O you who neglect prayer; whom do you think yourself?

• Do you get along without your Lord to the degree that prevents you from prostrating yourself to your Creator?

• Did your arrogance went to degree of arrogance that prevents you from standing between the hands of your Lord in humility and submissiveness? {O man! What has made you careless about your Lord, the Most Generous? Who created you, fashioned you perfectly, and gave you due proportion. In whatever form He willed, He put you together} (Surat Al-Infitar: 6-8).
{يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ (6) الَّذِي خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّاكَ فَعَدَلَكَ (7) فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ مَا شَاءَ رَكَّبَكَ} [الانفطار: 6- 8]

O you who neglect prayer, do you not know that prayer is the last thing man clings to from among the rituals of his religion; when he loses it he loses his whole religion?! The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “ties of Islam will be untied one after the other; whenever a tie had been untied, people will cling to the next. The first tie to be untied is rule, and the last one is prayer” (Reported by Ibn Hibban and authenticated by Al-Albani).
«لتنقضن عرى الإسلام عروة عروة، فكلما انتقضت عروة، تشبث الناس بالتي تليها، فأولهن نقضا الحكم، وأخرهن الصلاة» [رواه ابن حبان وصححه الألباني]

O you who neglect prayer, do you not know that whoever deliberately neglects prayer is neglected from the custody of Allah? The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not associate partners to Allah even if you are tortured and burned, obey your parents even if they took your money and all your properties and do not deliberately neglect prayer, because whoever deliberately neglects prayer is neglected from the custody of Allah” (Reported by At-Tabarany and Al-Albani said that it is good by the virtue of another Hadeeth).
«لا تشرك بالله شيئا و إن عذبت و حرقت، أطع و الديك و إن أخرجاك من مالك، و من كل شيء هو لك، و لا تترك الصلاة متعمدا، فإن من ترك الصلاة متعمدا فقد برئت منه ذمة الله» [رواه الطبراني، وقال الألباني: حسن لغيره].

O you who neglect prayer, what do you still have from Islam after neglecting prayer? Do you not know that prayer is the pillar of Islam and the origin of faith?
O you who neglect prayer, do not you know that neglecting prayer is infidelity, polytheism and delusion?
• The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Between man and polytheism and infidelity is neglecting prayer” (Reported by Muslim).
«بين الرجل وبين الشرك والكفر ترك الصلاة» [رواه مسلم]

• And the Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The covenant that is between us and them (i.e. the infidel people) is (observing) prayer; therefore, whoever neglects it has disbelievedl” (reported by Ahmed and At-Tirmithi and authenticated by Al-Albani).
«العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة فمن تركها فقد كفر» [أخرجه أحمد والترمذي، وصححه الألباني]

• Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Whoever neglects prayer has no share of Islam.”

• Ibn Masûd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Whoever neglects prayer has no religion.”

• Abdullah ibn Shaqiq said: “The companions of the Messenger of Allah (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) did not see an act that its neglecting turns the believer to infidel except prayer.”

• Ibrahim An-Nakh’ey (may Allah mercy him) said: “Whoever neglects prayer is infidel.”

• Imam Adh-Dhahabi said: “The person who delays prayer commits a grave sin, and the person who neglects it totally is like the person who commits illegal sexual intercourse or steals. Moreover, neglecting each prayer is a grave sin, and the person who does this repeatedly is one of the people who commit the grave sins, unless he repents. However, if he insisted upon neglecting prayer, he would be one of the losers, evildoers and criminals.”

O you who neglect prayer, do not you know that neglecting prayer and carelessness in it is hypocrisy? Allah Almighty says: {Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allâh, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salât (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allâh but little} (Surat An-Nisâ`: 142).
{إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَى يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا} [النساء: 142]

• And the Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are ‘Isha` prayer and Fajr prayer. If they were to know the blessings they have, they would have come to them even crawling” (Agreed upon, wording is for Muslim).
«إن أثقل صلاة على المنافقين صلاة العشاء وصلاة الفجر، ولو يعلمون ما فيهما لأتوهما ولو حبوا» [متفق عليه، واللفظ لمسلم]

O you who neglect prayer, did you see! The hypocrites were used to observe prayer, although they observed it for boasting (Ryâ`). On the other hand, you never pray!

O you who neglect prayer, all creatures prostrate themselves to their Lord, but you! Allah Almighty says: {See you not that whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and Ad-Dawâbb [moving (living) creatures, beasts], and many of mankind prostrate themselves to Allah. But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified} (Surat Al-Hajj: 18).
{أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ} [الحج: 18]

If you did not pray, you would be one of the people on whom the punishment is justified.
O you who neglect prayer, would you be pleased by seeing the solid bodies, animals and all other creatures better and wiser than you?
O you who neglect prayer, do not you know that whoever neglects prayer will be in humbleness, fear and lowliness in the Day of Judgment? Allah Almighty says: {(Remember) the Day when the Shin shall be laid bare (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) and they shall be called to prostrate themselves (to Allâh), but they (hypocrites) shall not be able to do so. Their eyes will be cast down and ignominy will cover them; they used to be called to prostrate themselves (offer prayers), while they were healthy and good (in the life of the world, but they did not)} (Surat Al-Qalam: 42-43).
{يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ (42) خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ} [القلم: 42 ،43]

• How grave is your regret if you died while you are neglector to prayer!

