Steady prayer

عن أبي سليمان مالك بن الحويرث رضي الله عنه قال: أَتَينَا رسُول الله -صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم- ونَحنُ شَبَبَةٌ مُتَقَارِبُون، فَأَقَمْنَا عِندَهُ عِشْرِينَ لَيلَةً، وَكَان رَسُولُ الله -صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم- رَحِيمًا رَفِيقًا، فَظَنَّ أَنَّا قَدْ اشْتَقْنَا أَهْلَنَا، فَسَألَنا عمَّنْ تَرَكْنا مِنْ أَهلِنا، فأَخبَرنَاه، فقال: «ارْجِعُوا إلى أَهْلِيكُم، فَأَقِيمُوا فيهم، وَعَلِّمُوهُم وَمُرُوهُم، وَصَلُّوا صَلاَةَ كَذَا في حِينِ كذَا، وصَلُّوا كَذَا في حِينِ كَذَا، فَإِذا حَضَرَتِ الصلاةُ فَلْيُؤذِّن لكم أَحَدُكُم وَلْيَؤُمَّكُم أكبركم». زاد البخاري في رواية له: «وصَلُّوا كَمَا رَأَيتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي».

Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when we were young and of about the same age.” That was in the Year of Delegations, 9 A.H. They were young men and they stayed with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for twenty nights. They came to him to learn the religion of Allah. Mālik said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was merciful and compassionate. He realized our longing for our families. He asked us about our families whom we had left behind and we told him about them. Thereupon, he said: "Go back to your people and stay with them. Teach them (religion) and command them (to adhere to it), pray so-and-so prayer at so-and-so time, and when prayer becomes due, let one of you pronounce the Adhān and let the eldest among you lead you in prayer." Another version by Al-Bukhāri adds: “Pray as you saw me pray.” This indicates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was famous for his mercy and compassion. He was the most merciful and the most compassionate among people towards people. When he perceived their longing for their families and asked them about their people whom they had left behind and they informed him about them, he ordered them to return home. "And let the eldest among you lead you in prayer" points out that older one should take precedence when it comes to leading prayer. And by the way, this does not contradict the Prophet’s statement: "Let the best reciter of the Book of Allah among the people lead them in prayer.” This is because these young men came to the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) at the same time and apparently there was no significant difference between them in terms of the Qur’an’s recitation. Hence, he said: "And let the eldest among you lead you in prayer", because they were equal, or almost equal, in reciting the Qur’an. If they were the same in terms of reciting the Qur’an, knowledge of the Sunnah, and making the Hijrah, then the eldest among them should take precedence and lead the prayer. His statement "Pray as you saw me pray" confirms the fact that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach people their religion by words and deeds. For example, he taught the man who offered prayer hastily, saying: "When you get up to pray, perform ablution perfectly, stand facing the Qiblah, make Takbīr, recite some of what you memorize of the Qur’an, and then bow down." In the case of those young men, he chose to teach by deeds.

رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين، للإمام أبي زكريا النووي، تحقيق د. ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير-دمشق، الطبعة الأولى، 1428هـ. دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين، لمحمد بن علان الشافعي، دار الكتاب العربي- بيروت - بدون تاريخ. بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف سليم الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي- الطبعة الأولى1418ه نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف د. مصطفى الخِن وغيره، مؤسسة الرسالة - بيروت، الطبعة الرابعة عشر، 1407هـ. صحيح البخاري، للإمام أبي عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، عناية محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار عالم الكتب - الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، لحمد بن ناصر العمار، دار كنوز إشبيليا - الطبعة الأولى 1430هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين، للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن، الرياض، 1426هـ.

عَنْ عُثْمَانَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «مَا مِنَ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ تَحْضُرُهُ صَلَاةٌ مَكْتُوبَةٌ فَيُحْسِنُ وُضُوءَهَا وَخُشُوعَهَا وَرُكُوعَهَا، إِلَّا كَانَتْ كَفَّارَةً لِمَا قَبْلَهَا مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ، مَا لَمْ يُؤْتِ كَبِيرَةً، وَذَلِكَ الدَّهْرَ كُلَّهُ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that no Muslim who, when the time for an obligatory prayer becomes due, perfects and completes its ablution, then prays with humility in such a way that his heart and all of his body organs are devoted to Allah and heedful of His greatness, and he perfects the acts of prayer like bowing, prostration and other actions, except that this prayer will serve as an expiation for the preceding minor sins as long as he has not committed a major sin; and this merit applies to all times and every prayer.

