Don't Pray Fajr or Isha?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Prayer represents the covenant we made with Allah Ta'ala from time immemorial.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said, "Verily, the only thing separating a person from disbelief and polytheism is the abandonment of prayer." In other words, the prayer is what guards against falling into disbelief.

The first thing we will be asked about on the Day of Account is our prayer.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said, "The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad."

Prayer is the foundation of our faith, a pillar of Islam, as the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said. It even speaks for or against us on the Day of Judgment.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When a person performs his prayer at the designated time, the prayer ascends the sky, lighting it up on the way upward, to the highest heaven. On arrival there, it asks pardon for the person. Thus, it will pray till the Day of Account, saying, 'May it please Allah to care for you, as you have cared for me.' And when a person performs prayer outside the designated time, it ascends the sky showered in darkness. On reaching the heavens, it is rolled up like bundled clothes, and is used to smite the face of the person who performed it. And the prayer itself says, 'May it please Allah to deny you, as you have denied me.'"

Congregational prayer for men is one of the major symbols of Islam, the most emphasized of the sunnas of the beloved of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his joy in this world. Group prayer is a cornerstone of the life of Muslim community. Help build a strong community and strengthen your own relationship with Allah by going to His house.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said, “If people knew the reward in praying Fajr and Isha in congregation, they would go to the mosque even if they had to crawl.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

He, Allah bless him and give him peace, also said, “Prayer in congregation is superior to prayer alone by twenty seven degrees.” [Bukhari & Muslim, from Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him)]

"No prayer (salat) is more burdensome upon the hypocrites than the dawn (fajr) prayer and the night (`isha) prayer." [Bukhari]

Uthman bin `Affan reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “One who performs Isha’ prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for half of the night. And one who performs the Fajr prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat the whole night.” [Muslim]

In another narration, he narrated that he had heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “He who attends Isha’ in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for half of the night; and he who attends `Isha’ and Fajr prayers in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for the whole night.” [Tirmidhi]

Think about it: every day you can earn such tremendous reward just by praying at the masjid. Consistent good deeds like this are beloved to Allah. So strive to pray at the masjid everyday.

If the masjid is far, make plans to move closer to the masjid in the near future. And if you are planning to move, find a home that is close to a masjid.

May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam