Umme Sara Blessing Corner

Assalam-u-alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu-

In today's note- we will talk about one important "fard" of ours- Salah. As you all know- there are 5 pillars of Islam and Salah (prayers) is a VERY important pillar.

It is Salah that can allow us to enter Jannah (Heaven) & it is the lack of Salah that can pull us into Jahannam (Hell).

Often- people say that they are praying 3 times a day or 4 times or sometimes 5 times a day.

Is that correct? NO! That is wrong. Once a boy or a girl comes of age- then he/she has NO excuse not to pray. A person cannot say that they are praying 3 times or 4 times a day because ALLAH (SWT) in HIS Glory & Majesty has ordered humans to pray 5 times day.

Yes, it is difficult to get up early in the morning & put our hands in cold water & push sleep away but remember- when you love someone or something- then do you make sacrifices or not?

Yes, we do. Then if we say we love ALLAH- how can we NOT listen to HIS Commands?

If your school teacher gave you homework & it was due on Monday- otherwise you might fail- then will you work hard to submit it on Monday or will you sit on it & take a failing grade & get laughed at by your friends when you fail?

Obviously NOT. I am sure that you do not like being laughed at or feel inferior to some one then what will you do when on the Day of Judgement- all your friends & family will be there & EVERY SINGLE ONE of them will know if you have prayed 5 times a day or not because you will get your report-card in front of everyone- your parents, your grand-parents, your friends, your siblings-EVERY ONE!! even ME- whom you don't know but still I will know if you have prayed or not- a stranger???

So, what will you do then? When you do not like your friends laughing at you today because you failed what will you do on that day?

So, if you do not want to be laughed at & fail- then lets get up & start praying.

Praying is very easy and fun. It is easy because there are no difficult chants to memorise & it is fun because it is a form of exercise- mind & body. It is a mind exercise when you recite surahs that you have learnt & it is a body exercise as it includes all forms of exercises including sit-ups, squats,stretching and it is also a great form of meditation.

See- what a great gift ALLAH has given us- but we are unable to understand it.

But today- inshaALLAH - together- YOU & I- we will change it.

Today- we will learn just the basics- how many prayers are there? Let us start.

Bismillaah-ir-rahman-nir-raheem

ALLAH (SWT) has ordained for us prayers at 5 times during a day:

1st: Fajr prayer- this prayer is just before sun-rise & constitutes 4 rakah altogether. They are

2 Sunnat-e-Muakadah
2 Farz.

2nd: Dhuhr prayer- this prayer is after mid-day & constitutes 12 rakah. They are:

4 Sunnat-e-Muakadah
4 Farz
2 Sunnat-e-Muakadah
2 Nafil

3rd: Asr prayer- this prayer is before sun-set & during the cool time of the day. This prayer has 8 rakahs and they are:

4 Sunnat-e-ghair Muakadah
4 Farz

4th: Maghrib prayer- this prayer is just before the sun sets & it gets dark. This prayer has 7 rakahs and they are:

3 Farz
2 Sunnat-e-Muakadah
2 Nafil

5th: Isha Prayer- we pray this prayer just before we go to sleep & it is not too dark outside so that we can thank ALLAH for the blessings HE has showered on us & our loved ones during the day so we thank ALLAH by worshiping HIM & we do that by praying Isha prayer which has 17 rakahs. They are:

4 Sunnat-e-ghair Muakadah
4 Farz
2 Sunnat-e-Muakadah
2 Nafil
3 Witr
2 Nafil

The above prayers will help you become a better child to your parents, a better partner for your spouse, a better parent for your children, a better friend for all those you care & above all a better muslim so as to get the love of ALLAH (SWT) & HIS Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

So, I am sure that all of you will from now on NOT say- that we are praying 3 times or 4 times but instead pray 5 times a day EVERY DAY.

Let us first learn by heart as to how many Rakah's are there in every prayer & then inshaALLAH next we will learn as to how is Sunnat-e-Muakadah different from Sunnat-e-ghair Muakadah & Nafil and much more.

Please remember me in your duas when you are thanking ALLAH for giving you 2 hands, 2 legs, 2 eyes, 2 ears and above all for being a part of Ummat-e-Muhammadiya (SalllALLAHu alaihi waalihi wassalla,).

Wassalam