Indeed, a servant may pray a prayer, but nothing of it is recorded for him except a tenth of it, or a ninth, or an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or a half

Arabic text

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَنَمَةَ، قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ عَمَّارَ بْنَ يَاسِرٍ دَخَلَ المَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى، ‌فَأَخَفَّ ‌الصَّلَاةَ، قَالَ: فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ، قُمْتُ إِلَيْهِ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَبَا اليَقْظَانِ، لَقَدْ خَفَّفْتَ، قَالَ: فَهَلْ رَأَيْتَنِي انْتَقَصْتُ مِنْ حُدُودِهَا شَيْئًا؟! قُلْتُ: لَا، قَالَ: فَإِنِّي بَادَرْتُ بِهَا سَهْوَةَ الشَّيْطَانِ، سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: « إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيُصَلِّي الصَّلَاةَ، مَا يُكْتَبُ لَهُ مِنْهَا إِلَّا عُشْرُهَا، تُسْعُهَا، ثُمُنُهَا، سُبُعُهَا، سُدُسُهَا، خُمُسُهَا، رُبُعُهَا، ثُلُثُهَا نِصْفُهَا».

Translation

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Anamah reported: I saw ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir enter the mosque and perform the prayer, and he performed it briefly. When he came out, I went to him and said: O Abu al-Yaqzhān, you performed the prayer briefly. He replied: Did you see me leave out any of its required parts or limits? I said: No. He said: Verily, I hastened in it to ward off the distraction of the devil. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "Indeed, a servant may pray a prayer, but nothing of it is recorded for him except a tenth of it, or a ninth, or an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or a half."

Explanation

‘Ammār ibn Yāsir (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) entered the mosque and performed a voluntary prayer, which was brief. When he left the mosque, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Anamah followed him and said: O Abu al-Yaqzhān, I noticed that you prayed very briefly! ‘Ammār said: Did you see me omit any of its pillars, obligations, or conditions? He replied: No. ‘Ammār said: Verily, I only prayed it briefly before the devil could distract me. I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: A servant may perform a prayer, yet only a tenth of its reward is written for him, or a ninth, or an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or a half.

Benefits

• Keenness of the early generations to advise and counsel one another.
• Verification and asking for clarification before objecting or criticizing.
• Sufficing with the words of the Prophet (ﷺ) as the final and complete answer to any question or doubt.
• The reward of prayer decreases in proportion to the lack of humility and contemplation within it.
• Strong encouragement and earnest urging to maintain humility and to have one’s heart fully present with Allah Almighty during prayer.

Topics

• Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles
• Virtues and Manners
• Jurisprudence of Acts of Worship
• Prayer
• Heart-Softeners and Sermons
• Acts of Heart
• Virtue of Prayer