The Weight of Salah on The Day of Judgement
By Yaser Birjas | 2026-01-13T12:42:31.431476+00:00 | Topic: Iman
The Weight of Salah on The Day of Judgement
Opening and Greetings
As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا - alhamdu lillahi rabbil'alamin wassalatu wassalamu wabarakatuhu 'ala nabiyyina) محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم تسليماً كثيراً
The Day of Judgment: A Critical Moment
I want each one of us to visualize that position. (كُلُّ مِّنَّا يَنْظُرُ نَفْسَهُ بِذَلِكَ الْمَقَامِ - kullu minna yanzuru nafsahu bidhalikal maqam) - Just imagine you sit in that position right now.
The Finality of Death and Judgment
It's the final day which means there's nothing you can do about it. It's already done. There's no more time, there's no space for improvement. And you cannot just try to revoke what you have done in the past. What you did is done. That is one of the most critical positions a man or woman would ever see themselves in.
I want each one of us to put themselves in that position.
Death: The Beginning of Personal Judgment
Not just one. It begins with one crucial event that each one of us individually is going to have to take. We call it death.
(Unknown Source)
When the son of Adam dies, his or her record of judgment has already been established.You might say, but hold on a second.
But if you're dead, what does it matter to you? When you're dead, your record of judgment is already established. You wait there in that chamber in the court of God until everybody is resurrected. That day of resurrection is none of your business.
Your business is your own
The Station of Deeds and Accountability
And that's what I'm saying about that event at that particular station. That station is the station where we have collected our deeds. Those who have done good, they know they have done good. Those who have done bad, they know they have done bad. But still now, you need to know how much good you have done. And how much compensation you need to make for some of these losses in your account.
The First Question: Salah
(Reference: Abu Dawud hadith 864, Tirmidhi hadith 413)
(Unknown Source)
One of these first stations, one of these stations of that event particularly, the Prophet told us:
The Individual Examination
And they will say
And now you grab your record and you start opening a chapter on Salah. And they say, let's see, how long did you live? I lived 50 years, 60 years, 20 years, more or less. Okay, calculate that.
Immediately the number of Salawat should be that much. Let's see how many Salawat you have. And instead of having 60,000 some Salawat, you have 50 something. You have about 10,000 Salawat missing. Where are they? Something is missing. Where are they?
When Other Good Deeds Cannot Substitute
Okay, you know what? I was a charitable person. Look how much I paid. I was rich, Alhamdulillah, and I've been paying all this money. Look at it. Well, that's very impressive, but where is your Salah first?
I've never lied. I've never cheated. I've never done anything wrong, like so many people do and say about themselves. They tell them, Ya Abdullah, why don't you pray? And they will tell you, Inshallah, someday. Okay, but that's not enough.
The Problem of Quality Over Quantity
You have to do something. But Alhamdulillah, listen. I don't lie. I don't cheat. I don't steal. I don't drink. I don't do anything. But do you pray? Regardless how much you try to convince the angels of that day, it won't be impressive at all. Because the first question is, don't you have Salah? You better be ready for that question.
And you better prepare that answer for this. So they will ask you and see, where is your Salah? And you check it out. Alhamdulillah, it's full. My Salah is full in number. In my lifetime, I was only able to pray that much, and I have been all complete. Alhamdulillah, you'll be happy with it.
However, there is something else that needs to be checked. Hold on a second. Hold on a second. Yes, you do have a Salah complete here, but the quality is not very impressive. Half of your Salah was just done hastily. You begin your Salah (اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ - allahu akbar), and then suddenly you're thinking about your work, your school, your wife, your children, whatever.
The Reward Based on Consciousness in Prayer
So your Salah, yes, you did the number of Salah, but it's not that good. It's not that good. Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم - Salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) he said:
(Abu Dawud hadith 796)
People will stand up in Salah, but they get tired of themselves. You stand until you feel exhausted. And then he said (صلى الله عليه وسلم - Salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam):(Unknown Source)
Some people, they get only one-tenth reward. One quarter. Some people get half. One third. One sixth. More or less.Then he said:
The Importance of Sunnah Prayers as Compensation
Means the part that you are aware of. You might be standing in Salah for 5, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes in Salatul Fajr sometimes, and you don't get anything except for the last two seconds. (السلام عليكم ورحمة الله، السلام عليكم ورحمة الله - assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah)
The rest of it, you're just thinking, when is the Imam going to finish. You don't get anything from your Salah. So even though the number is there, but the quality isn't.
