Salah

Status of Salah

Salah is a very important pillar in Islam. According to a Hadith of Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam), Salah is an important pillar on which the Deen itself is based. The one who observes it, it means that he has preserved his Deen and the one who has neglected it, it's like he has demolished his Deen.

Hazrat ‘Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) said that the most important aspect in Deen is Salah. The one who will observe Salah, he will observe other things better. In contrast, the one who neglects it, he will neglect other things even more. Salah is the sign of a Muslim. The difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim is Salah. A person likens/links himself to a non-Muslim by neglecting Salah. It is very sad to discern that Muslims have not yet grasped and understood the value of this fortune which is called Salah. The fact that Salah represents a conversation between the servant and his Rabb, suffices to show its importance.

Salah on time

Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) qualified performing Salah on time as the best action.

The time of each Salah has a beginning and an end. Salah will be considered to have been performed on time when it is completed before its time ends. That is why it is best to perform it at the beginning of the time itself. Above all, we should take a lot of precaution for the Salah of ‘Asr. We should not delay it so much that the sun changes colour and becomes yellow. It is reprehensible to delay the Salah of ‘Asr till this time. However, if the sun has already turned yellow and a person has not yet performed the Salah of ‘Asr, then he must perform the Salah at that time itself. It is better to perform it at that time than performing it after its prescribed time.

Salah after its time

It is very important for a person to perform his Salah on time. He must not perform it before its time because it will not be valid. Likewise, he should not postpone it until its time is over because it will become Qaza. It is a grave sin to make a Salah Qaza.

Exception

There are two occasions where a Salah is performed before its time or it is performed after its time. In 'Arafah, the Salah of ‘Asr is performed together with the Salah of Zuhr at the time of Zuhr. But certain conditions must be met in order to be able to perform it in this way.

Similarly, in Muzdalifah, the Haji performs the Salah of Maghrib together with the Salah of 'Isha at the time of 'Isha. Apart from these two occasions, there is no other occasion when a Salah can be performed in other than its time. There are Hadith which give the impression that Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) was performing the Salah of Zuhr and ‘Asr together in one Salah time on journey. Likewise, he was performing the Salah of Maghrib and 'Isha at the time of 'Isha. But when we analyse the Hadith which are more elaborated, it shows that Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) performed each Salah in its time, however, it seemed to be in the same Salah time because he was performing the first Salah in its last moment and the second Salah at the beginning. Thus, they appeared together but each was in its Salah time. A Salah was not performed in the time of another Salah. Thus we must take a lot of precautions with regards to Salah. We should perform it on time.

Performing Salah calmly

Normally, we are not in a hurry to end our conversation when we get the opportunity to meet our beloved. And sometimes we do not even realise how the time has passed so quickly. Similarly, a person engages all his time when there is an interesting program. He does not want the program to end quickly.

During Salah, a person communicates with Allah Ta'ala. Is not Allah Ta'ala our beloved? No doubt, Allah Ta'ala is our beloved. And we should love Allah Ta'ala the most. Thus, when we are in Salah, we should not be in haste. We should do it calmly without hurrying. We should contemplate that we are in full communication / communion with our Rabb. We should not be annoyed. This would be a very bad indication from our side. To remain concentrated in Salah, it suffices that a person be conscious of what he is doing. He must not perform an automatic Salah. But he must contemplate in each posture so that his heart remains engaged in Salah. After some time, one will feel that one does not want to lift one’s head from Sajdah. It is a reality which our ancestors experienced. If there is something to fight for, we should fight for this noble heritage. Note that the Imams in the Masjid must perform a well-balanced, moderate and light Salah. It should not be too long because there are all types of people in the congregation. It should not be performed in such a manner that it becomes a burden for the elderly or sickly people. We should take heed. To perform Salah calmly does not mean to prolong a Salah. A Salah can be performed calmly yet it may remain a light Salah.

Salah in congregation

As far as possible, a person must perform his Salah in congregation in the Masjid. To perform Salah in congregation is one of the principles that guarantee Hidayah for the person who practices it regularly.

[English version of "Namaz" – Al Jamiat – Vol.5 No.4]