Dr. Ramadan: Performing Salat means being a true believer

Ramadan is a school of life, and performing Salat is the foundation without which there is no true faith, says Dr. Tariq Ramadan, a leading Islamic scholar in Europe, in the 15th installment of Ramadan Chronicle, reports the BH News Agency Patria (NAP).

- So far, we have talked about the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), trying to understand his path in order to follow it. We mentioned two basic principles of faith: tawhid - belief in one God, and the Quran. Today we will mention that very quickly in the Quran we come across the revelation of verses about performing Salat, the daily prayer - says Dr. Ramadan.

According to him, Salat has been an integral part of faith from the very beginning, although the performance of five daily prayers was not immediately prescribed.

- If you want to get closer to God, you must perform Salat. In this regard, Salat is first and foremost a testimony and gratitude. It is a sign of your love, you come to a meeting with Allah. As it is also said in the Quran: "O you who are covered, arise for a part of the night and perform Salat!" Why is this important? Just as Allah, out of His mercy, sent us the Quran, He expects us to come to Him through our prayers - says Dr. Ramadan.

In this, as he points out, we must be disciplined, because the Quran also states precisely: "Indeed, Salat is a prescribed duty at fixed times!"

- There is no spirituality without discipline, so we must organize our time and perform Salat - emphasizes Dr. Ramadan. He mentions the opinion of two great Islamic scholars, Ahmed ibn Hanbal and Shafi'i, on the words of the Prophet (pbuh): "The separation between a person and disbelief is the abandonment of Salat!"

For Hanbal, if a person does not perform Salat, they are not a Muslim, while Shafi'i considered and acknowledged that Salat is an obligation that must be performed, but a person remains a Muslim even if they do not perform it, because they believe that there is no other God but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of God.

- From this, we understand the importance of Salat. It is communication and it is the only prescribed obligation revealed while the Prophet (pbuh) was not on Earth, because he was ascended to Miraj to receive the revelation about Salat - adds Dr. Ramadan.

What, as he points out, we often encounter today is that people fast but do not pray.

- Some fast and pray only during Ramadan, and then abandon it all. We must understand that the month of Ramadan is a school and a journey for the rest of our lives. So, I emphasize once again, if we acknowledge and testify to the existence of only one God, if we accept the revelation sent to us through Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), performing Salat means being a believer and being close to Allah - concludes Dr. Ramadan, saying: "Never forget to tell those you love that you love them!"