Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba, a venerated West African Scholar, was in a dilemma.

He was being held captive on a French military barge, a rather distressing setting for a man of his spiritual standing. Amidst his hardships, the athan for Asr prayer rang.

Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba requested the French authorities grant him space to worship.

His request was adamantly refused.

Despite the physical restraints, his commitment to his faith remained unyielding.

He took a sajadah, a prayer mat traditionally used for Salah, and unrolled it onto the Atlantic Ocean. He then ensued to pray Salah on the gentle ripples of the Atlantic before folding his mat once more and returning to the ship.

It’s truly fascinating that this Sheikh was able to pray on water.

Yet, this enthusiasm is misplaced.

The real marvel, the true lesson in this tale, was his commitment to praying on time.

Despite his extraordinary situation, he prioritized his Salah at its appointed time above all else. The spiritual value contained within this act of devotion, discipline, and steadfastness is immeasurable.

In our modern lives, we often let the temporal milestones of prayers slip past our daily routines, subtly undermining the multiple merits of punctuality in prayer.

We can marvel at the spiritual strength demonstrated by Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba, but more importantly, we should appreciate his stringent adherence to prayer times.

Strive then, as he did, to establish your prayers on time. By doing so, we realign ourselves with the rhythm of our faith and render ourselves more open to the boundless spiritual blessings of timely prayer.

IMPORTANT: In honor of Black History Month, we will explore the importance of Blackness in Islam, the rich legacy in our history, and the wisdom of our scholars. We are also collaborating with our friends at the Islamic Ummah Relief to raise funds to help our brothers and sisters in Nigeria.

All contributions are zakat-eligible and go towards vital community needs.

May Allah (swt) reward you all greatly for your contribution.