Rang-o-Noor (BY SA'DI)

 A FATAL SIN

Allah sent His dearest and last prophet Hazrat Muhammad as " Mercy for All the Worlds". Think for a while, what "Mercy for All the Worlds" says:
Hazrat Abu Hurairah says that the Holy Prophet said, " I wish to order a few young men to collect sticks for fuel. Then go to those who say prayers at home without any justification and burn their houses". (Al-Muslim, Abu Dawood)

O Muslims, how greatly the Holy Prophet is pained when you miss any prayer especially the Fajr and afterwards say it staying at home. He intended to burn the houses of such people. Allah has set the houses of such people on fire i.e the fire of disease, the fire of worries, the fire of disgrace, the fire of disappointment, the fire of disunity, the fire of poverty, and what more other fires we do not know. This is justice not cruelty because it is the foremost 'duty' of a Muslim, the most necessary and essential duty.

Start of The Day With Disobedience

Please think awhile. Allah gave us a new day of life. We heard the voice of Azaan at the start of the day i.e Allah called us to prayer, but we did not go. We started the day with disobedience and sin.  

Hazrat Ma'az bin Anas   reports that the Messenger of Allah said, "Sheer oppression, infidelity and hypocrisy is, that man's activity who listens to Allah's caller (voice of Azaan) and does go out for prayer" (Ahmad, Tibraani)

The sun rose and it found us in sleep. The sun being so big does not dare disobey Allah but we exercise so big oppression in the morning. This is the point of weeping, crying and sighing. The servants who receive three thousand, reach in time. A Muslim could not go to Masjid. Still he is a Muslim and moves about unconcerned.

A Very Great Calamity

Let go those who do not say prayers at all. There is a great danger for them. It is not clear about them whether their belief is safe or they have entered the boundaries of infidelity. The people under discussion are those who miss the prayer, who do not say prayers at their fixed time and who do not go to the Masjid for prayers. It is in fact a very great calamity. O yes, the Fajr prayer or saying any prayer at home without any legal cause or not saying them at the fixed time. It is a very great misfortune. American missiles are not as fatal to a Muslims as negligence in prayers.

Allah Himself says in the Holy Quran, "Destruction is for the Nimaazees who are negligent in their prayers." The Holy Prophet was asked. "Who are these people?" He said, "They are the people who postpone prayers from their actual time."

We should think for a while how dangerous that activity will be whom Allah has called "Fatal."

Alas!

Negligence in Fajr and Ishaw prayers is called the sign of the Hypocrite. The reports are:

(i) The sign (difference) between us and the Hypocrites is presence in the Fajr and Ishaw prayers because the Hypocrites do not have such power." (Kanz-ul-Ammaal)

(ii) No prayer is so heavy to the Hypocrites as the Fajr and Ishaw prayers. If they know, how great reward is there in them, they will certainly come though they may have to crawl. (Al-Bukhari, Al-Muslim)

The job that the Holy Prophet called the sign of hypocrisy is running rampant in the religious sect of the Muslims. Let go political parties. Many students of Deen---male and female---have become habitual of ignoring Fajr and Ishaw prayers. Would that the Muslims realize how big crime it is! But Alas! Alas! This realization is missing from those who work for Deen.

How Good It Had Been!

Anyone can fall asleep at times and he can miss the Fajr Prayer but what do the believers do then? As soon as they awake, they rush to prepare for prayers. They fear lest they should die in that state. They say prayers at once. Then they say "Salaat-At-Taubah" and ask forgiveness. Their eyes as well as their hearts weep at it. They give alms. They pine, and grieve all the day long. They cannot talk anyone face to face grieving that their one prayer is missed. No one can purchase the reward of one prayer paying billions of rupees. The charming time of Fajr, recitation of Holy Quran, prostration and afterwards and then Syed-ul-Istighfaar . Paradise is procured till evening. When all this is recalled, the heart begins to repent. If the prayer of such people is missed twice or thrice, they tremble with fear. They ask the holy people about different practices for it. They observe supererogatory fasts and weep before Allah. They prostrate before Allah and say, "O Allah, save us from this deprivation and sin! O Allah, be kind to us."

