Bismillah. Today, insha’Allah we’re going to touch on a slightly different angle on the concept of salah. Now, you know that salah is fard–the 5x daily prayers–and that the reward of doing so is great, and the sin of doing so are terrible. Hellfire, punishment on the Day of Judgment, punishment in this life, all these things are but possibilities.
But let’s take a look at a slightly different angle: scholars. What’s the position of the scholars on someone who doesn’t pray?
The position of all four madhaahib–Maliki, Shafi’ee, Hanbali, and Hanafi–with no difference of opinion–is that a person who does not pray, ever, is not a Muslim.
Think about that. Not a Muslim. Not anyone who has a chance of Paradise.
Why? There’s a very explicit hadith on this–the hadith of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم):
The contract between us and them is salaah. Whoever leaves it, he has disbelieved (fa qad kafara). [Source?]
This is a very direct, explicit hadith–salaah is the contract, part of the mithaaq, the original contract, with Allah that all humans took. And this is only one of the explicit ahadith like this.
What’s more, it was inconceivable in the time of the sahaba that someone could be a “Muslim” and not pray. It just doesn’t make sense.
…
Scared yet?
…
No? Well, there’s more. What is the position of the scholars of Islam on someone who doesn’t pray, today, who lives in that now-extinct species of Islamic State? Then what happens?
Again, there’s no difference of opinion on this.
The position of a Muslim in an Islamic state, who doesn’t pray, is to be jailed.
And once they’re in jail, they should be advised. That what they’re doing is haram. That prayer is so, so important. That it is a major sin. That it just takes five minutes, five times a day–less than one sitcom.
And if they don’t repent? Keep advising them for a day. Then, a second day. Then, a third day.
And if they still don’t repent?
Then they are executed.
So think about that, next time you feel like skipping a salah. Honestly, it just takes five minutes. Don’t let your lame excuses side-track you. Just do it.
Action Items:
- Make Tawbah. Whether you pray regularly or not, if you’ve missed prayers in your past, make wudoo and pray two rakaahs of tawbah for that. And be optimistic–insha’Allah Allah WILL forgive you!
- Hit the Minimum 5x/day. If you don’t pray your 5x daily prayers, start. Right now. Today. Praying is difficult at first, but over time, it becomes easier. Pick up prayers one at a time, whatever you can do, until you’re at least covering the daliy five consistently.
- Add Sunnah/Nafl Prayers. If you already have your five covered, alhamdulillah, start adding the sunnahs–starting with the two before Fajr, and with salaat-ul-Witr. Those are the best. Then gradually add more. Add Tahajjud, if you’re already praying all the sunnah prayers. The sunnahs are like a shield that protect your fard prayers; if you always pray them, in the worst case, you might skip one or two–but if you only pray fard, those are the first to go.
- Reflect on the Reward and the Punishment. If you didn’t know, for every fard action, Allah rewards you. Think about THAT. You’re actually getting some ajr! And reflect on the punishment of not praying, ever–capital. YOU might be praying, but you probably know someone in your family (near or extended), who doesn’t. Advise them gently.
- Read. Islam QA has a great eBook on 33 ways to increase khushoo’ in salah. When you get khushoo, you actually enjoy salah! So read it, and apply one or two of those techniques daily.
- Make Du’a. ‘Aishah said: “You will not even get a shoelace without the permission of Allah.” So ask Allah to help you pray regularly and in the best way.
We ask Allah to make us among the musalleen, those who pray regularly and on time and have their prayers accepted. This, if this is the only good thing you do with your life, is a great success that many people the world over have not achieved.
Note: We’re NOT saying that you should go around killing people. Nobody’s going to be executed for not praying–there IS no Islamic state in our time. But if there was, and if a Muslim living there didn’t pray, then the punishment is capital. It’s something to think and reflect over–the seriousness of salaah. It IS the contract between us and Allah.
salam,
I commend you for trying to encourage people to pray Salah. Second, I want to say that I am an avid reader of your blog and am excited whenever a post shows up in my Google Reader because you always have something beneficial to post.
However, I have to show concern with this one for two reasons:
1. The Shari’ opinion about being executed for not praying is a little more complicated than this. Unfortunately, this post draws it down to make it sound like such a simple reality that I feel that it does injustice to the breadth and depth of Islamic Law.
