O MY FAMILY! PRAY! PRAY!

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds; and may Allah send blessing and peace upon the
Messenger of Allah, our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his family, Companions, and
those who take him as an ally. To go further:

In a Hadith:

It is narrated on the authority of Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, that whenever the family of
the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was given to destitution, he would address his
family saying: “O my family! Pray! Pray!”

»‫ ﺻﻠﻮا ﺻﻠﻮا‬،‫«ﻳﺎ أﻫﻼه‬

According to Ibn Muflih: “This Hadith seems to be Mursal, and its chain of transmission good. This
concept is attested in both Sahihs by the Hadiths of eclipse.”

In confirmation of that, Allah Almighty said (what means):

- “And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly
submissive [to Allah]” [Al-Baqara 2:45]

{َ‫}وَاﺳْﺘَﻌِﻴﻨُﻮا ﺑِﺎﻟﺼَّﺒْﺮِ وَاﻟﺼَّﻠَﻼةِ ۚ وَإِﻧَّﻬَﺎ ﻟَﻜَﺒِﻴﺮَةٌ إِﻟَّﻻ ﻋَﻠَﻰ اﻟْﺨَﺎﺷِﻌِﻴﻦ‬

45 :‫اﻟﺒﻘﺮة‬

Transliteration: WaistaAAeenoo bialssabri waalssalati wainnaha lakabeeratun illa AAala

alkhashiAAeena

- “O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.”
[Al-Baqara 2:153]

{َ‫}ﻳَﺎ أَﻳُّﻬَﺎ اﻟَّﺬِﻳﻦَ آﻣَﻨُﻮا اﺳْﺘَﻌِﻴﻨُﻮا ﺑِﺎﻟﺼَّﺒْﺮِ وَاﻟﺼَّﻠَﻼةِ ۚ إِنَّ اﻟﻠَّـﻪَ ﻣَﻊَ اﻟﺼَّﺎﺑِﺮِﻳﻦ‬
153 :‫اﻟﺒﻘﺮة‬

Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo istaAAeenoo bialssabri waalssalati inna Allaha

maAAa alssabireena
Allah Almighty commanded His servants to seek aid through prayer in all of their worldly and
hereafter affairs, and not only in certain ones apart from others.

He said: “And seek help through patience and prayer.”

{ِ‫{ وَاﺳْﺘَﻌِﻴﻨُﻮا ﺑِﺎﻟﺼَّﺒْﺮِ وَاﻟﺼَّﻠَﻼة‬

Transliteration:WaistaAAeenoo bialssabri waalssalati

He mentioned patience first because faith, obligatory and supererogatory deeds could not be
achieved without patience.

Then He said: “and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah]”

{{َ‫وَإِﻧَّﻬَﺎ ﻟَﻜَﺒِﻴﺮَةٌ إِﻟَّﻻ ﻋَﻠَﻰ اﻟْﺨَﺎﺷِﻌِﻴﻦ‬

Transliteration:wainnaha lakabeeratun illa AAala alkhashiAAeena

That is, those who humble themselves with their hearts submissive to Allah Almighty out of adoration
and veneration for, and fear of Him. This is a witness to him who finds it easy upon himself to
establish prayer that he is among the humbly submissive (to Allah).

It was the habit of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, that whenever he was
distressed or befallen by a calamity or disaster, he would hasten to perform prayer. That is because
prayer helps to avert all disasters and calamities, by the aid of (Allah) the Creator Almighty Whom is
intended by one to devote himself and come close to Him. To be sure, he, who devotes himself to his
Lord, He encompasses him with care and sufficiency, for by so doing, one has turned away from
anything else, and rather intended his Lord Almighty, and Allah never disappoints anyone who has
hope in Him.

Furthermore, whenever the family of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was
befallen by distress or hardship, he would order his family to perform prayer, and recite: “And enjoin
prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We
provide for you, and the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness.” [Taa-Haa 20:132]

{ٰ‫}وَأْﻣُﺮْ أَﻫْﻠَﻚَ ﺑِﺎﻟﺼَّﻠَﻼةِ وَاﺻْﻄَﺒِﺮْ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻬَﺎ ۖ ﻟَﻼ ﻧَﺴْﺄَﻟُﻚَ رِزْﻗًﺎ ۖ ﻧَّﺤْﻦُ ﻧَﺮْزُﻗُﻚَ ۗ وَاﻟْﻌَﺎﻗِﺒَﺔُ ﻟِﻠﺘَّﻘْﻮَى‬
132 :‫ﻃﻪ‬

Transliteration: Wamur ahlaka bialssalati waistabir AAalayha la nasaluka rizqan nahnu narzuquka
waalAAaqibatu lilttaqwa

that is, if you establish prayer, sustenance would be brought to you from where you expect not. In
confirmation of that, He Almighty said (what means):

- “And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out And will provide for him from where he
does not expect.” [At-Talaaq 65:2-3]

