⭑ Virtue of Offering Salah at Its Earliest Time in the Light of Authentic Ahadith ⭑
This excerpt is taken from Shaykh Zubair Ali Zai رحمه الله’s book Hadiyyat al-Muslimeen: Important Issues of Salah with Complete Prophetic Prayer (ﷺ).
⮚ Virtue of Offering Salah at Its Earliest Time
«عن عبدالله بن مسعود رضى الله عنه قال: سألت رسول الله أى العمل أفضل؟ قال: الصلوة فى أول وقتها»
‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud رضي الله عنه narrated:
“I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Which deed is the best?”
He replied: “Offering the prayer at its earliest time.”
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 1/169, Hadith 327; Sahih Ibn Hibban: Mawārid al-Ẓam’ān 1/428, Hadith 280]
Both Imam al-Hakim and Imam al-Dhahabi have declared it authentic.
[al-Mustadrak wa Talkhīsuhu, Vol. 1, pp. 188–189, Hadith 675]
❀ Benefits:
① This authentic Hadith establishes the virtue of offering prayer at its earliest time, as ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud رضي الله عنه specifically asked the Prophet ﷺ about the best and most virtuous deed, and he ﷺ declared that praying at the earliest time is the best.
② It is also evident from this Hadith that the Companions رضي الله عنهم were always eager to know about the most excellent deeds so they could perform them and attain the highest ranks with Allah.
③ Delaying the prayer is against the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ and the practice of the Companions, and it is the way of the hypocrites, for they used to offer prayers late. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: تلك صلوة المنافق — “That is the prayer of the hypocrite.”
[Sahih Muslim 1/225, Hadith 622]
④ In Sunan Ibn Majah, there is a Hadith regarding rulers:
«يطفئون من السنة ويعملون بالبدعة ويؤخرون الصلوة عن مواقيتها»
“They will extinguish the Sunnah, act upon innovations, and delay the prayer from its (prescribed) time.”
[Hadith 2865; its chain is Hasan]
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“There is no obedience to anyone in disobedience to Allah.”
