A Summary of the Lessons and Benefits of Prayer*1
From Ibnul Qayyim’s The Path to Guidance, Chapter Nine, pp 89-92 ,
Translated by: Aboo ‘Iyaad Amjad Rafiq
(1) That Allaah, the Exalted, wipes away sins by the five prayers.
(2) That the five prayers are an expiation for what occurs between them, if major sins are avoided.
(3) That sins burn and destroy a person, and thus it is necessary to extinguish that with the prayers.
(4) That the Muslim reaches the level of the truthful and the martyrs on account of his prayers, charity and fasting.
(5) The superiority of prayer*2 over other actions.
(6) That Allaah, the Exalted, bestowed a favor upon that Companion by entering him into Paradise before his brother who died as a martyr because he prayed more than he.
(7) That the prayer is light which illuminates the path of the servant in this world and the Hereafter.
(8) That an abundance of prostrations and prayers is the way to accompany the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) in Paradise.
(9) That a two-rak’ah prayer is more loved by the dead person than the world and whatever is in it.
(10) That emptying the heart for Allaah in the prayer puts a person in the same condition as the day when his mother gave birth to him.
(11) That should a person enter the Fire, refuge is sought from that, the angels will remove him from it and will recognise him by the marks of prostration.*3
(12) That the prayer participates in undoing the knots which Satan places at the top of one’s head.
(13) That the night prayer is the most excellent prayer after the obligatory prayers.
(14) That the one who prays at night obtains a reward which most of mankind do not.
(15) Gratitude is shown to Allaah with the (obligatory) prayer and night prayer.
(16) That the prayer most loved by Allaah is the prayer of Daawood (‘alaihisallaam) which is to pray for a third of the night and to sleep for two-thirds of the night.*4
(17) That as Allaah has bestowed a favor upon His servant by the hour during the night in which the supplication is answered, it is befitting for the Muslim to aspire to it and seek to find it so that he is given the good of this world and the Hereafter.
(18) That the night prayer is an evidence for righteousness and taqwaa, and it expiates the sins and prevents one from falling into them.
(19) That Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, covers the husband and wife – who help each other in performing the night prayer – with His Mercy. If one of them refuses, the other sprinkles water on his or her face.
(20) That two units of prayer at night make a person amongst the men who remember Allaah often or the women who remember Allaah often.
(21) That Allaah is amazed by the man who gets up from his sleep, leaving his bedsheet, his wife and his love for her in order to perform prayer. Allaah laughs because of him and informs the angels about him.
(22) That there is no jealousy or competition except with regard to two men, one of whom prays at night reciting the Qur’aan which Allaah has bestowed upon him.
(23) That whoever recited ten aayaat in the night (in prayer) will not be written amongst the heedless, a Qintaar of reward will be written for him and Allaah, the Exalted, will say to him, “Recite and rise by one degree with every aayah,” until he comes to the last aayah he knows. Allaah favors him by giving him eternity.
(24) That whoever prays at night with a hundred aayaat is written amongst the devout worshippers, and whoever prays with a thousand aayaat is written amongst the Muqantareen, and whoever prays with two-hundred aayaat is written amongst the devout worshippers and sincere ones.
(25) That the one who walks to the prayer (in the mosque) is raised in ranks and has his sins removed, both while he goes to the mosque and when he returns from it.
(26) That for every step he takes, he receives ten good deeds.
(27) That the Muslim is written amongst the worshippers from the time he leaves the house till he returns to it.
(28) That the one receiving the greatest reward for the prayer is the one who walks the furthest towards it and then the one further than him (from the mosque).
(29) That one step which a servant takes to the prayer in congregation is counted as an act of charity for him.
(30) That taking many steps towards the mosque is from ar-Ribaat (guarding the frontiers)
(31) That every time a servant leaves for the mosque in the morning or the evening, Allaah prepares for him a feast in Paradise.
(32) That Allaah makes the light of those who walk throught the darkness to the mosques complete and perfect on the Day of Judgement.
(33) That the reward for the one who leaves his house in a state of purity for the obligatory prayer is like the reward of the pilgrim in the state of ihraam.
(34) That the one who leaves for the mosque has a guarantee from Allaah that He should provide sustenance for him and suffice him (in his affairs).
(35) That the one who walks for the prayer in congregation, after having beautified his ablution and travels to visit Allaah, the Exalted, is bestowed with a great favor in that Allaah honors those of his servants who visit Him, and Allaah’s honoring of them is increasing their faith [Eemaan], showing benevolence to them, rewarding them, raising their ranks, removing their difficulties and making their hearts content and happy.
(36) The obligation to pray in congregation.
(37) That the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) did not make a concession for the old blind man by allowing him to leave the congregational prayer. How then can those who are fit and well be allowed a concession?
(38) That whoever abandons the congregational prayer has been threatened with heedlessness and having a seal placed on his heart.
(39) That staying away from the congregational prayer is a sign of hypocrisy.
(40) The extreme striving of the Companions (radiallaahu ‘anhum) for attending the congregational prayer inspite of difficult circumstances. Some of the Salaf used to say:
The prayer is from the Hereafter, so when you enter it you leave the world.
Footnotes:
*1 Summarised from Hussain’s al-’Awaa’ishah’s As-Salaat, wa Atharuhaa fee Ziyaadatil-Eemaan wa Tahdheeb in-Nafs.
*2 Its condition is that the creed ['aqeedah] of the person is correct, sound and in accordance with that of the Pious Predecessors of this Ummah.
*3 The condition for being removed from the fire due to the intercession of the angels (and others) is that a person should be from the People of Tawheed. Intercession is only for the People of Tawheed.
*4 Due to his (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) saying: “…He used to sleep half the night, then prayer for a third and then go to sleep for a sixth of it.” When a half is added to a sixth, they give two-thirds.
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