Originally posted 2023-11-08 15:42:39.

The Journey That Changed Everything: A Reminder About Salah

Throughout human history, mankind has taken many journeys—across deserts, over oceans, into space. But there is one journey unlike any other. A journey no man had ever taken before—and no man will ever take again.

It was a journey beyond the earth, beyond the skies, beyond even the reach of the mighty angel Jibreel. It was a journey to the Divine Presence.

It was al-Israa’ wal-Mi’raaj—the miraculous night journey and ascension of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). On this night, the Prophet was taken to the seventh heaven, a realm so sacred that even Jibreel, who delivered revelation for decades, had to stop and say, “I cannot go beyond this point. If I did, I would burn.”

But the Prophet (ﷺ) was invited to proceed. Why? Because there was one commandment so important, so central to the faith, that Allah did not send it down—He called His Messenger up.

That command was Ṣalāh (prayer).

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Fifty… Then Five

Initially, the command was to pray fifty times a day. But the Prophet, by Allah’s mercy, asked for ease on behalf of his people. So it was reduced—first to forty-five, then to forty, and so on—until finally it was reduced to just five daily prayers.

And yet… the reward remained as if we still prayed fifty.

Scholars have reflected deeply on this: Why begin with fifty? Why not just command five? The answer lies in the lesson: Prayer was meant to define our day, not fill its empty corners. The original fifty was a reminder that worship was meant to be central—not peripheral—to our lives.

“Imagine actually praying fifty times a day. Could we do anything else? No—and that’s the point.”

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What Went Wrong?

But today, it’s often the opposite. Instead of building our lives around Prayer, we try to fit Prayer into our lives—if there’s time. It’s what we do after the meeting, after the sale, after the game, after the nap.

For many, even that doesn’t happen.

And this is not a small matter. Reflect on this shocking reality:

No scholar ever said that drinking alcohol or even committing murder makes a person a disbeliever.
But about abandoning Prayer? Some scholars said it can take a person out of Islam entirely.

This is based on the Prophet’s (ﷺ) own words:

“The covenant between us and them is prayer. Whoever abandons it has disbelieved.”
(Ahmad)

Imagine: the very thing that Satan refused to do—one prostration—is what we refuse to do five times a day. What excuse will we have?

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First to Be Judged

On the Day of Judgment, the first deed we will be judged for is Prayer. If it is in order, everything else follows. If it’s flawed, everything else is at risk.

“The first thing which will be judged among a man’s deeds on the Day of Resurrection is the Prayer…”
(At-Tirmidhi)

The Qur’an tells us that when people are thrown into Hellfire, the first question they’ll be asked is:

“What led you into Hellfire?”
They will say: ‘We were not of those who prayed.’
(Al-Muddaththir 74:42–43)

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We Never Say We Don’t Have Time to Use the Bathroom

If someone said they can’t pray because they’re at work, in school, or shopping—we nod in understanding. But no one says, “I was too busy to go to the bathroom.”

If you have to go, you go. It’s not optional.

You could be in the middle of the most important exam, a job interview, or asleep in the middle of the night—if nature calls, you respond. Why? Because the consequences of ignoring it are immediate and unpleasant.

But what about the soul?

Why do we treat the body as essential and the soul as optional—when the soul is what lives forever?

We tend to the temporary, while starving the eternal. We’re meticulous about feeding our bodies but casual about feeding our souls.

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The Truth: Salah Is Life

Prayer is not a chore. It’s not a ritual to “get over with.” It is the oxygen of the soul, the connection to the Divine, the greatest honor of our existence.

“The delight of my eyes was made in prayer.”
(Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

It was the only command Allah gave directly, without any intermediary. It was the first deed we will be judged for. It is the last thread of faith that will be lost before the end of time.

So ask yourself:

• Are we living like people whose lives revolve around Prayer?

• Or like people who treat Prayer as an afterthought—if we pray at all?

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Conclusion: It’s Time to Return

Let us not be among those who will say on that Day, “We were not of those who prayed.” Let us be from those who rise for Fajr even if it’s hard, who make wudu even when it’s cold, who stop the world for five minutes—because the One who created the world is calling us.

Prayer is not a burden. Prayer is the purpose.

Let us answer that call.

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Source: www.suhaibwebb.com.