Namaz in Islam

(Muniza Wasi,Karachi)

There are five Pillars of Isalm and Namaz (salat) is one of the most important pillars of them. The first thing which will be questioned at the Day of Judgment is namaz, which is an obligatory prayer for every Muslim five times a day with punctuality of time. The importance of prayer (Namaz) is also signified by many verses in the Holy Quran; there are several hadith which stress upon the importance of namaz (salat) as well.

When a person goes to offer prayer (namaz) with every step he takes towards the place (masjid) he gets sawab. The angels gather around the namazi and he is blessed by Allah; Satan goes away from him. It is narrated in a hadith (sayings of the Holy prophet) that if a person abandons his prayer such that he neither desires its rewards nor fears its chastisement, for such a person I do not care if he dies a Jew or a Christian.

Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “One who adheres to the five (daily) prayers diligently, they shall be a means of illumination and salvation for him on the Day of Judgement.

It has been reported that a youth from the Ansar, who used to offer his prayers with the Messenger of Allah Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him), used to indulge in sinful and corrupt deeds. When this was brought to the notice of the Messenger of Allah Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him), he said: “A day shall come when his prayers shall refrain him from committing sins. Before long, the youth repented.

Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said: “The prayer of a person is (in reality) a light in his heart, so whoever desires, can illuminate his heart (by means of prayers)

Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Whenever the time of each prayer arrives, an Angel announces to the people: (O’ People!) Stand up and extinguish, with prayers, the fire which you have set alight for yourselves.

” Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said: “When a person maintains his prayer and offers it at its stipulated time, it ascends in the form of a pure white light and calls out to him: “You have guarded me, may Allah protect you.” But if he does not maintain his prayer and does not offer it at its decreed time, it ascends as a dark and gloomy form and says to him: You have destroyed me, may Allah destroy you. 

The prayer (Namaz) is the standard of Islam. Whosoever loves prayers, and observes their limits, timings and methods, is a true believer.