The value of prayer.
One who gives up performing the prescribed prayers because of work obligations and the struggle for livelihood is like a soldier who abandons their training when they’re in the trench; just when you need it the most; they would prefer to beg for food at the market vs. tackle difficulty.
A sign that we were created for worship is most evident in our weakness. We cannot even compete with a small bird.
A sign that our worship is weak is how we seek validation through created things. This is akin to watching sand fall through the cracks of your fingers. Perhaps the reason why our Islam today resembles so little of what it ought to be, of what it could be, is because our criterion is everything other than Islam.
We worry about Donald Trump, but in truth, how long will Donald Trump live? He’s already 70 years old? How long will he be in power? 4 years? 8 years? And yet we’ve been seeing for decade after decade, failure amongst the Muslims. Tyrant after tyrant propped up to terrorize us. And we flee and run…
فَفِرّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ إِنّي لَكُم مِنهُ نَذيرٌ مُبينٌ
وَلا تَجعَلوا مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلٰهًا آخَرَ ۖ إِنّي لَكُم مِنهُ نَذيرٌ مُبينٌ
“So rush to Allah for safety! I’m a clear warner from Him to you. Do not set up another god together with Allah. Truly I bring you a clear warning from Him.” Qur’an 51: 50
{ففروا إِلَى الله} أمر بالرجوع إليه بالتوبة والطاعة وفي اللفظ تحذير وترهيب
Ibn Juzayy says concerning “So rush to Allah for safety!”,
“it is a command to return to Him via repentance and obedience including through utterances of vigilance and fear.” al-Tashil fi ‘Ulum al-Tanzil
وَمِن حَيثُ خَرَجتَ فَوَلِّ وَجهَكَ شَطرَ المَسجِدِ الحَرامِ
ۚ وَحَيثُ ما كُنتُم فَوَلّوا وُجوهَكُم شَطرَهُ لِئَلّا يَكونَ لِلنّاسِ عَلَيكُم حُجَّةٌ إِلَّا الَّذينَ ظَلَموا مِنهُم
فَلا تَخشَوهُم وَاخشَوني وَلِأُتِمَّ نِعمَتي عَلَيكُم وَلَعَلَّكُم تَهتَدونَ
كَما أَرسَلنا فيكُم رَسولًا مِنكُم يَتلو عَلَيكُم آياتِنا
وَيُزَكّيكُم وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الكِتابَ وَالحِكمَةَ
وَيُعَلِّمُكُم ما لَم تَكونوا تَعلَمونَ
فَاذكُروني أَذكُركُم وَاشكُروا لي وَلا تَكفُرونِ
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا استَعينوا بِالصَّبرِ وَالصَّلاةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصّابِرينَ
“Wherever you come from, turn your face to the Masjid al-Haram. Wherever you are, turn your faces towards it so that people will have no argument against you – except for those among them who do wrong and then you should not fear them but rather fear Me – and so that I may complete My blessing upon you so that hopefully you will be guided. [150] For this We sent a Messenger to you from among you to recite Our Signs to you and purify you and teach you the Book and Wisdom and teach you things you did not know before. [151] Remember Me – I will remember you. Give thanks to Me and do not be ungrateful. [152] You who have iman! seek help in steadfastness and salat. Allah is with the steadfast.” Qur’an, 2: 150-152