If You Consider it a Disease The Cure is Possible

Some people do not call it a disease. The Satan tells them, "No matter. I say it though after missing it. People commit such and such sins whereas I do such and such good deeds." Sometimes Satan says, "Don't worry. You may start congregational prayers after a few days." Such people gradually fall into a mistake. The cause of many good Muslims' deprivation became that they did not arrange for prayer. Prayer is a pillar. If pillar is not straight, how will the rest of the building stand. Prayer is a basic pillar. If basis is weak, how will sincerity come. Hazrat Umar says, "No dealing of the person is correct whose prayer is not correct." So, O Muslim brothers and sisters, we should first of all inculcate in us the importance of prayers and regard negligence in prayer dangerous as the disease of "cancer." If Allah inculcates this point, the cure will be very very easy. The cure is that we should repent of our past negligence and resolve to say every prayer with the first Takbeer no matter what happens. The ladies should also resolve to say every prayer at its fixed time. If we resolve, the matter will be easy because prayer is not a burden rather the sea of enjoyments.

Self-Guarding

It we resolve to say every prayer in the Mosque, this resolution will be enough. Even the watchman awakes the whole night for small salary because he has made awaking his duty. Still pray to Allah while going to sleep at might. Set a powerful alarm at your mobile phone, recite the last verses of the Surah Al-Kahaf or request some one to awaken you. If you make all these arrangements, still if the Satan prolongs your sleep, what are you to do now? The answer is "Face the Satan and defeat him with Allah's will in the following ways:"

(i) Spend the day in repentance and resolve, "If my prayer is missed at anytime, I will say eighty Raka't Nawafil, observe one day's fast and give 1/30 of monthly income as alms."

(ii) Giving 1/30 means if the income is Rs. 3000 you should give Rs. 100 and say to your Self, "You make me miss my prayers, I shall give such part daily. In this way, full month's pay will become alms. Then you will have to starve."

(iii) Say Salaat-At-Taubah and repent. Say Salaat-ul-Haajah and beg capacity from Allah to empower you to say congregational prayer.
If you do so, the Satan will be defeated and it will be easy to awake for prayer. Keep in mind, the people whose heads become heavy at the time of prayers, keep sleeping. There is a strict warning for such people. The angel will whip their heads with iron bars on the Day of Judgement. May Allah protect us all!

Discussion Is Essential

"Belief" is not dependable without prayer nor it gains power. If we have sympathy for ourselves and if want to protect ourselves from punishment in the grave and the Hereafter, we must think of our prayers. Its easy way is to study the verses and Traditions about prayer and memorise some of them. Then persuade other people to prayers. Learn prayers from holy saints. O dear brothers and sisters, the grave is ready for us! We should think of prayers. Do study the book by Hazrat Sheikh-ul-Hadith named "Fazaail-e-Namaaz" once or study the following articles from Rang-o-Noor V-i.

i. The Campaign Establishing Prayer ----- Rang-o-Noor V-I, P:213

ii. Bay Nimaazi, Unguided Prayer ----- Rang-o-Noor V-I, P:232

iii. One Prayer Ten Pearls ----- Rang-o-Noor V-I, P:244

A Request

i. Study these three articles and remember its summary and tell this summary to the Muslims. It will embolden prayer as well as reward you greatly for persuading others to Din.

ii. Those who deliver speeches about Jihaad should also persuade the people to prayer along Jihaad. It will strengthen the movement if Allah wills.

iii. Get these three articles printed if you have the power or get them photocopied and distribute them among the Muslims.

iv. Those of you who are negligent in prayers and they have resolved to repent of this crime and have done this activity for three days regularly, I earnestly pray for them, "May Allah grant them with His special blessings and mercy in this world and the Hereafter!"
 

Translated by: Abdullah