I have been thinking latley and deeply about the way that muslims have come to pray.. and I realized.. mohammad is the last prophet to arise.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
I have been thinking latley and deeply about
the way that muslims have come to pray.. and I realized.. mohammad is the last
prophet to arise.. and you say the "tahieaat" at the end and you pray
to god for mohammad and his sahhabah. But how did people pray before mohammad?
I don`t expect you to know this because this is a very wierd question.. but can
you also explain briefly how muslims learnt how to pray? thank you for your
time... may allah reward you for it
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Answer:
How did the people
pray before Islam
In the
name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness.
Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray,
none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no
person, no grave, no prophet, no imam,
no dai, nobody!) worthy of
worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His
slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Your Question: But how did people pray before mohammad?
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verses 66-71:
66 It is He (Allah) Who gave you life, will cause you to die, and will
again give you life: truly man is a most ungrateful creature!
67 To every People have we appointed rites and ceremonies (in religion)
which they must follow let them not then dispute with
thee (O Prophet (saws) on the matter, but do thou invite (them) to thy Lord:
for thou art assuredly on the
68 If they do wrangle with thee say "Allah knows best what it is
ye are doing."
69 Allah will judge between you on the Day of Judgment concerning the
matters in which ye differ."
70 Knowest thou not that Allah knows all that is in heaven and on
earth? Indeed it is all in a record and that is easy for Allah.
71 Yet they worship besides Allah things for which no authority has
been sent down to them and of which they have (really) no knowledge: for those
that do wrong there is no helper.
Since the
beginning of creation of the very first man, the Lord Most High has guided
mankind to worship Him and Him Alone, and associate absolutely no partners with
Him. In this context, the Lord Most High
appointed for every people rites and ceremonies which were to be established
for His Worship, and in light of the Glorious Quran it is very evident that the
forms and rites of prayer of the generations before the advent of Prophet
Mohamed (saws) involved the humble standing, bowing, and prostration in prayer
unto their Lord Creator.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 163:
163 We have sent thee (O Mohamed (saws)) inspiration as We sent it to Nuh,
and the Messengers after him; We sent inspiration to Ibraheem, Ismail, Ishaaq, Yaqoob,
and the Tribes, and to Isa, Ayub, Yunus, Haaroon, and Sulaiman, and to Dawood
We gave the Psalms.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verses 42-43
42 Behold! The Angels said: "O Maryam! Allah hath chosen thee and
purified thee; chosen thee above the women of all nations.
43 O Maryam! Worship thy Lord
devoutly; prostrate thyself and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow
down."
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 20 Surah Taha verses 12-14:
12 (Allah Said to
Musa): "Verily I
am thy Lord! Therefore (in My presence) put off thy shoes: thou art in the
sacred valley Tuwa.
13 I have chosen thee: listen then to the inspiration (sent to thee).
14 Verily, I am Allah: there is no god but I: so serve thou Me (only) and
establish regular prayer for celebrating My Praise.”
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 43:
43 (And O children of
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 26:
26 Behold! We gave the site to Ibraheem of the (Sacred) House (saying):
"Associate not any thing (in worship) with Me; and sanctify My House for those
who compass it round or stand up or bow or prostrate themselves (therein in
prayer).”
In light
of the above verses of the Glorious Quran, it is absolutely evident that the
people and the generations before the advent of Prophet Mohamed (saws) had been
appointed their own rites of prayer and worship by their Lord through their
appointed Prophets. The times and number
of their prayers, what exactly was to done or recited in those prayers, etc.
was distinct for each people according to their Shariah or Law, but it is
evident it involved the same postures of humble standing, sitting, bowing down,
and prostrations while in the act of conical prayer.
Your Question: but can you also explain briefly how muslims learnt
how to pray?
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 366 Narrated
by Zayd ibn Harith
Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘When Jibrael (a.s.) came to him
at the time of the first revelation, he taught him (the Prophet (saws)) how to
perform ablution and observe prayer.’
Hadrat
Jibrael (a.s.) under the Command of Allah Subhanah Himself taught the Messenger
of Allah (saws) how to perform ablution and how exactly to observe prayer, and
the Messenger of Allah (saws) would himself perform the prayers and taught and
guided the believers to offer their prayers as he (saws) would offer them.
Thus
although the offering of the five prayers were made obligatory upon the Muslim
Ummah only during the Night Journey of the Prophet (saws) almost 12 years after
his appointment to the office of Prophethood, from the very beginning of being
appointed as a Messenger, the Prophet (saws) was taught the prayers by Jibrael
(a.s.) and he (saws) and the believers would offer their prayers regularly in
the form and format taught to them.
Whatever
written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance,
and whatever of error is of me alone.
Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister