THE IMPORTANCE OF SALAH A few minutes and Insha Allah you will understand…Please listen to the narration, the writing is just an overview.

WHAT IS SALAH? Salah (prayer) is the 2nd pillar of Islam and one of the most important. There is no excuse for missing it- save 2 You forget to pray, in which case you have to pray when you remember and not delay, or else there is no qadha You fall asleep unintentionally and miss prayer, in which case you pray as soon as you wake up, or else there is no qadha (make up prayer)

WHAT IS SALAH? cont’d Muslims are obligated to pray 5 times a day. The five fard (obligatory) prayers are: - Fajr (2 units or 2 rakahs) dawn to sunrise Dhuhr (4 units or 4 rakahs) noon to mid afternoon Asr (4 units or 4 rakahs) mid afternoon to sunset Maghrib (3 units or 3 rakahs) After sunset to night Isha (4 units or 4 rakahs) the night prayer Note: [witr ( 3 units or 3 rakah) there is a difference of opinion as to whether it is obligatory (wajib) or a sunnah- just pray it anyways) It is the last prayer of the day, either before you go to sleep or after tahajjud]

THE ONE WHO DOES NOT PRAY “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.” [at Tabarani] “Salat is a pillar of the religion (Islam). He who establishes it, establishes religion; and he who destroys it, destroys religion." [Tabrani]

THE ONE WHO DOES NOT PRAY cont’d 'Verily, between man and polytheism and disbelief is abandoning prayer' [Muslim] Allah Almighty says: "Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up prayers (i.e. made their prayers to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times, etc.) and have followed lusts. so they will be thrown in Hell. Except those who repent and believe (in the Oneness of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad {pbuh}) and work righteousness. Such will enter Paradise and they will not be wronged in aught" [19: 59-60] The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The agreement that is between us and them is the prayer: whoever leaves it has disbelieved."

WORLDLY PUNISHMENTS (hadith) Missing Fajr- the glow of your face is taken away Missing Dhuhr- the blessings of your income is taken away Missing Asr- the strength of your body is taken away Missing Maghrib- you are not benefacted by your children Missing Isha- the peace of your sleep is taken away Say your prayers before prayers are said for you!

15 PUNISHMENTS FOR THE NON WORSHIPPER THE SIX PUNISHMENTS OF LIFE: 1. Allah takes away blessings from his age (makes his life misfortunate) 2.Allah does not accept his plea (Dua's) 3.Allah erases the features of good people from his face. 4.He will be detested by all creatures on earth. 5.Allah does not award him for his good deeds. (No thawab) 6.He will not be included in the Dua's of good people.

15 PUNISHMENTS FOR THE NON WORSHIPPER cont’d THE THREE PUNISHMENTS WHILE DYING: 1. He dies humiliated. 2. He dies hungry. 3. He dies thirsty. Even if he drinks the water of all seas he will still be thirsty. THE THREE PUNISHMENTS IN THE GRAVE: 1. Allah tightens his grave until his chest ribs come over each other. 2. Allah pours on him fire with embers. 3. Allah sets on him a snake called "the brave", "the bold" which hits Him from morning until afternoon for leaving Fajr prayer, from the afternoon until Asr for leaving Dhuhr prayer and so on. With each strike he sinks 70 yards under the ground.

15 PUNISHMENTS FOR THE NON WORSHIPPER cont’d THE THREE PUNISHMENTS ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT: 1. Allah sends who would accompany him to hell pulling him on the face. 2. Allah gives him an angry look that makes the flesh of his face fall down. 3. Allah judges him strictly and orders him to be thrown in HELL.

BENEFITS OF PRAYER "Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness. And those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehoods and all that Allah has forbidden). And those who pay the Zakat. And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts). Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, -for then, they are free from blame. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors. Those who are faithfully true to their trusts and to their covenants. And those who strictly guard their Salat (five compulsory congregational prayers at their fixed stated hours). These are indeed the inheritors. Who shall inherit the Firdaus (Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever.“Surah al-Muminun [23: 1-11]

BENEFITS OF PRAYER cont’d Surah Al-Marif: [70: 19-35] "Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient; irritable (discontented) when evil touches him; and niggardly when good touches him. Except those devoted to Salat (prayers), those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers), and those in whose wealth there is a known right, for the beggar who asks, and for the unlucky who has lost his property and wealth, (and his means of living has been straitened). And those who believe in the Day of Recompense, and those who fear the torment of their Lord. Verily! The torment of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure. And those who guard their chastity (ie, private parts from illegal sexual acts), except with their wives and the (women slaves and captives) whom their right hands possess, -for (then) they are not to be blames. But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers. And those who keep their trusts and covenants, and those who stand firm in their testimonies, and those who guard their Salat (prayers) well; such shall dwell in the Gardens (i.e. Paradise) honored."

BENEFITS OF PRAYER cont’d Allah Almighty says in the Qur'an: "...Verily, As-salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse etc. ) and al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed etc.)..." [29: 45] 'Whoever commits a sin, but performs ablution in the best way, then offers two Rakat prayer, and he asks for the forgiveness of Allah, Allah almighty forgives his sins' [Ahmad]

THE IMPORTANCE OF SALAH Jazak Allahu khair for viewing this and now know one thing, you have the knowledge, if you still don’t pray…How will you answer Allah?