Article
A river at your door
The Prophet ﷺ compared the five daily prayers to bathing in a river five times a day. What the Quran says prayer does for us.
The Prophet ﷺ once asked his companions a question:
Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
If there was a river at the door of one of you and he bathed in it five times a day, would any dirt be left on him? They said, "Not a trace of dirt would be left." He said, "That is the example of the five prayers, with which Allah wipes away sins."
Five prayers a day can feel like a lot. This hadith shows them in a different light: five chances every day to be cleaned, right at your door.
Prayer is for remembering Allah#
إِنَّنِىٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدْنِى وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِذِكْرِىٓ
Indeed, I am Allāh. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance.
These words were said to Musa. The verse gives the purpose of prayer in its last words: establish prayer for My remembrance. However busy the day gets, prayer brings you back to Allah several times over.
It shapes how you live#
ٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ
Recite, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allāh is greater. And Allāh knows that which you do.
The verse says prayer keeps a person away from immorality and wrongdoing. Standing before Allah five times a day makes it harder to forget Him in between.
It is a source of help#
وَٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلْخَـٰشِعِينَ
And seek help through patience and prayer; and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allāh]
The Quran tells us to seek help through patience and prayer. It also admits that prayer can be difficult, except for those who are humble before Allah.
Guard it#
حَـٰفِظُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلصَّلَوَٰتِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ٱلْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا۟ لِلَّهِ قَـٰنِتِينَ
Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle [i.e., ʿaṣr] prayer and stand before Allāh, devoutly obedient.
Maintain with care the prayers. Praying on time and with focus is something to protect.
If prayer has slipped in your life, come back to it today. The river is still at your door.
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