- This presentation is about prayer in general, but with a special focus on the middle prayer. So we'll be revolving around one verse from the Quran, one we've heard often in the past few months:
- In Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 239, Allah says: "Watch over prayers, and particularly the middle prayer, and stand before Allah submissively."
- Interestingly, the verse preceding this contains a discussion on marriage.
- I'm no expert on this issue in particular, but the connection here is that after marriage, one tends to become a little less consistent with prayers. Unless anyone else has any commentary on this, I'm going to go ahead with the theory that this has to do with your changing roles as you transition from your position as daughter and sister to become a wife and eventually a mother.
- So why is this important for the youth?
- Firstly because many are either newly married or are speeding towards that, and need to remain constantly vigilant that they don't allow their prayers to slip.
- Secondly because the idea of changing roles also comes into play earlier in life, when you're moving from adolescence to adulthood. You're starting to have to do things like get a job, study for your college exams, figure out how to pay taxes, start paying off your student loans - adult things.
- So that's the relevance there.
- And now, back to the basics: what is the middle prayer?
- Many hadith and opinions of the Holy Prophet (saw) support the idea that "the middle prayer" means Asr - the prayer literally in the middle of the day, usually around 4:30 to 5 p.m., when we're most deeply occupied with our daily lives. We're just getting back from lunch, or are in the middle of class, or are finishing up a project for an urgent deadline, or are catching up our favorite TV show. So it ends up being the most neglected prayer.
- And in regards to the significance of the Asr prayer, the Holy Prophet (saw) has said, "Anyone who misses the afternoon prayer is like someone who has missed his family and property." (Sahih Muslim)
- In contrast to that, "Anyone who performs salat al-bardayn (morning and afternoon prayers) enters Paradise." (Sahih Bukhari)
- So why is it important that we not hone in on the most literal meaning, where "the middle prayer" is exclusively the Asr prayer?
- Allah didn't definitely state which prayer was the middle prayer because He wants use to regard each prayer as this crucial middle prayer. So we need to pay special attention to perform each salaat carefully.
- Not only that, but we all live different lifestyles. Some people take night school or work the night shift, which might make Isha or even Fajr namaz "the middle prayer" for their schedule. The phrase is loose enough that we can customize it to address our personal flaws.
- Now, the verse preceding the warning about the middle prayer ends by reminding us, "Surely, Allah sees what you do." And the verse is followed by the commandment to say all five prayers even in a state of fear. So, in essence, this commandment to remain regular in your prayers is sandwiched by the reminder that there is no excuse not to perform salaat and no way around it, unless you are genuinely ill or incapable.
- On one occasion, the Holy Prophet (saw) stated, "In another hadith, he said, "The deeds of a person who deliberately misses the afternoon prayer become invalidated."
- Why would we deliberately skip a prayer? Let's come back to the theme of this Ijtema: Hayaa alussa laa, hayaa alul fa laa. "Come to prayer, come to prosperity."
apr 19 2013 ∞
may 2 2014 +
may 2 2014 +