Honorable Muslims!
The Almighty Allah (SWT) granted our beloved Prophet (saw), whom He (SWT) welcomes on the night of Mi‘raj, with three great blessings.[i] One of them is that people who are members of his ummah and do not attribute partners to Allah (SWT) will eventually go to paradise. The other is what we know as “Amanar-Rasul,” the last two verses of the Surah al-Baqarah, which tells us about faith, worship, the Day of Judgment, and how to supplicate to Allah (SWT). And the other glad tiding is salah (ritual prayer), which is the meeting of us, servants, with our Lord (SWT).
Dear Believers!
Salah is a spiritual shield protecting believers. Salah performed in awe prevents believers from shamelessness and evil.[ii] Salah is a means for being forgiven and pardoned. Grave sins excluded, the Salah performed five times a day, and the Friday prayer expiates minor sins. [iii]
Dear Muslims!
Believers’ revival is possible only through salah. Believers attain peace through salah. Believers strengthen their connection with their Lord (SWT) through salah. Our nafs are purified by salah, and our souls reach perfection through salah. Our lives that become too coarse get blessed by salah. Through salah are opened the gates of paradise for us.[iv]
Dear Believers!
Let us strive to make salah, a gift for us from the Mi‘raj, to be an opportunity to earn the pleasure of our Lord Almighty (SWT). Let us make sure that our ritual prayers are not performed in vain. Let us perform salah sincerely and duly. Let us make salah a shield that protects us against evil. Let us enable our family members and our children, who are the light of our eyes, to enjoy the peaceful climate of salah.
I would like to conclude this Friday’s khutbah with the following verse:
“Enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not to provide sustenance. We provide for you. And the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness.[v]
[i]Muslim, Iman, 279.
[ii] Ankabut, 29/45.
[iii] Muslim, Taharah, 14.
[iv] Tirmidhi, Taharah, 1.
[v] Ta-Ha, 20/132.
FRIDAY KHUTBA OF TOKYO CAMİİ “SALAH: MI‘RAJ OF THE MUSLIMS“.(PDF)