Allah says in Holy Quran:
فَأَقِيمُوا ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَـٰبًا مَّوْقُوتًا
Al-Quran 4:103
Therefore Establish Salat, Indeed Salat has been made compulsory for the believers at assigned times.
Salat i.e. compulsory prayers is one of the five pillars of Islam. One who intentionally misses Salat is surely short on his belief.
It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that he heard the Apostle ﷺ saying.
Muslim 246
“Verily between a man and polytheism & unbelief is the negligence of Salat.”
We all know and agree to this point. But we have certainly missed a very important point regarding Salat.
That is, wherever Salat is mentioned in Quran or Hadith, hardly ever the word اِقراٗ (meaning recite/read Salat) or صَلوا (meaning offer Salat) is used for it. Instead Allah orders the believers to اقیموالصلوٰة (i.e. establish Salat).
أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِدُلُوكِ ٱلشَّمْسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَقُرْءَانَ ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖ إِنَّ قُرْءَانَ ٱلْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودا
Al-Quran 17:78
Establish Salat from the sunset until the darkness of the night…
رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ
Al-Quran 17:78
Abraham prayed ‘My Lord! Make me, and believers among my descendants the ones who ˹Establish Salat˺. Our Lord! Accept my prayers.’
ٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ
Al-Quran 17:78
Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and ˹Establish Prayer˺…
And the list goes on and on!
How to Establish Salat
We all are aware of the incident when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was so angry over the people who did not turn up for Salat in congregation, that he wanted to burn them alive:
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, I was about to order for collecting firewood (fuel) and, then order someone to pronounce the Adhan for the prayer and, then order someone to lead the prayer, then I would go from behind and burn the men with their houses, who did not present themselves for the compulsory congregational prayer (Salat).
Bukhari 644
By Him, in Whose Hands my soul is, if anyone of them had known that he would get a bone covered with good meat or two (tiny) pieces of meat in between two bones (i.e. something to eat for themselves), he would have turned up for the `Isha salat.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is known for his mercy and kind-heartedness, so much so that he forgave Wahshi – the person who killed his uncle Hamza RA mercilessly. So much so that he forgave Hinda – the woman who mutilated the body of his uncle Hamza RA. So much so that he forgave the people of Ta’if who stoned him and humiliated him in the worst way possible.
Then why did he want to burn those people alive in their houses?
Because they were breaching the discipline!
They had agreed to be a part of the community and stay disciplined all of the times, but they were breaching their oath through the act of missing congregational prayer (Salat). They were falling short of expected compliance to the state!
Muhammad ﷺ would forgive the enemies; would give space to the ones rejecting his message. But he was very critical of the people who took an oath to surrender their lives, earnings and everything for Allah – but were not fulfilling their promise in essence.
It was the anger of a leader; anger of a chief; anger of a General over his soldiers, that made him so furious!
That’s what establishing salat is!
When one accepts Islam as his way of life, he enters into an oath with Allah where he surrenders everything he has. Including his life, family, money and beyond. He surrenders himself for life and afterwards. He has to produce himself at every occasion where he is required to be present. He has to make a sacrifice where he is required to make one. He has to spend his money where he is required to spend. He has to fight for Allah without caring for his life when he’s called for it. Because he has taken an oath of Islam i.e.:
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Al-Quran 6:162
Say, ‘Surely my prayer, my sacrifice (everything I have), my life, and my death are all for Allah – Lord of all worlds.
If one has accepted Islam, and is not complying with the discipline, he must not have accepted Islam from his heart. That’s why Salat is a differentiating factor between being a Muslim and non-Muslim.
This also clarifies the fact, that Islam is not a religion of rituals. Its a law, a discipline, a ruling system that is applicable only in the form of a disciplined gathering i.e. a state. If its is not being practiced as such, it may be anything, not Islam Muhammad ﷺ left for his followers.
Since we have been blessed enough to attempt to practice Islam in the same way Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had left for us, anyone joining our Mini Caliphate must abide by the principles of Establishing Salat and produce himself in congregational salat five times a day.
Since Prophet Muhammad ﷺ allowed people to offer Salat in congregation wherever there are a few of them, same is being followed in our Mini Caliphate. Congregational Salat is very important for the members to keep themselves well-connected with the community and Islamic principles so they must offer congregational salat wherever they are.
But about Friday Salat, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ required people to take a break from their work, professions, families and other activities; and attend the Friday sermon and offer Friday Salat in his leadership. One who would regularly miss the Friday Salat was officially considered a non-Muslim.
So, anyone who wants to become a member of our Mini Caliphate, must offer Jummah Salat with us, and he must make an effort to cut down on his other activities for Friday:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوآ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا ٱلْبَيْعَ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
Al-Quran 62:8
O believers! When the call to salat is made on Friday, then proceed ˹diligently˺ to the remembrance of Allah and leave off ˹your˺ business. That is best for you, if only you knew.
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذْكُرُوا ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
Al-Quran 62:9
Once the salat is over, disperse around the land and seek the bounty of Allah. And remember Allah abundantly, so you may be successful.