2. Very few people can be shock-scared into praying. Prayer needs to become the coolness of their eyes and the comfort of their heart through a deeper kind of approach. Many of the people who have lost a connection to the Deen, and to the prayer, may feel this type of example pushing them farther from their love for Islam.
3. Your blog is 100% public, and I can guarantee that the anti-Muslim blogosphere will take it and spit it out with a spin that will make Islam sound absolutely insane and barbaric. The image of the noose conjures images of the KKK, the Nazis, and others.
It a really bad dawah move is all and undo’s alot of work which is trying to present Islam’s true, comprehensive image.
I am not asking you to cover the truth.
Nor am I asking you not to persuade people to pray.
I am saying, there is a way of wisdom to do so, and there is also a means of calling to the prayer that will be more effective.
with love and respect,
your brother,
AS
So we should be scared of an Islamic state that hasn’t existed for 1300 years than of Allah and being his servant? I could have sworn there was an ayah in the Qur’an which says something like:
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best.”
Assalamu Alayum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakahtuhu
First of all, this is the 2nd post I’ve come across on this blog (first was the palestine one), and I have to say that mashaAllaah this blog looks like it can achieve a lot bi’ithnillah.
Secondly, what the above 2 people have commented is correct but I think they could have said it in a nicer way, without trying to be rude. MashaAllaah the article reflects upon some important points, but I think that you can outline and post some rewards of praying salaah. This might make the reader think in a different way, rather then becoming scared even more.
I’m not saying what you posted is wrong or unapproachable, as a matter of fact I personally like to read about Hellfire and punishments more than Paradise and rewards because it increases my Imaan and motivates me towards carrying out good deeds.
Anyhow, my point was that everyone is different and has a different approach to things.
I have found this lecture on Salaah really good, and I typed up the lecture, who’s transcript and mp3 can be downloaded from here:
::MP3::
http://idawah.com/fisabeelillah/lectures/abu-salaam/Time%20to%20Establish%20Prayer.mp3
::Transcript::
http://idawah.com/fisabeelillah/lectures/abu-salaam/Time%20to%20Establish%20Prayer.doc
May Allaah reward you, Ameen.
[...] The Terrible Consequences of not Praying Salah – Ilm Fruits [...]
[...] The Terrible Consequences of not Praying Salah – Ilm Fruits [...]
Assalam Elekum
I have drop my salat for last 3 years. I want to offer but can’t. Please suggest and guidence me
@Syed wa’alikum as-salaam, as I mentioned, make two rakaahs of tawbah and start praying regularly from today insha’Allah, from the VERY NEXT salah that comes up. If you can’t do all five right away, alhamdulillah keep trying, and make du’a for Allah to help you.
[...] The Terrible Consequences of not Praying Salah – Ilm Fruits SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “SALAH, MADRASA (ISLAMIC PRAYER)”, url: “http://islamiclecture.islamuslims.com/salah-madrasa-islamic-prayer” }); [...]
[...] The Terrible Consequences of not Praying Salah – Ilm Fruits [...]
well what if you pray once in a while..and when you are about to and even when you do pray something still goes wrong everytime you do…and the people that do pray 5 times a day with all their heart are failing in school and worse, whilst the people that dont and are not muslim are rewarded daily with awsome grades and an amazng lifewhy is it that way?
@idk the discussion about jailing etc. applies to someone who has abandoned salah COMPLETELY; for someone who prays some salawaat, that’s not the same; that’s still a major sin though, and I hope this post highlights how serious this is.
I’m not sure what you mean by “something goes wrong.” Insha’Allah you can clarify. As to people praying and failing in school and worse … as for the non-Muslims, Allah makes it clear that their reward is in dunya ONLY, and on the Day of Judgment, they get NOTHING.
I know many muslims masha’Allah who are rich, thick-beardies, who pray all the time and are masha’Allah in the top of society. May Allah bless them more. If you run to Allah, He will run to you … so don’t be afraid. Do it insha’Allah, and see for yourself the difference in your life.
Why would a Muslim abandon salah if he/she still wants to be Muslim? They can say they are no longer Muslim, and if they don’t show hostility toward Islam, they are to be left alone (and treated like non-Muslims). There is no compulsion in religion.