So the Salah record might be complete in number, but in quality isn't. What's going to happen to us? If this was the first question, imagine the second, the third, the fourth and so on. It doesn't matter. After this, it would not matter. Anything else, it would not matter. Except for this matter first.
Then the angels would say (يا عبد الله - ya 'abdallah) that's not enough. Fix it. I mean, it's impressive what you have there, but your Salah is not complete. You need to have some solution for this. What are you going to say about it?
Allah's Mercy Through Voluntary Prayers
Check his record. Out of His mercy (سبحانه وتعالى الله أكبر - subhanah wa ta'ala allahu akbar). Out of His mercy (سبحانه وتعالى - subhanah wa ta'ala) they would be asked, they would be told, check his record. Did he leave anything? Did my servant, did she leave any Sunnah Salah? How many Nawafil did they make during their lifetime? How many Nawafil?
Look, just check their Salah. And they would check. Say, my Lord, there's nothing there. It seems that he was always, or she was always hasty. If it was Dhuhr Salah, they just pray the Fard and they leave. If it was Maghrib Salah, there's no record that they've maintained the Sunnah. Isha, nothing. Just Salah Fard. That's it.
So the record of Salah, Salatul Nawafil, is empty? This record is empty on the Day of Qiyamah, Salatul Sunnah. (الله سبحانه وتعالى - allahu subhanah wa ta'ala) will find it completely empty. Clean. The record will not be impressive. The angels will come and say, O Lord, there's nothing there.
The Consequence of Incomplete Prayer Records
Okay, what do you say about that? What do you say? What's the matter? What's the matter? So it's incomplete in total number and quality. And on top of that, you didn't leave anything else beside it. No nothing.
Now this Salah is something that you have to keep account of in your lifetime. And now you expect that you're going to be saved? The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - Salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was saying:
And now we have the record. It's incomplete. The Sunnah is completely vacant. So on the Day of Judgment, when there is nothing that can substitute for the loss of your Salah, then the command will come. (جهنم - jahannam). People will be thrown into (جهنم - jahannam) because they did not complete their Salah.
The Danger of Neglecting Prayer
The number is missing. The quality is missing. And sometimes, even though we make our Salah, but we know that we made mistakes, and we never even thought about learning how to fix our Salah.
Yes, but inshallah we fix our Salah. We don't even learn how to fix our Salah, we make mistakes. Why? (الله غفور رحيم - allahu ghafur rahim) - He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (سبحان الله - subhan allah). And indeed He is.
But He also said that He is (شديد العقاب - shadeed al'iqab) - Severe in punishment. Which means you need to work for both. Work for His Mercy, and escape that punishment.
The Fate of Those Who Testify Faith But Neglect Prayer
Now, that individual who goes to (جهنم - jahannam) you might say, but didn't that person say (لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله - la ilaha illallah muhammad rasulullah)? Absolutely. Every individual who says from the bottom of their hearts (لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله - la ilaha illallah muhammad rasulullah).
(Bukhari hadith 128)
Everybody who says that, would eventually enter Jannah. Will they enter Jannah immediately? Not necessarily. That's the point.The Reward for Complete Prayer Records
But other people now, who will grab their records, and they check their records. Ok, let me see your Salah. Your Salah, mashallah, in terms of numbers, perfect. Alhamdulillah. Ok, how about the quality? (تبارك الله - tabarak allah). It's very good. So what else do you have?
I have extra credit. We call it Sunnah. Nafilah. So you have extra credit. That's wonderful.
Don't you guys get excited, specifically students? You get excited when you somehow make a mistake on your exam, and then Alhamdulillah, the extra credit brings it up to 100. And on top of that, when you get to 100, and then you have extra credit, then you'll be even more excited. Extra excited right now for you.
So you become so joyful by that. That will happen on the Day of Judgment. Your Salah is complete. The quality is perfect. And you have extra credit. Then they will tell you, pass. (الله أكبر - allahu akbar).
