Come To Pray

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

If you don't live in an environment that reminded you of Allah at least 5 times a day, an environment where the call to prayer is made live every few hours everyday, and you are there somewhere unable to hear the adhans and the iqamas, waiting in an elevator, grocery shopping, waiting in line at the ticket box office for a movie premier, waiting in the traffic jam going to work, driving your kids to school, in meeting with your boss or clients, in the gym working out, and everything seem so rush, stressful, and out of shape, how do you occupy yourself with the Most Great? All the things you see around you should occupy yourself with the Creator because they all point to Him.

For starters, set whatever technological device you have to play the adhan when the prayer time comes for Fajr, Dhuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib and 'Isha. Have it in your office, in your car and in more than one location in your house. Definitely on your cell phones, iTouch, iPod. This is more important than your amazing ringing tones, music, pictures, contacts, etc.

When the caller say "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar," (Allah Most Great), at that moment you are reminded that everything you do is for Allah because there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and everything is done according to the sunnah of His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. You leave everything behind and go to pray. What will you get out of this? Real success. The only success is in your prayer. Your boss, your children, your wife, your husband, your mother, your father, your family, your friends, they all are not going to be able to help you in your grave and when you are being asked in the Day of Judgment the first thing--your prayer.

Hadith: "The first thing that will be judged among a person's deeds on the Day of Resurrection is the prayer. If that is in good order, he will pass the test and prosper, and if that is defective, he will fail the test and will be a loser." (Tirmidhi)

Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, said that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to help his family in the house but the moment the prayer came he didn't know anybody.

So of course you will come to pray. When you go to the masjid, you wait for the second call to prayer. At that moment you are reminded again of the Day of Judgment. Everybody will be called to stand before Allah. Everybody are waiting in a row. You hear people screaming. You see people crying, faces black, people being dragged to the Hellfire. Your name will be called.

"Then, when there comes As-Sakhkhah (the second blowing of the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection) — That Day shall a man flee from his brother, And from his mother and his father, And from his wife and his children. Every man, that Day, will have enough to make him careless of others." Qur'an Abasa 80:33-37

"(Some) faces on that day shall be bright, looking to their Lord. And (other) faces on that day shall be gloomy, knowing that there will be made to befall them some great calamity." Al-Qiyaamah 75:22-25

"Verily! they see it (the torment) afar off. But We see it (quite) near. The Day that the sky will be like the boiling filth of oil, (or molten copper or silver or lead). And the mountains will be like flakes of wool. And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition), Though they shall be made to see one another [(i.e. on the Day of Resurrection), there will be none but see his father, children and relatives, but he will neither speak to them nor will ask them for any help]. The Mujrim, (criminal, sinner, disbeliever) would desire to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by his children. And his wife and his brother, And his kindred who sheltered him, And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him. By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell! Taking away (burning completely) the head skin! Calling (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from Faith) [picking and swallowing them up from that great gathering of mankind on the Day of Resurrection just as a bird picks up a food-grain from the earth with its beak and swallows it up]. (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi). And collect (wealth) and hide it (from spending it in the Cause of Allah). Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient; Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him; And niggardly when good touches him;- Except those who are devoted to Salat (prayers). Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers); Qur'an al-Ma'arij 70:6-23

So of course you will stand before Allah now, in prayer, with sincerity and deepest gratitude for Allah has blessed you with the ability to stand before Him right now, knowing that you might not be around when the next call to prayer comes because you might already be prayed upon and on your way to your grave and all doors of repentance have been shut for you.

May Allah grant us success in this world and the next. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam