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:

As-salaam alaikum

First of all I would like to thank you for all the useful information you have provided. May Allah reward you for this.

I have a relative who believes he wants to be a better human before commencing salat as he believes Islam teaches us to be good humans. He belives this is the base of salat therefore he wants to be a better human before he begins to offer salat which is resulting in him not offering regular salat.

I believe this is wrong as this is not a valid reason not to offer salat. I also have friends who mention similar reasons like they dont want to pray salat yet because they want to strenghten their iman.

I would appreciate it if you could offer me some advice based on quran and hadiths so I can rectify where they have gone wrong.

Jazak-allah

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Answer:

Become better muslims than offer prayer

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

By being a better ‘human’ being we assume the brother aspires to better fulfill the due rights of other human beings…and that is indeed well. But no man can lawfully claim that he/she aspires to give their due rights to other human beings, when they have been negligent in giving their due rights to their own Creator!

To offer the obligatory prayer is a prescribed duty and a right Demanded by the Creator from those who have professed belief!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 103:

Indeed the Salaat is a prescribed duty that should be performed by the believers at (their) appointed times.

To boast or claim that one aspires to give their due rights to the created first, when one is conspicuously negligent in giving their due rights to their own Creator is but a hollow claim and a baseless excuse for missing one’s obligatory prayers!

Jabir reports that the Prophet (saws) said, "Between a person and disbelief is discarding prayer."

Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

One cannot be a ‘good’ human being in the Sight of the Lord All-Knowing, unless and until one strives one’s utmost to do both simultaneously….give one’s Creator His due rights in full, and give the created their due rights in full as Commanded by the Creator.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 29 Surah Ankabut Verse 45:

45 Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee and establish ‘salaah’: for ‘salaah’ restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do.

The Lord Most Wise Himself Decrees that it is ‘salaah’ which restrains one from shameful and unjust deeds….and that is the very basis of being a better human being in the Sight of the Lord!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 45-46:

45 Nay seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and ‘salaah’: it is indeed hard except to those who bring a lowly spirit.

46 Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord and that they are to return to Him.

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "The first thing that the people will be called to account for on the Day of Resurrection will be the prayers. Our Lord will say to the Angels although He knows better: 'Look into the ‘Salah’ of My servant to see if he observed it perfectly or been negligent in it.’ So if he observed it perfectly it will be recorded to his credit, but if he had been negligent in it in any way, Allah would say: ‘See if My servant has any supererogatory (nafl) prayers.’ Then if he has any supererogatory prayers, Allah would say: ‘Make up the deficiency in My servant's obligatory prayer with his supererogatory prayers.' Thereafter all his actions will be examined in like manner"

Related by Abu Dawud.

To say that one will avoid the duty of ‘salaah’ unto their Lord before they strengthen their faith or become better human beings is as absurd as one who says that one would only join the army after one has become a perfect marksmen or shooter….or one would only join a school after one has mastered the subject!!!

Allah is our witness brother, it would be absolute fallacy to assume that the Lord Most Majestic Most Supreme will accept the excuse that one was negligent in their duty of ‘salaah’ unto Him only because they waited to become better human beings!

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