And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy.

Salah is the most important action of a Muslim after the proclamation of faith, itself, the Shahadah. Indeed, it is the second pillar of Islam and the very foundation of a Muslim’s belief and practice. Rasoolullah (saws) said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is salah, and the top of its hump is jihad in Allah’s way.”

Rasoolullah (saws) also said, “…know that the best of your actions is salah and no one will be cautious about wudu’ except a Mu’min.” [Muwatta']

Salah is the most beloved act to Allah and hence He (swt) loves those who perform it well and on time. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) related that a man asked Rasoolullah (saw), “O Messenger of Allah, what action is dearest to Allah, the Most High?” Rasoolullah (saw) answered, “Salah at its proper time.. The one who doesn’t pray has no religion. Salah is the main pillar of the religion (of Islam).” [Baihaqi]

It suffices in explaining the virtue and status of this blessed action to mention that it was the only order that was commanded by Allah directly to Rasoolullah (saws) in the heavens during al-Israa’ wal-M’iraaj (The Night Journey and Ascension).

Anas (ra) reports, “The prayers were made obligatory on the Messenger of Allah, the night of his ascension to heaven. At first, they were fifty in number, but were reduced several times until they were five. Then it was proclaimed, ‘O Muhammad, the order is not changed — These five are (equivalent to) fifty (in reward).” [Ahmad, an-Nasaa'I, at-Tirmidhi, who said it is sahih]

Those who perform their salah regularly are given glad-tidings of a tremendous reward. They were patient in training themselves to perform what Allah had commanded them with and they will reap the benefit of the struggle in this life and the Hereafter. Allah says: “Successful indeed are the believers who are humble in their prayers…These are the heirs who will inherit Paradise. There will they abide.” [al-Mu'minoon: 1-2, 10-11]

Rasoolullah (saws) said, “Whoever guards and observes his prayer, it will be a light and a proof and a savior for him on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever doesn’t guard and observe them, they will not be a light or a proof or a savior for him…* ” [Ahmad, at-Tabaraani, Ibn Hibban]

Hence those who believe in Allah and the Last Day have no recourse but to take salah very seriously and make it their priority in life. It will be the first thing the servant of Allah will be asked about on the Day of Judgement and will determine the course of his liability.

‘Abdullah ibn Qart (ra) related that the Rasoolullah (saws) said, “The first act that the slave will be accountable for on the Day of Judgement will be salah. If it is good, then the rest of his acts will be good. And if it is evil, then the rest of his acts will be evil.” [at-Tabaraani]

Salah is distinguished in its virtue from the other acts of worship by the fact that it is the only obligation in Islam that has no exemptions or dispensations. For example, a Muslim is not required to fast if he is too sick or weak. Nor is he obliged to pay zakah if he is poor. Nor is he compelled to perform Hajj if he is unable. Salah, however, must be performed under any circumstance, without delay.

Allah even ordered the believers to perform their salah while on the battlefield, when He (swt) said: “Be guardians of our prayers, and of the mid-most prayer, and stand up with devotion to Allah. And if you fear, then (pray) standing or on horseback. When you are safe, remember Allah, as He has taught you that which you knew not.” [Baqarah: 238-239]

In times of sickness or weakness, a Muslim is still obliged to perform salah. If he is unable to perform it standing, he may sit. If unable to sit, he may lie down facing the qibla or in any way he is able. If he is unable to do even that, he must pray with the movements of his eyes. If unable to find water, he may perform tayammum (dry ablution) on pure dirt or rock. If unable to find any of those things, he may simply pray without wudu’.

However, under no circumstance is a Muslim allowed to abandon the salah for any excuse. Allah ordered us not to let any of our daily activities distract us from salah, when He (swt) said:

“O you who believe, let neither your wealth nor your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. And those who do so, they will be the losers.” [al-Munafiqoon:9]

The scholars of tafseer say: “The remembrance of Allah in this verse means the five daily prayers. If anyone is so busy in buying and selling, or with his daily work of earning a livelihood, or with his children, (such) that he cannot perform prayers on time, he will be among the losers.” [The Major Sins, adh-Dhahabi] A terrible punishment awaits those who abandon their salah and especially those who have nothing hindering them except their own laziness. Allah says: “(The inhabitants of Hell will be asked): “What caused you to enter Hell-fire?” They will say: “We were not among those who prayed, nor did we feed the needy. We used to engage in vain discourse with the vain-talkers, and we used to deny the Day of Judgement, until there came to us that which is certain (i.e. Allah’s judgement).” [al-Muddathir:42-48]

These verses clearly state that the first and most important reason people were thrown into the Hell-fire was because of abandoning salah. There is no doubt as to the fate of one who continually allows the time of salah to pass by, even while hearing the adhan, knowing Allah is calling him to respond, he audaciously sits inattentive to Allah’s command. Indeed the continuation of the hadith mentioned above* states that the likes of such a lazy and rebellious sinner will be resurrected with the most despicable leaders of the disbelievers: “…On the Day of Resurrection, he will be with Qaaroon, Fir’aun, Haman, and Ubayy ibn Khalaf.”

Scholars have greatly debated the issue of whether or not such a sinner is considered a kaafir or not. Many of those scholars cite the following hadith. Burdaidah reports that Rasoolullah (saws) said, “The pact between us and them is salah. Whoever abandons it is a disbeliever.” [Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasaa'i, and Ibn Majah]

However, to one who truly fears Allah, this distinction does not make much difference because the end result would be the same — a severe punishment in the Hell-fire. Ibn ‘Abbas said, “The one who leaves off a single prayer deliberately will find, when he meets Allah, the Most High, that He is angry with him.”

The matter of salah is so serious, that even those who perform salah but either not consistently or not in its specified time are also promised a horrible punishment. Allah (swt) says in the Quran: “Then there succeeded them a generation which neglected prayers and followed lusts. They will meet with Ghayy, excepting one who repents and believes and acts righteously.” [Maryam:59-60]

Ibn Abbas (ra) explains that “neglected” here doesn’t mean that they completely abandoned the salah, but that they delayed them to the end of their prescribed times. In this verse, the word “ghayy” refers to a valley in Hell that is very deep and has foul food. Those who perform their salah quickly and without concentration are also warned. Rasoolullah (saws) says, “The worst kind of stealing is stealing from salah.” When asked, “How is it possible to steal from salah?”, he (saws) replied, “By not completing the ruku’ (bowing) and sujood (prostration), and not reciting Quran in it.” [The Major Sins, adh-Dhahabi]

On the authority of Abu ‘Abdullah al-Nu’man bin Bashir, radiyallahu ‘anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, say:

“Truly, what is lawful is evident, and what is unlawful is evident, and in between the two are matters which are doubtful which many people do not know. He who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and honour blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges in fact in unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his flock round a preserve will soon pasture them in it. Beware, every king has a preserve, and the things Allah has declared unlawful are His preserves. Beware, in the body there is a flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart“

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Explanation of the Hadith http://fortyhadith.iiu.edu.my/hadith06.htm

Question:
We have heard about the Westerners making fun of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and mocking him. What should our attitude be towards that? How should we defend the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ?

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:
We and every Muslim who feels pride in his religion is grieved by what these fools and criminals have done by mocking our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who is the best man who ever walked on this earth, and he is the leader of the earlier and later generations, may the blessings and peace of my Lord be upon him.

This insolence is nothing strange on their part, rather it is to be expected of them.

Moreover this crime – although it breaks our hearts and fills them with anger, and we are prepared to sacrifice our lives in defence of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – is nevertheless something which brings us glad tidings of their doom, and tells us that the end of their supremacy is at hand. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Truly, We will suffice you against the scoffers”
[al-Hijr 15:95]

Allaah will suffice His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم against the criminals who mock him. He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“For he who hates you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), he will be cut off (from posterity and every good thing in this world and in the Hereafter)”
[al-Kawthar 108:3]

i.e., he is scorned and humiliated and cut off from all that is good.

“When the Muslims besieged a stronghold and its people resisted, then they heard them mocking and reviling the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,they would sense that victory was at hand, and it would only be a short time before Allaah granted them victory, to avenge His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم “

Al-Saarim al-Maslool (p. 116-117).

There are many historical cases where those who mocked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , were destroyed and finished off.

Moreover, why do they resent the leader of mankind, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم ?

They resent him صلى الله عليه وسلم because he called people to believe in the Oneness of God (Tawheed), and they do not believe that God is One.

They resent him صلى الله عليه وسلم because he venerated his Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, and declared Him to be far above what these fabricators say, as they attributed a wife and son to Him.

They resent him صلى الله عليه وسلم because he called people to the loftiest of morals and to give up the lowest. He called them to virtue and to block all the means that lead to immorality, but they want moral disorder and unlimited sexual liberty.

They want to indulge in the swamp of evil whims and desires, and they have got what they want!

They resent him صلى الله عليه وسلم because he is the Messenger of Allaah! Allaah, may He be exalted, is the One Who chose him above all mankind to convey His message and receive His revelation.

The signs of his Prophethood are innumerable.

Have they not heard about the splitting of the moon? Have they not heard how water sprang from his fingers time after time?

Have they not heard about his greatest sign, which is the Holy Qur’aan, the words of the Lord of the Worlds, which Allaah has protected so that it has not been tampered with by those who would distort it? Whereas their books which were revealed to their Prophets have been tampered with to a large extent.

“Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, “This is from Allaah,” to purchase with it a little price! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby”
[al-Baqarah 2:79].

The greatest proof of the truth of our Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is the fact that his religion has continued for so many centuries to prevail and be victorious. Throughout his lifetime صلى الله عليه وسلم he continued to prevail over his enemies. The wisdom of Allaah dictates that no liar who lies about him and his religion can ever prevail for a long time.

Indeed, in their books, which their scholars concealed and distorted, it says that the liar who falsely claims to be a prophet will only survive for thirty years or so, then his message will fade away.

We should strive to call these people, for although we look at them through a lens of hatred and resentment, we also look at them with compassion, for soon they will die and will be among the people of Hell, if they die in this state; so we should call them to Islam and salvation, out of mercy and compassion towards them.

We ask Allaah to cause His religion to prevail and to support His close friends, and to humiliate His enemies.

“And Allaah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not”

[Yoosuf 12:21]

May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad. صلى الله عليه وسلم

Allaah knows best.

Source: http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=86109&ln=eng