• The prayer that expiates sins is that in which one perfects its ablution and performs it with humility and which is fully devoted to Allah Almighty.
• The merit of performing acts of worship regularly and that these are a means of forgiving minor sins.
• The merit of perfecting ablution and excellently performing prayer with humility.
• The importance of avoiding major sins to have the minor sins forgiven.
• Major sins are forgiven only through repentance.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 206) (228). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (2/ 257). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص611). فيض القدير شرح الجامع الصغير، لعبدالرؤوف المناوي (5/ 472). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (13/ 243). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 773).

عن بريدة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ الَّذِي بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمُ الصَّلَاةُ، فَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا فَقَدْ كَفَرَ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that the covenant and pledge between the Muslims and the disbelievers and hypocrites is prayer. So, whoever abandons it has become a disbeliever.

• The Hadīth shows the great status of the prayers and that they are the distinguishing feature between the believer and the disbeliever.
• The rulings of Islam are established based on the outward circumstances of people, regardless of their inward circumstances.

سنن النسائي (1/ 231) (463)، سنن الترمذي (4/ 365) (2621)، سنن ابن ماجه (2/ 181) (1079)، مسند أحمد (38/ 20) (22937)، فيض القدير (4/ 395)، ذخيرة العقبى في شرح المجتبى (6/ 192) (6/ 193).

عَنْ سُفْيان بنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ الثَّقَفِيّ رضي الله عنه قال: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، قُلْ لِي فِي الْإِسْلَامِ قَوْلًا لَا أَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ أَحَدًا غَيْرَكَ، قَالَ: «قُلْ: آمَنْتُ بِاللهِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ».

Sufyān ibn ‘Abdullah, the Prophet's Companion, (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to teach him a comprehensive statement that comprises all the meanings of Islam so as to adhere to it and ask no one else about it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: Say: I believe in Allah as the only deity, and I believe that He is my Lord, my God, my Creator, and the only God Who is truly worthy of my worship, with no partner. Then, submit to Allah and obey Him by performing what He has enjoined, avoiding what He has forbidden, and remaining steadfast on that.

• The essence of the religion is to believe in Allah, His Lordship, His Worship, and His Names and Attributes.
• The importance of being upright after Imān (faith), persistence in worship, and steadfastness.
• Imān is a condition for the acceptance of deeds.
• Belief in Allah includes the beliefs and basic principles of Imān that must be adopted and the subsequent acts of the heart along with compliance and submission to Allah inwardly and outwardly.
• Uprightness is adherence to the straight path by carrying out the duties and avoiding the prohibitions.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 65) (38)، مسند أحمد (24/ 141) (15416)، المفهم (1/137)، جامع العلوم والحكم (1/507)، فتح القوي المتين للعباد (ص 76)، شرح الأربعين النووية لعبد الكريم الخضير (ص 285)، شرح الأربعين لصالح آل الشيخ (ص 305).

عَنْ أَنَسٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُكْثِرُ أَنْ يَقُولَ: «يَا مُقَلِّبَ القُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ»، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، آمَنَّا بِكَ وَبِمَا جِئْتَ بِهِ فَهَلْ تَخَافُ عَلَيْنَا؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ، إِنَّ القُلُوبَ بَيْنَ أُصْبُعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ اللهِ يُقَلِّبُهَا كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ».

The supplication the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say most frequently is to ask Allah for steadfastness to the religion and obedience to Him and keeping away from deviation and misguidance. Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) wondered at the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) making this supplication frequently. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that the hearts lie between two of the Fingers of Allah and He turns them as He wishes. The heart is the place where Imān or Kufr lies. It is called Qalb (in Arabic) due to its frequent Taqallub (fluctuation). It fluctuates more intensely than a boiling jar. So, Allah makes the heart of whom He wills steadfast to guidance and firm upon the religion, and He diverts the heart of whom He wills from guidance to deviation and misguidance.

• The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was submissive and humble to his Lord and used to implore Him. The Ummah is also exhorted to make the same supplication.
• The Hadīth highlights the significance of uprightness and steadfastness to the religion, and that the important thing is the end.
• A person is always in need of Allah to make him steadfast to Islam.
• We are urged to supplicate Allah a lot, in adherence to the Prophet's example.
• Steadfastness to Islam is the greatest blessing a person should seek to obtain and for which he should be grateful to his Lord.

