Importance of Prayer-Times

How and When?

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللٌّهِ الصَّادِقُ (ع): إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ صَلاةً فَرِيضَةً فَصَلِّهَا لِوَقْتِهَا صَلاَةَ مُوَدِّعٍ تَخَافُ أَنْ لاَ تَعُودَ إِلَيْهَا.

Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said: “When you offer an obligatory prayer, offer it at its stipulated time in a manner as if it is your last prayer and you fear you shall never get a chance to offer any prayer again.”  Al-Mahajjatul Baidha, Volume 1, Page 350

Importance of the Times of Prayers

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص): قَالَ اللٌّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: إِنَّ لِعَبْدِي عَلَيَّ عَهْداً إِنْ أَقَامَ الصَّلاَةَ لِوَقْتِهَا أَنْ لاَ أُُعَذِّبَهُ وَ أَنْ أَدْخُلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ بِغَيرِ حِسَابٍ.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) has reported that Allah, the Mighty, the Glorious has said: “I have a covenant with My servant that if he offers his prayers at their stipulated times, I shall not chastise him and shall place him in Paradise without any reckoning.” Kanzul `Ummal, Volume 7, Tradition 19036

The Noble Prophet and Prayers

قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص) يُحَدِّثُنَا وَ نُحَدِّثُهُ فَإِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَكَأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْرِفْنَا وَ لَمْ نَعْرِفْهُ.

`Aishah narrates: “We would be engaged in conversation with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny), but with the arrival of the time of prayers it would appear as if he neither knew us nor we knew him.” Al-Mahajjatul Baidha, Volume 1, Page 350

Prayers at their Times

قَالَ الصَّادِقُ (ع): إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا صَلَّى الصَّلاَةَ فِي وَقْـتِهَا وَ حَافَظَ عَلَيْهَا ارْتَفَعَتْ بَيْضَاءَ نَقِيَّةً تَقُولُ حَفِظْتَنِي حَفِظَكَ اللٌّهُ وَ إِذَا لَمْ يُصَلِّهَا لِوَقْتِهَا وَ لَمْ يُحَافِظْ عَلَيْهَا ارْتَفَعَتْ سَوْدَاءَ مُظْلِمَةً تَقُولُ ضَيَّعْتَنِي ضَيَّعَكَ اللٌّهُ.

Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said: “When a person maintains his prayer and offers it at its stipulated time, it ascends in the form of a pure white light and calls out to him: “You have guarded me, may Allah protect you.” But if he does not maintain his prayer and does not offer it at its decreed time, it ascends as a dark and gloomy form and says to him: You have destroyed me, may Allah destroy you.” Al-Mahajjatul Baidha, Volume 1, Page 340

A Beloved Entity

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص): أَحَبُّ الأَعْمَالِ إِلـى اللٌّهِ الصَّلاَةُ لِوَقْتِهَا ثُمَّ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَينِ ثُمَّ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَـبِيلِ اللٌّهِ.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said: “The most beloved of deeds in the eyes of Allah are: offering prayers at the stipulated times; (then) goodness and kindness towards parents; (and then) Jihad in the way of Allah.” Kanzul `Ummal, Volume 7, Tradition 18897

Negligence & Carelessness towards the Prayers

Regarding the Prayers as Insignificant

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص): لَيْسَ مِنِّي مَنِ اسْتَخَفَّ بِصَلاَتِهِ لاَ يَرِدُ عَلَيَّ الْحَوْضَ لاَ وَ اللٌّهِ.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said: “One who considers the prayers to be insignificant and trivial is not from me. By Allah! He shall never come close to me at the pool of Kauthar.”  Biharul Anwar, Volume 82, Page 224

Debasement of Prayers

قَالَ الصَّادِقُ (ع): شَفَاعَتُنَا لاَ تَنَالُ مُستَخِفًّا بِصَلاَتَِهِ.

Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “Our intercession shall never reach one who considers his prayers to be inconsequential and unimportant.” Biharul Anwar, Volume 82, Page 227

Destroying Prayers

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّه ِ(ص): لاَ تُضَيِّعُوا صَلاَتَكُمْ فَإِنَّ مَنْ ضَيَّعَ صَلاَتَهُ حُشِرَ مَعَ قَارُونَ وَ هَامَانَ وَ فِرْعَوْنَ‏.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said: “Do not destroy your prayers for verily one who destroys his prayers shall be resurrected in the company of Qarun, Haman and Fir`awn.” Biharul Anwar, Volume 82, Page 202

The Incorrect Prayers

عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (ع) قَالَ بَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص) جَالِسٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ إِذْ دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ فَقَامَ يُصَلِّي فَلَمْ يُتِمَّ رُكُوعَهُ وَ لاَ سُجُودَهُ فَقَالَ (ص) نَقَرَ كَنَقْرِ الْغُرَابِ لَئِنْ مَاتَ هٌذَا وَ هٌكَذَا صَلاَتُهُ لَيَمُوتَنَّ عَلى غَيْرِ دِيـنِي.

Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) narrates: One day the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) was seated in the mosque when a person entered and began praying, but in a manner such that neither did he perform his ruku’ (bowing), nor his sujood (prostration) in a correct manner. Observing this, the Messenger of Allah commented: “(This person) pecks as a crow pecks. Should he die and the state of his prayers be as they are now, he shall surely not die upon my religion.” Al-Mahajjatul Baidha, Volume 1, Page 34

Carelessness Towards Prayers

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص): أَلصَّلاَةُ عِمَادُ الدِّينِ فَمَنْ تَرَكَ صَلاَتَهُ مُتَعَمِّداً فَقَدْ هَدَمَ دِينَهُ وَ مَنْ تَرَكَ أَوْقَاتَهَا يَدْخُلُ الْوَيْلَ وَ الْوَيْلُ وَادٍ فِي جَهَنَّمَ كَمَا قَالَ اللٌّهُ تَعَالَى فَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُصَلِّينَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ صَلاَتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said: “Prayer is the pillar of your religion and one who intentionally forsakes his prayer has destroyed his religion. And one who does not guard the times of the prayers, shall be made to enter ‘Wayl’, which is a valley in Hell, as Allah, the Exalted, has said: “So woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of their prayers.” Biharul Anwar, Volume 82, Page 202