himself will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever performs Hajj to this House, neither engaging in obscenity nor committing sin, will return free of sins as on the day his mother bore him.” And his words:

“A woman must not be married to a man who is already married to her paternal or maternal aunt, for if you do that, you will sever your ties of kinship.”

These and similar statements imply that offering those two units of prayer is a cause of forgiveness, as is an accepted Hajj, even though forgiveness has other causes.

This meaning is further supported by Allah’s words:

“Do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face.”

This supplication has been interpreted as referring to the Fajr and ‘Asr prayers. Since Allah has stated that they seek His Face through these two prayers, and has stated in this hadith that they will look upon Him, the exhortation to observe these prayers accords with this: whoever seeks His Face will look upon His Face—blessed and exalted is He.

When this is considered alongside the earlier point that Friday prayer is a cause of seeing Him at its corresponding time, as is the Eid prayer, it is fitting that these two prayers—the finest prayers, whose times are the finest times—should likewise be such a cause. Thus, it is fitting that prayer, which is the finest of deeds, and particularly the finest prayers offered at the finest times, should be a cause of the finest rewards at the finest times.

This is especially so given the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar narrated by al-Tirmidhī through Isrā’īl, from Thuwayr ibn Abī Fākhitah, who said: I heard Ibn ‘Umar say:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘The lowest-ranking inhabitant of Paradise is one who can see his gardens, spouses, delights, servants, and couches over a distance of a thousand years’ journey. The most honoured of them before Allah is one who looks upon His Face morning and evening.’ Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recited: ‘Faces that Day will be radiant, looking at their Lord.’”