By: Moulana Nabeel Hanif Ismail
All praise is due to Allah, peace, blessings and salutations upon the best of Allah’s creation Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
Almighty Allah states in the Quraan:
“Then after them came those who wasted their prayer and followed their lusts, then soon they will encounter a valley of hell (Surah Maryam, verse 59)”
According to the commentary of this verse, this valley of Jahannam is so severe that the other valleys of Jahannam seek refuge and ask for safety from it due to its punishment. It has also been described as a very deep well or a deep stream containing puss, urine and excrement, in which people will be punished.
We as Muslims today are missing Salaah as it is an option and we will not be accountable for it. If we think to ourselves how severe this valley is, we will not want to miss a single Salaah and we would desire to cover up for the missed Salaah also.
HADEETH 1
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has stated in the Hadeeth:
“The first thing a believer will be accounted for on the day of Qiyaamat is Salaah. If his Salaah is correct, all his other actions will be accepted, and if his Salaah is not correct then all his other actions will be wasted (thrown out).”(Tibraani)
We have our bank statements of how much money is coming and going, but none of us have account of our Salaah which we will be accounted first on the day of resurrection! Let us understand this Hadeeth, that whatever other good deeds we are doing, all the deeds will be wasted if our Salaah is not correct. So it is up to us if we want the fruits of our good deeds on the day of Resurrection. So why this negligence?
HADEETH 2
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has stated in another Hadeeth:
“The faces of those who do not pray their Salaah will be blackened first on the day of judgement, then he or she will be put in a valley of Jahannam called Alam.
There are snakes in Alam which are as large as camels and their length is equivalent to one month’s travel time. They will bite the person and their poison will remain in the person’s body for seventy years, then their meat will rot!” (Makaashifatul Quloob).
Do you think that you will be able to face this valley of Jahannam? Let us save ourselves from these valleys of jahannam.
HADEETH 3
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has stated in another Hadeeth:
“The person who misses ONLY one Compulsory prayer, his name is written on the door of Jahannam” (Quratul Ain)
How many times has our name been written on the door of Jahannam? We are still happy about it and are not ready to rectify ourselves at all!
APPEAL
Let us fulfill this important Pillar of Islam. You will see all your problems being solved through Salaah. Salaah is the key to Paradise. Let us acquire this key so we may be successful in this world and the hereafter!
Remember Salaah is not an option which you can ignore at anytime.
I ask Allah to forgive me for any mistakes caused and may Allah grant us ALL the guidance to perform our Salaah!
Moulana Nabeel Hanif Ismail