• How grave is your calamity if you are resurrected while you are neglector to prayer!

• O you who neglect prayer; how grave is the sin that you commit by neglecting prayer!

O you who neglect prayer, do not you know that neglecting prayer is inattentiveness and heart roughness? The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “People must cease to neglect the Friday prayer or Allah will seal their hearts and then they will be among the negligent” (Reported by Muslim).
«لينتهين أقوام عن ودعهم الجمعات، أو ليختمن الله على قلوبهم، ثم ليكونن من الغافلين» [رواه مسلم].

O you who neglect prayer, do not you know that the person who neglects prayer will be tortured in Hell with the infidel and criminals?

 

Listen to the answer of the people of Hell when they will be asked: {“What has caused you to enter Hell?” They will say: “We were not of those who used to offer the Salât (prayers)} (Surat Al-Muddaththir: 42-43).
{مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِي سَقَرَ (42) قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَ} [المدثر: 42 ،43]

And Allah almighty says:{Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salât (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salât (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell} (Surat Maryam: 59).
{فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا} [مريم: 59]

O you who neglect prayer, do not you know that neglecting prayer is darkness, destruction and stray in this life and Hereafter too? The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It will be light, proof and safety in the Day of Judgment for whoever observed it, and it will not be light, proof or safety for whoever did not observe it, and in the Day of Judgment he will be with Qarûn, Pharaoh, Haman and Obai ibn Khalaf” (Reported by Ahmad with good chain of transmission according to the saying of Al-Mundhiri).
«من حافظ عليها كانت له نورا وبرهانا ونجاة يوم القيامة، ومن لم يحافظ عليها لم يكن له نور ولا برهان ولا نجاة وكان يوم القيامة مع قارون وفرعون وهامان وأبي بن خلف» [رواة أحمد بإسناد جيد كما قال المنذري].

O you who neglect prayer, do you want to be resurrected with the pioneers of infidelity and the leaders of denial, injustice and stray?
O you who neglect prayer, do not you know that neglecting prayer is one of the gravest calamities, catastrophes and disasters that you had? The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The person who misses Asr prayer is like the one who lost his family and money” (Reported by Al-Bukhari).
«الذي تفوته صلاة العصر، كأنما وتر أهله وماله» [رواه البخاري]

This is about the person who misses only Asr prayer, then what about the person who neglects all prayers?!
O you who neglect prayer, do not you know that neglecting prayer is life of worries, upset, heart constriction and hard life? Allah Almighty says: {“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur’ân nor acts on its teachings.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” He will say: “O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind, while I had sight (before).” (Allâh) will say: “Like this: Our Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) came unto you, but you disregarded them (i.e. you left them, did not think deeply in them, and you turned away from them), and so this Day, you will be neglected (in the Hell-fire, away from Allâh’s Mercy).”} (Surat Ta-hâ: 124-126).
{وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى (124) قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَى وَقَدْ كُنْتُ بَصِيرًا (125) قَالَ كَذَلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا وَكَذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنْسَى} [طه: 124- 126]

Alas! What a pity for you who neglect prayer! How does time pass and life come to its end while there is a curtain between your heart and your Lord?
How do you get out of life without tasting the best thing in it? Actually, the best thing in life is worshipping Allah the Exalted and Glorious, remembering Him, thanking Him and praying to Him.
O you who neglect prayer, what is in your religion could be dear to you if your prayer became trivial in your eyes? Do not you know that whoever neglects prayer could neglect other things in easier way? Al-Hassan said: “O son of Adam, if your prayer became trivial in your eyes, what could be dear to you??
– O inattentive person, turn to your Lord before death comes to you while you are a neglector of prayer.
– Turn to your Lord before you say: {“My Lord! Send me back, so that I may do good in that which I have left behind!”}, and you will be answered with: {No} (Surat Al-Mu`minun: 99-100).
{رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ (99) لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ} فيقال لك: {كَلَّا} [المؤمنون: 99، 100]

– Turn to your Lord before you say: {“Alas! Would that I had sent forth (good deeds) for (this) my life!”} (Surat Al-Fajr: 24).
{يَا لَيْتَنِي قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِي} [الفجر: 24]

– Turn to your Lord before you say: {“Our Lord! Bring us out, we shall do righteous good deeds, not (the evil deeds) that we used to do.”} (Surat Fâtir: 37).
{رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ} [فاطر: 37]

– Turn to your Lord before you say: {“Woe to me! Would that I were dust!”} (Surat An-Naba`: 40).
{يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنْتُ تُرَابًا} [النبأ: 40]

May Allah grant us and you a sincere repent and returning to Him before death. And the last of our invocations is; all praise is due to Allah the Lord of the worlds.

Compiled by: Al-Watan House