43.

٤٣. عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

«اَلْوَقْتُ الْأَوَّلُ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ رِضْوَانُ اللّٰهِ وَالْوَقْتُ الْآخِرُ عَفْوُ اللّٰهِ».

43. Ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“There is Allah’s contentedness at the early hours of a prayer, and His forgiveness in later hours.” (Tirmidhi, Salah, 13/172)

 

Explanations:

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) responded to a question what the most virtuous act of worship was as “observing prayer early in its period.”^[1]

Allah the Almighty likes the observance of a prayer early in its period more. That is because, in this act are observed the peak of love, obedience, and submission to Allah. These nice traits are the reasons that make the servant of Allah run to a prayer. Therefore, Allah responds with love and contentedness to the prayers performed with these feelings.

On the other hand, a deed is more valuable if it is done on time. As a matter of fact, the most efficient state of something occurs at its scheduled time. If a prayer is performed early in its period, its benefits and wisdom can be better observed.

In order to emphasize the value of earlier parts of a prayer period and hurrying up in performing it, Allah said “Run” and “Race” in the Qur’an to His servants and praised those who act in this way.^[2] This shows that the earlier time of everything is more virtuous and valuable.^[3]  Therefore believers run to fulfill their acts of worship in early parts of their period in order to be honored with the manifestation of Allah’s name “Al-Awwal” (The First One).

Delaying the prayer for a believer who contemplates all these facts cannot be excused unless there is a good reason. As a matter of fact, being reluctant in performing a prayer and delaying it are listed among the signs of hypocrites.

It is mentioned in the noble verse that:

“When they (The Hypocrites) stand up to prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but little do they hold Allah in remembrance.” (Al-Nisa; 4:142)

Ala bin Abdurrahman reported the following which has the characteristic to explain the verse above:

We visited Anas ibn Malik after Zuhr (noon). When we reached there, Anas stood up and prayed the late Afternoon Prayer (Salah al-Asr). We mentioned that he performed the prayer early in its time. He explained why he did it this way and said:

“I heard the Messenger of Allah saying:

“That is the prayer of the hypocrites!  That is the prayer of the hypocrites! That is the prayer of the hypocrites! The prayer of the hypocrites is that one of them sits until the sun becomes yellow and is between the two horns of Satan, and then gets up and rattles off four units just as a bird picks up a food, hardly remembering Allah in them at all.” (Muwatta, the Qur’an, 46; Muslim, Masajid, 195)

Wherever he was, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) loved to perform his prayers as soon as it was their time.^[4] One can even say that he has performed all of his prayers at earlier parts of their period. As a matter of fact, Aisha, the mother of believers, reported:

“Allah the Almighty has taken the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) to His presence without him postponing two prayers to the last minutes of their period.” (Tirmidhi, Salah, 13/174; Ahmad, VI, 92)

In other words, except under extraordinary circumstances, such as war, there was almost no time that the Prophet (pbuh) postponed his prayers to the last parts of its period. Even under the most difficult situations he performed his prayer at its early times. Even most troublesome military expeditions did not prevent this. The following story is one of the best examples of this fact:

In a military expedition, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and his companions came to a narrow tunnel. The Messenger of Allah was on his horse. It was heavily raining and the mud under the feet of their horses was preventing them from getting off their horses. It was the prayer time. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) commanded the muaddhin to call adhan and the muaddhin recited the adhan and iqamah. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) came forward on his horse and led the prayer for his companions. They performed their prayer by head gestures.  When they were performing the prostration (al-Sajdah), they were bending a little more than bowing (al-Ruku‘). (Ahmad, IV, 173-174)

As the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) paid extra attention to perform his prayers at earlier part of their period, he also taught his companions in this manner. Once, he had to go immediately to somewhere far after he performed the noon prayer. Thinking that they might be late to come back, he told Bilal:

“If I do not return until the late afternoon prayer, tell Abu Bakr to be leader (imam)!”

When it was the time of Salat al-Asr’, Bilal (r.a.) asked Abu Bakr:

“Abu Bakr!  The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not come back yet. The prayer time has arrived. Would you be our imam and lead us to perform the prayer?”

 Abu Bakr said:

“Okay, let’s do it” and they started performing the prayer in order to fulfill it in early part of its period. While they were praying, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) returned.^[5]

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) praised those who perform their prayers at early times of their period, introduced them as examples, and asked Allah’s mercy for them. Once he said:

“May Allah show mercy on my brother Abdullah b. Rawaha!  Wherever he is, he stops his ride as soon as the prayer time enters and performs it.” (Haythami, IX, 316)

Performing a prayer at the last minute saves us from the responsibility but it is an act that needs forgiveness. That is because, it is stated in the second hadith that Allah will forgive those who act this way. Forgiveness is only for wrongdoings or sins.

Thus, prayer is the best act that helps someone to gain the contentedness of Allah when it is performed at its early times, whereas its rewards decrease as time passes and in its last minutes, it only saves one from committing a sin. Therefore, those who perform a prayer at its last minutes miss the chance to earn more divine rewards even if they are saved from the responsibility of the prayer.