The Ease After Passing the Prayer Test
(قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: الصلاة الصلاة - qala salla allahu 'alayhi wa sallam: assalatu assalatu) - If you pass this, everything else after that becomes easier.
The Divine Command for Prayer Throughout History
أقيموا الصلاة، أقيموا الصلاة، أقيموا mentioned the Salah in the Quran so many times الله سبحانه وتعالى الصلاة Quran 2:43, 2:83, 2:110) - Establish Salah. Establish Salah. It's a command. Establish Salah.
And that Salah was even established way before Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) came with Islam.
إبراهيم عليه السلام قال رب اجعلني مقيم الصلاة ومن ذريتي Quran 14:40) - He was the first one back then saying, My Lord اجعلني مقيم الصلاة - Make me of those who establish Salah.
From إبراهيم عليه السلام's time. And he was إبراهيم. He was asking Allah to make him and his offspring to establish Salah.
عيسى عليه السلام وأوصاني بالصلاة والزكاة ما دمت حياً The same thing. They established Salah .موسى Quran 19:31) - He was still a baby. An infant. And the first words that came out of his mouth: وأوصاني بالصلاة - And Allah commanded me in regard to protect my Salah. In regard to my Salah. To protect my Salah. And he was still an infant.
And Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) continued the legacy. This is a divine link. The divine link that الله سبحانه وتعالى commands to be maintained and to be established.
The Special Nature of Prayer's Obligation
The value of Salah, we understand it from the obligation of Salah. And how it became obligatory. The Salah.
I mentioned that actually in a lecture last night. The story of how Salah came down from the beginning of Islam. From the beginning, Muslims were commanded to pray. However, the Salah that we know today. The form of Salah that we know today came with special instruction from الله سبحانه وتعالى.
ربنا تبارك وتعالى لم ينزلها مع جبريل إنما أمر محمداً صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يصعد بصحبة جبريل عليه السلام محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم to go and bring جبريل commanded إلى السماء السابعة - الله سبحانه وتعالى from his place. All the way up to the seventh heaven. And give him that command.
You all know what that was: to pray five times a day. That is why it's so special. And that's why it's called the divine gift. So it's so important for الله سبحانه وتعالى that محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم received that directly until the last breath.
Prayer as the Second Pillar of Islam
And the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) made the value of Salah to be one of the five pillars of Islam. Why is it so heavy on Day of Judgment? Why are we going to be questioned at that station on Day of Judgment? Because of that.
(Bukhari hadith 8)
بني الإسلام على خمس: شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمداً رسول الله، وإقام :said رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الصلاة Reference: Bukhari hadith 8, Muslim hadith 16(
Islam was established on five pillars. The first one شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله - To bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. إقام الصلاة - To establish Salah. And then everything will come after that.
Immediately, you come to Salah. To establish Salah.
(Tirmidhi hadith 2621)
رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم said: العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة فمن تركها فقد كفر )Reference: Tirmidhi hadith 2621, Ahmad hadith 22931(
The covenant that distinguishes between us and them, the disbelievers, is Salah. Whoever abandons Salah has indeed committed kufr.
The Command to Invite People to Prayer
Another hadith رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم said: The covenant that distinguishes between us and them, the disbelievers, is Salah. Whoever abandons Salah or leaves it, is indeed committing kufr. Disbeliever, active disbeliever.
From this hadith, our ulema, they gave Salah a very, very special position in our deen. What's the position of Salah in our deen? And why is it so heavy that much on the Day of Judgement that would be the first station and the first question that you're going to be asked about on Judgement Day in regard to the Ibadah and worship, would be of Salah.
Number one, because it's the pillar of Islam. Once you say لا إله إلا الله what is next? What comes next? Five times a day.
معاذ was sent to Yemen, down south. And the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) he commanded when he goes there:
(Bukhari hadith 1395)
إنك تأتي قوماً من أهل الكتاب فادعهم إلى أن يشهدوا أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمداً رسول الله، فإن هم :goes there ,1395 Reference: Bukhari hadith) أطاعوك لذلك فأعلمهم أن الله افترض عليهم خمس صلوات في كل يوم وليلة Muslim hadith 19)
When you go to the people, you're going to the people of أهل الكتاب. These are people who follow another book. Christians and Jews. So when you call them فادعهم إلى أن يشهدوا أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمداً رسول الله - Firstly you invite them to witness and testify there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
فإن هم أطاعوك لذلك - If they obey you in this, if they listen to that فأعلمهم - Let them know. And Allah said:
أن الله افترض عليهم خمس صلوات في كل يوم وليلة :said Allah made obligatory upon them to pray five times in the day and five times in the night.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى made obligatory upon them to pray five times a day. If they obeyed him for this. Then next, the next and the following pillar.
