ِ ِ

‫اَلْالء ْس َرا َوالْم ْعراَج‬

L AY L AT U L M I ’ R A J

The Greatest Gift from Allah

Salaah
Wednesday 3 April 2019

Sh Muhammad West
 INTRODUCTION
The pinnacle of the Mi’raj was the blessing of
salaah being gifted to the Ummah
 FIRST ACT OF WORSHIP
‫ين‬ ِ ‫ْكتَاب ََل ريب ۛ فِ ِيه ۛ ه ًدى لِ ْلمت‬
‫َّق‬ ِ ‫ك ال‬ َ ِ
‫ل‬ َٰ
‫ذ‬
َ ۛ ‫الم‬
َ ُِ ُ َ ْ َ ُ
‫الص َال َة َوم َّما‬
َّ ‫يمو َن‬ ‫ق‬ِ ‫ب وي‬ ِ ‫ي‬ ‫غ‬
َ ْ
‫ل‬ ‫ا‬ِ
‫ب‬ ‫ن‬
َ ‫و‬ ‫ن‬‫م‬ِ‫ؤ‬ْ ‫ي‬ ‫ين‬ ‫ذ‬ِ َّ
‫ل‬ ‫ذا‬
ُ َ ُ ْ ُ ُ َ
ََ ‫اه ْم يُ ْن ِف ُقو َن‬ُ َ‫َرَزقْ ن‬
Alif, Lam, Meem. This is the Book about which there is
no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah -Who
believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of
what We have provided for them,

Surah Al Baqarah 2:1-3

‫‪T H E PAT H TO S U C C ES S A N D F I R DAU S‬‬
‫قَ ْد أَفْ لَح الْم ْؤِمنُو َن ۛ الَّ ِذين هم فِي ص َالتِ ِهم َخ ِ‬
‫اشعُو َن‬ ‫َ ْ‬ ‫َ ُْ‬ ‫َ ُ‬
‫لزَك ِاة فَ ِ‬
‫اعلُو َن‬ ‫ين ُه ْم لِ َّ‬ ‫ضو َن ۛ والَّ ِ‬
‫ذ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫ر‬ ‫ع‬ ‫م‬ ‫و‬‫ِ‬ ‫غ‬ ‫َّ‬
‫ل‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ن‬‫ِ‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫َّ‬
‫َ َ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ُْ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫َوال َ ُ ْ َ‬
‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ين‬ ‫ذ‬
‫وج ِه ْم َحافِظُو َن‬ ‫والَّ ِذين ُهم لِ ُفر ِ‬
‫َ َ ْ ُ‬
‫ين‬ ‫ت أَيمانُهم فَِإنَّهم غَي ر ملُ ِ‬
‫وم‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫ك‬
‫َ‬ ‫ل‬
‫َ‬ ‫م‬ ‫ا‬ ‫م‬ ‫َو‬ ‫أ‬ ‫م‬ ‫ِ‬
‫ه‬ ‫ِ‬
‫اج‬ ‫و‬ ‫ز‬
‫ْ‬ ‫َ‬
‫أ‬ ‫ى‬ ‫ل‬
‫َ‬ ‫ع‬ ‫َل‬ ‫َّ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫إ‬
‫ْ َُ َ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫َ ْ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫َ ْ ْ َ َ‬ ‫َٰ‬ ‫َ‬
‫ِ‬ ‫َٰ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫اء ََٰذل َ‬
‫ادو َن‬ ‫ْع‬
‫ل‬ ‫ا‬
‫َ ُُ َ ُ‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ئ‬‫َ‬‫ل‬ ‫ُو‬‫أ‬‫ف‬
‫َ‬ ‫ك‬ ‫فَ َم ِن ابْ تَ غَ َٰى َوَر َ‬
‫ين ُه ْم ِِلَ َمانَاتِ ِه ْم َو َع ْه ِد ِه ْم َراعُو َن‬ ‫َ َ‬ ‫ذ‬‫والَّ ِ‬
‫صلَ َواتِ ِه ْم يُ َحافِظُو َن‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ى‬ ‫َٰ‬ ‫َ‬‫ل‬‫ع‬‫َ‬ ‫م‬
‫َوال َ ْ‬
‫ه‬
‫ُ‬ ‫ين‬ ‫ذ‬‫ِ‬ ‫َّ‬
‫ك ُه ُم ال َْوا ِرثُو َن‬ ‫أُو َ‬‫ِ‬
‫ئ‬‫َ‬‫َٰ‬
‫ل‬
‫س ُه ْم فِ َيها َخالِ ُدو َن‬ ‫و‬
‫ْ ْ َ‬‫د‬‫َ‬ ‫ر‬ ‫الَّ ِذين ي ِرثُو َن ال ِ‬
‫ْف‬ ‫ََ‬
‫‪Surah Al Mu’minoon 23:1-11‬‬
 THE PATH TO SUCCESS AND FIRDAUS
1. Certainly will the believers have succeeded:
2. They who are during their prayer humbly submissive
3. And they who turn away from ill speech
4. And they who are observant of zakah
5. And they who guard their private parts
6. Except from their wives or those their right hands
possess, for indeed, they will not be blamed –