سنن الترمذي (4/ 19) (2140). مسند أحمد (19/ 160) (12107). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (17/ 476). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (2/ 567). نزهة المتقين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 1014). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص808). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (6/ 41).

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «الْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَوِيُّ، خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ، وَفِي كُلٍّ خَيْرٌ، احْرِصْ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُكَ، وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ وَلَا تَعْجَزْ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَكَ شَيْءٌ، فَلَا تَقُلْ لَوْ أَنِّي فَعَلْتُ كَانَ كَذَا وَكَذَا، وَلَكِنْ قُلْ قَدَرُ اللهِ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ، فَإِنَّ (لَوْ) تَفْتَحُ عَمَلَ الشَّيْطَانِ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarifies that the believer is good from all aspects; however, the believer who is strong in his faith, resolve, property, and other aspects of strength is better and dearer to Allah Almighty than the weak believer. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised the believer to utilize the available means in what brings him benefit in his worldly affairs and the affairs of the Hereafter, along with depending upon Allah Almighty, seeking His help, and relying upon Him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), then, forbids inability, indolence, and slackness in doing what brings benefit in both abodes. If the believer works hard and utilizes the available means while seeking Allah's help and asking Him for goodness, then he should do nothing but entrust all of his affairs to Allah while knowing that Allah's choice is the best. If some calamity befalls him after that, he should not say: "Had I done such-and-such, it would have been such-and-such." "Indeed, 'if' opens the way before the devil to act" in objecting to the divine decree and lamenting what has been missed. Instead, one should submissively and contentedly say: "Allah has decreed, and whatever He wills, He does." Everything happens in compliance with Allah's will, as He does what He wants and nothing can repel His predestination or reverse His decree.

• People vary in faith.
• Strength in deeds is recommended because it results in benefits that cannot be attained through weakness.
• Man must adhere to what brings him benefit and avoid what brings him no benefit.
• The believer must seek help from Allah in all his affairs and not depend on himself.
• Establishing the divine decree and predestination and the fact that it does not contradict the pursuit of means and the endeavor to achieve good things.
• It is prohibited to say "if" during calamities by way of indignation or objection to Allah's decree and predestination.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 2052) (2664). توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله البسام (7/ 492). منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله الفوزان (10/ 338). فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام، لابن عثيمين (6/ 430).

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ بُسْرٍ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ رَجُلاً قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ شَرَائِعَ الإِسْلاَمِ قَدْ كَثُرَتْ عَلَيَّ، فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِشَيْءٍ أَتَشَبَّثُ بِهِ، قَالَ: «لاَ يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ».

A man complained to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that the supererogatory acts of worship had become too much for him and that he could not perform them given his weakness. He, then, asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to guide him to an easy deed that would bring abundant rewards so he could adhere and hold on to it. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised him to keep his tongue moist and moving by remembering Allah Almighty recurrently at all times and in all states by glorifying and praising Him, seeking forgiveness from Him, supplicating Him, etc.

• The merit of remembering Allah Almighty constantly.
• Facilitating the means of attaining reward is part of Allah's great favor.
• People vary in terms of their share of righteousness and goodness.
• Remembering Allah frequently by the tongue, through Tasbīh (glorification of Allah), Tahmīd (praising Allah), Tahlīl (declaring the oneness of Allah), and Takbīr (proclaiming the greatness of Allah), besides other forms of Dhikr, along with the agreement of the heart, can replace many of the supererogatory acts of worship.
• The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was so considerate in dealing with the questioners, as he would answer each in the way that was suitable for him.

سنن الترمذي (5/ 388) (3375). سنن ابن ماجه (4/ 707) (3793). مسند أحمد (29/ 226) (17680). جامع العلوم والحكم في شرح خمسين حديثا من جوامع الكلم، لابن رجب الحنبلي (2/ 510). التحفة الربانية في شرح الأربعين حديثًا النووية، لإسماعيل الأنصاري (ص104). فتح القوي المتين في شرح الأربعين وتتمة الخمسين، للنووي وابن رجب (ص154). الأحاديث الأربعون النووية وعليها الشرح الموجز المفيد، لعبد الله بن صالح المحسن (ص93).