Just Fifty Minutes a Day, my friend!

Author: Ustadz Said Yai et al. , at UIM

That very precious ritual is a red line between a slave and its Lord. That very noble ritual is like a crystal-clear river that washes away and purifies sins of a slave who frequently baths in it. That is, as you’ve guessed, the five compulsory prayers.

However, despite its plenty of virtues, still a lot of people today abandon and neglect it, including some of our citizens. As if abandoning prayers is a common habit and a trivial sin.

If some muslims these days was asked to do a sin, such as kill people, rape a woman, steal something, or drink intoxication, most of them would fiercely reject the request, with the reason that those are major sins,

Don’t they realize that the sin of abandoning the five daily prayers is much more severe than all the sins above?

The Messenger –peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said,

« الْعَهْدُ الَّذِى بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمُ الصَّلاَةُ فَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا فَقَدْ كَفَرَ »

The pact between us (muslims) and them (disbelievers) is the prayer. Whoever leaves it has committed infidelity.” (Narrated by Imam At Tirmidhi no. 2621, and classified as valid hadith by Sheikh al Albani).

This hadith points out that the sin of a person who abandons the prayer is far more severe compared to the others sins that we’ve mentioned earlier.

Whatever the condition is, a muslim is obliged to perform his prayer, be it in grim sickness, long journey, war, or other difficult conditions.

Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,

“Be watchful over the Prayers, and over praying with the utmost excellence, and stand before Allah as would utterly obedient servants.” (Chapter al Baqarah/The Cow: 238)

However, in several circumstances, Allah the Exalted has granted us various dispensation in the ritual or steps of prayer that lightens it, but not abandons it wholly. Such as in grim sickness, for example, we are allowed to pray while sitting, and if we’re unable to, by lying on our right side, if we’re still unable to, we may lie on our back, and if we are still unable to do it, then it is enough to be considered as valid prayer by the hand or eye gesture.

Likewise, in a long journey, We are allowed to, and even suggested to shorten the four rak’ahs prayer into two rak’ahs. Likewise, we are allowed to – when in need- unite two prayers into one time, namely the dhuhur prayer with ashr, and the maghrib prayer with isya’, to be done in one of the two times of those prayer.

Allah has given us plenty of dispensations. In short, the obligation of performing prayer will not be lifted from a muslim except until he died and been shrouded and prayed upon by the muslims.

To be honest, if in one prayer we just need 10 minutes to accomplished it in minimum, then we multiply it five times, the result is only 50 minutes. Subhanallah! Lesser than an hour from the 24 hours in a day, Allah the Exalted asked us to spare that time to worship Him Who has given us all of His favors! Is it appropriate for us to be stingy with out time to Him?

Allah the Exalted revealed to us about the conversation of the residents of the hell,

“What drove you to Hell? They will answer: “We were not among those who observed Prayer,” (chapter Al-Muddatstsir/The Cloaked One: 42-43)

May we are not included among people who sacrifice the eternal pleasures in the hereafter to pursue the illusionary beauty of this temporary world. Amin.

May this writing benefits us all.