Adorning the Five Daily Prayers: Cultivating Khushu and Reverence in Salah

​Chapter 1

The Universality of Ṣalāh Among the Prophets

The elevated rank of Ṣalāh is clearly evident in the fact that Allah prescribed it upon all His prophets, peace be upon them. Allah not only mandated this act of worship but also narrated in the Qur’an how the prophets themselves held it in utmost veneration.

Yūnus (Jonah): A Man Devoted to Divine Praise

When the whale swallowed Yūnus, Allah declared:

Had he not been among those who glorify Allah, he would have remained within its belly until the Day they are resurrected.

[Sūrah Al-Ṣāffāt 37:143–144]

Ibn ʿAbbās interpreted the phrase those who glorify to mean those who perform prayer. This view was shared by both Saʿīd ibn Jubayr and Qatādah, indicating that Yūnus was steadfast in Ṣalāh, and his deliverance was due to it.

Ibrāhīm (Abraham): Prayer as a Legacy

When Ibrāhīm left his son Ismāʿīl in a barren valley, he supplicated:

Our Lord, I have settled some of my offspring in a valley without cultivation near Your Sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish the prayer.

[Sūrah Ibrāhīm 14:37]

In this moment, he mentioned no deed but Ṣalāh, indicating its unmatched priority in devotion. He further prayed:

My Lord, make me one who establishes prayer, and from among my descendants. Our Lord, accept my supplication.

[Sūrah Ibrāhīm 14:40]

Additionally, when Allah instructed him concerning the Kaʿbah, He commanded:

Do not associate anything with Me, and purify My House for those who perform ṭawāf, and for those who stand in prayer, bow, and prostrate.

[Sūrah Al-Ḥajj 22:26]

This affirms that Ṣalāh stood at the heart of Ibrāhīm’s mission and devotion.

Ismāʿīl: Enjoining Ṣalāh Upon His Household

Allah described Ismāʿīl in noble terms:

Mention in the Book, Ismāʿīl. Indeed, he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet. And he used to command his family with prayer and zakāh.

[Sūrah Maryam 19:54–55]

His concern for the religious discipline of his household began with Ṣalāh, testifying to its supreme importance.

Isḥāq (Isaac) and Yaʿqūb (Jacob): Leaders Through Prayer

Allah said concerning them:

We gifted him Isaac and Jacob in addition. All of them We made righteous. We made them leaders, guiding through Our command, and We inspired in them the performance of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakāh.

[Sūrah Al-Anbiyāʾ 21:72–73]

Their leadership and piety were anchored by acts of devotion, foremost among them Ṣalāh.

Shuʿayb (Jethro): Prayer as the Essence of His Message

When Shuʿayb prohibited idolatry and fraud, his people responded:

O Shuʿayb, does your prayer command you that we should abandon what our forefathers worshipped?

[Sūrah Hūd 11:87]

Their words reveal how prominent and defining Ṣalāh was in his life and mission—so much so that they identified it as the source of his guidance and opposition to their practices.

Mūsā (Moses): Divine Conversation Centered on Prayer

Allah brought Mūsā close and addressed him directly, without any intermediary:

Listen to what is revealed to you. Indeed, I am Allah—there is no deity but Me. So worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance.

[Sūrah Ṭāhā 20:13–14]

Here, the first obligation commanded in this direct divine communication was Ṣalāh. Its primacy is indisputable.

After his mission began, Mūsā was instructed regarding his community:

And We inspired Mūsā and his brother: ‘Settle your people in houses in Egypt and make your homes a qiblah and establish the prayer.’

[Sūrah Yūnus 10:87]

Thus, his call to Ṣalāh preceded all other social and communal reforms.

Dāwūd (David): Repentance Expressed Through Ṣalāh

When Dāwūd sinned and turned in repentance, Allah said:

He sought forgiveness from his Lord, fell down bowing, and turned back in repentance.

[Sūrah Ṣād 38:24]

His first recourse was to prostrate and engage in prayer—a testament to the path of rectification through Ṣalāh.

Sulaymān (Solomon): A Lesson in Prioritizing Prayer

Allah said:

We granted Dāwūd his son Sulaymān—what an excellent servant! He always turned back to Us. When the well-trained, swift horses were paraded before him in the evening, he said, ‘Indeed, I love the love of good for the remembrance of my Lord,’ until they disappeared from sight. ‘Bring them back to me,’ he said, and he began to stroke their legs and necks.

[Sūrah Ṣād 38:30–33]

This episode reflected his regret at missing the ʿAṣr prayer. He responded by disciplining himself and removing the source of distraction.

Ibn Kathīr noted that many scholars from the early generations affirmed that Sulaymān was preoccupied with the horses and missed the prayer—not out of willful neglect, but forgetfulness. It resembled the incident when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ missed the ʿAṣr prayer during the Battle of the Trench due to battle, and prayed it after sunset.

The Sanctified Station of Prayer in the Legacy of the Prophets

Zakariyya: Prayer Amid Revelation

Allah said:

Then the angels called to him while he stood, engaged in prayer, within the sanctuary.

[Sūrah Āl ʿImrān (3):39]

In the sacred narrative of Zakariyya (ʿalayhi al-salām), his devotion in prayer within the miḥrāb became the very moment when the angels addressed him, affirming his intimate state of worship and divine favor.

The Covenant with the Children of Israel

Allah, the Exalted, declared:

Indeed, Allah took a solemn pledge from the Children of Israel, and We appointed twelve leaders from among them. And Allah said, ‘Surely, I am with you—if you uphold the prayer, give the obligatory alms, and believe in My messengers.’

[Sūrah al-Mā’idah (5):12]

This divine contract, established with the Children of Israel, hinged upon their commitment to prayer, charity, and belief in the messengers—a triad of devotion binding them to Allah's companionship.

Jesus (ʿĪsā) Declares His Devotion in Infancy

He said:

Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has granted me the Scripture and appointed me a prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I may be and enjoined upon me prayer and charity for as long as I live.

[Sūrah Maryam (19):30–31]

From his very first speech as an infant, ʿĪsā (ʿalayhi al-salām) affirmed his servitude, prophethood, and the sanctity of his mission, anchored in the commands of prayer and almsgiving, sustaining a life of blessing and divine guidance.

The Honored Prophets and Their Legacy of Worship

Allah, Exalted is He, said:

Those are the ones upon whom Allah bestowed His grace—among the prophets from the progeny of Ādam, from those We carried with Nūḥ, from the descendants of Ibrāhīm and Isrā’īl, and from those We guided and chose. When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration, weeping.

[Sūrah Maryam (19):58]

The honored prophets—chosen across generations and tribes—were defined by a singular trait: the tenderness of their hearts to divine revelation. In deep humility, they bowed and wept, overcome by the majesty of Allah’s words.

The Fall of Successive Generations

Then came the divine warning:

But they were succeeded by generations who neglected prayer and followed their base desires, so they shall soon meet ruin.

[Sūrah Maryam (19):59]

Following the righteous, arose generations who disregarded the prayer and pursued their lusts. Their fate, as revealed, was deviation and the torment of a desolate abyss—described as a valley in the Hellfire.

The Prophetic Tradition of Prayer Before Islam

The Prophet Muhammad (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-ʿalā ālihi wa-sallam) informed us that the prophets before him observed the five daily prayers. In a sacred narration, the Messenger of Allah prayed under the leadership of Jibrīl (ʿalayhi al-salām).

Ibn ʿAbbās (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhumā) said:

Jibrīl led me in prayer twice at the House (Kaʿbah). He led me in the Ẓuhr prayer when the sun had just passed its zenith—equal to the time a sandal strap would cast a shadow. He led me in ʿAṣr when the shadow of everything became equal to its length. Then he prayed Maghrib with me at the moment when a fasting person breaks his fast. He led ʿIshā’ after the twilight had vanished. He prayed Fajr with me when food and drink became prohibited for the fasting person.

The next day, he prayed Ẓuhr with me when the shadow of everything equaled its own length. Then he led ʿAṣr when the shadow of everything doubled its length. He led Maghrib at the same time the fasting person breaks his fast. He prayed ʿIshā’ when a third of the night had passed. And he prayed Fajr with me when the horizon had brightened.

Then turning to me, he said: ‘O Muḥammad, this is the time of prayer for the prophets before you.’

This ḥadīth is recorded by al-Mirwazī in his work Taʿẓīm Qadr al-Ṣalāh (no. 29). Upon it rests the foundation of what preceded.

May Allah guide us to uphold the sanctity of the prayer, for indeed He is the One who answers supplication.

​Chapter 2

The Prophet's Last Moments: A Reflection on Şalāh

The death of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ) represents one of the most profound and sorrowful moments in Islamic history. Allah had blessed this nation with his divine guidance, and through him, the path to Paradise and every virtue was made clear. Allah, in His wisdom, proclaimed:

Indeed, you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for those who hope in Allah and the Last Day, and who remember Allah often. And if anyone turns away, then indeed Allah is Self-Sufficient, and deserving of all praise. (Sūrah Al-Ahzāb, 33:21)

This profound event is not only marked by sorrow but also filled with essential lessons, primarily regarding the centrality of Şalāh in our lives. It serves as an invaluable reminder of the significance of Şalāh, particularly in light of the Prophet's passing. The final congregational prayer the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ) participated in was the Zuhr prayer on a Thursday.

The Prophet's Last Days

After completing that prayer, the Prophet's illness worsened to the point where he could no longer attend the congregational prayers. He remained in his home for three days—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. During this period, Abū Bakr (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) led the people in prayer. On Monday morning, the day