The Unique Features of Prayer
So the first thing after shahada comes salah. Once a person becomes a Muslim, the first thing they need to learn is that they need to maintain now five times, meaning dedicating five times for devotion, standing for الله سبحانه وتعالى in worship and Ibadah.
The second thing, the salah we learn is so significant because it was made an obligation in السماء السابعة. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) he received that command from الله سبحانه وتعالى with no intermediary interpreter in the middle. It is الله سبحانه وتعالى who spoke to Muhammad directly (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to receive that obligation of salah.
This salah we learn is so important that a public call was made mandatory in order to establish a timing for this salah. What do you call this public call? Adhan. Show me any other Ibadah that has a public call.
Fasting, doesn't have a public call? In Muslim countries, actually they launch cannons. But it happens only once or twice a year. Once at the beginning of the month and once at the end of the month. And that's it. After that, it's over. But this is not from the sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). They didn't have any cannons back then.
But salah has five daily أذان calls. When it comes to zakah, it was left for your conscience as a believer. No one tells you that it's time to pay zakah. It is you who calculate your zakah. It is you who know when the time for zakah becomes due. And it is you who is going to be paying that zakah out. No one is going to be chasing you around. So it's you who will be called to that.
When it comes to hajj, we know that the hajj comes once a year. But there is no أذان for it. Come to hajj. It's you who make the decision, I need to go to hajj this year inshallah ta'ala.
The Beauty and Impact of the Call to Prayer
But when it comes to the salah, someone else is calling for the salah. It's not you who says I'm going to make the salah or the أذان Note أذان whether you make it or not, it is going to be called. And the call for all people to come to that salah.
And subhanallah, I speak with so many non-Muslims and they make so many nice presentations about Islam. And one of the things that fascinates people who visit Muslim countries - I ask people because I usually ask them if they visit Muslim countries or not.
Sometimes people come for tourism or something else. Eventually I say what was the most fascinating thing that you still remember from those times that you spent there. And almost like a unanimous agreement. One of the fascinating moments or fascinating times that they remember from there is the أذان.
يقولون الأذان - I remember a couple والله when they were talking to me about their stay in Morocco. In Morocco, they said that the best times that they used to remember was the أذان. And the best أذان the best أذان to hear and listen to, guess which one? الفجر
And we hear that from non-Muslims. Some Muslims today they say it's too loud. Please make it quieter. And these people, they miss أذان الفجر When I was talking to them and they were describing to me أذان الفجر and how they used to wake up for it. والله they were crying.
And they were in their fifties. You can see the tears in their eyes. They were emotional. So that was so beautiful. That was so fascinating. That was so amazing. So majestic. Magical moment in their lives.
The Power of Adhan in Conversion
Do you know that some people become Muslim just because of hearing the أذان Some people just hear the أذان and it makes them Muslim.
And I do remember watching actually or reading a story of someone in جدة الرياض in Saudi Arabia. One of those visitor workers who came I believe from Asia, I think from Philippines. And he became Muslim just because of the أذان
One time he was walking in the market, probably his first time when he arrived. And suddenly he said, we heard some kind of loud voice. You know how the Bedouins call أذان? They don't call أذان they don't make أذان so beautifully by the way. They just have that traditional voice.
So the guy heard that and was confused. Because when he looked, he saw everybody locking their doors and their stores and so on. And walking towards one direction. He thought they were escaping from something dangerous. So he started walking with them.
The Organization Through Prayer Call
And the guy suddenly realized, why aren't they running, you know? Because they're supposed to be rushing, running, protecting themselves. And those people were walking calmly and laughing and joking and chatting. It didn't sound like something dangerous they were escaping from.
So he started going to that different building, the masjid. And he saw them inside making specific rituals, going down. So he realized that this must be their worship.
Then he said a few minutes later, those people were coming back and opening their stores. And then life went back to normal. Then maybe 4-5 hours later, he started to hear the same voice. Suddenly people started locking their doors and going back again to the masjid. And he did the same thing with them.
He said that this whole congregation, look at this organization, huge congregation, to be organized in this system without anybody controlling them, just a voice like this, organizing like this, this is not human. This must be divine. Because human beings cannot do that naturally. It must be something that is above the level of humanity that brings them to that organization, to that system.
So the أذان was made so special for that special worship,الصلاة.
Prayer Requires Purification
الصلاة is the only act of ibadah that requires ritual purification. صيامdo you have to have وضوء when you start your fast? No. زكاة, do you have to have وضوء to give زكاة? No. حج, do you have to have وضوء when you perform the rituals of حج? Not all of them.
Even if you make طواف without وضوءyou're fine. The only act of worship of these five pillars of Islam that requires from you purification is الصلاة
Regardless how good you smell, regardless how nice you look, if you don't have وضوءyour salah will not be accepted. See how important salah is? And you have to have a state of طهارة purification, very special status to perform that salah.
Prayer is Maintained Regardless of Circumstances
صلاة, the obligation of صلاة is maintained regardless of your situation. If you're healthy, you pray. If you're tired, you pray. If you're sick, you pray. And subhanallah, this is one of the miracles of this deen of Islam.
Our patients, Muslims, who go to hospitals, and they suffer some diseases, illnesses, maybe some health conditions and so on. One of the things that is so unique about them is that it becomes sometimes an issue between them and health providers because of their dedication to prayer.
And I usually go to some of these hospitals and give them some presentations on how to deal with Muslim patients and so on. And they keep asking about this issue. You know, some woman, she's a patient. Now the moment she opens her eyes, the first thing she asks about is prayer.
I mean, just worry about yourself right now. Then we'll talk about prayer a little bit later. But subhanallah, the Muslims are keen on their salah. They care for their salah because they know how valuable that is for them.
And the first thing they say, what time is it now? They ask about the time. Why? It's not because they want to go and watch a program on TV or do something else. No, because they want to know is it time for salah or not, did they miss salah or not.
The Devotion of Muslim Patients
And they ask me, how should you deal with them? I say, well, you need to deal with them in various scenarios. Eventually, this is so fascinating. The people in the hospitals, they say, those Muslims are so devoted. Nothing stops them.
Someone is completely wrapped in all these bandages and so on, and still wants to make their salah. They cannot use water. They say, can you bring me some dirt from the backyard? Or from downstairs? They want to make (تيمم - tayammum). He says, we can't do that in the hospital. You'll be getting sick more than that. He says, no, just give me something. I just want to make (تيمم. سبحان الله - tayammum. subhanAllah).
(المسلم حريص على صلاته - al-muslim haris ala salatihi) - We care for that salah so much, because we know how valuable that is for us.
Prayer: The Best of Deeds
(الصلاة - As-Salah). It is so important, and the weight of salah on judgment is so heavy. Because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: (سُئل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أي العمل أفضل ؟ قال : الصلاة على وقتها - su'ila an-nabiyyu salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam ayyu al-'amali afdal? qala: as-salatu ala waqtiha) (Reference: Bukhari hadith 527, Muslim hadith 85)
Which of all deeds is the best? The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: (الصلاة على وقتها - As-salatu ala waqtiha) - Prayer on its time.
So one of these things in your account on Judgment Day, as we said, in regard to the quality, they will check these things. صلى الله عليه وسلم this one, you procrastinated on this one. This one was made two hours late. This one, you missed it. This one, you did this, this one, that.
Everything. Everything would be written in your account. The little one and the major one. Everything would be written there.
The Complete Recording of Our Lives
You might say, subhanAllah, what is that? Everything? You didn't miss anything? You did not miss anything. Basically, your life is just like a digital recording. Everything is recorded there.
All that the angels need to do, they just go back to that year so-and-so, day so-and-so, time of salah so-and-so, to show you that. The camera would show, what did you do during that time of salah? You were watching a game. Or you were sleeping. Or you were doing whatever you were doing, missing that salah.
The angels would not miss that. It would be recorded.
