Guarding prayer keeps believers from evil
“Prayer deters from wickedness and indecency and evil and the remembrance of Allah is greater.”
The salah is the Muslim's constant reference point that reminds believers of their purpose and deters them from evil, so it must be guarded and continually improved, from praying the five daily prayers on time, to praying in congregation, to achieving focus (khushu), to adding voluntary prayers that earn Allah's love.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Opening with Quranic verse (al-Ankabut 29:45): prayer deters from wickedness and the remembrance of Allah is greater
- Analogies of the voyager's compass and the teacher's curriculum: the salah is the believer's reference point that reorients them to their purpose
- How salah deters from evil: it reminds us we were created to worship Allah, and it reminds us of death and life's fragility (hadith on remembering death in prayer, Gaza/Sudan contrast with a death-denying society)
- First step of guarding the prayer: pray all five prayers on time, since salah is prescribed at fixed times (an-Nisa 4:103)
- Second step: pray in congregation, which is 27 times better than praying alone
- Third step: improve khushu, since reward scales with focus (Ammar ibn Yasir hadith on fractions of prayer recorded)
- Final step: add sunnah and nawafil prayers, per the hadith qudsi that voluntary deeds draw the servant near until Allah loves him
- Closing reminder that everyone can improve in guarding salah, followed by dua for steadfastness and for suffering Muslims worldwide
In the khateeb's words
“and establish prayer Indeed prayer deters from wickedness and indecency and evil and the remembrance of Allah is greater and Allah is knowledgeable of what you do”
“remember death in your prayer for when a person remembers death in his prayer he is more likely to perfect it and pray the prayer of a person who does not think he will perform another prayer”
“we live in a society where nobody wants to remember death and nobody wants to think about death where people are talking about living forever”
“that prayer in the congregation in the masjid is 27 degrees better 27 times better than the prayer of a person by themselves”
For the dinner table
The khateeb taught that our five daily prayers are like a traveler's map and compass: if we keep referring back to them, we stay on course toward our true purpose, worshipping Allah, and if we ignore them, we get lost. He explained that salah both reminds us of what we should be doing and protects us from what we should avoid, especially when we remember death in the prayer and pray as if it could be our last. He reminded us that guarding the prayer starts with praying all five on their fixed times, not just whenever it is convenient. The next step is praying in congregation at the masjid, which the Prophet said is worth 27 times more than praying alone. He also taught that the reward of a prayer depends on our focus and presence of heart, not just the movements. Finally, he encouraged everyone to keep climbing, adding small, consistent voluntary prayers, because through them a servant draws nearer to Allah until Allah loves them.
- If salah is our map and compass, what's one moment in your day when it helped you get 'back on track'?
- Which is harder for you, praying on time, or keeping your mind focused once you start? Why?
- The Prophet said praying together in the masjid is worth 27 prayers, what's one prayer our family could try to pray together this week?
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