Neglecting the Prayer
Creator: Shaykh Usaamah Al-Qoosee
Date: 2007-07-25
Format: text
Identifier: http://web.archive.org/web/20040202054459/http://www.al-manhaj.com/Page1.cfm?ArticleID=41
Language: en
Subject: prayer
Title: Neglecting the Prayer
Created on: Wed Jul 25 21:29:55 -0400 2007
Updated on: Wed Jul 25 21:29:55 -0400 2007
Version: 1
Abstract: ... ord is that before which no one can feel secure! And those who guard their chastity. Except with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for they are not blameworthy in that. But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors. And those who keep their trusts and covenants. And those who stand firm in their testimonies. And those who guard their prayer. They are the ones who will dwell in the Gardens (of Paradise) in honor." [Surah Al-Ma'aarij: 19-35] So Allaah begins describing them with the prayer and He closes His description of them with the prayer. So Allaah says: "Except those devoted to prayer - those who remain constant in their prayer." Then He closes His description by saying: "And those who guard their prayer. They are the ones who will dwell in the Gardens (of Paradise) in honor." So these are the attributes of the true believers. Allaah mentions in His Mighty Book that neglecting the prayer goes hand in hand with the following of ones desires. So beware, beware of being from those who neglect the prayer! As for not praying, then it is disbelief, and as for neglecting it, then it is from the greatest of sins. Rather, the servant (of Allaah) does not commit a sin - after shirk with Allaah - like the sin of not praying or killing a person that Allaah has forbidden to kill, except with due right. So not praying is a great matter. It is one of the branches of disbelief and one of the attributes of the disbelievers, while, performing the prayer is one of the branches of Eemaan and one of the attributes of the believers - those who are truthful and patient, those who know the right of Allaah, those who fear the Day of Judgement, those who are afraid of Allaah's punishment on the Day of Judgement - the Day in which "neither one's wealth nor his children will be of use to him, except for the one who comes to Allaah with a pure heart." [Surah Ash-Shu'araa: 89] So neglecting the prayer, whether by performing it in other than its proper time or by performing it in a manner, which is not valid, this is from the greatest of major sins. Allaah says: "Then a generation came after them who neglected the prayer and followed their desires. So they will be thrown in Hell." [Surah Maryam: 59] So Allaah threatens them with punishment and He threatens them with destruction. He threatens them with His Anger and His Torment - even though they pray… However, they neglect the prayer. So do not be surpised when Allaah says: "So woe be to those who pray." But this is not for everyone that prays, but rather it is only meant for those who neglect the prayer - those who do not pray it in their proper times or who do not perform it in the manner in which it will be validly accepted. "So woe be to those who pray - those who are neglectful about their prayer." [Surah Al-Ma'oon: 2-3] So if Allaah, Lord of all worlds, threatens those who delay their prayers, then what about those who do not pray at all? What about those who insist on taking the resemblance of the disbelievers. What about those who refuse to pray, taking on the characteristic of the disbelievers - those who will reside in the Blazing Fire. The Fire - which no one will be able to stand. No one will be able to stand its heat. No one will be able to bear its violent winds. No one will be able to take its boiling winds. No one will be able to tolerate even spending a moment in the torment of Allaah, ta'alaa. And indeed, in the days that just passed by, we even complained about the severe heat. The Prophet (saws) said about it: "The severe heat is from the whiff of the Hellfire." So we cannot even stand a whiff of the heat - we cannot tolerate a small portion of its heat. So what about the person that lives in it? What about the person that makes it his home and eternal dwelling place? What about the person that is from its people and inhabitants? He will drink from its boiling water, which is like boiling oil that scalds the bellies, like the boiling of scalding hot water, which tears the intestines when passing through them. Who amongst us is able to withstand this? Who amongst us O servants of Allaah, is able to tolerate this? (Allaah says): "Then a generation came after them who neglected the prayer" - they did not abandon the prayer, rather they only neglected it. They neglected it by not praying it in its proper times. They delay the Dhuhr prayer to the time of 'Asr, and the 'Asr prayer to the time of Maghrib. They delay praying 'Asr and Maghrib until the time of 'Ishaa. They do not pray the Fajr pray not even once, and if they do pray it, they pray it much later than its due time. He gets up and then goes back to sleep. Then he gets up and prays it at the time that is convenient for him. He doesn't have any concern for getting up to pray! And he doesn't guard his prayers by praying them on their proper times. He doesn't concern himself with praying in the manner that Allaah loves and is pleased with. There was a man among the Companions of Allaah's Messenger that once prayed and after praying, the Prophet (saws) told him: "Go back and pray, for you did not pray." This was even though the person had prayed. But he prayed the type of prayer similar to a large portion of prayers - the prayer that many of us perform. Many of us pray that same kind of prayer, which that man prayed. How did this man pray? As soon as he faced the qiblah, you find that he rushed to bow. Then he did not rest in the bowing position but rose quickly from it. And he did not straighten himself when rising to the standing position, but rushed to prostrate. And he did not spend much time in prostration, until you found him getting up to sit. And he did not get into the sitting position except that he was back down in prostration. So he is like a crow that pecks on the ground. So his prayer is called the pecking of a crow - a prayer that is like the pecking of a crow - up and down, up and down - as many of us do today. One feels satified with himself that he has prayed, but in realit... [Full Article...]
