to establish the prayer means to perform it correctly—fulfilling its obligations, conditions, and pillars—and to perfect it with its recommended acts. Part of this is praying within its appointed times, and part of it is praying with the Muslims in their mosques, for none would stay away from the congregational prayer except a hypocrite or someone with a valid excuse. Ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I remember us—meaning with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him—and no one would keep back from the prayer except a hypocrite whose hypocrisy was known, or a sick man. Indeed a man would be brought, supported between two others—so ill that they carried him—until he was set in the row.” Not even illness, may Allah be pleased with them, held them back from attending the mosques.

Many people today are quite the opposite: you see them lazy and slow to attend the congregational prayer. If you were to compare the daytime prayers with the dawn prayer, you would see a clear difference, for people are overcome by sleepiness at Fajr and do not give it much care.

“And out of what We have provided them they spend” (al-Baqarah 2:3): that is, they spend their wealth in ways that please Allah, according to His commands and in the appropriate cause.

“Those—truly—they are the believers indeed” (al-Anfāl 8:74). The word “indeed” serves to emphasize the preceding statement—it is undeniably so.

“For them is forgiveness and an honored provision” (al-Anfāl 8:74). We ask Allah, by His grace and generosity, to make us and you among them.