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RELIGIOUS PILLAR PRAYER

Prayer is an act of worship commanded by Allah SWT to all Muslims as proof of servitude and obedience to Allah SWT. Prayer according to language is prayer.

While prayer according to the syarak perspective is a specific reading and act that starts with saying takbeer and ends with salam. There are so many verses of the Quran and also hadiths of the Prophet SAW about the prescription of prayer. Among the arguments for the obligatory prayer based on the Qur'an is the saying of Allah SWT in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 43:

And perform prayer, and pay zakat, and kneel with those who kneel.

It means: And stand up for prayer and give zakat and bow down together with those who bow down.

Similarly, the words of Allah SWT in surah al-Hajj verse 78:

So perform prayer and pay zakat

Meaning: Therefore, establish prayer and give zakat

While the hadiths that explain the prescription of prayer are like the hadith from Abdullah bin Umar RA, that the Prophet SAW said:

Islam is built on five things: bearing witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, establishing prayer, paying zakat, performing the Hajj to the House, and fasting during Ramadan.

Meaning: Islam has been built on five things, testifying that there is no god but Allah and Prophet Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, paying zakat, performing Hajj to the house and fasting in the month of Ramadan.

[HR : Bukhari & Muslim]

This hadith clearly states that Islam consists of five things. The five things mentioned in this hadith are the five pillars of Islam that we must obey. Imam al-Nawawi in Sharah Sahih Muslim said that "this hadith is a very great basis for knowing religion and belief in these five things and these five things are gathered together as the pillars of Islam". The five pillars of Islam stated in the hadith are like a pillar of Islam itself.

According to Ibnu Rajab al-Hanbali in Jami' al-Ulum Wa al-Hikam , Islam is built on these five things which are likened to the pillars and pillars of the construction of Islam itself. So it is clear to us that Muslims must adhere to and believe in these five pillars of Islam. In addition, one of the pillars is prayer.

Pillar of Religion

As explained before, the pillars of Islam are like the pillars of Islam. The main pillar of Islam is prayer which acts as a pillar of religion. This is based on a hadith from Muaz bin Jabal RA, that the Prophet SAW said:

The head of the matter is Islam, and its pillar is prayer.

Meaning: The pillar of religious affairs is Islam and its pillar is prayer.

[HR : Tirmidhi]

This hadith clearly states that prayer is a pillar of Islam. Prayer is likened to a pillar of Islam because of the importance of the position of prayer in Islam. We can understand that, if a Muslim does not take care of his prayers then he will not achieve perfection in religion.

According to al-Suyuti in his lectures on Sunan al-Tirmizi , a servant if he does not confirm the obligatory prayer then for him is considered as not religious. Whereas for anyone who certifies his sariyat then he has adhered to the teachings of Islam.

That is how important it is for a Muslim to take care of his prayers. This is because, a person who claims to be a Muslim is threatened as a person who is not religious and does not adhere to the teachings of Islam due to abandoning prayer or not observing it. This matter also coincides with a hadith from Umar al-Khattab RA, that the Prophet SAW said:

Prayer at its appointed time, and whoever abandons prayer has no debt, and prayer is the pillar of religion.

Meaning: The prayer is done on time. Whoever abandons prayer, then there is no religion for him. Prayer is a pillar of Islam.

[HR : Baihaqi]

Likewise with the words of Allah SWT in surah al-Ma'un verses 4 and 5:

So woe to those who pray (4) those who are heedless of their prayer (5)

Meaning: then great misfortune for those who pray - (4) (i.e.) those who neglect to complete their prayers; (5).

That is what Allah SWT said to those who are negligent in their prayer affairs. It is a disaster for those who do not observe the prayer either by skipping it or neglecting it. According to Syeikh Ali al-Sobuni in his interpretation of this verse, those who are negligent (Ø³ÙŽØ§Ù‡ÙÙˆÙ†ÙŽ) are those who neglect prayer and also those who delay prayer from its time by neglecting the affairs of prayer.

Abu al-Aliyah said regarding this verse: "they do not pray on time and do not complete their bowing and prostration". It can be concluded that those who are careless in matters of prayer and have an accident from Allah SWT are those who neglect prayer, miss prayer and do not fulfill the prayer requirements.

It is different for those who take care of their prayers. Whoever takes care of his prayers will have success in this world and the hereafter. The words of Allah SWT in surah al-Mu'minun verses 1 and 2:

Indeed, the believers have succeeded (1) those who are humble in their prayers (2)

Meaning: Verily the believers are successful, (1) That is, those who are devoted in their prayers; (2).

The Law of Abandoning Prayer

Prof. Wahbah al-Zuhaili has stated in his book al-Fiqh al-Islami Wa Adillatuhu that Muslims have agreed that disobeying the obligatory prayer is infidel and apostate. While those who are lazy to perform prayer and underestimate it are considered as fasiq and perpetrators of immorality.

In conclusion, prayer is a pillar of religion and also one of the pillars of Islam. It has been obligatory for all Muslims to fulfill it and take care of it by avoiding laziness and carelessness. Those who disobey the obligation of prayer are punished as infidels. While those who are lazy to pray are punished as fasiq and perpetrators of immorality.

Date of Input: 26/04/2024 | Updated: 26/04/2024 | asmunir

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