In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Rushing through prayer is a bitter truth, a sad reality of many Muslims.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “A slave may pray and have nothing recorded for it except a tenth of it, or a ninth, or an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or a half.” [Ahmad]
The Sunnah is for the one who is reciting to recite the Qur'an at a measured pace (tarteel) and not to rush, so that he may ponder and think about what he is reciting, whether it is al-Fatihah or something else. The Sunnah is to ponder, think and recite at a measured pace, not to rush. Allah, may He be exalted, says,
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُزَّمِّلُ ﴿١﴾ قُمِ ٱلَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ﴿٢﴾ نِّصْفَهُۥٓ أَوِ ٱنقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا ﴿٣﴾ أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ تَرْتِيلًا ﴿٤[Qur'an, al-Muzzammil 73:4]
O you who wraps himself [in clothing], (1) Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little - (2) Half of it - or subtract from it a little (3) Or add to it, and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation. (4)
كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَـٰرَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوٓا۟ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿٢٩[Qur'an, Saad 38:29].
[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded. (29)
Reading so fast that some letters or verses are not pronounced properly is not permissible; rather the worshiper should recite slowly and not be hasty, so that the recitation will be correct and clear, and he can ponder and think about (what he is reciting). If he omits or changes some of the letters, this is a kind of recitation that is not permissible. Rather he has to recite carefully and at a measured pace, so that the letters and words are pronounced in full. The same applies to prayer: he should not rush when bowing or prostrating, or when sitting between the two prostrations, or when standing after bowing. Rather he should move with deliberation and calmly. This is what is required. Moving calmly is an essential obligation; “pecking” and moving hastily in prayer invalidates the prayer.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is our role model. He used to pray long hours, reciting long surahs, making long standing, bowing and prostration. In one hadith, it was reported that he recited two long surahs (Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah AleImran, about 76 pages, spanning over three juz in one standing. For most of us, we are very far from being able to recite even a juz of Qur'an a day outside of prayer, let alone three juz during prayer. But you can work on not rushing through your prayer, and recite properly and clearly, and ponder about what you are reciting.
Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
I offered Salat (Tahajjud - optional night prayer) with the Prophet (ﷺ) one night, and he started reciting (Surat) Al-Baqarah. I thought that he would bow at the end of one hundred Verses, but he continued reciting; I, then, thought that he would perhaps recite the whole (Surah) in a Rak'ah, but he proceeded on, and I thought he would perhaps bow on completing (this Surah); he then started (reciting Surat) An-Nisa'; he then started (Surat) Al-'Imran and his recitation was unhurried. And when he recited the Verses which referred to the Glory of Allah, he glorified Him (by saying Subhan Allah - My Rubb, the Supreme is far removed from every imperfection), the Great, and when he recited the Verses that mention supplication, he supplicated, and when he recited the Verses that mention seeking Refuge of the Rubb, he sought (His) Refuge. Then he bowed and said: "My Rubb, the Supreme is far removed from every imperfection (Subhana Rabbiyal-Azim);" his bowing lasted about the same length of time as his standing (and then on returning to the standing posture after Ruku') he said: "Allah listened to him who praised Him (Sami' Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal hamd)." Then he stood about the same length of time as he had spent in bowing. He then prostrated himself and said: "My Rubb, the Supreme is far removed from every imperfection (Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la)," and his prostration lasted nearly the same length of time as his standing.
الثامن: عن أبي عبد الله حذيفة بن اليمان، رضي الله عنهما، قال: صليت مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ذات ليلة، فافتتح البقرة، فقلت يركع عند المائة، ثم مضى؛ فقلت يصلي بها في ركعة، فمضى؛ فقلت يركع بها، ثم افتتح النساء؛ فقرأها، ثم افتتح آل عمران فقرأها، يقرأ مترسلاً إذا مر بآية فيها تسبيح سبح، وإذا مر بسؤال سأل، وإذا مر بتعوذ تعوذ، ثم ركع فجعل يقول: " سبحان ربي العظيم" فكان ركوعه نحواً من قيامه ثم قال: " سمع الله لمن حمده، ربنا لك الحمد" ثم قام قياماً طويلاً قريباً مما ركع، ثم سجد فقال: " سبحان ربي الأعلى" فكان سجوده قريباً من قيامه" ((رواه مسلم).
[Muslim].
When a person dies, he will be called to account for every major and minor action he did in this world, whether it was good or bad. He will be rewarded for his good deeds and punished for his bad deeds. The first stage of that reckoning is in the grave. Then he will be brought to account for every major and minor action on the Day of Judgment, even though he has already been brought to account for that in the grave. The first thing for which he will be brought to account for then will be his prayer.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The first thing among their deeds for which the people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be prayer. Our Lord will say to His angels, although He knows best, ‘Look at My slave’s prayer, is it complete or lacking?’ If it is complete, it will be recorded as complete, but if it is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see whether my slave did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.’ If he had done voluntary prayers, He will say, ‘Complete the obligatory prayers of My slave from his voluntary prayers.’ Then the rest of his deeds will be examined in a similar manner.” [Narrated by Abu Dawood]
Therefore, not only we should not miss our obligatory prayers, we should also gradually add the rawatib (before and after prayers connected to the obligatory prayers) and other sunnah prayers (like the morning dhuha, the night tahajjud, after wudu', etc) and pray them properly and work towards perfecting them by, first not rushing through them.
Why the rush? What is our 10 to 15 minutes each prayer compared to the hours of standing, bowing and prostrations of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace)? What is 10-15 minutes compared to the waiting in the Day of Standing, in fear and trepidation, which could take 50,000 years? Imagine yourself standing there full of regret and saying, "If only I obeyed Allah". How long will you stand, 60 years? 60 years is the average life of a human. 20 years? 600 years? 20,000 years? 50,000 years? Or just a small prayer's length of time because you obeyed Allah's commandments. And as for the times that you disobeyed Allah, you quickly repented and asked Allah for forgiveness?
May Allah grant us the sweetness of iman (faith) and worship and enable us to perfect our prayers and follow in the footsteps of His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
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