ḤADĪTH OF THE DAY

“ While the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, was sitting with his companions in the mosque one day, a man who looked like a Bedouin came in. He prayed swiftly then greeted the Prophet peace and blessings of God be upon him, who returned the greeting and said, "Go back and pray for you have not prayed." The Bedouin went back and prayed, then returned, and greeted the Prophet. The Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, greeted him back and said, "Go back and pray for you have not prayed." He did that two or three times; each time he would come and greet the Prophet, and the Prophet would return the greeting and say, "Go back and pray for you have not prayed." People (1) became alarmed and were distressed [by the fact] that if a prayer is performed quickly, it would not be accepted. The man finally said, "Then show me and teach me for indeed I am human, I do right and I do wrong." The Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said, "Indeed. When you get up to pray, perform ablution as God commanded you to do, perform the call to prayer and then perform the prayer. If you have memorized some Qur'ān, recite it or praise God, testify to His Greatness, and bear witness that there is no god except He. Then, bow down and settle in your bow, then stand up straight (3), then prostrate and settle in your prostration, then sit up and settle in your sitting position and get up [to start the next unit of prayer]. If you do that, your prayer is complete; if you leave out any part of it, your prayer will be deficient." This was easier on the Companions than the first [statement made by the Prophet] (4) for it meant that whoever left out a component of the prayer would have that deficiency in his prayer but the whole prayer would not be invalid. Footnotes: (1) The Companions who were sitting in the mosque and witnessing this incident. (2) The opening chapter of the Qur'ān (al-Fāti ḥah) must be recited in every unit of prayer, and an additional section of Qur'ān may be recited afterwards. (3) Similarly, until your bones in your have settled. (4) "Go back and pray for you have not prayed" ”