You’re on a road trip, it’s a rainy day and your car loses control and ends up diving into a muddy ditch; your car now is completely covered in dirt. You arrive back home and your car is a filth, the mud has been dried up. It’s too dirty and difficult to clean now. So you’ve made a decision. You’re throwing your car away.…….
As crazy as that may sound, many Muslims are guilty of doing the same thing, but worse, they are deciding to throw their faiths away because of how dirty they feel from sinning.
Unfortunately, a number of Muslims are giving up on themselves. With this loss of hope, they are deciding to give up on one of the greatest pillars of Islam – their prayers. What’s the point they may ask ? What’s the point of standing in prayer in front of Allah when I’m filled with sins ? Why should I be a hypocrite and act like I’m somehow righteous when I’m not? Allah is probably upset with me anyways and won’t accept my prayers….There’s no point, therefore, I QUIT…..
One of the last words of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) before he bade farewell to the world were: “ Prayer, prayer…” (Abi Dawud 5156). Can you imagine. His blessed soul is about to depart, and yet his concern is that we take good care of our prayers. That we take great hold this trust we promised to uphold when we submitted ourselves as Muslims.
So why should a constant sinner continue to hold on to prayers ?
1. Because Prayer is a fundamental pillar of Islam. It is what distinguishes a believer from a non-believer. “The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Between a person and Kufr (disbelief) is abandoning the prayer.’” (Ibn Majah 1078)
2. Because prayer is a means of purification which helps one to abstain from wrongdoings, immorality and sin. “Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater.” (29:45)
3. Because prayer will be the first thing you will be asked about on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Indeed the first deed by which a servant will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection is his Salat (Prayer). If it is complete, he is successful and saved, but if it is defective, he has failed and lost. (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 413)
4. Because Prayer connects you with your Creator. When we lose that connection we become helpless and miserable.”But whosoever turns away from My Reminder verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” (201:124)
5. Because when you deprive yourself from prayer, you are depriving yourself from guidance, from goodness and from the bounties and mercy of Allah.
6. Because when you remember Allah, Allah will remember you and draw nearer to you. Hadith Qudsi: “I am with him as he remembers me. If he remembers me in himself, then I will remember him in myself. If he mentions me in a gathering, then I will mention him in a greater gathering. When he draws near to me by the span of his hand, I draw near him by the length of a cubit. When he draws near me by the length of a cubit, I draw near him by the length of a fathom. When he comes to me walking, I will come to him running.” (Muslim 2675 a)
7. Because prayer is the only obligatory act of worship prescribed in the Heavens due to its weighty importance. Anas bin Malik narrated: “On the Night of Isra, fifty prayers were made obligatory upon the Prophet. Then it was decreased until it was made five. Then it was called out: ‘O Muhammad! Indeed My Word does not change; these five prayers will be recorded for you as fifty.'” ( Jami` at-Tirmidhi 213)
8. Because prayer is one of the greatest and most beloved acts of worship in the sight of Allah.
9. Because the five daily prayers are an expiation of the sins between them.The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The five (daily) prayers ……… are expiations for the (sins) committed in between provided one shuns the major sins. (Muslim 233c)
10. Because holding on to prayers will be a means to enter Al-Firdaus. “And who (strictly) guard their prayers. These will be the heirs, Who will inherit al-Firdaus: they will dwell therein (forever).” (23:9-11)
11. Because abandoning it will eventually lead to your destruction. “But after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed after lusts soon, then, will they face Destruction.” (19:59)
“On Day of Judgement, the wrongdoers will be asked: “What has caused you to enter Hell?” They will reply, “We were not of those who prayed…” (74:42-43)
12. Because prayer is the sweetness, comfort, joy and delight of the heart. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Get up, Bilal, and give us comfort by the prayer (Abi Dawud 4986)
13. Because prayer is light on the Day of Judgment. Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever guards his prayers will have light and clarity and salvation on the Day of Resurrection (Ahmad 6540)
What many Muslims need to understand is that we are not Angels nor Prophets. We all sin, some more than others, and it’s okay. We are only human. But we tend to forget who our Lord is. We tend to forget that we have a Lord who is the Most Great, the Most Merciful and Oft –Forgiving. One who keeps accepting the repentance of His servant no matter how many times they fall into the same sin. But making the decision to completely stop praying isn’t the solution. Not only will you have fallen into deeper sin, but you will have lost your true connection with Allah. Your life will only go downhill from there as you have sold your hereafter for this temporary Dunya….which is exactly what Shaitan wants. And on Judgment Day, this very enemy of yours will free himself from you: “And Shaitan (Satan) will say when the matter has been decided: “Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, so you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves…” (14:22)
Some really strong words from Shaitan. His ultimate goal is to cause despair among the servants of Allah and distance them from their real purpose, distance them from the worship of their Creator. So why would we give in to such deception? With Allah, there is always hope, always a chance to turn back and become a better person, and nothing better than to keep hold of the prayers regardless of the mountain of sins we have committed.
So, next time when you feel that you’re too dirty to prayer, remember this beautiful hadith:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If there was a river at the door of anyone of you and he took a bath in it five times a day would you notice any dirt on him?” They said, “Not a trace of dirt would be left.” The Prophet added, “That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out (annuls) evil deeds.”(Bukhari)
May Allah make us all from those who strictly guard their prayers and inherit Al-Firdaus.
