Why is salah the pillar of Islam?
"Salah is the pillar of Islam and whosoever abandons it, demolishes the very pillar of religion." [Beyhaqi]
Salah is one of the five pillars of Islam
It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah son of 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:
(The superstructure of) al-islam is raised on five (pillars), testifying (the fact) that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is His bondsman and messenger, and the establishment of prayer, payment of Zakat, Pilgrimage to the House (Ka'ba) and the fast of Ramadan.
(Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 20)
Salah (the prescribed prayers) , as stated in the hadith above, is one of the five pillars of Islam and is enjoined on Muslims in the Holy Quran:
“Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.” (Surah al Nisa, 103)
Salah is the utmost reality after iman
Salah is mentioned in the Holy Quran seventy times and there are many hadiths on the significance of prayer as well. As stated in the following hadith, it is the utmost reality after iman that a Muslim will be held responsible on the Day of Judgement:
Rasulullah (pbuh) 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."(Tabarani)
Salah, as well as being one of the five pillars of Islam, comprises the other four pillars in terms of meaning:
Other four pillars are included in salah such as;
Recitation of Shahadah (profession of faith) during sitting,
Fasting, as it is prohibited to eat and drink during salah,
Zakah (Alms) of life and time by sparing one hour for salah each day,
Pilgramage (hajj) by facing qibla (the direction of Mecca) and standing before Kaaba spiritually,
Salah comprises the pillars of faith as well which are;
Belief in Allah’s existence and oneness,
Belief in angels by saluting the angels on the right and left shoulders after the last sitting,
Belief in holy Books by reciting the verses in the holy Quran during standing,
Belief in the messengers by declaring that our Prophet (pbuh) is His slave and messenger in shahada (profession of faith) during tashahhud (sitting)
Belief in Hereafter by reciting Fatiha and Rabbena duas in each stage (rakah) and asking for the blessings of the Hereafter,
Belief in Destiny by reciting, from time to time, verses which tell goodness and harm come from Allah during reciting (qiraat).