do not know any better than this.  Teach me.”  The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) then said, "If you stand up for Salah say ‘Allahu Akbar.’  Then read what comes easy for you from the Quran.  Then bow until you are comfortable in your ruku’.  Then stand up until you are standing up straight.  Then prostrate until you are comfortable in your Sujood. Then sit until you are comfortable in your Juloos.  Then prostrate until you are comfortable in your Sujood.  And do this in your entire Salah."

Let’s go back and do our Salah again.  This is our topic for today.

· Why do we come to the Masjid, why do we perform Salah?  We do it in application of the command of our Creater (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala).  Why should we then lose the blessing and reward because of a wandering heart and an itchy hand?  Concentration is the soul of our Salah.  Concentration is the fruit of our Eeman.  Yet regardless of this understanding, people still leave their Salah and only a small protion of it is written for them because of their imperfection of it.


The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, 'Verily, a man will leave from (his Salah) and only a tenth of his Salah is written for him, a ninth, an eighth, a seventh, a sixth, a fifth, a forth, a third, half.'
[Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi].

Uthman ibn Abi Dahshah said, "I have never prayed a Salah that I have not asked Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) to forgive for my shortcomings in that Salah."

· Someone who short changes his Salah is a thief.  The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "The evilest thief is he who steals from his Salah."  They asked, "O Messenger of Allah, how does he steal from his Salah?”  He (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "He does not perfect it’s ruku’ and Sujood." – authentic

· Because of the speed some apply to their Salah, it is as if they are pecking up and down like a bird.  Narrated Ahmad, Abu Dawud and others, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) forbade that someone should peck (in Salah) like a crow…"

Umar (Radi Allahu Anhu) once stood on the pulpit and addressed the community with a loud powerful voice, "A man may grow old in Islam and never have completed to Allah a single Salah!"  They said, “How is this?”  He said, "He does not perfect his concentration, nor his humbleness, nor his focus on Allah - Azza wa Jall."

Once, Ma’ruf Al-Karkhi (Rahimahu AllahimahUllah) stood amongst some of his students and one said to the other, “Please lead the Isha Salah.”  The first student accepted but said, “I shall lead the Isha’ Salah on condition that you lead the Fajr Salah and not me.”  Ma’ruf Al-Karkhi was shocked at what he said and commented, “By Allah, if you think that you’ll be alive at Fajr then – by Allah – you have not yet perfected your Salah.”



Part II   How to Concentrate in Salah

Al Qaasim ibn Muhammad (rahimahu Allah) said, “I went out one day, and whenever I would go out I would always pass by A'isha (Radi Allahu Anha) and give her my Salam.  That day I went out and when I found Aisha she was praying Salat al-Duha, reciting over and over the verse of Allah

[Saying: ‘Aforetime we were afraid with our families (from the Punishment of Allah). But Allah was gracious on us and saved us from the torment of the Fire.']
[At-Toor, 52: 26-27]

She was crying and invoking Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) and repeating the verse.  I stood there waiting until I got tired, she remained as I found her.  When I saw this I said to myself, ‘let me go to the market, do what I have to do and come back.’ So, after I had finished what I needed to do at the market, I returned to A'isha (Radi Allahu Anha).  She was as I left her, repeating the verse, invoking Allah, and crying.

How do we concentrate in Salah?  From the Sunnah, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) taught the following:

1. Come early for Salah and prepare yourself to concentrate.
Repeat the Adhan to yourself with the Mu’adhdhin, and - after the adhan - say the prescribed supplication. Between the Adhan and Iqamah make dua’.  Do Wudu properly, cleanse your mouth, and wear your finest clothes.

2. Aim to get the entire reward of your Salah.
Abu Bakr ibn ‘Iyash said, “I saw Habib ibn Thabit in Sujood.  If you saw him you would think he was dead (by how long he held his Sujood).”

3. Contemplate the ayat and adhkar being recited during the prayer.
Think about the meanings of the verses that you are reciting. Isn’t is disheartening that someone may perform Salah for decades, day after day, and he/she still does not know what they are saying?
The Qur'an was revealed to be pondered over! Allah revealed: "(This is) a Book (the Qur'an) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember." [Surah Saad, 38:29].

4. Pray in congregation.
  Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) commands
"And perform Salah, give Zakah, and bow with those that bow." 
[Surah al-Baqarah, 2:43]

5. Never miss your Nafl Salah
especially those that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) used to pray constantly, especially Witr and the sunnah of Fajr.

6. Do not speed up your Salah.
Take your time and do not allow your Salah to become the most invaluable action of your day.

Ibn Wahb said, "I saw Ath-Thawri at the Ka'bah.  After Maghrib, he got up to pray and then prostrated.  He did not come out of that prostration until the Adhan for Isha was given."

7. Know that Allah responds to your prayer
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'Allah, the Blessed and Exalted has said: ‘I have divided the prayer between Myself and My slave, into two halves, and My slave shall have what he has asked for.' When the slave says ‘Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,’ Allah says, ‘My slave has praised Me.’ When the slave says, ‘The Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy,’ Allah says, ‘My slave has extolled me.’ When the slave says, ‘Master of the Day of Judgement,’ Allah says, ‘My slave has glorified me.’ When the slave says, ‘It is You alone we worship and it is You alone we ask for help,’ Allah says, ‘This is between Me and My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for.’ When the slave says, ‘Guide us to the Straight Path, the path of those whom You have favoured, not the path of those who receive Your anger, nor of those who go astray,’ Allah says, ‘All these are for My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for.’'
[Sahih Muslim]

8. Pray with a barrier (sutrah) in front of you and pray close to it
Another thing that will help one to have khushu’ is paying attention to the matter of having a sutrah and praying close to it, because this will restrict your field of vision, protect you from the Shaytaan and keep people from passing in front of you, which causes a distraction and reduces the reward of the prayer.

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'When any one of you prays, let him pray facing a sutrah, and let him get close to it.'
[Abu Dawud, no. 695, 1/446; Sahih al-Jaami', no. 651].

9. Seeking Refuge in Allah from the Shaitan.
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) taught us the following methods of combatting the whispers of Shaitan.

Abu'l-‘Aas (Radi Allahu anhu) reported that he said, 'O Messenger of Allah, the Shaitan interrupts me when I pray, and I get confused in my recitation.' The Messenger of Allaah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, 'That is a shaitan whose name is Khanzab. If you sense his presence, seek refuge with Allah from him, and spit [dry spitting] towards your left three times.' [Abu'l-‘Aas] said: 'I did that and Allah took him away from me.'
[Muslim, no. 2203]

10. Pray as if you were told that after Salah you would be going back to Allah.
Abu Bakr Al-Muzani said, "If you want your Salah to benefit you, then say, ‘I shall die after this Salah!’"