Giving up calmness during salah
The worst crime of stealing is stealing from one's salah, as the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sailam, said, "The worst of stealers are those who steal from their salahs." People asked: "0 Messenger of Allah, how could one steal from his payer?" He said: "He would not bow down and prostrate completely" (Ahmad). Neglecting to be calm and, neglecting to straighten the back during rukuu and sujood, and not reaching full straight up position after coming up from kneeling (rukoo) and also when sitting after prostration, all these mistakes are commonly seen among the Muslims, almost in every masjid.
Calmness is a necessary condition in salah, for the salah would not be correct without it. This is a serious matter, for the Messenger ofAllah sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "A man's salah is not correct until he straightens [makes level] his back during kneeling and prostration."(Abu Dawud). Those who commit this sin should be reprimanded and threatened if necessary, for Abu Abdullah al-Ash'ari said: "The Messenger ofAllah sailallahu alayhe wa sallam, led his companions in salah, then he sat among a group of them when a man came in, and performed his salah so quickly like a pecking bird. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam then said: "Do you see this man? Whoever dies while in this state [i.e. performing salah in this way], has died outside the creed of Muhammad. He performs his salah like a crow who pecks blood. Those who bow and prostrate as if they were pecking are like the hungry who eats but one or two dates, how can they satisfy his hunger?" (Ibn Khuzaymah) Huthayfah radhiallahu anhu saw a man hastening his bowing and prostration, he said: "You did not pray, and if you died, you would have died not on the innate nature that Allah has created Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam with." (al-Bukhari)
If one performs salah in a hastened way out of ignorance, then realizes his mistake, it is necessary that he repeats the salah as long as the time of the salah following it has not come, as indicated in the above hadith (go back and make the salah again for you did not make it), and he should repent for the previous salahs, but he is not obliged to repeat them.
