"I arrived in Al-Madinah and said: 'O Allah, make it easy for me to find a righteous companion.' Then I sat with Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, and said: 'I prayed to Allah to help me find a righteous companion.' So tell me a Hadith that you heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), so that Allah might benefit me from it. He said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "The first thing for which a person will be brought to account will be his Salah. If it is sound then he will have succeeded, be salvaged, but if it is not then he will have lost and be doomed." - (One of the narrators) Hammam said: "I do not know whether this was the words of Qatadah or part of the report." - "If anything is lacking from his obligatory prayers, He will say: 'Look and see whether My slave has any voluntary prayers to make up for what is deficient from his obligatory prayers.' Then all of his deeds will be dealt with in like manner."
The Book of Salah - Sunan an-Nasa'i 465
This narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i, transmitted through Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), contains profound wisdom regarding the importance of prayer in the divine accounting.
Primary Meaning and Significance
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) explicitly states that the first matter for which a servant will be questioned on the Day of Judgment is their prayer. This establishes prayer as the fundamental pillar of Islam and the primary criterion for salvation.
The hadith establishes a clear dichotomy: if one's prayer is sound and complete, they attain success and salvation; if deficient, they face loss and damnation. This emphasizes prayer's critical role in determining eternal fate.
Divine Accounting Process
Allah's mercy is demonstrated through the examination of voluntary prayers (nawafil) to compensate for deficiencies in obligatory prayers. This shows divine compassion while maintaining the seriousness of fulfilling religious obligations.
The phrase "then all of his deeds will be dealt with in like manner" indicates that this method of accounting applies to all religious duties, establishing a comprehensive system of divine justice.
Practical Implications
Muslims must prioritize perfecting their obligatory prayers while maintaining regular voluntary prayers, as these serve as spiritual reserves that can compensate for shortcomings.
The narration encourages constant self-assessment of one's prayer quality and consistency, recognizing it as the foundation upon which all other deeds are evaluated.