Zakat: Spiritual, Moral and Social Impact.

1. Introduction
a. Prayer is one of the five pillars of Islam and the first
act that a person will be held accountable for on the
Day of Resurrection.
b. If it is approved, any other act would be so and if not,
any other act would be disapproved.
c. Namaz (Salat) means Rehmat, Dua,
Astaghfaar
d. Salah, (Namaz) is a particular way of worshipping
Allah and offering devotions to Him which Allah and
His Prophet (S.A.W) have taught us.
e. Prayer is the best and most significant deed for those
who seek closeness to the Almighty Allah.
f. This establishes a relationship between man and God
g. Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers on
fixed hours(4:103)
h. It has been mentioned many times in Quran and
keep up the prayer and give the stated alms and
bow with those who bow ( al-baqarah:43) And
keep up the prayer(al-nur:56)
i. Dividing line between belief and unbelief.
2. Importance of Namaz in Quran and Hadith
a. Quran: And keep up the prayer: It restrains from
indecency and evil. (Al-Ankbut: 45)
i. And keep up the prayer.
(An-Nur: 56)
ii. And keep up the prayer, give the stated alms
and bow with those who bow.
(Al-Baqara: 43)
b. Hadith: He whom this prayer does not save from
what is obscene and evil; will recede away from
God.
c. Salah Is the Sign of a Believer.
d. Those Who Pray Shall Have Nothing to Fear on the
Day of Judgment
e. Allahs Help Comes Through Salah.
f. Prayer Protects Against Evils.
3. Basic Facts about Namaz
a. Invitation of Namaz is 700 times in Quran.
b. Five salat made compulsory in 10th Nabvi
c. Salat Juma became Farz in Madina
d. Holy Prophet offered Jumma Prayer in 1. A.H.
e. Holy prophet offered first Eid Prayer in 2. A.H.
4. Impact of Worship; Namaz
a. Spiritual Impact
i. Prayer draws us nearer to Allaah. The
Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu layhi wa
sallam, said: "A slave is nearer to his Lord
when he is in prostration so increase
supplications in prostration. (Muslim).
ii. "Fall prostrate and draw near to Allaah!"
[Quran 96:19]
iii. It is the only act of worship that Allaah
directly commanded His Prophet to perform
on the night of Israa` and Mi`raaj (Night
Journey and Ascension to Heaven).
iv. It is a companion of the grave where we will
be alone.
v. It is the source of the blessings.
vi. It is the source to improve our income.
vii. It is a key toward jannah.
viii. It is a source to save us from the fire of the
hell.
ix. It will be heavy weighted in our Name E
Amaal.
x. It gives the proper shape to our body.

b. Moral Impact
i. Purification of heart. Abu Hurayrah, may
Allaah be pleased with him, narrated: 'I
heard the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu
layhi wa sallam, say: "If there was a river
at the door of anyone of you and he took a
bath in it five times a day, would any dirt
remain on him?" They said: 'Not a trace of
dirt would be left.'
The Prophet,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, added: "That
is the example of the five daily Prayer with
which Allaah removes evil deeds." (AlBukhaari)
ii. This is attributed to the fact that Prayer is
highly esteemed and a noble act of worship in
a Muslim's life.
c. Social Impact
i. Higher reward of congregational prayers.
"Offering the prayer in congregation
carries 27 times greater reward than
offering it alone individually." (Bukhari,
Muslim)
ii. Social Organization and Social Discipline:
Prayers not only help in building individual
character but also in establishing a
community structure and spirit. Daily Prayers
keep the flame of this spirit going. This is
why prayer in congregation is made
obligatory. The gathering of believers in
mosque five time is the basis of community
organization of the Millat-i-Islamia. Prayer is
discipline more strict than he army but
without any coercion. It is a voluntary
discipline imposed to win the pleasure of
God.
iii. Mosque as Community Centre: When
Muslims meet together in mosque for prayer,
they feel and share one anothers problems
and sufferings. They get the opportunity to
know their brethren more closely and
acquaint them of their needs and problems.
This fraternity promotes sincerity,
brotherhood, honesty, willingness to help and
piety amongst them.
iv. Mutual Cooperation and Help: This regular
assembly for daily prayer also provides
opportunities for cooperation. People of
different social and economic status meet one
another in the mosque and learn each others
problems. In Islamic tradition, they will learn
and cater for the needs of those in difficulty
and suffering.
v. Equity and Brotherhood: Prayers in the
congregation are the training in brotherhood,
equality and fraternity. During prayer, all
Muslims stand in prayer their God as equals.
There is no distinction between the rich and
the poor, the white and the black, the Arab
and the non-Arab, they all stand in rows to
offer their prayer to God.
vi. Training in Jihad (Holy War): There seems
to be a close relationship between prayer and
jihad. Any army must possess discipline to
achieve any marked battle success. For
without discipline the army spirit will
disintegrate. Islam offers prayer as a training
for discipline even in Holy War.

vii. Respect For The Rights Of Others:

Prayer also teaches respect for other people
and their rights. The believers go to the
mosque regularly five times daily and meet all
types of people who gather there for prayers.
They stand together shoulder to shoulder like
a solid cemented structure and present a
striking example of discipline, cohesion and
affection. This develops in them love and
respect for other people and their rights.
viii. Tolerance:
True believers also become tolerant through
the daily routine of prayer. They have to
prepare for prayer, perform ablution and then
join other believers in the mosque for prayer.
It needs a lot of endurance to stick to this

rigorous discipline everyday all the year

round. It also enables an individual to endure
and tolerate the hardship and sufferings he has
to undergo in his life.
ix. Unity:
Prayer is the strength behind unity. The
establishment of unity is the greatest social
ideal of Islam. It unites men of different
languages, ethnic groups, colours, and
nationalities. When they hear the call of the
Muezzin, they all gather together as brothers
for prayer. It is, in fact, the most vital and
effective way of uniting believers into one
solid block.