Mr. Soleh always answered that the fajr prayer in congregation was the most valuable treasure that he would not leave behind.

Mr. Soleh always answered that the fajr prayer in congregation was the most valuable treasure that he would not leave behind.
Photo by Carsten Stalljohann on Unsplash


Heavy rain began to pour, adding to the cold weather in the early morning. Unexpectedly, water had covered the road to the mosque. 

It has been raining since last night. Sometimes it is heavy, and sometimes it is just a drizzle like sowing seeds on the rice field embankment. 

There was almost no sound, the mother tadpoles continued to howl, they hid in the water to welcome the happy day because there was no longer any drought and the scorching sun. 

One by one the call to prayer began to sound, faintly audible amidst the fog, 

"It's very cold, aras-arasen rasane (feels lazy) I want to go to the mosque," said Mr. Soleh's wife. 

"It's just cold, why don't you want to go to the mosque, ma'am," said Mr. Soleh in response to his wife. 

Mr. Soleh did not immediately coax his wife to come with him to the mosque. He decided to go alone carrying an umbrella even though the drizzle was almost over. 

In the eyes of the surrounding community, Mr. Soleh is indeed known to be diligent in congregation at the mosque. Especially for the fajr prayer, he never misses it. 

If asked, why did he never leave the fajr prayer congregation? Mr. Soleh always answered that the fajr prayer in congregation was the most valuable treasure that he would not leave behind. 

In addition to diligently performing the fajr prayer in congregation, Mr. Soleh is also known as a wise person. He never forced anyone to follow in his footsteps. He never forced even his wife and children. He has a principle that prayer is a consciousness that every Muslim must have. Mr. Soleh just wants to set an example. 

One time, Mr. Soleh's neighbor was sick. Suddenly, he was visited by the sick relative and Mr. Soleh was asked to pray for him. 

Mr. Soleh was confused and then, steadying himself, Mr. Soleh gave him a glass of water while the Al Fatihah was read. 

Not long after, his neighbor was healed. Long story short, since then Mr. Soleh has often been asked to pray for his neighbors whenever they are sick. 

This story amazed the author even though it was only told by a friend who was a neighbor of Mr. Soleh. This makes us realize that there is an extraordinary blessing in the dawn and the dawn is a time that is efficacious for prayer. So it is not surprising that the Muhammad Shallallahu alaihi Wasallam always prayed for people who wanted to perform the fajr prayer, 

"O Allah, bless my people as long as they are happy to wake up at dawn." (Hadith narrated by Turmudzi, Abu Daud, Ahmad and Ibn Majah) 

(Adapted from the book The Power of 14 Charities & Stories of Their Practices)