@Ikram there are a lot of Muslims who are born into Muslim families, who are not necessarily practicing; or the culture does not necessarily emphasize salah as important. I know several people from the sub-continent (desiland) like this.
The thing to realize is not that they hate salah or don’t want to pray; they just can’t be bothered. Maybe laziness, maybe shaytaan, maybe something else … allahu ‘alam.
[...] Re: Prayer or other things? The Terrible Consequences of not Praying Salah – Ilm Fruits [...]
i m praying now =)
i feel bad missing anyy salah
@idk alhamdulillah! Insha’Allah that’s a good sign that you feel bad; just remember that even if you miss a salah, don’t give up. That’s a scam from Shaytaan; keep working at it insha’Allah, it sometimes takes months or years to become consistent. And make du’a, insha’Allah Allah will help you a lot.
assalamualaikum,
plz tell me where to keep hands in salah and how to do it.[give me pictures if possible.plz]
I haven’t prayed in along time, yet I still consider myself a Muslim because I know Allah is my creator, but organized religion is a huge obstacle for me. I don’t understand salah and I can’t tolerate the bickering about manaj, race, and other friviolous matters.
@Wounded Soul, if you consider yourself Muslim, you should ask yourself–why don’t I pray? If you really believe in Allah and the Prophet Muhammad, shouldn’t you follow their teachings? Salah is the absolute minimum, the dividing line; can’t you at least do that much?
What is left of Islam if we don’t even have salah? Where’s the Islam, the submission to Allah?
You are right, Ilm Seeker. I ask myself this question all the time, supplications are easy but salah I’ve always felt like I was going through the motions instead of communicating with and worshipping Allah.
@Wounded Soul, the fact that you’re trying and struggling is enough–even if you’re praying late, or without khushoo’, or all of those other elements.
I find that salah is very much habitual–once you get into the zone of doing it regularly, it becomes easier to focus on issues like khushoo’ (one of the best ways to do this is learn about Allah, and learn the meaning of what you’re saying).
And again, the minimum is that you try and you work on it and you hope to achieve it. Allah would not perscribe something on us all except that it would be possible–even easy–on us. As the Messenger of Allah said, when you walk to Allah, he runs to you! So take that first step, insha’Allah, and every step becomes easier.
I had been praying since I was 16 yrs. I pray fard, sunneh and Nawafel. I was often awakened for Fajer prayer….just some months ago, I encountered a shocking experience- I married a Muslim man who used to be an Imam in europe who revealed to me his hypocratie, his fake Iman….I left him just one month after marriage. This disturbed my life: why this has happened to be while I am the very disciplined muslim? I pray, fast, pay money for charity and did hajj and I keep my Allah in everything I do. I never accepted marrying anyman….and the man I married because of his religion and was impressed with his Imam role, turned out to be fake….I am not anymore a regular preson for prayer..I am not feeling serenity nor peace anymore when I pray…on the contrary…I keep thinking of THE JUSTICE of Allah as I am praying . I decided to stop prayer since I am not showing the Khushou2 and concentration required in Islam. I know I am a believer and I know my Allah is great….but I feel that the reward I got was too harsh for my humanity to accept…At the end, I am just a simple person who seeks stability- that I cannot find in my life………! I feel Iam being tortured instead of rewarded for my acts…..
While I look around me I see the majortiy fo those who do not have Allah in their minds, are enjoying life…and even rewarded more and more.
I know I am failing the test of Allah……..but I think I have had tooo many tests that I managed to become stronger after each one…but now, I have given up…………
thinking about the justice and the fairness is not easy……..I knwo I need not to look around me and just focus on my life………..but cannot I get a chance to have some rest a bit?
I believe that you are being tested by Allah and you have failed taht test at teh moment. Once, I heard in a khutbah the story of a devout Muslim who abandoned Salah because he was shocked at teh death of his 5 year old daughter. He then had a dream that it was judgement day and he would end up in Hell unless he prayed. there were also other things in teh dream but it was very long. when he woke up he became convinced that he should be a sheikh. He is today. this is a true story.
there are many people whom Allah tests in life to see if they are on teh straight path
go see a sheikh and see if he can help you.
