The Chapter on Obligatory Prayers

Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 30

Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

Book 1, Chapter 30

The Chapter on Obligatory Prayers

Hadith #603

603 - وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ اَلْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبِي سَيِّدَ اَلْعَابِدِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَتِ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ جَدِّنَا رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ لَمَّا عُرِجَ بِهِ إِلَى اَلسَّمَاءِ وَ أَمَرَهُ رَبُّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِخَمْسِينَ صَلاَةً كَيْفَ لَمْ يَسْأَلْهُ اَلتَّخْفِيفَ عَنْ أُمَّتِهِ حَتَّى قَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى بْنُ عِمْرَانَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ اِرْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ فَاسْأَلْهُ اَلتَّخْفِيفَ فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ «يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ لاَ يَقْتَرِحُ عَلَى رَبِّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَلاَ يُرَاجِعُهُ فِي شَيْءٍ يَأْمُرُهُ بِهِ فَلَمَّا سَأَلَهُ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ ذَلِكَ وَ صَارَ شَفِيعاً لِأُمَّتِهِ إِلَيْهِ لَمْ يَجُزْ لَهُ أَنْ يَرُدَّ شَفَاعَةَ أَخِيهِ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَرَجَعَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَسَأَلَهُ اَلتَّخْفِيفَ إِلَى أَنْ رَدَّهَا إِلَى خَمْسِ صَلَوَاتٍ» قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَتِ فَلِمَ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لَمْ يَسْأَلْهُ اَلتَّخْفِيفَ مِنْ خَمْسِ صَلَوَاتٍ وَ قَدْ سَأَلَهُ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ يَسْأَلَهُ اَلتَّخْفِيفَ فَقَالَ «يَا بُنَيَّ أَرَادَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنْ يُحَصِّلَ لِأُمَّتِهِ اَلتَّخْفِيفَ مَعَ أَجْرِ خَمْسِينَ صَلاَةً لِقَوْلِ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ «مَنْ جٰاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثٰالِهٰا» أَ لاَ تَرَى أَنَّهُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ لَمَّا هَبَطَ إِلَى اَلْأَرْضِ نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ جَبْرَئِيلُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يُقْرِئُكَ اَلسَّلاَمَ وَ يَقُولُ لَكَ إِنَّهَا خَمْسٌ بِخَمْسِينَ «۝ مٰا يُبَدَّلُ اَلْقَوْلُ لَدَيَّ وَ مٰا أَنَا بِظَلاّٰمٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ ۝» قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَتِ أَ لَيْسَ اَللَّهُ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ لاَ يُوصَفُ بِمَكَانٍ فَقَالَ «بَلَى تَعَالَى اَللَّهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ عُلُوّاً كَبِيراً» قُلْتُ فَمَا مَعْنَى قَوْلِ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ لِرَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ اِرْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ فَقَالَ «مَعْنَاهُ مَعْنَى قَوْلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ «۝ إِنِّي ذٰاهِبٌ إِلىٰ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ ۝» وَ مَعْنَى قَوْلِ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «۝ وَ عَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ لِتَرْضىٰ ۝» وَ مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ «۝ فَفِرُّوا إِلَى اَللّٰهِ ۝» يَعْنِي حُجُّوا إِلَى بَيْتِ اَللَّهِ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّ اَلْكَعْبَةَ بَيْتُ اَللَّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ بَيْتَ اَللَّهِ فَقَدْ قَصَدَ إِلَى اَللَّهِ وَ اَلْمَسَاجِدَ بُيُوتُ اَللَّهِ فَمَنْ سَعَى إِلَيْهَا فَقَدْ سَعَى إِلَى اَللَّهِ وَ قَصَدَ إِلَيْهِ وَ اَلْمُصَلِّي مَا دَامَ فِي صَلاَتِهِ فَهُوَ وَاقِفٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وتَعَالَى بِقَاعاً فِي سَمَاوَاتِهِ فَمَنْ عُرِجَ بِهِ إِلَى بُقْعَةٍ مِنْهَا فَقَدْ عُرِجَ بِهِ إِلَيْهِ أَ لاَ تَسْمَعُ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ «تَعْرُجُ اَلْمَلاٰئِكَةُ وَ اَلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ » وَ يَقُولُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي قِصَّةِ عِيسَى اِبْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهَا اَلسَّلاَمُ «بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اَللّٰهُ إِلَيْهِ» وَ يَقُولُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: «۝ إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ اَلْكَلِمُ اَلطَّيِّبُ وَ اَلْعَمَلُ اَلصّٰالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ ۝».

