Incidents of Salah

1) Righteous woman of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ

In the time of Allah’s Beloved Prophet, Sayyiduna Isa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام a righteous woman of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ once put flatbreads into a tandoor to bake while she performed Wudu and started offering Salah. Disguised as a woman, Satan came to her and said: ‘Woman! Your flatbreads are burning.’ The righteous woman of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ did not pay attention to him but kept offering Salah. Upon seeing this, Satan took her child and put him into the fire of the tandoor. She continued to offer Salah. In the meantime, the righteous woman’s husband came home. He saw his child playing in the tandoor. The person went to Sayyiduna Isa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام and described the whole incident. He (Sayyiduna Isa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام) said: ‘Bring the righteous woman to me.’ When she came, he asked her: ‘Which good deed do you perform that caused this incident to happen?’ She humbly said: ‘O Allah’s Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Whenever my Wudu becomes invalidated, I perform it. Whenever I performed Wudu, I would offer Salah. And whenever someone was in need, I would fulfil his need. And whenever people caused me trouble, I would bear patience.’ (Nuzha-tul-Majalis, vol. 1, p. 143) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ helps the one who offers Salah.

2)Father and son who would offer Salah

The non-Muslims imprisoned the son of a beloved Sahabi of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and took him to another city. Whenever the time of Salah arrived, he [Sahabi] would say loudly [from his city]: ‘O my dear son! The time of Salah has arrived.’ By the grace of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ his voice would reach his son in the other city. Hearing that voice each time, the son would offer Salah. However, both cities were very far from each other. (Mu’jam Saghir, vol. 1, p. 108, summarised) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that we should take care of Salah even when in trouble.

3) A Pious saint who would offer Salah the entire night

Sayyiduna Rabi’ رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه passed away while the daughter of his neighbour asked her father: ‘Dear father! Where has the pillar in the house of our neighbour gone?’ He said: ‘It was not any pillar; in fact, he was our righteous neighbour who would worship while standing the entire night. The girl thought he was a pillar (due to the darkness), because she would go to the roof of her house only at night and look at him from her house while he would stand in Salah. (Booklet Qushayriyyah, p. 416) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that the righteous people would worship Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ the entire night. We must offer Salah five times a day.

4) Dirty bird became clean

Allah’s Beloved Prophet, Sayyiduna Isa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام was once walking past the sea. He saw a bird which went into the mud of the sea and became dirty. It then came out from the mud and took a bath in the sea to become clean again. It did the same five times. Sayyiduna Jibraeel عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام informed Sayyiduna Isa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام about this: ‘What you have seen is an example of the people of the Holy Prophet’s Ummah who offer Salah, the mud of the sea is an example of their sins and taking a bath in the sea is an example of the five Salahs. (Nuzha-tul-Majalis, vol. 1, p. 145, summarised) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that Salah saves [us] from sins.

5) Salah caused a she-camel to return

A Sahabi has stated: I saw a villager coming towards the gate of the Masjid. He dismounted the she-camel and left it there before entering the Masjid. He started offering Salah comfortably and then making Du’a. When he came out, the she-camel was not there and so he humbly said to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ ‘O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ I have offered Your Salah. Where is my belonging (the she-camel)?’ People said: ‘After a little while, a man came on the she-camel, handed it over to the villager and left. (Tafseer Kabeer, vol. 1, p. 213) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that big problems are resolved because of Salah.

6) Salah in the grave

A pious saint passed away. While he was being buried, a stone fell into the grave. As people lowered to remove the stone, they saw that he was offering Salah while standing in the grave. When they asked his family members, his daughter explained: My father would make Du’a daily: ‘O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ If you allow anyone to offer Salah in the grave, please allow me to offer Salah also.’ Whenever people went past his blessed grave, the voice of recital of the Holy Quran would come out from the blessed grave. (Hilyat-ul-Awliya, vol. 2, pp. 362-366, selected) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that the righteous people really love Salah.

7) How a donkey was brought back to life?

A pious saint has stated that a person was going somewhere in order to please Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ while his donkey died during the journey. He performed Wudu, offered two Rak’at Salah and made Du’a to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ ‘O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ I am going far from my home in order to please You, and I know that You give life to the dead and will resurrect the dead from their graves on the Day of Judgement. O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ Have mercy on me today and bring my donkey back to life. [No sooner had he finished making Du’a] than the donkey stood up wiggling its ears. (Dalaail-un-Nubuwwah, vol. 6, p. 48) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that Allah accepts the Du’a of the one who offers Salah.

8)Patience over the death of a son

When Sayyiduna Ibn-e-Abbas رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما ما was informed about the death of his son, he started offering Salah. He offered Salah to the extent that people buried his son and came back but his Salah did not come to an end. When people asked the reason behind this, he said that he really loved his son, he was deeply saddened by his death, and he was really suffering. Therefore, he started to offer Salah as it reduces the pain. He then recited the following verse: Translation: And seek help from patience and Salah. (Tafseer Na’eemi, vol. 1, pp. 299-300) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that while we are suffering, we should offer Salah, have patience and seek help from Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

9) Sayyiduna Umar Farooq-e-A’zam (رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما ) was stabbed

During the Fajr Salah, a fire-worshipper stabbed Sayyiduna Umar Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما . After that, he (Sayyiduna Umar Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما ) said: ‘O Ameer-ul-Mu'mineen (caliph and ruler)! (It is time for) Salah.’ Then he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما replied: ‘The person who misses Salah has nothing to do with Islam. (That is, he is not related to Islam.) And Sayyiduna Umar Farooq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما offered Salah while suffering. (Kitab-ul-Kaba’ir, p. 21) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that even a patient should offer Salah.

10) A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه and Salahs with congregation Don’t deny another time

A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه answered the religious rulings in writing and they were compiled in 22,000 thousand pages. When he had some problem in his toe, a surgeon operated it. Having bandaged it, he humbly said: ‘Sir, please do not walk at all. It will take 10-12 days to heal. Otherwise, it will take more time. Having said that, the surgeon left. A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would still go to the Masjid and offer Fard Salah with congregation. When the time of Zuhr arrived, he performed Wudu. He was unable to stand up so he began to slide ahead slowly and reached the gate [of the Masjid]. People helped him to sit on a chair and took him to the Masjid. At that point in time, his relatives, etc. decided that after every Azaan, four of us would bring the chair, help him sit on it from the bed and take him to the Masjid. This continued for around one month. When the scar healed, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه started going to the Masjid by himself. (Faizan-e-A’la Hadrat, p. 136) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that our great scholar A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would really love Salah. We should also offer salah five times a day.

11) He kept going to the Masjid

Silence would prevail at home Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه who is the author of the books that explain the meaning of the Holy Quran and Hadith, would love Salah so much that it was his routine for a long time that he would reach for Salah even before the Imam would start Salah. He would listen to the Azaan silently that silence would prevail at home at the time of Azaan. In order to offer Salah with congregation, he would take both of his sons [to the Masjid]. (Haalat-e-Zindagi Sawanih-e-Umri, pp. 24-25, summarised) Dear children! We came to learn from this parable that our great scholar Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would offer Salah with congregation. Children who have reached seven years of age should offer Salah with the congregation behind the row of men in the Masjid. Remember, do not run and laugh in the Masjid.