{ُ‫﴾ وَﻳَﺮْزُﻗْﻪُ ﻣِﻦْ ﺣَﻴْﺚُ ﻟَﻼ ﻳَﺤْﺘَﺴِﺐ‬٢﴿ ‫}وَﻣَﻦ ﻳَﺘَّﻖِ اﻟﻠَّـﻪَ ﻳَﺠْﻌَﻞ ﻟَّﻪُ ﻣَﺨْﺮَﺟًﺎ‬
2-3 :‫اﻟﻄﻼق‬

Transliteration: waman yattaqi Allaha yajAAal lahu makhrajan (2) Wayarzuqhu min haythu la
yahtasibu

- “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. I do not want from them any
provision, nor do I want them to feed Me. Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider, the firm
possessor of strength.” [Az-Zaariyat 51:56-58]

ِ‫﴾ إِنَّ اﻟﻠَّـﻪَ ﻫُﻮَ اﻟﺮَّزَّاقُ ذُو اﻟْﻘُﻮَّة‬٧٥﴿ ِ‫﴾ ﻣَﺎ أُرِﻳﺪُ ﻣِﻨْﻬُﻢ ﻣِّﻦ رِّزْقٍ وَﻣَﺎ أُرِﻳﺪُ أَن ﻳُﻄْﻌِﻤُﻮن‬٦٥﴿ ِ‫}وَﻣَﺎ ﺧَﻠَﻘْﺖُ اﻟْﺠِﻦَّ وَاﻟْﻺِﻧﺲَ إِﻟَّﻻ ﻟِﻴَﻌْﺒُﺪُون‬
{ُ‫اﻟْﻤَﺘِﻴﻦ‬
56-58 :‫اﻟﺬارﻳﺎت‬

Transliteration: Wama khalaqtu aljinna waalinsa illa liyaAAbudooni (56) Ma oreedu minhum min
rizqin wama oreedu an yutAAimooni (57) Inna Allaha huwa alrrazzaqu thoo alquwwati almateenu

According to a Qudsi Hadith, Allah Almighty says: “O mankind! Devote yourself to the worship of Me,
so that I would fill your breast (with contentment) and remove your poverty; and if you do not do so, I
would divert your breast (with worries and concerns), and not remove your poverty.” [Narrated by Ibn
Majja and declared authentic by Al-Albani]

‹‹‫ وإن ﻟﻢ ﺗﻔﻌﻞ ﻣﻸت ﺻﺪرك ﺷﻐﻼً وﻟﻢ أﺳﺪ ﻓﻘﺮك‬،‫››ﻳﺎ اﺑﻦ آدم ﺗﻔﺮغ ﻟﻌﺒﺎدﺗﻲ أﻣﻸ ﺻﺪرك ﻏﻨﻰ وأﺳﺪ ﻓﻘﺮك‬
‫رواه اﺑﻦ ﻣﺎﺟﻪ وﺻﺤﺤﻪ اﻷﻟﺒﺎﻧﻲ‬

No doubt, prayer removes anxiety from its observer, thereupon he would be neither apprehensive,
nor niggardly, nor miserly, nor greedy, nor bored, nor horror-struck, nor distressed nor impatient, as
confirmed by the statement of Allah (what means): "Indeed, mankind was created anxious: When evil
touches him, impatient, And when good touches him, withholding [of it], Except the observers of
prayer - Those who are constant in their prayer." [Al-Ma'aarij 70:19-23]

ٰ‫﴾ اﻟَّﺬِﻳﻦَ ﻫُﻢْ ﻋَﻠَﻰ‬٢٢﴿ َ‫﴾ إِﻟَّﻻ اﻟْﻤُﺼَﻠِّﻴﻦ‬١٢﴿ ‫﴾ وَإِذَا ﻣَﺴَّﻪُ اﻟْﺨَﻴْﺮُ ﻣَﻨُﻮﻋًﺎ‬٠٢﴿ ‫﴾ إِذَا ﻣَﺴَّﻪُ اﻟﺸَّﺮُّ ﺟَﺰُوﻋًﺎ‬٩١﴿ ‫}إِنَّ اﻟْﻺِﻧﺴَﺎنَ ﺧُﻠِﻖَ ﻫَﻠُﻮﻋًﺎ‬
{َ‫ﺻَﻠَﻼﺗِﻬِﻢْ دَاﺋِﻤُﻮن‬
19-23 :‫اﻟﻤﻌﺎرج‬

Transliteration: Inna alinsana khuliqa halooAAan (19) Itha massahu alshsharru jazooAAan (20)
Waitha massahu alkhayru manooAAan (21) Illa almusalleena (22) Allatheena hum AAala salatihim
daimoona

It is still the refuge of the faithful believers, whenever befallen by a distress or a calamity, to hasten to
talk privately to their Lord in prayer, from Adam to the last of the Prophets, peace be upon them.

According to Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him: “It was the habit of the Prophets, peace be upon
them, that whenever they were distressed, they would take refuge to prayer.”
Why do the faithful believers not take refuge to the prayer, given that it is the fundament of religion?
It is the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who told that the prayer is the fundament of
religion.

Al-Maruzi said: “Allah Almighty commanded His servants to copy the guidance of Muhammad,
sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam; and Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ordered them, if they saw
the signs in which they fear the punishment of Allah, to take refuge to the prayer. He said: “No doubt,
both sun and moon are two of the signs of Allah. So, if sun eclipsed, you should take refuge to
(perform the eclipse) prayer.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari]

‹‹‫ ﻓﺈذا رأﻳﺘﻤﻮﻫﻤﺎ ﻓﻘﻮﻣﻮا ﻓﺼﻠﻮا‬، ‫ وﻟﻜﻨﻬﻤﺎ آﻳﺘﺎن ﻣﻦ آﻳﺎت اﻟﻠﻪ‬، ‫››إن اﻟﺸﻤﺲ واﻟﻘﻤﺮ ﻻ ﻳﻨﻜﺴﻔﺎن ﻟﻤﻮت أﺣﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﺎس‬
‫رواه اﻟﺒﺨﺎري‬

He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, himself took refuge to the prayer under the same conditions. There is
no act of worship, therewith Allah Almighty averts punishment (from His servants) like the prayer. He,
sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, prayed when the sun eclipsed, with increase in (the number and length of)
Ruku‘, and went on weeping and imploring in his Sujud.”

Umm Kulthum Bint Abi Mu‘ayt, may Allah be pleased with her, was among the early emigrating
women. Once, her husband ‘Abd-Ar-Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, may Allah be pleased with him, fell unconscious
and was thought to have died. On that she went out to the mosque, to seek help through patience
and prayer as she was commanded.

It is related that Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, and he was on journey, received the
death news of his brother Quthum, thereupon he said: “We all belong to Allah, and to Him we all shall
return.” Then, he stepped aside, dismounted and performed a two-rak‘ah prayer, where he prolonged
sitting, after which he returned to his mount reciting: ““And seek help through patience and prayer,
and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah]” [Al-Baqara 2:45]

{َ‫}وَاﺳْﺘَﻌِﻴﻨُﻮا ﺑِﺎﻟﺼَّﺒْﺮِ وَاﻟﺼَّﻠَﻼةِ ۚ وَإِﻧَّﻬَﺎ ﻟَﻜَﺒِﻴﺮَةٌ إِﻟَّﻻ ﻋَﻠَﻰ اﻟْﺨَﺎﺷِﻌِﻴﻦ‬

45 :‫اﻟﺒﻘﺮة‬

Transliteration: WaistaAAeenoo bialssabri waalssalati wainnaha lakabeeratun illa AAala

alkhashiAAeena

Let’s quote here the words of Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, in this issue: “The
prayer is the greatest source of delight, strength, joy, cheerfulness and pleasure the heart could ever
receive. The relation of the soul and heart with Allah Almighty, closeness to Him, blessedness in
remembering Him, cheerfulness of talking to Him in private, standing in front of Him, using all parts,
faculties and instruments of the body in His worship, with each taking its share of it, engagement by
Him from any worldly benefits, and having one’s soul and heart attracted to his Lord and Creator, and
the comfort one receives during prayer – all of this makes the prayer the greatest medicine, the most
pleasant, and the best nourishment which fit only the sound hearts.”

The prayer then is the greatest assistant which helps one obtain the benefits of both the world and
hereafter, and avert the evils of both the world and hereafter. It forbids sin, repels the heart diseases,
removes the bodily ailment, and enlightens the heart, brightens the face, activates both organs and
soul, brings about sustenance, wards off injustice, supports the wronged, curbs the desires and is of
great advantage in many abdominal troubles.
In sum, prayer has a wonderful effect in saving the health and power of both the body and heart, and
averting badness from them. No two persons have been tried with a disability, a disease, an affliction,
or a disaster but that the one who performs prayer would have the smaller share, and the safer
consequence of it.

The prayer has an astonishing trace in averting the worldly evils, especially if it is performed perfectly
and completely as it is due to it outwardly and inwardly. Nothing like the prayer has ever averted the
evils of both the world and hereafter, and brought about their benefits.

The mystery lying behind this is that the prayer links the servant with his Lord Almighty: as much as a
servant is linked with his Lord Almighty, the gates of good things are opened to him, and the means
to evils are cut off from him, and he turns to receive from his Lord flows of success and help,
wellbeing and health, gain and richness, comfort and bliss, delights and pleasures – all quickly without
delay.

We ask Allah Almighty to make us sincere (to Him) in word and deed; and may Allah send blessing
and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his family and Companions.

Translated by Wathakker.net website

Arabic Text for the Flyer:

http://www.wathakker.net/matwyat/view.php?id=289

en.wathakker.net