By Murtala Raji
At about 3:15am (Nigerian time and less than 1hour, 30 minutes to land in Medina) on board Flynas Airline (a plane owned by Saudia Arabia) with about 420 passengers, the pilot announced that it’s time for subhi.
He informed further that the toilets will be too congested for ablution, thus passengers should observe tayammum. He further stated that passengers should perform their Salah while seated and individually.
It was strange to many -some don’t even know how to do tayammun, talk more of praying while seating and in fact, some refused to pray. However, it was an eye opener for many. The man sitting beside me who later became my roommate in Medina/Makkah never observe his subhi until we got to our room in Medinah around 1pm (Saudi Arabian time)! That is around Zuhr time.
I later explained to him that each solah is named after its time. For example, Subhi means MORNING Salah so it will be antithetical praying subhi at zuhr.
And that observing Salah at its appointed time cannot be overemphasized, it distinguishes a Muslim from a nominal one.
Again, concession has been given to Muslims while on a journey, that is why it’s allowed to shorten (4 raka’at solah to 2) and combine 2 marriageable Salah (zuhr/asr & magrib/isha’). Because the Prophet said: “Travelling is a torment because it deprives a traveler of his food, drink and sleep..(Bukhari).
He later confessed to me that he doesn’t know how to do tayyamum and observe salah while sitting.
“So when you have concluded the prayer, then remember Allah, standing and sitting and on your sides. Thereafter, when you feel secure, establish the prayer. Indeed, the prayer has been prescribed upon believers at specific times” (Q 4:103).
فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًۭا وَقُعُودًۭا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَا ٱطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَـٰبًۭا مَّوْقُوتًۭا ١٠٣
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, which deeds are best?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Prayer on time.” I said, “Then what, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet said, “Good treatment of your parents.” I said, “Then what, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet said, “That people are safe from your tongue.”
Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr 9687
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani
عن عبد الله بن مسعود قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ الْأَعْمَالِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى مِيقَاتِهَا قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَاذَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَاذَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَنْ يَسْلَمَ النَّاسُ مِنْ لِسَانِكَ
9687 المعجم الكبير للطبراني
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