Benefits of Zuhr and Asr Prayers

The Divine source of instruction delivered for the benefit of humanity is the Quran. It contains instructions for every facet of life, and by reading it, one may learn the proper path to take in any endeavour. Apart from anything else, memorising Quran Kareem would help someone comprehend how important Salat, or prayer, is to Islam.

One of the aspects of the Quran that is most frequently highlighted is salat, and Allah Almighty has repeatedly urged Muslims to say their prayers on a regular basis. There are also several hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that demonstrate and convey the significance of prayer. Therefore, as soon as a Muslim child develops common sense, their parents begin teaching them how to offer Salat, either by doing it themselves or by utilising tools like the Step-by-Step Salat app.

The second pillar of Islam is prayer, which is also one of a Muslim’s main duties. Every day at the designated times, a Muslim is required to offer five prayers. The Fajr prayer is the first, followed by Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and then Isha prayer.

Zuhr:

The second prayer a Muslim must perform each day is called Zuhr prayer. Just after midday, the Fajr prayer period begins, and it lasts until noon. The four Sunnah rakats are followed by four Fard rakats, two Sunnah rakats, and two Nafl rakats, or optional rakats, make up the Zuhr prayer.

In relation to the award. The Fard prayer of Zuhr is rewarded with Allah Almighty in the same way as the other Fard prayers. However, as far as the Sunnah of Zuhr are concerned, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in a hadith:

“Whoever observes the practice of performing four Rakat before Zuhr prayer and four (2 sunnah, 2 nafl) after the zuhr prayer, Allah will send him against the Fire (of Hell).” (Tirmidhi)

This hadith emphasises how crucial it is to say the Sunnah prayer both before and after the Zuhr prayer in order to obtain shelter from the fires of Hell. Offering Fard prayer is required, and failure to do so will be seen negatively. However, when one does these Sunnah prayers, Allah Ta’ala grants additional benefits, including protection from the flames of Hell.

At another place, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said pertaining to Zuhr prayer:

“This is an hour at which the gates of heaven are opened, and I like that my good deeds should rise to heaven at that time.” (Tirmidhi)

The hadith makes it clear that Zuhr is a moment when a person’s account is carried to skies, hence it is more than necessary for the day’s account to be closed with good deeds. What good action could be better than providing both the bonus Sunnah prayer and the required prayer?

The time of Zuhr also signifies the middle of our busy daily schedule in addition to being a period when a person’s accounts are closed and the portals of heaven are opened. So taking a break from the routine and remembering Allah Almighty certainly lifts the spirit and provides one more strength to get through the remainder of the day in a healthy way.

Asr Prayer:

The third and last required prayer, known as Asr, is given in the late afternoon. The 4 Sunnah that must be recited before the 4 Fard prayers make up the prayer. There are several hadiths that mention how important Asr time and prayer are. The lines below discuss those hadiths.

In one of the hadiths, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“He who observes Al-Bardan (i.e. Fajr and Asr prayers) will enter Jannah.” (Bukhari)

This hadith emphasises the benefit of offering these prayers promptly. The emphasis placed on these two prayers is due to the seeming difficulty in offering them since, although one is in deep slumber during Fajr, one is either busy due to the day’s conclusion or overtired due to the long day during Asr. Therefore, if one wants to join Jannah, they must be sure to give both of these prayers. At another place, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“He who performs Salat (prayers) before the rising of the sun and before its setting, will not enter the Hell.” (Muslim)

The Fajr and Asr prayers are mentioned in this hadith once again. Unlike the previous hadith, when both of these prayers ensured admittance into Jannah, the present hadith guarantees shelter from Hell. Offering both of these prayers, then, benefits the Muslim overall. At another place, Prophet (PBUH) said:

“He who misses the Asr Salat (deliberately), his deeds will be rendered nul and void.” (Bukhari)

The graveness of purposefully skipping the Asr prayer is evident from the hadith. It implies that a person’s good works throughout the day are rendered meaningless if they do not give the Asr prayer. Therefore, it is important to avoid skipping Asr prayer.

Note – Besides the importance of these particular Prayers, you can read about general importance of Islamic Prayers with reference to Quranic Verses.

Conclusion:

In summary, Zuhr and Asr have immense importance and reward and are just as important as the other prayers. Each and every Muslim must make sure to offer the Sunnah in addition to the Fard Rakats of both prayers.