Surah Al Mu’minoon 23:1-11

 THE PATH TO SUCCESS AND FIRDAUS
7. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the
transgressors –
8. And they who are to their trusts and their promises
attentive
9. And they who carefully maintain their prayers –
10. Those are the inheritors
11. Who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will abide therein
eternally.

Surah Al Mu’minoon 23:1-11

 MEANS OF ASSISTANCE

‫الص َال ِة ۛ َوإِنَّ َها لَ َكبِ َيرٌة‬ ‫و‬ ِ

‫ر‬
َّ َ ْ َّ ‫ب‬‫الص‬ ِ
‫ب‬ ‫وا‬ ِ
ُ َ‫است‬
‫ين‬‫ع‬ ْ ‫َو‬
‫ين‬‫ع‬ ِ ‫إََِّل َعلَى الْ َخ‬
ِ ‫اش‬
َ
And seek help through patience and prayer, and
indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive
[to Allah]

Surah Al Baqarah 2:45

IN HARDSHIP
Huzaifa RadiyAllahu `anhu says that,
whenever the Prophet Sallallahu
`alaihi wasallam happened to
face any difficulty, he would at
once resort to salaah.
(Ahmad, Abu Dawud)
 PREVENTS EVIL

َ‫الص َالة‬َّ ‫الص َالةَ ۛ إِ َّن‬ َّ ‫اب َوأَقِ ِم‬ ِ ‫ك ِمن ال‬
ِ َ‫ْكت‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫ي‬ ِ
َ َ ْ َ ‫اتْ ُل َما أ‬
َ ‫ُوح‬
‫ش ِاء َوال ُْم ْن َك ِر ۛ َولَ ِذ ْك ُر اللَّ ِه أَ ْكبَ ُر ۛ َواللَّ ُه‬
َ ‫تَ ْن َه َٰى َع ِن الْ َف ْح‬
‫صنَ عُو َن‬ ْ َ‫يَ ْعلَ ُم َما ت‬
Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of
the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits
immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of
Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.

Surah Al Ankaboot 29:45

 THE MOST IMPORTANT WAQT

‫وموا‬ُ‫ق‬‫و‬ ‫ى‬َ‫ط‬ ‫س‬‫ْو‬

‫ل‬ ‫ا‬ ِ
‫ة‬ ‫ال‬ ‫الص‬
َّ ‫و‬ ِ
‫ات‬ ‫و‬ ‫ل‬
َ ‫الص‬
َّ ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬‫ع‬َ ‫َحاف‬
‫وا‬ُ‫ظ‬ ِ
ُ َ َٰ ْ ُ َ َ َ
‫ين‬ ِ‫لِلَّ ِه قَانِت‬
َ
Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in
particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allah ,
devoutly obedient.

