One Who Misses The Prayer & Benefits Of The Prayer

Shaykh Husayn al-Awaaishah

The Prayer - Its Effect in Increasing Eemaan and Purifying the Soul
© al-Hidaayah

From Nawfal ibn Mu`aawiyah, radhiallahu `anhu, that the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever missed the Prayer, then it is as if he had lost his family and his wealth." [Reported by Ibn Hibban in his Saheeh and it occurs in Saheehut-Targheeb (no. 576).]

How would you feel, O Muslim brother, if you were to lose your precious son? How would you feel if you lost your wife? What pain would you feel if you lost your family? What would your grief be like if you lost both your family and your wealth? Indeed it would be an agonising blow and terrible grief that a person should lose his family and wealth. Losing his family with whom he lived with and experienced such joy. The spacious earth would seem constricted for one who lost his family. He would experience distress, grief and agony. Then how about one who in addition lost his wealth? Fresh and sweet wealth which Allaah made a support for us, how would you feel if that occurred also? Then know that one who misses the Prayer has indeed suffered a huge loss.

[End of the chapter]

Summarized notes from the chapter on "The excellence of the prayer and its wiping away of sins and evil deeds":

1. Allah wipes away sins through the five daily Prayers.
2. Prayer is an expiation of what is committed between them, as long as major sins are avoided.
3. Sins destroy a person and ignite a fire for him which he must extinguish with Prayers.
4. The Muslim may reach the station of the sincere, the truthful and the martyrs through Prayer, Zakat and Fasting.
5. Prayer's excellence over other actions.
6. Allah the Most High blessed the Companion by entering him into Paradise before his brother, the martyr, and that was because he performed more prayers than him.
7. Prayer is a light which will make the way clear for the servant in this life and the Hereafter.
8. The way to achieve companionship of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, in Paradise is to increase in performance of prostration and Prayer.
9. Performance of two rak`ahs would be more beloved to a deceased person than the world and all that it contains.
10. Turning with one's heart to Allah in the Prayer fully and sincerely causes the Muslim to be as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him [i.e. free from sin].

One Who Misses The Prayer & Benefits Of The Prayer

Shaykh Husayn al-Awaaishah

The Prayer - Its Effect in Increasing Eemaan and Purifying the Soul
© al-Hidaayah

From Nawfal ibn Mu`aawiyah, radhiallahu `anhu, that the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever missed the Prayer, then it is as if he had lost his family and his wealth." [Reported by Ibn Hibban in his Saheeh and it occurs in Saheehut-Targheeb (no. 576).]

How would you feel, O Muslim brother, if you were to lose your precious son? How would you feel if you lost your wife? What pain would you feel if you lost your family? What would your grief be like if you lost both your family and your wealth? Indeed it would be an agonising blow and terrible grief that a person should lose his family and wealth. Losing his family with whom he lived with and experienced such joy. The spacious earth would seem constricted for one who lost his family. He would experience distress, grief and agony. Then how about one who in addition lost his wealth? Fresh and sweet wealth which Allaah made a support for us, how would you feel if that occurred also? Then know that one who misses the Prayer has indeed suffered a huge loss.

[End of the chapter]

Summarized notes from the chapter on "The excellence of the prayer and its wiping away of sins and evil deeds":

1. Allah wipes away sins through the five daily Prayers.
2. Prayer is an expiation of what is committed between them, as long as major sins are avoided.
3. Sins destroy a person and ignite a fire for him which he must extinguish with Prayers.
4. The Muslim may reach the station of the sincere, the truthful and the martyrs through Prayer, Zakat and Fasting.
5. Prayer's excellence over other actions.
6. Allah the Most High blessed the Companion by entering him into Paradise before his brother, the martyr, and that was because he performed more prayers than him.
7. Prayer is a light which will make the way clear for the servant in this life and the Hereafter.
8. The way to achieve companionship of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, in Paradise is to increase in performance of prostration and Prayer.
9. Performance of two rak`ahs would be more beloved to a deceased person than the world and all that it contains.
10. Turning with one's heart to Allah in the Prayer fully and sincerely causes the Muslim to be as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him [i.e. free from sin].

