The Great Status of Prayer

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Question:
The questioner, Abu Ali, says: I hope that the Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) will use this program and this platform to direct a word to those who abandon the prayer or are lax in it. May you be rewarded.

Answer:
The prayer is the pillar of Islam, so the one who is lax in the prayer is lax in Islam, and Islam does not stand except upon the prayer, just as a house does not stand except upon a pillar. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer, and its highest peak is jihad in the path of Allah. And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:

Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.

حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ

[Al-Baqarah 2:238]

The prayer does not drop off the Muslim as long as his mind is sound, even if he is unable to stand or bow; he prays according to his condition. He said (peace and blessings be upon him):

The sick person prays standing, and if he cannot, then sitting, and if he cannot, then on his side.

يصلي المريض قائما فإن لم يستطع فقاعدا فإن لم يستطع فعلى جنب.

And in a narration: If he cannot do so, then he lies on his back with his feet toward the qiblah, so the prayer does not drop off in any case. As long as the Muslim’s mind remains, but he prays according to his condition. Yes.

Source قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، عظم شأن الصلاة – الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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