The Scholarly Position on Abandoning Prayer
For that reason, for that reason, salah was made so special. For that reason, our ulema, they discussed the concept of salah and what's the meaning of salah. Our ulema, they discussed the value of salah and the hukm of the person who does not make salah.
They said to him, whoever leaves prayer ignorantly, meaning he denies its obligation, whoever denies the obligation of prayer and leaves it as (جحود - juhud), he is out of the religion. By unanimous agreement, the ulema, they say, anyone who abandons salah, knowingly, out of denial, which means denying the obligation of salah, that this is an act of kufr, takes the person out of the fold of Islam.
As for abandoning salah out of laziness, procrastination, and negligence - but if you always feel guilty that you did not make your salah, then the ulema disagree. As for those who leave it as (جحود - juhud) knowingly, this is an act of kufr. This is an act of kufr, not just negligence.
So they say that this person who abandons salah, the majority say, among those who abandon salah out of procrastination, laziness, and so on, that he or she is not out of the fold of Islam, but the act itself is the act of those who are disbelievers. And the person is disobedient to Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Disobedient to Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
In (مذهب الإمام أحمد رحمه الله تعالى - madhhab al-imam Ahmad rahimahu Allah ta'ala) they say he is actually, she is kafir, out of the fold of Islam. You know why? Whether the person is just disobedient or kafir, it's a matter of dispute. Just the idea, the idea of our Muslim scholars discussing the status of a person being between kufr and disobedience is so dangerous.
Just the idea of some of them saying this person might go out of the fold of Islam, it is so dangerous. The sahabah did not consider anything closer to kufr more than abandoning salah. Which means if someone abandons zakah, abandons siyam, it is an act of major sin but doesn't take the person out of the fold of Islam, unless they deny that obligation by heart.
But when it comes to salah, just abandoning salah by itself, is close to that level of being out of the fold of Islam. Even those who say that he or she is not out of the fold of Islam, they discuss what should be the punishment. And some of them, they say, the punishment is the punishment of committing a major sin.
They arrest them. How do they arrest them? They bring them and they question: why aren't you praying? If this person repents to Allah and starts praying regularly, he will be let go. If not, then some of them, they say that they should be actually executed as capital punishment.
And then they argue, what is that for? Is it because the person now becomes non-Muslim or disbeliever, as an apostate? Or is this just now a punishment, a deterrent, just like when someone kills someone else? You do that as (تكفير - takfeer) as expiation for their sins.
Again, the whole subject of entertaining all these opinions shows you how dangerous the subject is. You might agree or disagree, but it doesn't matter. Just the idea that our Muslim ulema and scholars, they entertain the subject to that extent, makes the idea itself so dangerous. Not to pray your salawat.
Teaching Children to Pray
Now, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم warned that if a person doesn't pray when he grows old, he should teach his children how to pray. In order to avoid abandoning salawat when we grow up as adults, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم he commanded us to train our kids when they're young.
(Abu Dawud hadith 495)
- You need to command your children to pray when they're 7 years old.
To command them. When you see them around, you tell them, did you pray? She says, no, I didn't. Or, if it was time for salawat, you start calling your kids. Come on, it's time for salawat. And you line them up, and you make salawat at home. So you command them, and if they didn't pray, did you pray? No, I didn't.
So you teach your kids when they're 7. He says (واضربوهم عليها وهم أبناء عشر - wa adribu hum 'alayha wa hum abna' 'ashr) - You need to discipline them for that salawat when they become 10 years old. Which means you correct them. You tell them that you didn't pray, come over here.
You start teaching them that it's something so important that you are going to be corrected for that if you don't make it. You create this routine for them when they're young, and believe me, it becomes easy for them as they grow older.
The Danger of Delaying Prayer Education
So even kids, who today we say they're still young. I mean, they're still kids. We have children in our houses who are 10, 11, 12 years old, and all what they do at home is just playing games. Video games.
You ask them, did you teach them how to pray? Well, they're still young. They're still young, they're still young. Until they become teenagers and then they come to us and say, can you please teach my
kid? By then, wallahi, I believe it's too late even for me to do anything.
And then they start entertaining the idea themselves saying Alhamdulillah they're grown up right now, they've become young adults, and they can make decisions for themselves. Yeah, but you did not give them the foundation. You've never taught them how to make salat regularly.