On the Imaamate of Women

Shaykh Abu at-Tayyib al-Adheemabaadee
Awn al-Ma`bood [2/300-301], the commentary to Abu Daawood
Translation by Abu Rumaysah

577) Umm Waraqah, the daughter of Nawfal reported, "When the Prophet (SAW) proceeded for Badr I said to him, 'Messenger of Allaah allow me to accompany you in the battle. I shall act as a nurse for your patients and maybe Allaah will bestow martyrdom upon me.' He replied, 'stay at your home and Allaah the Exalted will bestow martyrdom upon you.' [The narrator said: hence she was called a martyr.] She read the Qur'aan and sought permission from the Prophet (SAW) to have a mu'adhdhin in her house. He therefore permitted her to do so. She announced that her slave and slave girl would be free after her death so one night they strangled her with a sheet of cloth until she died and ran away. The next day Umar announced that anyone who has knowledge of them or has seen them should bring them to him. (After they were caught) Umar ordered that they be crucified and this was the first crucifixion at Madeenah."

578) From Umm Waraqah, the daughter of Abdullaah bin al-Haarith, "the Messenger of Allaah (SAW) used to visit her at her house. He appointed a mu'adhdhin to call adhaan for her and he commanded her to lead the inmates of her house in prayer." Abdurrahmaan said, "I saw that her mu'adhdhin was an old man."

[Abu Daawood (Eng. Trans. #591&592)]

This hadeeth establishes that the imaamate of women and their praying in congregation is correct and affirmed by means of the order of the Messenger of Allaah (SAW). Aa`ishah (RA) and Umm Salamah (RA) led the women in prayer for the obligatory prayers and the prayer of Taraaweeh.

Al-Haafidh said in ‘Talkhees al-Habeer’,

"The hadeeth of Aa`ishah that the led the women in prayer by standing in the middle (of their first row) was reported by Abdurrazaaq and via his route, ad-Daaruqutnee and al-Bayhaqee from the hadeeth of Abu Haazim from Raa'ita al-Hanafiyyah from Aa'ishah that 'she led them in an obligatory prayer standing amongst them.'

Ibn Abee Shaybah and al-Haakim report via the route of ibn Abee Laylah from Ataa from Aa`ishah 'that she used lead the women in prayer and stand in the middle of their (first row).'

The hadeeth of Umm Salamah that she led the women in prayer and stood in the middle of them was reported by ash-Shaafi`ee, ibn Abee Shaybah and Abdurrazzaaq all from ibn Uyaynah from Ammaar ad-Dahnee from a woman of his people who was called Hajeerah from Umm Salamah 'that she led them in prayer and stood in the middle (of the first row).'

The wording of Abdurrazzaaq has, 'Umm Salamah led us in the Asr prayer and stood in the middle of us.'"

Al-Haafidh also said in ‘ad-Diraayah’,

"Muhammad bin al-Hasan reports from Ibraaheem an-Nakha`ee from Aa`ishah 'that she used to lead the women in prayer during the month of Ramadaan and stood in the middle (of their first row).'"

I say: it is clear from these ahaadeeth that when a woman leads other women then she stands in the middle (of their first row) amongst them and not in front of them (as a man does).

(as-Sana`aanee) said in ‘as-Subul as-Salaam’,

"The hadeeth lends proof for the correctness of a woman leading the people of her household, even if their be a man amongst them - and in this case he was her mu`adhdhin and an old man. The literal sense of the hadeeth shows that she used to lead him, her servant and her slave-girl.

Abu Thawr, al-Muzanee and at-Tabaree took to the opinion that this was correct while the majority were of the opposite opinion."

…Abdurrazzaaq reports in his Musannaf from Ikrimah from ibn Abbaas that he said, "when a woman leads women in prayer then she should stand in the middle of them."