I think the guy wanted to express the seriousness of not praying that is why the capital punishment was mentioned. Even in English Literature some poets like to shock the audience in order to highlight or emphasize important themese/issues. We muslims know that Allah is Ghafoor Raheem. Jazakallah brother.
Please help me! I’m 16 and i’ve stopped praying I have no idea why, please I need your help! I feel so bad
@Allahs slave, there’s nothing stopping you from starting again. Just start praying. Fajr and Isha are the easiest, because you can pray them very late or early, so you’ll certainly be at home at your leisure to do so. Start with one per day and move up from there.
Alhamduallah, I been praying more now-a-days thanks. Btw can you please send me any websites that will help me become more religious by doing good deeds. A wbsite to make me better myself and stay in the right path? Thank you. :) may Allah bless you.
Cumm onn ! Think of praying as something compulsary not something optional. Praying leads you to the right path eventhough you dont notice it but try praying often inshallah your body will get use to this routine, besides how can you be a muslim if you dont pray ?
I missed a lot of salaah in the past knowlingly or unknowingly in the past. I did those over and over again. I did some of those out of laziness, while I did some of those with the belief that Allah is oft-forgiving and He will forgive me. But, today while I read your write up, I have the feelings that I am not even a muslim though I now try to do salaah five times a day. I do it in my home as the nearest mosque is half an hour walk away and I don’t drive car. I usually say my friday prayer in the mosque.
How can I offer my tawbah to Almighty Allah for not saying prayer in the past? Will He completely forgive me if I devote myself in His way, I mean will my bad deeds( not saying prayer salaah, and other bad deeds which are shameful but I don’t want to mention here now) be completely erased from my Book of Amal and I will be like a new-born baby?
@Mahbub the Messenger of Allah said that making tawbah sincerely (on all the conditions of sincere tawbah) will wipe away past sins. InshaAllah if you do that, you’re all set. You can look it up — it has a few conditions (hating having committed the sin, resolving never to do it again, etc.)
If Allah can forgive shirk, which is the greatest of all sins, the destroyer of good deeds, can he not forgive missed salah? Of course.
Also, this post mentions people who intentionally miss every single salah, knowing that it is required of them. It does NOT mention people who pray sometimes some prayers, or people who pray regularly.
As for being a Muslim or not, that’s not the point; the point is to realize the gravity of intentionally skipping every salah; so grave a matter that scholars have debated whether someone who does that is really a Muslim or not.
Wallahu a’lam. I hope that answered your question … ?
assalamu alaikum
dear ilm seeker, i am very shamefull to tell u i was not offering my salah earlier or smtimes i used to offer to show off to others. but now i am very guilty for it and offer prayers daily. what should i do to complete my earlier prayers??? very depressed. its something i have not prayed for more then 9years and now few months back i started praying regularly. even regarding fasting before i never used to fast truely to allah.
please help me out. plz plz plz.
from a depressed slave of allah.
wa’alikum as-salaam,
@ubaidullah, the scholars have mentioned that there is no authentic action needed for missed past salah. They’re gone, and you can’t do anything to make them up.
All you can do now is make sincere tawbah to Allah, Al-Ghafuwr Al-Ghaffar, and ask Him to keep you steadfast on your future-going prayers.
Alhamdulillah if you’re praying now, you have accomplished something that, sadly, most of the Muslim ummah today ignores and makes excuses for.
Insha’Allah be hopeful that Allah has accepted your tawbah (repentance), because part of sincere repentance is regret.
O Allah, forgive all of us who intentionally missed prayers in the past! Truly, we were greatly misguided.
Brother when you type Allah’s do it
with an apostrophe as it’s very very importnant to show HE is One
Salam,
I am a newly reverted muslim from Australia and I hope you will listen to my opinion on this. I agree totally with AS and Allahs slave. Your message is factual and of great importance however you are missing the purpose of the message you are bringing. Think of it like this if Allah wanted people to be forced and feared into prayer he is more then capable of doing so himself and there would be no use in our beloved Prophets to give us a message of truth and to show us an example of righteousness, sacrifice and submission to Allah. The important part is the deeper interaction with Allah not the physical act itself and if a man is capable of seeing into and judging ones heart only then can he pass judgement on this and punish another. The ones who do not pray need to be shown the true meaning of prayer and why we do it and they will miss prayer and long for it not fear it.
