“Innas salaata kaanat ‘alal mumineena ketaabam mauqoota.”

“Indeed prayer has been enjoined at the fixed hours (has been made obligatory) on the believers.”

Rasoolullaah (SAWS) has said,

“Taarekus Salaat mal'oonun.”

“One who gives up prayers is cursed.”

He said, ‘Save your souls! Act, and the best of your actions is Salaat . Shaitaan is ever fearful of the believer who is particular in his five daily prayers. When a Muslim begins to neglect the prayers then Shaitaan is emboldened to act against him and seduce him to greater sins.

Maulana Ali (AS) has said: ‘Among the deeds of man, prayer (Salaat) is the one that Allaah sees first. If this is sound, then Allaah will take into consideration his other deeds, but if this is not, none of the other deeds will be considered. He who abandons prayers (Salaat) has no share in the bounties of Islam.'

“For Salaat is the pillar of religion and the foundation of Islam.”

Imaam Ja'far us-Saadiq (AS) has said: ‘Each and everything has a face (reason or purpose), and the face of your religion is prayer (Salaat). Except cognition ( ma'refat ) of Allaah, nothing that I know of is more excellent than prayer. The best of all your deeds is prayer.'

Rasoolullaah (SAWS) has said: There is a tree in Paradise ( jannat ul-firdaus ) from the stem whereof a group of multicolored horses emerge. They neither urinate nor defecate, and they are saddled and bridled. Their reins will be of gold; their saddles of pearls and ruby. Their riders will be the denizens (‘ illiyeen ) of the higher grades of Paradise and they will visit those who are in the lower grades of the Garden ( jannat ). The residents of Garden will say, “O Allaah, how did You lead them to this honour?” They will be told, “They used to fast by day when you were eating; they used to pray by night when you were sleeping; they used to give charity ( sadaqah ) when you were stingy; and they used to fight ( jihaad ) in the way of Allaah when you were cowardly.”

Imaam Ja'far us-Saadiq (AS) has said: When a man begins to offer his prayers, the mercy of Allaah descends upon him from the highest heavens to the earth, and he is surrounded by the angels and an angel announces, “If only the devotee had knowledge of the blessings of the prayer, he would never turn away from it.”

Maulana Ali (AS) has said: “The five daily prayers are a salvation from sins committed during the intervals between such prayers, so long as the major sins are avoided.” “The greatest among the thieves is he who steals from his prayers, that is, who does not complete the farz namaaz (obligatory prayers).”

Imaam Mohammad ul-Baaqir (AS) has said: “When a Muslim utters the takbeerat ul-ehraam in the prayer, Allaah turns towards him and appoints an angel who collects all the portions of the Qur'an that fall from his lips. When the man turns away from Allaah, Allaah too turns away from him and relegates him to the angel.” He further added, ‘He who offers obligatory prayers in its prescribed time, knowing its significance and value, and does not prefer anything else to them, then he shall be freed from the torture and torment of hell by Allaah's decree. But he who prays outside its prescribed time limits and also preferring other works to prayers, and then he will be at the mercy of Allaah. Allaah may pardon him or else punish him, as He wills.'

Maulana Ali (AS) has said: “The man who does not complete his prayer is like a pregnant woman who aborts when the time of delivery is near. She thus loses both, the expectation of a child as well as motherhood.”

Rasoolullaah (SAWS) has said: “He who performs his ablution perfectly, offers his prayers timely and properly, gives zakaat faithfully from his property, holds back his anger, controls his tongue, offers wholeheartedly in charity, asks Allaah for forgiveness, and well wishes for my Ahl-e-bait (as) , has surely perfected the real meaning of faith ( haqaa'iq ul-imaan ) and the gates of Paradise shall be opened for him.” A believer comes nearer to Allaah at the time of prayer, when he prostrates himself before Him.

Below mentioned subjects are some of the very important aspects of Salaat ( Namaaz ). Each one is dealt with necessary details and stepwise understanding. Gradually some more topics will be added:

•  The Merits of the Mosque

•  The Importance of the Namaaz of Imaamat

•  Speech and Action during Namaaz

•  Dress during Namaaz

•  The Discipline of Saff

•  The Timings for the Namaaz

•  The General Features of Namaaz

•  The Azaan and the Iqaamat

•  The Different Supplications of Namaaz

•  The Prayer of Zohr and 'Asr

•  The Prayer of Maghrib and Ishaa' il-Aakherat

•  The Prayer of Fajr

•  The Prayer of Tahajjud

•  The Prayer during Solar & Lunar Eclipse