Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) Giving His Date Orchard in Sadaqah due to Missing Salaah with Jamaat in the Musjid
In the Qur’aan Majeed, Allah Ta‘ala commands the believers to establish salaah. ‘Establishing salaah’ means that one performs the salaah on the prescribed time, one performs the postures of the salaah correctly, in accordance to the sunnah, and one performs the salaah with jamaat in the musjid. It is only when the salaah is performed in this manner that it will earn one the great rewards promised by Allah Ta‘ala.
Viewing the lives of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) and the pious of the past, we see that they firmly held onto this injunction of performing salaah in the musjid with jamaat, and were greatly grieved if they missed their salaah with jamaat in the musjid.
Below is an eye-opening incident which highlights the great importance and significance of this injunction in deen:
It is reported that on one occasion, Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) went to his date orchard in order to attend to a certain need. Thereafter, when he returned from his orchard after attending to the need, he found that the people had already completed performing the asr salaah in the musjid, and hence he had missed the jamaat salaah in the musjid.
Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was so affected and his heart was filled with such sorrow that he immediately exclaimed, “Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon! I missed the asr salaah with jamaat in the musjid!”
Thereafter, since the orchard had caused him to miss his salaah with jamaat in the musjid, Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) gave the orchard in sadaqah to atone for the salaah that he missed with jamaat. Hence, Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) addressed those who were present and said, “I make you all witness that I have given my orchard in sadaqah to the poor!” (Kabaa’ir li-Zahabi pg. 31)
From this incident, we see the extent of Hazrat Umar’s (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) grief for missing the salaah with jamaat in the musjid. This was on account of his understanding the lofty and esteemed position of salaah in deen and the great loss one will incur for not performing the salaah with jamaat in the musjid.
May Allah Ta‘ala keep us firm upon performing our salaah with jamaat in the musjid at all times.
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