Delaying the Prayer

Delaying the prayer

You should understand that delaying prayer beyond the time when it is due is a major sin, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salaah (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaah (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell”
[Maryam 19:59]

Ibn Mas’ood said concerning al-Ghayy [translated in the verse quoted above as Hell): This is a valley in Hell which is very deep and foul.
So these people who delay there prayers etc may be Muslim, yet Allah has promised them a particular place in Hell for them because of their act concerning the prayer.

Those who delay there prayer because of university, work, children etc will not be a valid excuse on the day of judgement as you are letting your wealth, or children distract you from the remembrance of Allah:
"O you who believe! let not your wealth, or your children, divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, these are the losers."
[Surah Al-Munafiqoon: Verse 9]

If you delay your prayer out of its stated time because of worldly matters (without valid excuse like travelling, unconsciousness etc) then you have indeed preferred these matters, (i.e your work, your family, your friends) over Allah. Yet Allah is the One who has provided these things for you.

If a person truly believes in Allaah, His Messengers and His Books, and believes that prayer is obligatory and is the greatest pillar of Islam after the Shahaadatayn, we cannot imagine that he would neglect to pray or be careless in performing the prayers. Rather he would never feel at ease unless he performs this important ritual regularly.

For more information visit:
http://www.islamqa.com/en/search?key=delaying+prayer+&yt0=search