7 Chapters to Love You More
Chapters 4.7

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Before going into the next chapter, it is known that prayer is required for the people of Prophet Muhammmad after israel’ and mi’raj. That is, the new prayer obligation exists after the event isra’ mi’raj. This is agreed upon by the majority of scholars, although they differ on when isra’ mi’raj occurs.

Keep in mind, the obligation of five prayers at the time did appear after israel’ mi’raj, but that does not mean before that Prophet Muhammad ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ had never done prayers. Actually the obligation to pray already existed before the event isra’ mi’raj.

Prayers are required to Prophet Muhammad ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ was appointed as a Prophet and received the first revelation. This is as affirmed in the hadith of Ahmad and Ad-Daraquthni:

أن جبريل أتاه في أول ما أوحي إليه فعلمه الوضوء والصلاة

That is, “Jibril came to the Apostle when delivering the first revelation and taught the Apostle ablution’ and prayer,” (HR Ahmad and Ad-Daraquthni).

According to Ibn Ishaq, the obligation of prayer began since the Prophet ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ received the first revelation. In fact, the Apostle and Khadijah ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ have prayed before the five required times.

Not only that, the friends of ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ . to pray and do good. It is understood from the hadith quoted by Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali in the Book of Fathul Bari Sharah Shahih Al-Bukhari. In that book, Ibn Rajab wrote:

وقال ابن عباس: حدثني أبو سفيان في حديث هرقل، فقال يأمرنا، يعني النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، بالصلاة والصدق والعفاف

That is, “Ibn Abbas said, from Abu Sufyan about the hadeeth of Herepakseus, that the Prophet ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ Phedi ordered us to pray, be honest, and keep our pride.” This is mentioned in Shahih Al-Bukhari.

According to Ibn Rajab, the existence of this history shows that the Prophet ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ From the beginning had ordered his people to pray, speak honestly, and maintain self-esteem. Even he himself also did the same before the obligation to pray five times.

Ibn Rajab said:

والأحاديث الدالة على أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يصلي بمكة قبل الإسراء كثيرة

That is, “Hadits which shows the Prophet performing prayers before israel’ is very much.” How much Raka’at Salat before Isra’ From the explanation above it can be understood that the order to perform prayer already existed before the event of israel’.

But the question is, how the form of prayer that the Prophet did ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ , how many rakaat, and whenever the time. Referring to Ibn Rajab's explanation in Fathul Bari, scholars differ on how to pray the Prophet ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ before israel’.

لكن قد قيل: إنه كان قد فرض عليه ركعتان في أول النهار وركعتان في أخره فقط...وقال قتادة: كان بدء الصلاة ركعتين بالغداة وركعتين بالعشي

That is, “But, some say that the required prayer on the Apostle was originally two raka’at shubuh and two raka’at at night, ‘Shalat first time is two raka’at shubuh and two raka’at isya.’”

Thus, the first prayer command is not five times a day, but only twice a day, namely two raka’at in the shubuh time and two raka’at in the isya’ time.

Then the question still arises, about what prayers did the Prophet ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ before mi’raj.

As it is known, before mi’raj, the Prophet ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ Stopped at Baitul Maqdis to pray. This is as told in many hadiths of israel’ mi’raj. One of the elements of this hadith is:

ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّيْتُ فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْن

That is, “Then the Apostle entered the mosque and prayed two rakaat.” Ali Mula Al-Qari in Mirqatul Mafatih at the time of explaining this hadith says:

أي: تحية المسجد، والظاهر أن هذه في الصلاة التي اقتدى به الأنبياء وصار فيها إمام الأصفياء

That is, “I mean, tahiyatul mosque prayer.

By birth, this is the prayer followed by the Prophets, so that Prophet Muhammad ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ) became the imam of the Prophets

Referring to the opinion of Mula Al-Qari, the prayers performed by the Prophet in Jerusalem are tahiyatul mosque prayers and the number of raka’atnya two raka. Thus, the obligation of prayer already exists before the israel’ mi’raj, although the amount is not like the five prayers of time. So is the obligation of ablution. This way of ablution and prayer is taught directly by the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad.

Wallahu a’lam.

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