Regardless of what I think brother this is only my opinion and I respect your.
May Allah here your prayer
I am about 53 years old now and in all these years, i cannot boast of having performed salah for six month consecutively.i know the implication but danced to th tune of satan,i am worried now and thinking of the wasted years frightens me and makes me feel as if iam already doomed. please advise me
@kawu: the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said that regret IS repentance. The best thing to do is make sincere tawbah (repentance) for your missed salahs, and start praying them as much as you can. And never fear, because Allah WILL forgive you if you sincerely turn back.
After all, a man from Bani Israeel killed 100 people, and even his repentance was accepted. So put it behind you and move forward insha’Allah in the direction you know to be true.
may Allah continue to bless you and reward you with jannatul firdaws for your words of encouragement which have restored hope in me.I am glad to inform you that, ALHAMDULILLAH, I am a changed person.As I continue to ask for Allah’s forgiveness, I want to appeal to my muslim colleagues who happen to read this response to include me in their du’as.May Allah forgive us all and make aljannah tobe our permanent abode. ameen.
@kawu h g. Alhamdulillah ala kulli haal! Truly the importance of salah cannot be underscored; and Allah is the one who gives guidance.
I am 12 and I do perform salat every now and then. I just wanted to know is it bad to miss some intentionaly and unintentionaly?
@syema it is definitely bad to miss salah intentionally; that’s what this entire post is about! Keep working on it, and make du’a; Allah will give you strength to do it inshaAllah.
@ Syema,
My dear,
am 25 yrs, and i feel very sorry for losing more than 10 years of my life, I wish I was your age to devout myself from such a young age, I want to be your age so that 1 don’t miss a single prayer……… You are very very favoured to have the knowledge of prayer at this age, Dnt miss any prayer because the regret one get after years without swalaat is very tough as in my case…… I keep regreting for my lost past years.
and a young who devout himself/herself to islam is one who will be under the throne of the Almighty on the day of judgement, its a big gift. Even if i have lose this chance, I try to do the other actions which will give me the opportunity to be under the throne on the special day.
Keep praying.
May Allah bless us in this life and in the hereafter, ameen.
What if you are a new Muslim but is finding it hard to memorize surahs?
@ Lexi,
Aslm,
If u r a new muslim and finding it difficult to memorize surah, the steps are as follows:
First, Pray to Allah, raise ur hand to him each time and tell him to help memorize.
put some effort little by little, do not try to jump to learn a whole surah or many ayat at once, learn what you can, maybe one verse per week, you will see that your memory will start to strengthen, and after month, you will notice that you can now memorize one verse each three day, then it will increase to 1 verse per day……….. this is the progress you achieve when you are sincere in devoting yourself as a slave of Allah.
Whenever you are free listen to yoour favourite chapter of the quran , that is for example, when driving, doing housework, etc….
Maybe you will start to appreciate certain reading styles of imams, you chose your favourite imam, download his recitations, whenever you feel like listening to something , tune to it.
One more advice , to memorize quran ( a verse, a surah, a juz, etc), your heart has to be pure, free from sin, so be constantly in a state of tawba, to keep your heart clean for the quran cannot stay in a place where sins are accumulating. Verse will stay in a heart free from sin, that is call perfect memorization.
Asssala mu alaikum,
This article is lovely Alhamdullilah, shows how important salaah is, another way to realize the importance of salaah, is to think where was the command of salaah given?? Hajj, zakaat etc were all commanded in the earth, and salaah’s commandment was given in the HEAVENS, Allah called Prophet Muhammad Sallahu alahi wasalaam to the heavens and gave the gift of salaah, offer your salaah with kushoo and on time, then see words won’t be able to describe the joy..and if you want to be perform salaah punctually recite this dua “Rabbij alnee muqeemas salaata Wa min zuriyati, Rabbana watakabal Dua”
Well just because you feel that at the moment nothing good is happening to you though the ones that dont read are getting everything; just remember that Allah Almighty is the sustainer; He is the one that is providing them with the knowlegde, just remeber that even though you are probably not getting anything in this life right now that doesnt mean good won’t come to you in the future, and even if it doesnt then you Namaaz will benifit for you on the Day of Judgement and in the Here-after.