By oladimeji Abdul Ghaffara

Allah has made the 5 daily obligatory prayer compulsory for all Muslims and attached great importance to it. Salat is the most important of the physical acts of worships. Allah said: “Guard Strictly (the five obligatory) prayers especially the middle prayer and stand before Allah with obedience”. (Al Baqarah 2:238)

Prayer is the only physical act of worship a Muslim must perform unconditionally. A poor Muslim, for instance, is not expected to give Zakat. Hajj is only performed by people who are financially and medically capable of doing so. Similarly, some people are temporarily or exempted from fasting in the month of Ramadan. However, every adult Muslim must observe Salat either poor or rich, on a journey, or at home, healthy or ill. The Tayammum (dry ablution) is also legislated to ensure that the absence of water or inability to use it does not prevent a Muslim from observing prayer.

Allah has also attached a lot of reward to the prayers in this life. It is also the minimum requirement to gain admission to paradise in the next life. The Prophet S.A.W said: “The first thing of which a person will be brought to account on the day of judgement will be Salat. If it is found to be complete, then it will be recorded as complete and if anything is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see if you can find any voluntary prayer with which to complete the neglected voluntary prayers’. Then the rest of his deeds will be recorded in like manner.” (Nasai Kitab-us-Salat, Hadith 466)

Despite the great importance of the Salat, many people are still negligent of it. Neglect of prayers can take different forms such as; not praying at all, not observing the prayer regularly, praying with the wrong intention, and not praying at the appropriate time without a valid reason.

Neglecting prayer through any aforementioned means constitute a major sin and has the following implication.

Punishment of hell. People will spend a varying amount of time in hell as a result of neglecting prayer. Allah says: “Then there succeeded them, a generation which neglected prayer and followed lust. So they will be thrown into hell” (Maryam 19:59) “In paradise, they will ask the criminals: what has caused you to enter hell? They will say: we were not of those who use to offer Salat” (Al Mudathir 74:38-43)

Those neglecting the prayer are perpetually under the curse of Allah. Allah says: “So woe unto those performers of Salat, those who are unmindful of their prayers”. (Al Maun 107:4-5) drifting towards disbelieve.

Neglecting prayer can cause a person to fall into disbelief if not addressed. The prophet S.A.W said: “The covenant which is between us and them is the prayer, whoever abandoned it has disbelief” (Al Tirmidhi No. 2621, An Nasai No. 464 and Ahmad 5:346,355)

Being in the company of the enemies of Allah the Prophet S.A.W mentioned the prayer and said. “…. Whoever guard it strictly will have light, evidence (of his faith) and salvation on the day of resurrection with Pharoah , haman, Qarun and Ubay bn Khalaf.” (Ahmad 2:162)

The four people mentioned at the end of this hadith Hadith are enemies of Allah who neglected their duties to him because of leadership positions, employment, wealth and trading respectively and whoever is gathered with them will face serious torment in the afterlife. May Allah save us from His punishment, It is therefore important for us to understand the importance of Salat and guard it seriously