Hadith.603 – It is narrated from Zaid ibn Ali ibn al-Hussain who said: "I asked my father, the Master of the Worshippers (Imam Ali ibn Al-Hussain ), saying, 'O’ my father, inform me about our grandfather, the Messenger of Allah , when he was taken up to the heavens and his Lord commanded him with fifty prayers. Why did he not ask for a reduction for his community until Musa said to him, "Return to your Lord and ask for a reduction, for your community will not be able to bear this"?' Imam Ali ibn Al-Hussain said: 'O’ my son, the Messenger of Allah does not propose or make demands from his Lord , nor does he dispute any command He gives him. However, when Musa suggested it and became an intercessor on behalf of his community, it was not appropriate for him to refuse the intercession of his brother Musa. So he returned to his Lord and asked for a reduction until it was reduced to five prayers.' I then said: 'O’ my father, why did he not return to his Lord and ask for a reduction from five prayers, even though Musa had suggested that?' Imam said: 'O’ my son, The Prophet wished to ensure a lightening of the burden while preserving the reward of fifty prayers for his community, as Allah , the Mighty and Majestic, says, "Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times its like" (Suran Al-An’am 6:160). Do you not see that when he returned to the earth, Archangel Jibril descended to him and said: "O’ Muhammad, your Lord sends you greetings and says: Indeed, they are five (prayers) equating to fifty (in reward). No word is changed with Me, and I am not unjust to My servants."' I said: 'O’ my father, is not Allah , the Glorified, beyond being confined to a place?' Imam said: 'Yes, Allah is far above such limitations.' I then asked: 'So what is the meaning of Musa’s statement to the Messenger of Allah , "Return to your Lord "?' Imam said: 'It means the same as Ibrahim’s statement : "Indeed, I will go to my Lord ; He will guide me" (Surah As-Saffat 37:99), and Musa’s statement: "I hastened to You, my Lord , so that You might be pleased" (Surah Taha 20:84), and Allah’s words: "So flee to Allah " (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:50), which means pilgrimage to the House of Allah . O’ my son, the Kaaba is the House of Allah , and whoever performs Hajj to the House of Allah has sought Allah . The mosques are the Houses of Allah , so whoever strives toward them strives toward Allah and intends Him. While praying, one is standing in the presence of Allah , the Mighty and Majestic. Verily, Allah , the Blessed and Exalted, has realms in His heavens, and whoever is taken up to one of these realms is taken up to Him. Do you not hear Allah , the Mighty and Majestic, say: "The angels and the spirit ascend to Him" (Surah Al-Ma’arij 70:4) and in the story of Isa (Jesus ): "But Allah raised him to Himself" (Surah An-Nisa 4:158), and He says: "To Him ascend good words, and He raises righteous deeds" (Surah Fatir 35:10).'

This hadith has been narrated with a chain of transmission in the book of Al-Ma'arij. Additionally, daily and nightly prayers are fifty-one units: the obligatory prayers are seventeen units – Dhuhr (noon) is four units and was the first prayer Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, made obligatory; Asr (afternoon) is four units; Maghrib (sunset) is three units; Isha (night) is four units; And Fajr (morning) is two units. The remaining are recommended (nafilah) prayers that complement and complete the obligatory prayers. As for the voluntary prayers for the Dhuhr and Asr, they total sixteen units, and the voluntary prayer for Maghrib consists of four units afterward with two salaams (salutations). The two units after the Isha prayer while sitting are counted as one unit. And If a person, for some reason or event cannot wait till reaching the end of the night (for Witr prayer) and prays the Witr early, they have (the rewards of) spent the night in Witr prayer. If they can access the end of the night, they should pray the Witr after the Salat Al Layl.