Hadith Text

"The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his Salah. If it is found to be complete then it will be recorded as complete, and if anything is lacking He will say: 'Look and see if you can find any voluntary prayers with which to complete what he neglected of his obligatory prayers.' Then the rest of his deeds will be reckoned in like manner."

Source Reference

The Book of Salah, Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 466

Scholarly Commentary

This profound hadith establishes the paramount importance of the obligatory prayers in the divine reckoning. The prayer (Salah) is the first act of worship for which a servant will be held accountable because it is the pillar of Islam and the foundation of one's relationship with Allah.

The completeness mentioned refers to performing the prayer with its proper conditions, pillars, and obligations - including purity, facing the Qiblah, timeliness, and proper recitation. When the obligatory prayer is deficient, the voluntary prayers (nawafil) serve as compensation and completion, demonstrating Allah's immense mercy.

This divine methodology of accounting shows that Allah first examines the most fundamental obligations before proceeding to secondary matters. The prioritization of Salah indicates its status as the distinguishing characteristic between faith and disbelief.

Scholars emphasize that this hadith should inspire Muslims to perfect their obligatory prayers and increase in supererogatory prayers, for they may become the means of salvation on the terrifying Day of Judgment.