As-Salah is not only the second pillar but also the main pillar of Islam, and on the Day of Judgment the first question will be about Salah.
The Holy Qur'an does not only repeat the order of Allah about establishing the Salah numerous times; it also states that Salah and Zakah were obligatory in the Shari'ah of all prior Prophets, and are a requirement for our success in this life and the Hereafter.
The Point About Previous Prophets
It is worth dwelling on, because it changes how the prayer is understood.
Salah is not a practice introduced with Islam. The Qur'an records Allah commanding it to Ibrahim, to Musa, to 'Isa and to Maryam عليهم السلام. Every messenger brought it.
That places the prayer at the center of what revelation has always required, rather than at the periphery of one religion's practice.
The First Question
The narration that the first matter a servant will be held accountable for is the prayer — and that if it is sound, the rest of his deeds are sound, and if it is corrupt, the rest are corrupt — is the reason this pillar carries the weight it does.
Everything else is weighed after it.
Who It Is For
New Muslims, young people, and anyone needing a short and clear account. At this price it is what masajid and da'wah tables hand out in quantity.
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