You've never helped them to be regular in the salat. So now you want them to become regular in the salat. I think it would be unfair.
So it is so important that Allah سبحانه وتعالى commanded us to teach our kids when they're young how to make their salat.
The Day of Judgment Scene Revisited
Now, let's go back again to that scene, same scene of the Day of Judgment. Those people who were standing there in line, waiting for their turn. Some people, their records, perfect, passed. Passed. And someone stopped.
Hold on a second, something is missing. Did you make it up? Yeah, it says that he made it up let's say two days later. Or something like that. Okay, did you leave any extra credit? Let's see if they have sunnah. Alhamdulillah, she has lots of credit. Even she has (قيام الليل - qiyam al-layl)
Oh, mashallah, that's even better. Because (قيام الليل - qiyam al-layl) is extra salah after the obligatory salah. So you have a lot of good deeds in your record in terms of salah.
Alhamdulillah, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that if that person had missed portions from the salah, Allah سبحانه وتعالى will tell them, if they have anything optional or voluntary, and if they have, they will compensate for the loss in the obligatory one, and they will be saved. If nothing, they will be sent to (جهنم - jahannam) to pay for that mistake or for that missed salat in their life.
The Intercession for Believers in Hellfire
The people now, those who are, unfortunately, placed in (جهنم - jahannam) will be in (جهنم - jahannam). Punished for that. To be purified. The people of الجنة will pass over the bridge according to their deeds.
As fast as they can, according to their deeds. Some of them just like the lightning, some of them like the horse, the running horses, and some of them like the wind itself, some of them according to their deeds, and some of them will be crawling. And some of them will be pulled and sent to (جهنم - jahannam)
When they pass to the other side of the bridge, رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم said, the Prophet said that the Muslims, the believers will be gathering there. All of them. And now they start looking at each other.
They see someone is missing there. Where is this brother? Where is this sister? Where is this brother? They try to see who is missing. They find that some of the believers are missing. They were believers, but they were missing.
Now look how they talk. What they ask for. They ask Allah: (يا ربنا، هؤلاء كانوا إخواننا، كانوا يصلون معنا ويصومون معنا - ya rabbana, ha'ula'i kanu ikhwanana, kanu yusalluna ma'ana wa yasumuna ma'ana) - It is our Lord. These were our brothers. Our brothers. They used to pray with us. They used to fast with us. We used to eat together. We used to pray sometimes next to each other. Foot by foot, shoulder by shoulder. They are missing. They are not here. We don't see them.
Which means something happened that caused them to go there. So they go and they look and they check those believers and they will be recognized by the marks of their (سجود - sujud) and by the traces of their (وضوء - wudu'). Allah will not let the fire consume the marks of (سجود - sujud) and (وضوء - wudu').
So eventually they will go and they will see the people and they recognize them by the traces of (وضوء - wudu') and the traces of their (سجود - sujud). And they will ask Allah سبحانه وتعالى to make (شفاعة - shafa'ah) - to intercede for them. Can we take them out?
They will be permitted and commanded to go to (جهنم - jahannam). And Allah will tell them: go down there and get all those people that you can see who have in their hearts (مثقال كذا وكذا من إيمان - mithqal kadha wa kadha min iman) - Go and check for such and such amount of iman in their hearts and take them out.
The Gradual Extraction from Hellfire
So the first amount would be (مثقال كذا. مثقال كذا مثقال ذرة مثقال ذرة مثقال دينار من إيمان - mithqal kadha. mithqal kadha mithqal dharratin mithqal dharratin mithqal dinarin min iman).
They would look for one degree of iman at a time. And they would pull them out. By the time they extract one group, the other groups would be suffering further and more. So they would pull out and so on until no one else who has (ذرة من إيمان - dharratun min iman) - an atom's weight of iman, an atom's weight of belief. No one will be left there in (جهنم - jahannam). They will all be out.
This is why it is so important. Don't be proud of yourself, of what you do. You need to be proud of what you achieve according to the command of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
The Requirements for Proper Prayer
If you know Allah سبحانه وتعالى is commanding you to pray, then you should be doing that. If you know that on the Day of Judgment, the first question will be about Salah, then you should maintain that Salah.
