Namaz

The second point of the Program is Salat. It is the most important duty of a Muslim.   It is the second of the five pillars on which the Islamic superstructure rests. The Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad        said:

                              Islam is founded on five pillars, bearing witness that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed        is His servant and apostle, establishment of Salaat, paying of Zakaat, performance of Hajj and fasting in Ramadhan.

             The Hadith signifies that Salaat occupies a position next to Iman. Allah in His Holy book, the Quran ordained us hundreds of times to establish Salaat. Every where in the Holy Quran we recite. Establish Salaat. The Holy Prophet Mohammed        has been throughout his whole life enjoining on us to be very particular about this worship. Even when he was on his death-bed he charged us to be always most careful about this fundamental pillar of our Holy religion. Salaat is an ordained prayer. Every Muslim, man or woman, has to perform it. We are not allowed to postpone it even when we are on the battle-field or on our death-bed. It is the first worship ordained by Allah and will be the first to be reckoned on the Day of Judgment.
                Negligence towards Salaat causes severe punishment. The Holy Prophet said        .
                Discarding of Salaat is the only partition between Iman and Kufr.
                He has also said :
                He who does not guard Salaat shall meet the fate of Pharaoh(Firon), Haman and   Ubayy-ibn-e-Khalaf.
                Salaat is actually a practical repetition of our Faith. In this worship we stand before our Allah with bound hands, bend on knees, prostrate with our hands on earth and sit in an humble manner, we profess our being a slave of our Lord, solicit His Help and Guidance and renew the declaration of our obedience to Him. It strengthens the foundation of our Islam fives times a day and prepares us for the expression of the spirit of devotion. The more sincere we are in our Salaat, the nearer we are to Allah. The Holy Prophet        says:
                Verily when a Muslim makes Wudhu properly and offers his Salaat ( with complete devotion and only for the sake of Allah), his sins are shed away from him.
                He has also said,
                Each of the five Salaats expiates the sins committed since the Salaat proceeding it.
                In another Hadith he says,
                Allah has inspired me saying: O Mohammed        I have ordained five times daily Salaat for the Ummah. I have made a covenant with Myself that whosoever is regular is performing his Salaat at its fixed hour,   shall be admitted into the Paradise Those of the followers who do not guard their Salaat are not included in this covenant.
                We should therefore be very particular about Salaat and should perform it regularly, devotedly and always with Jamaat (in congregations). The Holy Prophet        says :

                        A Salaat with Jamaat is 27 times superior to Salaat performed individually.
                The Holy Prophet         who was most kind and most merciful towards mankind once intended to set fire to the houses of those who observed their Salaat at their houses without any excuse. Ibne Abbas (Radiallahu Anho), the famous companion of the Holy Prophet        has said about a person who keeps fast all day and offers Nafel prayers all night but does not go to the mosque for Jamaat and Juma (Friday Prayer) "He is the dweller of the Hell."
                Every Salaat should be performed with perfect sincerity and devotion, otherwise it is likely to be rejected. There are many of us who offer their Salaat but so imperfectly that instead of earning Divine Blessings and Rewards, they are most likely to be put to task. The Holy Prophet        says:
                When a person offers his Salaat at its proper time with proper Wudhu, with humility and submission and with all postures (Qiyam, Ruku, Sujjud)   observed perfectly, then such a Salaat rises up in a bright and beautiful form and blesses the person in these words "May Allah guard you as you have guarded me (Salaat)." on the other hand if a person is not punctual with his Salaat, nor does he perform Wudhu and postures of Salaat perfectly and properly, then Salaat rises up in an ugly and dark shape and curses the person saying " May Allah ruin you as you have ruined me (Salaat)." Then, it is flung back like a dirty rag at the face of the person. ( May Allah save us all from this disgrace)
                We are not required to perform Salaat only superficially and as a custom.   We are required to perform it in such a way that it may be on the Day of Judgment a light for us, an argument in our favor and a means of our Deliverance. We must believe that it is the only means for the fulfillment of all our needs and a guidance for complete observance of the whole Islamic code of life. Allah, the Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
                Successful are indeed the believers who are humble in the Salaat XXIII-1.