Whoever abandons the ‘Asr prayer, his deeds will be rendered worthless

Arabic text

عن بريدة بن الحصيب رضي الله عنه أنه قال: بَكِّرُوا بِصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ، فَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَنْ تَرَكَ صَلَاةَ الْعَصْرِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ».

Translation

Buraydah ibn al-Hasīb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Offer the ‘Asr prayer early, for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever abandons the ‘Asr prayer, his deeds will be rendered worthless."

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned against deliberately delaying the ‘Asr prayer beyond its appointed time and that whoever does so, his deeds will become invalid and will be rendered worthless.

Benefits

• The Hadīth urges us to always perform the ‘Asr prayer at its early time and hasten to do so.
• It gives a stern warning to anyone who abandons the ‘Asr prayer. Indeed, delaying the ‘Asr prayer beyond its time is greater than delaying other prayers. The middle prayer referred to in the command occurring in the verse reads: {Be mindful of the prayers, especially the middle prayer; and stand before Allah in complete devotion.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 238]

Topics

• Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles
• Jurisprudence of Acts of Worship
• Prayer
• Obligation of Prayer and Ruling on Its Abandoner