And if you know that Salah is not only about the number, but also about the quality and the mannerisms. And how can a person say, O my Lord, You are the Most Merciful. So if you know that it's not just about how many rak'ah that you pray, it's how you did them.
When you say how you did them, that also involves first of all, the intention. Are we doing it for Allah سبحانه وتعالى or just to please my parents, my teachers, my friends, whoever that person is?
The second, when you do it, are you following the example of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم ? He said to us: (صلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي - Pray the way you see me pray. (Reference: Bukhari hadith 631)
Now we haven't seen him pray Salah by ourselves, but the reports about his Salah are there in books of Hadith and Sunnah. You have no excuse not to know how the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did his Salah. You should learn that.
The Importance of Khushu in Prayer
And the third thing, when you do that Salah, do you do it according to what we heard in the recitation at the beginning? سبحان الله it's so relevant.
Successful are the believers. And the first quality that was mentioned there: والذين هم في صلاتهم خاشعون - Those who have khushu in their Salah, they have complete focus and concentration.
And the meaning of khushu is to have that complete focus and attention and concentration in your Salah. Just a couple of nights ago I gave an entire lecture on this. And how you could achieve that khushu in your Salah, things that you need to take care of before you start your Salah. Things you do when you're making your Salah and after you're done in order to achieve that khushu and fulfill that obligation of concentration in your Salah.
So you have to make it for the sake of Allah سبحانه وتعالى Following the example of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and when you do it, you do it with that complete khushu
Adding Extra Credit Through Sunnah Prayers
And number four, don't be satisfied with just the five daily prayers. I have seven-year-old, eight-year- old children, and ten-year-old children and they both Alhamdulillah maintain the five daily prayers. So if you as an adult think that you're doing great, there are children who can compete with you. So don't be so happy with what you do with just the five daily prayers.
What you need to do is add the extra credit. (السنة - Assunnah). My kids, they're not very good with السنة prayers. If they can just escape and just go away with it, they will do it. But they're still kids. And I will try to help them maintain their Salah.
But it's so crucial and important for us. So it's so crucial that we fulfill our Ibadah and our Salah in terms of quality and add that extra credit to it. (السنة, النافلة - Assunnah, Annafilah).
The Complete Requirements for Prayer
And you have (الإحسان في الصلاة فيؤديها بوضوء - Al-ihsan fi assalah fiyu'addiha bi wudu') - When you do it, you do it on time with complete
For the sake of . طهارة Following the example of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم add extra الله سبحانه وتعالى credit to it and you will guarantee yourself successful pass inshallah ta'ala on that station when they ask about your Salah.
It's the first question and the answer is an open book exam. On the Day of Judgment, you're not going to come there and say, honestly no one told me about it, I have no idea, honestly it wasn't in the book. It's an open book exam, there's no argument about it.
It's an open book exam and many people fail. So you have the answer for it. You have all the answers. We just don't do our job, we don't study and prepare.
Call to Action and Improvement
Therefore, if you know how to pray, Alhamdulillah. Why don't you try to get another book, attend another program, to see if your Salah is up to the standard. If not, then Alhamdulillah, you still have time to rectify that.
And Alhamdulillah, if you maintain your Salah regularly, why don't you start learning more about the extra credits? (السنة النوافل - Assunnah, Annafilah), what else can I do? I need to know more, I don't just want to do,الفجر الظهر العصر المغرب العشاء
Is there anything else that I can do in order to increase my credit on Judgment Day? What else can I do as well, in order to improve the focus and the concentration of my Salah, the khushu in my Salah? What can I do to increase the level, the quality of my Salah?
All these things you need to consider in order to become among those blessed ones:
Successful are the believers, those who are in their Salah, always khashi'un
Closing Du'a
O Allah, make us among the humble. I ask Allah, the Exalted, to make us eager for our prayers and to grant us success in them and to make us on the Day of Resurrection answer them with acceptance in them and in others, and I ask Allah, the Exalted, to accept from us.
Al-Fatiha
Allahumma Ameen
Alhamdulillah Rabbil 'Alameen was-salatu was-salamu 'ala khayril Anbiya'i wal-Mursaleen Nabiyyina Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa ashabihi wat-tabi'een