Miftah-ul-Janna (Booklet for way to Paradise)

Mishkât-ul-Mesâbih (and written by Waliyy-ud-dîn Khatîb-i-
Tebrîzî Muhammad bin ’Abdullah ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’, d.
749 [1348 A.D.] as a commentary and complementary to the book
entitled Mesâbih (and written by Imâm Beghâwî Huseyn bin
Mes’ûd Muhy-is-sunna ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’, d. 516 [1122
A.D.]). Eshi’at-ul-leme’at is a book in four volumes. Its ninth
edition was published in 1384 [1964 A.D.] in Lucknow, India.
Namâz is called ‘salât’ in the Arabic language. And the original
meaning of salât is prayer, rahmat (compassion, mercy) and
istighfâr (begging Allâhu ta’âlâ for forgiveness). Because namâz
contains all three meanings, namâz has been called ‘salât’.
1– Abû Hurayra ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ quotes Rasûlullah ‘sall-
Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ as having stated: “The daily five prayers
and the Friday prayer are expiations for the sins to be committed
until next Friday; and fasting (for thirty days) in Ramadân is an
expiation for the sins to be committed until next Ramadân. They
cause forgiveness for the venial sins committed by Muslims who
avoid committing grave sins.” They annihilate the venial sins that
are committed in the meantime and which do not involve human
rights. With Muslims whose venial sins have all been forgiven and
there are no more of them left, they, (i.e. Friday prayer and fasting
in Ramadân,) cause alleviation of the torment for their grave sins.
Forgiveness of grave sins requires, in addition, making tawba for
them, (which in turn means to repent for the sins committed, to
beg Allâhu ta’âlâ, to be firmly resolved not to commit them again,
and to promise Allâhu ta’âlâ not to commit them again.) If a
Muslim has not committed any grave sins, then they cause his
spiritual promotion. This hadîth-i-sherîf is written in the book
entitled Sahîh-i-Muslim. Friday prayers cause forgiveness of
Muslims whose five daily prayers are defective. If their Friday
prayers also are defective, then their fasting in Ramadân causes
them to be forgiven.
2– Abû Hurayra ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’, again, narrates:
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated: “Supposing there
is a stream running before the door of a person’s house and he
bathes five times daily in that stream. Will there be any dirt left on
him?” “No, there won’t be any dirt left, o the blessed Messenger
of Allah,” replied the Sahâba. Thereupon Rasûlullah said: “So is
the case with the daily five prayers. Allâhu ta’âlâ forgives the
venial sins of Muslims who perform namâz five times daily.” This
hadîth-i-sherîf is written in Sahîh-i-Bukhârî as well as in Sahîh-i-
Muslim.
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