We are aware of the five pillars of Islam; the foremost and one of them is Salah. Because he is worshipping Allah Almighty, who is both his creator and the Lord of all in this world and the hereafter, when someone prays, it is obvious that they are a Muslim. Salah is an Arabic term, and its primary connotation is worship or prayer. Every Muslim must perform their five daily prayers on time. In Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says: “Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers… If you fear, pray on foot, or riding. ” (Quran 2:238-9)

Salah offers several advantages. One of them is that it allows one to communicate with Allah Almighty and prevents one from committing sin. The goal of salah is to connect with Allah Almighty, deepen our connection with Him, express gratitude for all of His benefits, and reflect on His Greatness. The soul has spiritual requirements, and our spiritual need is to pray Salah, just as the body needs physical needs like food and drink.

Allah the Most High says in Holy Quran about Salah: “But after them there followed a posterity who missed Prayers and followed after lusts soon, then, will they face destruction, except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness.” (Quran, 19: 59-60). We learned from this text that skipping prayer does not indicate that someone is not praying at all; rather, it implies skipping prayer at the appointed hour.

Quranic Verses and Hadiths Regarding Praying on Time

Both the Quran and the Hadiths place a strong emphasis on performing prayer on time. We'll talk about certain passages from the Quran and hadiths below that pertain to praying at the appointed hour.

Because of his inherent weakness, man cannot prevent from doing evil without the assistance of Allah, yet salah enables man to do so.In Holy Quran Allah Almighty says regarding this in a way: “Verily, prayer restrains (oneself) from shameful and unjust deeds…” (Quran 29:45). One who is standing 5 times a day in front of Allah Almighty surely will stay away from doing evil deeds.

Humans are forgetful, especially in today's hectic world. Our spiritual yearning to connect with our Creator is satisfied by prayer. This brings contentment and tranqu. In Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says: “Without a doubt, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (Quran 13:28). We learned from this verse that the best approach to remember Allah (SWT) is via prayer, which is also the finest way to obtain serenity and heart contentment.

Everyone sins, but Allah has made it possible to atone for their sins via prayer. In Holy Quran Allah says: “And perform prayer… surely the good deeds remove the evils deeds.” (Quran 11:114). Our beloved Prophet (SAW) also gave a beautiful example when he said to his companions: “Consider if one of you had a river by his door in which he bathed five times a day. Would any filth remain on him?” They said, “No.” Then the Prophet replied: “Likewise, Allah wipes away sins with the five daily prayers.”

Today's man faces several hardships and issues. Our Lord, who is All-Powerful, will resolve our worldly issues once we put our attention on developing our connection with Him. In Quran Allah Almighty says: “Seek help in patience and prayer.” (Quran 2:153)

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Between a man and unbelief is the non-performance of the Prayer” (Muslim). We can infer from the aforementioned hadith that someone must do Salah in order to be a Muslim or a real believer.

In another hadith Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever keeps on performing Prayers (in its due time), it will be a light, a proof, and redemption for him on the Day of Judgment. Otherwise, he will be assembled with Pharaoh, Qarun Haman, and ‘Ubai Ibn Khalaf.” (Ahmad)

One who neglects to pray will suffer both now and in the afterlife. There are several Ayahs that refer to people who omit prayer; a few of them are listed below:

Allah Almighty says to those who are abandoning the prayer in a way: “O Mankind, What has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Most Generous?” (Quran 82:06)

The whole purpose of our existence is to worship Allah, yet we are disobeying our Creator every day. In Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says: “Then, there has succeeded them a generation who have given up prayer and have followed their desires. So they will be thrown into Hell. Except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness.” (Quran 19:59-60)

In another verse of Holy Quran Allah says about those who missed prayers:“( the people in Hell will be asked) What has caused you to enter Hell? They will say: We were not of those who used to pray…” (Quran 74:42-43)

The Prophet (SAW) said about those who are being lazy in their prayers, “On the Day of Resurrection the feet of the son of Adam will not move away till he is questioned about five matters: on what he spent his life; in doing what he made his youth pass away; where he acquired his property, and on what he spent it; and what he did regarding what he knew.”

One thing we must always remember is that Allah does not require our prayers. Nobody has anything to offer Allah. We are the ones who are in need of His kindness. Allah says in Holy Quran: “Give thanks to Allah, and whoever gives thanks, it is only for his own soul’s good, and whoever is ungrateful, surely Allah is Free of all needs, Worthy of all praise.” (Quran 31:12)

Simply said, we should pray on time rather than coming up with weak justifications. Since prayer is a need for us, we should endeavour to provide salah at the appointed hour. By doing salah, we can obtain Allah's blessings. May Allah provide us the ability to carry out our duty when the time comes, Ameen!