Surah Al Baqarah 2:238

 ASR AND FAJR
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, said,
“There are angels which take turns in being with you in
the night and other angels in the day and they meet
together at the prayers of Fajr and ‘Asr. Then the ones
who were with you during the night ascend and Allah
asks them – although He knows better than they do –
‘How were My slaves when you left them?’ They say,
‘When we left them they were praying and when we
came to them, they were praying.'”
[Agreed upon]
 REASON FOR DESTRUCTION

‫الص َالةَ َواتَّبَ عُوا‬

َّ ‫ضاعُوا‬ َ
َ ٌ َ ْ َْ ْ ‫ف‬
‫أ‬ ‫ف‬ ‫ل‬
ْ ‫خ‬ ‫م‬ ِ
‫ه‬ ِ
‫د‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ن‬ ِ
‫م‬ َ َ‫فَ َخل‬
‫ف يَ ْل َق ْو َن غَيًّا‬
َ ‫ات ۛ فَ َس ْو‬ِ ‫الش َهو‬
َّ
َ
But there came after them successors who
neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are
going to meet evil

Surah Maryam 19:59

 REASON FOR DESTRUCTION
‫ين‬ ‫م‬ِ‫ع ِن الْمج ِر‬
َ ُْ َ
‫َما َسلَ َك ُك ْم فِي َس َق َر‬
‫ين‬ِّ
‫ل‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ْم‬
‫ل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ن‬ ِ‫ك‬
‫م‬ ُ ‫ن‬
َ ‫م‬ ‫ل‬
َ ‫وا‬ُ‫ل‬ ‫ا‬‫ق‬
َ
َ ُ ََ ْ
About the criminals (*) [And asking them], "What put
you into Saqar?“ (*) They will say, "We were not of
those who prayed

Surah Al Muddathir 74:1-43

 SALAAH OF THE HYPOCRITES
ِ ‫ادعُو َن اللَّهَ وهو َخ‬
‫ادعُ ُه ْم َوإِ َذا‬ ِ ‫إِ َّن الْمنَافِ ِقين ي َخ‬
َُ َ َُ ُ
‫َّاس َوََل‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ن‬
َ ‫و‬ ‫اء‬‫ر‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ى‬
َٰ ‫ل‬
َ ‫ا‬‫س‬ ‫ك‬
ُ ‫وا‬ ‫ام‬ ‫ق‬
َ ِ
‫ة‬ ‫ال‬َ ‫الص‬
َّ ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫وا‬ ‫ام‬ ‫ق‬
َ
َ َُ َ ُ ُ ُ
‫يَ ْذ ُك ُرو َن اللَّهَ إََِّل قَلِ ًيال‬
Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah , but He is
deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand
lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not
remembering Allah except a little

Surah An Nisaa 4:142

SALAAH OF THE HYPOCRITES

‫اهو َن‬ ِ ِ ِ َّ
ُ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ ‫ال‬
‫س‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ال‬
َ ‫ص‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ع‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ين‬ ‫ذ‬
‫ين ُه ْم يُ َراءُو َن‬ ِ َّ‫ال‬
‫ذ‬
َ
So woe to those who pray(*) [But] who are
neglectful of their prayer

Surah Al Maun 107:5-6

 IMPORTANCE OF SALAAH

Our Prophet (saas) states that

the first act of worship that people will give an
account of in the Hereafter is the prayer (salat)
and the servant will be saved if he has fulfilled
them and that he will be among the lost if he
failed.
(Al-Tirmidhi)
 IMPORTANCE OF SALAH

"The first matter that the slave will be brought

to account for on the Day of Judgment is the
prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds
will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of
his deeds will be bad."
[Recorded by al-Tabarani. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. Al-
Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol.1, p. 503]
 IMPORTANCE OF SALAH
Jabir said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, say,
‘All that lies between a man and shirk and
disbelief is abandoning the prayer.'”
[Muslim]
 IMPORTANCE OF SALAAH
Shaqiq ibn ‘Abdullah the Follower said,
“The Companions of Muhammad, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, did not think
that abandoning any action denoted disbelief,
except abandoning the prayer.”
[at-Tirmidhi]
 IMPORTANCE OF SALAAH
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said:
“Between a man and shirk [associating
others with Allaah] and kufr [disbelief] there
stands his giving up prayer.”
Narrated by Muslim, 82
 IMPORTANCE OF SALAAH
Abu Qatada bin Rabiy RadiyAllahu `anhu says he heard
the Prophet Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam saying,
“Allah has said, "(O, Muhammad!) I have ordained
5 times daily salat for your followers. I have made
a covenant with Myself that whoever is regular in
performing his salat at its fixed hour, he shall be
admitted into Paradise. Those of your followers,
who do not guard their salat, are not included in
this covenant."
(Abu Dawud, Ibn Maja)
 THE BACKBONE
According to a hadeeth narrated by Mu’aadh ibn Jabal
(may Allaah be pleased with him), the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Shall I not tell you of the head of the whole
matter and its backbone and pinnacle?” I
[Mu’aadh] said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allaah.” He
said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its
backbone is prayer and its pinnacle is jihad.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2616; classed as saheeh by al-
Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2110.
 FORGIVENESS OF SIN
Abu Zar RadiyAllahu `anhu narrates that once the Prophet
Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam came out of his house. It was
autumn and the leaves were falling off the trees. He caught
a branch of a tree and its leaves began to drop in large
number. At this he remarked,
'O, Abu Zar! when a Muslim offers his salaah to please
Allah, his sins are shed away from him just as these
leaves are falling off this tree.
(Ahmad)
 FORGIVENESS OF SIN
Abu Huraira RadiyAllahu `anhu narrates that once the
Prophet Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam asked his companions,
'Do you think that dirt can remain on a person bathing 5
times a day in a brook running in front of his door?'
'No', replied the companions, 'No dirt can remain on his
body.' The Prophet Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam remarked:
'So, exactly similar is the effect of salat offered 5 times a
day. With the Grace of Allah, it washes away all the
sins'.
(Bukhari, Muslim)
 REMOVES SIN
Ibn Mas’ud reported that a man received a kiss from a
woman and went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, and told him about it. Allah sent
down, “Establish the prayer at the two ends of the day
and in the first part of the night. Good actions
eradicate bad actions.” (11:114) The man said,
“Messenger of Allah, is this for me?” He said, “It is for
every single one of my community.”
[Agreed upon]
 REMOVES SIN
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“The five prayers, and Jumu’a to Jumu’a is
expiation for what is between them as long as
a man has committed no major sins.”
[Muslim]
 REMOVES SIN
Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, said,
“Anyone who purifies himself in his house and
then goes to one of the houses of Allah to fulfil
one of the obligations of Allah, one step removes
an error and the other raises him a degree.”
[Muslim]
 WALKING TO THE MOSQUE
Ubayy ibn Ka’b said, “There was a man of the Ansar
and I do not know of any man who lived further from
the mosque than him. He never missed a prayer. It was
said to him, ‘You should buy a donkey which you could
ride in the dark and when it is very hot.’ He said, ‘It
would not make me happier if my house were right
next to the mosque. I want my steps to the mosque to
be written down for me and also my return when I
return to my family. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah will
combine all that for you.”‘”
[Muslim]
 WALKING TO THE MOSQUE
Burayda reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, said,
“Give good news to those who walk to
mosques in the dark that they will have full
light on the Day of Rising.”
[Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi]
 BEING RAISED IN LEVELS
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“Shall I direct you to something by which Allah will
wipe out errors and raise degrees?’ They said, “Yes
please, Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Doing thorough
wudu’ in adverse circumstances, taking a lot of steps
to the mosques and waiting for one prayer after
another prayer. That is what you should hold to. That
is what you should hold to.”
[Muslim]
MAN OF THE MOSQUE = MAN OF IMAAN
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that the Prophet, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, said,
“If you see a man who frequents mosques, then
testify to his belief. Allah, the Mighty and Exalted,
says, “The mosques of Allah should only be
frequented be by those who believe in Allah and
the Last Day…’ (9:18)”
[at-Tirmidhi]
 THE ANGELS
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“The angels pray for every one of you as long as
you remain in the place in which you prayed and
do not break wudu’, saying, ‘O Allah, forgive him!
O Allah, show mercy to him!'”
[al-Bukhari]
 ABANDONING THE JAMAH
Ibn Mas’ud said, “Anyone who wants to meet Allah
tomorrow as a Muslim should observe these prayers
when they are called. Allah has prescribed the sunan of
guidance for His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, and they are part of the sunan of guidance. If
you prayed them in your houses, like this person who
does not come prays in his house, you would be
abandoning the sunna of your Prophet. If you were to
abandon the sunna of your Prophet, then you would go
astray. I have seen that only hypocrites, whose hypocrisy
is known, fail to come. A man used to be brought to it,
supported between two men, until he was stood up in
the prayer line.”
[Muslim]
 ABANDONING THE JAMAH
Abu’d-Darda’ said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say,
‘If there are three in a village or desert and they
do not pray (together) Shaytan will overpower
them. You must perform the group prayer. The
wolf devours the stray sheep.”
[Abu Dawud]
 POWER OF ISHA AND FAJIR

‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan said, “I heard the Messenger of

Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say,
‘If someone prays ‘Isha’ in a group, it is as if he
had prayed half of the night. If someone prays
Subh in a group, it is as if he had prayed the
entire night.'”
[Muslim]
 THE BEST DEED
Ibn Mas’ud said, “I asked the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
‘What is the best action?’
He said, ‘The prayer in its time’ I said, ‘Then
what?’ He said, ‘Dutifulness to parents.’ I said,
‘Then what?’ He said, ‘Jihad in the way of
Allah.'”
[Agreed upon]
 BEING HELD BACK
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw
people hanging back and he said to them,
“Come forward and complete the row behind
me and let those behind you complete your
row. If people persist in hanging back, Allah
will set them back.”
[Muslim]
 DISUNITY
Abu Mas’ud said, “The Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to put
his hand on our shoulders in the prayer and say,
‘Keep straight and do not be disunified or your
hearts will become disunified. Let those among
you who have maturity and intelligence stand
nearest to me and then those who are closest to
them and then those closest to them.”
[Muslim]
 DISUNITY
An-Nu’man ibn Bashir who said, “I heard the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, say,
“Make your rows straight or Allah will cause
disagreements between you.”
[Agreed upon]
 THE TWO OF FAJR
‘A’isha reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, said,
“The two rak’ats of Fajr are better than this
world and everything it contains.”
[Muslim]
 BLESSINGS IN THE HOUSE
Jabir reported said that the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“Any of you who does all his prayers in the
mosque, should do some of them in his house,
for Allah will put blessing in his house on
account of his prayer.”
[Muslim]
 ATHAAN AND 1 ST ROW
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“If people only knew what was in the call to
prayer and the first row, and could find no other
way to get it than drawing lots for it, they
would certainly draw lots for it.”
[Agreed upon]
 JUMU’AH
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
“Whoever does wudu’ thoroughly, then goes to
Jumu’a, listens and is silent, will be forgiven until
the next Jumu’a and three days more. Whoever
plays with pebbles has wasted it.”
[Muslim]
One year of prayer and one year of fasting
 THE SPECIAL HOUR AT NIGHT
Jabir said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, say,
‘There is an hour during the night in which
whatever good of this world and the Next a
man asks Allah Almighty for, He will give it to
him. That happens every night.'”
[Muslim]
SALAAH AS A LITMUS TEST FOR OUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH ALLAH
Strong connection between the quality of prayer
and our place in Jannah
 LOSS OF KHUSHOO
“The first thing to be lifted up (taken away)
from this ummah will be khushoo’, until you
will see no one who has khushoo’.”
(Al-Haythami said in al-Majma’, 2/136: It was reported by al-
Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, and its isnaad is hasan. See also
Saheeh al-Targheeb, no. 543. He said it is saheeh)
 HOW TO DEVELOP KHUSHOO
Khushoo is about developing a relationship that will
lead to love
1. Make the time
2. Pre-salah prep
3. A clear mind
4. Actualising the niyah
5. Focusing on Allah’s greatness and learning more
6. Asking if this were my last salaah
7. Understanding your recitation, athkaar and duahs
8. Think of blessings and make shukr
9. Think of your troubles and complain and ask for
assistance
10. Making duah for it
Ruwa
The Night of Nisf
Sha’baan
Recital of Surah Yaseen
followed by a short lecture on
Ramadaan Refresher
Friday 19 April 2019 – after Magrib