Don’t Leave Prayer a Debt for Ākhirah

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, perform the five daily prayers, fast, and enter paradise. This is what our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says. Prayer and fasting are from the pillars of Islām. Those who perform them win. It’s not difficult, but it seems difficult for people. It seems difficult for people’s egos.

There are many people, there are various types among Muslims. Some people don’t pray but say, “I do dhikr. I do this. I do that.” and do things according to their own minds. But they don’t pray. Why not? They say, “One thing is enough.” Even if you do dhikr for twenty-four hours continuously, you cannot get the reward and virtue of one takbīr of prayer. Not only twenty-four hours, even if you do it for one month, or twenty-four years, you still can’t get the reward of one takbīr. That prayer will remain a debt upon you.

Therefore, we say it again because most people do so. You cannot do things according to your own mind. Religion is the religion of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. You must do as He ﷻ commands. If you even do the worldly affairs according to your own mind, you will not achieve anything. Or you will have strived in vain. While there is an easy way, you have gone another way, you have done more difficult things but it has not been of any use.

It may be for worldly affairs. You do some things that are very difficult. But for ākhirah, you do nothing at all. If you do not do what Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla commands, and our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam has shown, it will not benefit you. As we said, it will remain a burden upon you. It is a debt. The debt of the one who does not pray will be prayed in the ākhirah. Each prayer takes 80 years. The qada’ in ākhirah is 80 years. All you live in dunyā is 80 years and you either live it or not. But there, you will pray 80 years for each prayer.

Therefore, we should pray while in dunyā, in shā’a Llāh. May Allāh ﷻ help us. May we not follow our egos. A person who thinks that his ego is something, trusts himself and leaves praying and fasting saying, “I am a Muslim. I am from this ṭarīqah. I am in this thing,” has no benefit.

Most of the time, these types of people also harm the people around them, so they also don’t pray, fast, and so. Whereas, it is easy, very easy. What Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla commands is also very beneficial physically for people, for things inside the body. It is not only beneficial spiritually, but also for the inside of the body. It is goodness, health, beauty and light. May Allāh ﷻ grant it to all of us. May we not follow our ego, in shā’a Llāh. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

10 April 2025/ 12 Shawwal 1446

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul