You Got A Problem?

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

You are excited about a vacation you have been waiting for or perhaps you have an important business trip in another city. Your flight is at 6 a.m. You make sure you get up to catch that flight. You calculate how much time you need to get ready--shower, get dressed, get something to eat, get to the airport, check in, go through security and boarding. This would mean, perhaps waking up at 2 or 3 a.m. You set your alarm to make sure you wake up and not miss this important flight. Some might decide to just stay up!

Are we this excited, this conscious about getting up for tahajjud and fajr prayer? If the answer is no, this is not a good sign especially if you sleep through fajr. It means you got a problem. Your priority is wrong. You don't have the right attitude towards prayer. You need to change.

Prayer is something big. Bigger than any PhD projects. When prayer time comes, you pray. Everything can wait--the shopping can wait, the oil change can wait, the boss can wait, the pet walking can wait. But your prayer cannot wait. Like if you missed your flight, you might be able to catch another flight, but it is not the same--You have missed the fun or business deals which you could have enjoyed had you not missed your flight and arrived at your destination on time. You cannot make up the lost opportunity ever.

If you want to wake up for fajr (and tahajjud), you can wake up. You do whatever it takes to wake up, just as you did to make sure you don't miss your flight. Our lives change at least 5 times a day, with our 5 daily prayers, and it is a wonderful change.

"Verily, the Muttaqun (pious) will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs (in the Paradise), Taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinun (good-doers). They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allah) and praying, with fear and hope]. And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allah) for forgiveness, And in their properties there was the right of the Sa'il (the beggar who asks), and the Mahrum (the poor who does not ask the others)." Qur'an adh-dhariyat 51:15-19

"Those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and establish regular prayers and regular charity, will have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:277

"Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers, especially the Middle Prayer; and stand before God in a devout (frame of mind)." Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:238

May Allah grant us steadfastness and righteousness. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam