How to Avoid Delaying Prayers

Outline

• Introduction
• The Difference Between Missing Prayers and Delaying Prayers
• The Significance of Praying on Time
• How to Avoid Delaying Prayers
• Can One Avoid Delaying Prayers without These Tips?
• Benefits of Praying on Time
• Conclusion

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Beneficent

Introduction

Alhamdulillah… infinite praise and thanks are due to the Almighty Allah who prescribed upon us the five-times daily prayers. Complete peace and salutations are to our beloved Prophet, who has perfectly taught us all we need to be punctual in our daily prayers, Sayyidunā Muḥammad, his household, his companions and all those who follow his guided path.

This article is one of GSalam.Net’s articles on prayers. It sheds light on some useful tips that will help you to avoid delaying your daily prayers.

Before we jump into the tips, which I’m sure you can’t wait to know them, let’s first agree to agree on two things: (1) the difference between missing prayers and delaying prayers, and (2) the significance of praying on time.

Now, it’ll be a good idea to go get your hot coffee and enjoy the moments in the rest of the article.

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The Difference Between Missing

Prayers and Delaying Prayers

One of the deeds that strengthen the belief of the Muslim is keeping up with his daily prayers. This is in addition to the abundant rewards the Muslim is entitled for, for keeping up with his prayers. Let alone the fact that it’s the first thing the son of Adam shall be assessed about on the Day of Resurrection. However, keeping up with one’s daily prayers comes, basically in two forms.

The first form is ensuring he prays five times a day, observing each prayer within its permissible timeframe. And the other form is ensuring he performs the prayers within the ideal time in which the Muslim is encouraged to perform his prayers.

For the first, you ensure you pray, even if it’s at a last-minute, within the permissible time for offering each prayer. For instance, let’s say Ẓuhr prays in your current location is 1 pm and ‘Asr prayers is 4.25 pm. This means the permissible time to offer your Ẓuhr prayer falls between 1 pm and 4.24 pm. That’s 3 hours and 24 minutes. For someone who’s determined to never miss his prayer, he remains comfortable, as long as he offers his Ẓuhr prayers anytime between 1 pm and 4.24 pm.

And for the second, you are certain to offer your prayers, the soonest possible, say within 15 minutes, after the adhān is raised for any of the five obligatory prayers. Therefore, if you happen to aim to avoid delaying your prayers, you’ll feel uncomfortable whenever you fail to offer your Ẓuhr prayer within the first half an hour after adhān, without a valid or pressing reason. Even though it’s not sinful to pray later, as long as it’s before 4.25pm.

In a previous article, we discussed and shared helpful ways to avoid missing our daily prayers. If you’re here because you’re struggling to keep up with your daily prayers, then kindly click here to check that article out.

If, however, you’re here because you delay your prayers for no valid or pressing reasons (although you don’t miss them), then continue reading. But wait… maybe, you should take another sip of your coffee before it gets cold.

Now, let’s move on to the significance of praying on time.

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The Significance of Praying on Time

Praying on time? “But wait! I thought as long as I pray within the permissible timeframe, I’m praying on time. No?” you may ask.

Well to answer that question, let’s pay a visit to the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam via Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu.  Imām Muslim reports from the narration of Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu, that he asked the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam, about the most beloved deeds to Allah, and the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:

الصَّلاَةُ عَلَى وَقْتِهَا

“Prayer at its proper time.”

Sayyidunā Ibn Mas’ūd raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu then asked, “what next?” The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:

ثُمَّ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ

“ Then goodness to the parents.”

Sayyidunā Ibn Mas’ūd asked once more, “then what next?” And the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:

ثُمَّ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

“Then Jihād in the cause of Allah.”

The relevant point from this ḥadīth to our subject matter is “prayer at its proper time.” To understand that statement, let’s listen to what the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam says, in another ḥadīth, also narrated by Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu, as reported by Imām al-Tirmidhī and al-Ḥākim:

أَفْضَلُ اَلْأَعْمَالِ اَلصَّلَاةُ فِي أَوَّلِ وَقْتِهَا

“The best of deeds is to offer prayer (ṣalāh) in its early time.”

With that, we understand, that although one does not sin when he delays his prayer to a last-minute within the respective permissible time for any of the five times daily prayers, Allah loves the ones that are offered in their early times.

It’s worth emphasising, that working on avoiding delaying prayers is a level, if not two or four levels, above struggling to avoid missing prayers. This is because while it’s not sinful to delay prayers, it’s a major sin to miss our prayers. May Allah grant us steadfastness… Amīn!

Now, how to avoid delaying prayers? Let’s take another sip of coffee.. It’s nicer when still warm or hot.

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How to Avoid Delaying Prayers

If you didn’t scroll straight to this part, then I can assume, that you and I are on the same page. We agree on the significance of praying on time. And we also agree that “praying on time” refers to “the early part of the time” of the prescribed prayer.

Despite that, you and I will also agree, that while one can overcome the problem of missing his prayers, overcoming the habit of delaying prayers is an ongoing struggle. Especially when one has full control of his time, and is not tied to an employer’s restriction or a setup that’s beyond his control.

The section sheds light on tips that will help you to overcome it, by the will of Allah. I’m making four suggestions on this. And they are summarised in the following points:

• Wait for the prayer
• Handle your prayer with Iḥsān
• Consider Performing your prayers within 15 minutes after adhān
• Consider performing the recommended Sunnah prayers for each prescribed prayer.

Now, let’s elaborate on them…

Wait for the Prayer

Another way of saying this is, prepare yourself for the prayer in advance.

One of the most effective ways to avoid delaying prayers is to prepare and wait for each prayer ahead of its time. I know some people, as well as I have heard of some others, who patiently wait for the prayer time to arrive. We can’t expect everyone to do it. But it’s amazing and inspiring. Don’t you think so?

The men among them would mostly take their ablution and go to the mosque before it’s time for adhān for the given prayer. In addition to praying on time (within the early time of the prayer) this habit ensures they are able to offer the encouraged Sunnah for each prayer. More on the encouraged Sunnah prayers later. So, take another sip of your coffee and keep reading.

Handle Your Prayer with Iḥsān

Iḥsān is to carry out an act of worship with the best form of excellence, the way you would, if you were to perform in a competition in which you can’t afford to lose any of the top five places.

An act of worship is anything you do to attain Allah’s pleasure. When you do something to attain Allah’s pleasure, you are not bothered by the perception people may have about you, as long as you are not hiding behind such acts of worship to deprive others of their rights.

So, how do we handle our prayers with Iḥsān? It’s worth indicating that handling prayers with Iḥsān is different from performing prayers with Iḥsān.

When one prays with Iḥsān, he stands to perform prayers. He’s able to focus more, in most of the prayer time, or throughout the individual prayer. But he may not achieve the same level of focus in the next prayer. Thus, his Iḥsān in prayers fluctuates according to his mood and, sometimes, according to his circumstances, if not trends.

However, when one handles his prayer with Iḥsān, he gives his best to the entire prayer system, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. With that in mind, he takes care of anything that’s related to prayer. He’s knowledgeable about purification, he perfects his wuḍū’ at all times, he becomes more mindful of the place he prays in (especially his praying mat), he prays calmly, and more importantly, he prays within 15 minutes of adhān.

When one who succeeds in handling his prayers with Iḥsān, he is easily able to handle the other aspects of his life with Iḥsān. By the will of Allah.

Consider Performing Your Prayer Within 15 Minutes After Adhān

Without a valid or pressing reason to delay prayers, one develops a habit to ensure he offers his obligatory prayers within 15 minutes from the time the adhān is called.

For those who habitually pray at the mosque, especially men, this is easily achievable. But for those who pray at their private spaces, especially women, it takes intrinsic self-motivation to achieve this. It may be challenging at the start. But it’s certainly achievable.

Just make up your mind. Prioritise your obligatory prayers over all affairs. Ask Allah to assist you. And you’re good to go, insha Allah. One of the practical ways that helps to achieve this (to pray within 15 minutes after adhān) is to make it a point to offer the recommended Sunnah prayers, that are prescribed for each obligatory prayer.

Pray the Recommended Sunnah for Each Prayer

Make it a point to pray the recommended Sunnah prayers that come with every obligatory prayer. This is because it’s unlikely that one will be bothered to offer the Sunnah (or sunan) after he or she has delayed the main Farḍ prayer for more than an hour or two.

There’re two raka‘ahs recommended to be performed before Ṣubḥ prayers. It’s called the Sunnah of Fajr. The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam never missed it, neither when home, nor when on a voyage. There’re four raka‘ahs prescribed before Ẓuhr and two after it. There’re optional four before ‘Aṣr prayers. You have two after Maghrib and two after ‘Ishā’. The Sunnah of Witr Prayer is not attached to ‘Ishā’, but if you really have problems avoiding missing your ‘Ishā’, then you must start taking your Sunnah of Witr prayer seriously. The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam never missed it too.

Imām al-Bukhārī and Muslim report from the narration of Sayyidunā Abdullāh ibn Mughaffal raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says

بَيْنَ كُلِّ أَذَانَيْنِ صَلاَةٌ.. بَيْنَ كُلِّ أَذَانَيْنِ صَلاةٌ.. بَيْنَ كُلِّ أَذَانَيْنِ صَلاةٌ. قَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ: لِمَنْ شَاءَ.ـ

“There is a prayer (ṣalāh) between every adhān and iqāmah; there is a prayer between every adhān and iqāmah.” (While saying the same for the) third time (he, ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam added), “It is for the one, who wishes to do so.”

Also, Imām Muslim reports from the narration of Sayyidatunā Ummu Ḥabībah, Ramlah bint Abu Sufyan, raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says:

مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ مُسْلِمٍ يُصَلِّي لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى كُلَّ يَوْمٍ ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً تَطَوُّعاً غَيْرَ فَرِيضَةٍ إِلاَّ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ بَيْتاً فِي الجَنَّةِ أَوْ إِلاَّ بُنِيَ لَهُ بَيْتٌ فِي الجَنَّةِ

“A house will be built in Jannah for every Muslim who offers twelve Raka`ah of optional ṣalāh other than the obligatory ṣalāh in a day and a night (to seek the Pleasure of Allāh).”

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Can One Avoid Delaying Prayers without These Tips?

The answer is, Yes. Absolutely!

Yes, one can avoid delaying prayers if he responds to the call to prayers right away.

Yes, one can avoid delaying prayers if he doesn’t entertain the little voices that tell him to wait for a bit more and keeps convincing him there’s more time ahead.

And yes, one can avoid delaying prayers if his day job engages him in praying on time, like an imām or a Mua’dhdhin at the mosque or a student, whose school happens to be in a mosque.

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Benefits of Praying on Time

The number of benefits for offering the prescribed prayers, more so praying on time are uncountable. In fact, they qualify for a volume of a book. However, for the sake of this article, I’m sharing one ḥadīth from the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam, and then outline some practical benefits, to keep us going, insha Allah.

Praying on time eradicates our minor sins between every two prescribed prayers. This is understood from the ḥadīth of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as reported by Imām Muslim from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu. The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam says:

الصَّلَوَاتُ الخَمْسُ، وَالجُمُعَةُ إِلَى الجُمُعَةِ، وَرَمَضَانُ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ، مُكَفِّرَاتُ مَا بَيْنَهُنَّ إِذَا اجْتُنِبَتِ الكَبَائِرُ‏.ـ

“The five daily (prescribed) prayers, and Friday (prayer) to the next Friday (prayer), and the fasting of Ramadan to the next Ramadan, is an expiation of the sins committed in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.”

In addition to the above, the following are benefits of praying on time, which you can feel and observe right away, insha Allah:

• When you pray on time, you win Allah’s Pleasure, as it’s the most beloved deed to Him.
• When you pray on time, you are unlikely to miss your daily prayers.
• When you pray on time, your heart is at ease and peace. You don’t feel guilty for delaying prayers, let alone missing your prayers.
• When you pray on time, you are unlikely to rush in your prayers. Especially if you’re praying at the mosque behind an Imām.
• When you pray on time, you are unlikely to miss the congregation (Jamā’ah) if you pray at the mosque.
• When you pray on time, you are unlikely to forget what you pray. Because your mind is less distracted by the immediate activity that could cause you to delay the prayer.
• When you pray on time, you are unlikely to have to make up one prayer in the timeframe of another prayer.

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Conclusion

Allah bestows his mercy upon all His creations, the careful as well the careless, the righteous and the sinful, the obedient as well as the defiant. This is because He is Merciful. He is Kind. And He is Forgiving. However, at the same time, He dedicates special love of His for those who prioritize Him in their lives. Therefore, He loves al-Muḥsinīn. A Muḥsin is someone who showcases Iḥsān before Allah. He also loves al-Ṣābirīn. A person who is Ṣābir is the one who upholds patience for the sake of Allah. Allah also loves al-Khāshi’ūn. A Khāshi’ is the one who is humbly submissive to Allah.

Being mindful towards praying on time is not an easy achievement. To achieve that, it takes a constant effort to remind one’ self to prioritize Allah over our heart-desires. And when He becomes our priority in life, we do so with excellence (Iḥsān) and love.

Many of us pray. But how many among us can comfortably claim their prayer has the priority (as part of their Islam) in their lives? I, for one, am struggling to attain that.

One of the most significant dimensions of perfecting one’s prayers is to develop the habit of praying on time. Although achieving that does not automatically guarantee the acceptance of the prayer itself, it makes you more hopeful in the mercy and forgiveness of Allah.

Moreover, praying on time has nothing to do with one’s inability to hear the adhān from the mosque or go to the mosque. Especially in the era of smart devices that are equipped with more than an app that reminds us regarding prayers. Rather, praying on time has everything to do with one’s consciousness of Allah, and his readiness to shut those little voices that distract him, and his ability to remember, that praying on time is the most beloved deed to Allah subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā.

This article didn’t shed light on how to focus in our prayers, nor how to attain calmness in prayers. GSalam.Net has an article on that. Click here to check it out.

Until the next post, I leave you in Allah’s protection.

Allah knows best.
Allahu Hafiz 🙂

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