Prophet's Prayer Described (Sh. Uthaymin)

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The first thing that the servant will bring to account for on the Day of Resurrection from his actions will be the Prayer. Our Lord will say to His angels, and He knows best, 'Look at My servant's Prayer, did he complete it or was it deficient?' If it is complete, then it will be recorded as complete. However, if there is any deficiency in it He will say, 'Look and see whether My slave performed any supererogatory Prayers.' If he does have supererogatory Prayers, He will say, 'Complete the obligatory Prayers of My servant from his supererogatory Prayers.' Then the rest of his deeds will be judged in a similar fashion." [Saheeh Sunan Abu Dawud, no. 864]

In this book, al-'Allamah Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Uthaymeen explains a number of vital issues related to the Prayer in a very simple and comprehensive fashion. Not only does the Shaykh clarify the description of the Prayer, but he addresses the common deficiencies this hadith warns about.

Why the Voluntary Prayers Matter to This Hadith

Because the hadith describes something most Muslims never consider: the obligatory prayer being deficient in some way, and the voluntary prayers — the rawatib, the sunnah prayers most people neglect — being used to complete what was missing. That single narration is why the voluntary prayers are not extra credit; they are, according to this hadith, insurance for the obligatory prayer's inevitable imperfections.

Who It Is For

Any Muslim who wants to understand exactly what makes a prayer complete, from one of the most respected and accessible scholars of the modern era.

Related Reading

• The Prophet's Prayer Described — a fuller scholarly description by Shaykh Al-Albani
• Only Two Rak'ah — the neglected Sunnah prayers
• An Explanation of the Conditions, Pillars and Requirements of Prayer — the conditions, pillars and requirements of prayer

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