THE REWARDS OF SALAAT

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates that he heard Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) saying:
            "Islam is founded on five pillars: bearing witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) is His servant and apostle; establishment of salaat; paying of Zakaat; performance of Hajj: and
fasting in Ramadhaan.
             The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)  has compared Islam to a canopy resting on five support. The
Kalimah is the central support and other four pillars of Islam are, so to say, the remaining four supports, one at
each corner of the canopy. Without the central support, the canopy cannot possibly stand, and if any one of the
corner supports is missing a collapse will result in the defective corner. Now, let us judge for ourselves how far
we have kept up the canopy of Islam. Is there really and pillar that is being held in its proper place?
             The five pillars of Islam mentioned in this hadith signify the most essential duties of a Muslim. Although a
Muslim cannot do without any one of them, yet salaat in Islam occupies a position next only to Imaan. Hadhrat
Abdullah bin Mas'ood (Radhiyallaho anho) says:
              "Once, I inquired of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), which act (of man) was the dearest
to Allah. The Prophet replied,'salaat'. I then inquired whic act came next (in order of merit) and the Prophet replied,
'kindness to parents'. I again asked what was next and he answered 'Jihaad'."
               Mulla Ali Qari (Rahmatullah alaih) has quoted this Hadith in support of the belief that salaat is the most
important religious duty after Imaan. This is further corroborated by a Hadith, in which the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said:

Hadhrat 'Abdul Malik bin Umair(Radhiyallaho anho)

Hadhrat 'Abdul Malik bin Umair(Radhiyallaho anho) reports that Rasulullah(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)
said,"In surah Fatihah there is a cure for all ailments."
     The virtues of surah Fatihah are found in many ahadith.It is reported in one hadith,"a sahabi was
offering nafl salaat;Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) called him,but since he was offaring salaat
he did non respond.After completing the salaat he went to Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam),who
asked him why he did not respond as soon as he was called.He submitted that he could not do so because
he was offering salaat.Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) asked if he did not read the following
verese in Qur'an:
     Respond to the call of Allah and His Massenger whenever They call you.
Then Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said,"I tell you of a surah which is the greatest,the most
virtuos in the Holy Qur'an.It is surah Al-Hamd(The first surah of the Qur'an,which has seven ayaat.These
are the 'Sab'ul Mathaani' and represent the Grand Qur'an."It is said by some Sufira that whatever there
was in the earlier Divine Books is condensed in the Glorious Qur'an, and the contents of Qur'an are
condensed into' surah Fatihah; and that which is in surah Fatihah is found in Bismillah and that which
is in Bismillah is to be found in its first letter (ba).It is explaned that (ba) is a co-ordinating conjunction
and stands for uniting. Surely the ultimate aim is to effect union of a devotee with Almighty.Some 'Sufia'
have gone still further and have said the whatever there is in (ba) is to be found in its dot,which signifies
the Unity of Allah-a thing which is indivisible as a dot.