Rewards for Incomplete Prayers
📖Sunan Abi Dawud 796
‘Ammar b. Yasir said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “A man returns after saying his prayer while a tenth part of his prayer, or a ninth part, or an eighth part, or a seventh part, or a sixth part, or a fifth part, or a third part, or half of it, is recorded for him.”
Description:
This hadith teaches that the value of prayer is not measured by length or completion alone, but by the presence of heart and sincerity within it. A person may outwardly perform the full prayer but be distracted, earning only a fraction of its reward. On the other hand, a person may pray only part of the prayer due to a genuine reason, yet because of true devotion, Allah may reward him as if he completed it.
The hadith reflects a deep truth: reward is tied to intention and presence, not just physical performance.
What we learn today:
In our modern lives, people may sometimes be forced to break their salah for urgent matters (danger, emergency, health). If their heart was sincere, and their intention was to complete it, Allah, in His justice and mercy, may still record the prayer fully. Meanwhile, someone who prayed the full prayer absentmindedly may leave with only a tenth of its reward. This hadith humbles us and reminds us to always prioritize sincerity over form.
Quranic Context:
📖Quran 39:9
Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?”
The Qur’an praises devotion and inner fear of Allah more than just physical acts. This supports the meaning that true reward depends on the heart, not just the motions.
📖Quran 2:286
Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear…
If someone is forced to stop or shorten an act of worship due to hardship, their intention is still rewarded, because Allah is not unjust, and that mercy applies to salah as well.
Summary:
A man may finish salah completely but earn little due to heedlessness, while another may be forced to leave early, but earn full reward because of sincere devotion. The scales of Allah measure hearts, not just motions.