Brief Explanation about Salah (Prayer)

by Hana Arisesa

In Islamic belief, Salah (prayer) has very important position. It is the second pillar of Islam. Prayer constitutes the physical, mental and spiritual submission to Allah (Zulfikar 2006 p.27). Moreover the Prophet said that prayer can be used to categorize as believer or not.  Report from one of the prophet companion, Jabir ibn Abdullah said:” I heard the Messenger of Allah (May peace and blessings be upon him) observing this: Between man and polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of salat”. (Ibn al-Hajjaj 2009 p.97).  By the definition according to Islamic law, Salah is a special kind of saying and deeds beginning with takbir and ending with taslim (Al-Fauzan 2005 p. 88). Because of prayer is one of good deeds, so its prcedure has been determained. Next I will show some proof from Quran and the sunnah indication the compulsion of Salah. Some of them are:

1. Allah Said: “Guard strictly (the five obligatory) Salawaat, especially the middle of Salah (‘Asr). And stand before before Allah with submission and do not speak to others during the salah. And if you fear (an enemy) perform salah on foot or riding. And when you are safe, perform salah in the manner, He has taught you which you knew not (before) ”[1]

2. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times”[2]

3. and Allah also says: “[O Muhammad] tell my servants who have believed to establish prayers …”[3]

Looking for those three proof from Quran, we know that salah has special meaning in Islamic believe. In the proof  number 1, Allah, Exalted be He, emphasize that Salah must be perform in every condition, in safe condition or in the fear, an example in the battle, even if we cannot do it by standing, Islamic Law tell us to do the Salah by sitting or by  lie down in the bed.  These show us the easy of Islamic teaching and the importance of Salah. Meanwhile, In the Sunnah we can find several proofs which describe the compulsion of Salah, to mention them:

1. From the Sunnah, Abu Hurairah -one of the famous companion- narrates that the Prophets said: “Five (prescribed) salawaat efface all sin which are committed between them and similarly they efface sins committed between one Jumu’ah and the next – when one has abstained from major sins ”[4]

2. The Messenger says: “ Allah has made obligatory five salawaat, He who did his ablution well and performed the salawaat punctually and did Ruku’ (bowing) in a perfect manner and with fear of Allah – such a worshiper has a promise from Allah that He will forgive him ”[5]

3. The prophet said: “The covenant which is between us and them (i.e the disbeliever) is Salah, and whoever abandoned it has disbelieved”[6]

Based on three proofs from the Sunnah, performing salah as a deed can delete all sin which are committed between them. The scholar give clarification that will be eradicate is minor sin. Also the believer who perform salah will be forgiven from Allah, and the last not performing salah has dangerous consequences because salah can be used to classify as a believer or as a disbeliever. As in history of Islam, The prophet must go to the seventh heaven to receive command Salah from Allah directly as narrated by Abu Dzar in a long famous hadith.[7]

1. Athaan

Athaan is a call to inform others in a specific words that the time for a prayer has begun (Saabig n.d.). Regarding specific words used in adzan, it described in a hadist from Abdullah ibn Zaid Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih who dream about how to do adzan and got approval from the prophet. [8] A person who permorming Adzan is called Muadzin (the callers to prayer). Reported in several hadiths about the virtues of performing adzan are the callers to prayer have longest neck on the day of resurrection also they will be forgiven of their sin as far as their voice reached.  

2. Imamah

Imamah is regarding a person who lead a congregational prayers. There are several requirements must be considered to choose an imam who lead in a prayer.

1. One who is the most versed in the book of Allah.

2. If among them is equal, then who the one with the greatest religious knowledge

3. If point 2 is same, then the earliest one in Hegira should lead people in prayer

4. If all those factors in same than who is oldest, will lead the prayer. (Al-Fauzan 2005 p.216-217)

In addition, man can lead man or women, but women only can lead prayer in women community only. Blind people can be  designated to be imam, as The prophet choose Ibn Ummi Maktum twice as temporary leader in madinah when the prophet in travelling.

3. Salatul Ied

There are two times salatul Ied in a year, salatul ied after performing fasting in the month of Ramadhan and salatul ied when the pilgrims still stay in the day of Arafat. The day of Ied is allowable festival, the day of happiness, and the day of victory for all believers. One of orders must be performed during Ied in performing Salatul Ied. The prophet always perform in mushalla (an wide empty area outside mosque). The are several guidances that must be considered before performing salatul ied.

1. Bathing on Ied day

2. Giving charity before going to perform salatul Ied

3. Eating before going to pray

4. Using different street on depart and return

Conclusion

            Salat is the only one command from Allah which He give it directly to the prophet without mediator. As the second pillar of Islamic faith, believer should concern about this deed, because this also can be lead to nonbeliever if didn’t do it. The aspects of salah as described in many hadith from the prophet.

Bibliography

Al-Fauzan, Shalih. 2005. Al Mulakhas Al Fiqhi. Translated by Al-Arabiya for Information Technology. Riyadh: Al-Maiman Publishing House.

Ibn al-Hajjaj, Muslim. 2009. Sahih Muslim. Edited by Mika'il al-Almany. Translated by Abd-al-Hamid Siddiqui.

Saabig, Sayyid. n.d. Figh-us-Sunnah.

Zulfikar, Muhammad. 2006. Prayer according to the Sunnah. Edited by Arwa Bint Muhammad J. Riyadh: Maktaba-Dar-us-Salam.

Footnote

[1] Al-Baqarah : 2/ 238-239

[2] An-Nisa: 4/ 103

[3] Ibrahim: X/31

[4] Muslim, Purification, Chapter: Five prayers, Friday to Friday, Ramadan to Ramadan, Hadith: 233

[5] Abu Dawud, Prayer. Preservation of Salah. Hadith: 425. Sahih according to Al-Albani

[6] Muslim, Faith, Chapter: Generalizing, in the name of disbeliever over whosoever abandons Salah, hadith: 82.

[7] Bukhari, Book 8, Vol 1, Number 345.

[8] Ahmad, Abu Daud, Ibn Majah, Ibn Khuzaimah and At-Tirmidzi. Al-Albani says Hasan Sahih