Recently, I was asked a question, which often comes, in different forms, and I believe is a great concern for everyone in these times. The person asked:
My question is that a surgeon has to work throughout the day in emergency situations and they find is very difficult to do the prayers. How can he overcome this problem? Is it permissible for a surgeon to pray all the salah (prayers) altogether before or after the actual time of respective salah?
I responded by saying:
JazakAllah for your question, but you need to ask yourself which is more important to you, Allah or this worldly life? You will not be working for 24 hours, everyone needs breaks, that is the law. As a Muslim, your prayers are more important than doing surgery; what is the point of saving someone else, but not yourself? Understand the importance of Salat, it is not just something you have to do and can put aside if you are busy. Salat is your opportunity to talk to Allah, seek His help and forgiveness, develop your relationship with Him.
Do you think that on the Day of Judgement, you can tell Allah that I could not find time to pray to you, I was too busy in my worldly life. Will that be acceptable? Once you understand the importance of developing your relationship with the Living God, then you will find the time to speak to Him. If a consultant asked you to go to him and speak to him, are you really going to inform him that you are too busy to go to him? Of course not. You will make time and go to speak to him or lose your job.
Islam is a very flexible religion. Like everyone else who works, you fit in your prayers when possible. During your lunch break, go to a room and pray. You can combine the Zohr and Asr prayers if you really can’t find the time or the Maghrib and Isha, depending on your shift. Each prayer has an early and late time, fit it in during that period. But when you are free, then do the prayers at the proper times. If you cannot find a space to prostrate, then you can do it in a chair, but I am sure you should be able to find a place somewhere in the hospital. The main thing is to develop your relationship with Allah, it seems to me that you are putting this worldly life before Him and that is dangerous.
As I have said, this sort of question comes in different forms, but the crux of the question is making time for prayers. Sadly, some people believe it is just something that needs to be done and can therefore become burdensome as there are more important things to do. Therefore, when they do the prayers, it is really just going through the motions to get it done as soon as possible so that they can return to their work, play etc. They do not get anything out of the prayers, just ticking the box, that it has been done. If they have missed a prayer as they are too busy with life, then it doesn’t really matter. Or if they can combine the prayers so that they can do something else, then at least they have done the prayers, even though they could have done them separately.
This is my great concern at the present time, where materialism has taken such a great hold on people, that Allah, the One God, has been pushed aside.
We should fully understand the real importance of prayer and why we should be praying, that whatever we receive is in fact a bounty from Allah, therefore it is very important for us to supplicate to Him for all our needs.
This is why the Holy Qur’an, Chapter 25, verse 78 states:
“Allah would not care for you if it was not for your prayers”
The Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was always attached to prayers. This was vital to him, as this was his means to submit to Allah, seek His help and nearness. To gain Allah’s love and blessings. Without prayer he would be lost.
The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
“Prayer is the highest form of Divine worship”, “it is a means of communication with our Lord.”
Through prayer we can inform Allah of our needs, our problems and seek His help. In fact, every aspect of the Holy Prophet’s life appears to have been governed by his love for and devotion to God. In spite of the very heavy responsibilities that had been laid upon his shoulders, the greater portion of his time during the day as well as during the night was spent in the worship and praise of God.
If we think about the various duties and responsibilities the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had to contend with, yet he never dreamt of leaving the prayers to do these duties. Without taking the opportunities to talk to God and developing His love and relationship with God, then everything else would be meaningless to him. He fully understood the importance of praying to Allah and would never put that chance aside for worldly things. This is the example we all should follow.
Allah is a Living God, He listens to us and then He responds.
The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 2, verse 187 relates:
‘And when My servant ask thee about Me, say, ‘I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way’
When we pray, we should also be aware of that nearness, that Allah is there with you, listening to what you have to say, pleased with the efforts that you are making. Pleased with the love that you are showing. Pleased that you are praying to talk to Him. Therefore, He informs us that when you pray to Him, He not only listens, but He answers the prayer.
Allah informs us in this verse that we should ‘believe in Me’. It is not the belief in His existence, obviously, we wouldn’t be praying if we did not believe in Him, no, it is the belief that He is listening, that He will answer and that He will accept your prayer.
Being a Muslim in the non-Muslim countries has always been difficult, but perhaps more so nowadays, especially the youngsters, who face so many distractions to run after materialism. They need to develop a strong attachment to Allah. Through developing a love for Allah and following His guidance we will become a better person; a God-fearing person and people will react to that.
These days, people sadly do not have a very strong love for Allah, they are very worldly wanting everything straightaway! When they work, they desire their reward. When they relax, they desire the pleasures of material things. So, they can’t really see any benefit in religion! They can’t see how religion helps you become a good person and helps you to remove evil and indecency.
They feel that religion is too restrictive and that they already know what is good, so as they do not have a real live contact with God, therefore they can’t see any real benefit in religion, only in work.
They need to understand the real importance of prayer.
The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him has said:
‘Allah is so Modest, Compassionate and Generous, that when a man raises both his hands in prayer, He shies away from turning him away empty-handed’.
They need to understand that the real success is attained only through prayers.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi has said:
“God has enriched the prayers with great force. God has revealed to me so many times that whatever will happen, it will be only through prayers. Our weapon is only prayers and I have no other weapon except this, whatever I beg in isolation, God reveals that in the end…there is no bigger weapon than prayers.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the fifth successor of the Promised Messiah has said:
“The observance of Prayer is a basic obligation, without which religion has no meaning. The Holy Qur’an has greatly highlighted the importance of prayer and the Holy Prophet has described it as the pillar of faith. Hence, it is our duty to guard our prayers on which our faith rests. Every Muslim should aim for a 100% attendance in Prayers”.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi has said:
“What is Prayer? It is to express one’s humility & weakness before God, and to seek His help. Prayer means to love and fear God and to remember Him always, and this is the essence of faith. Observing Prayers regularly and punctually is what distinguishes a believer from a non-believer”.
Prayer is not something that should be offered in haste or as a mere ritual, rather,
it should cause the heart to melt and fall upon the Divine threshold in complete submission. Try to offer your Prayers as passionate as possible and make supplications with the utmost humility so that all your sins and transgressions may be removed. This is the kind of Prayer that is blessed.
When one becomes steadfast in his Prayers, a light falls upon his heart during the day or the night and cools the passions of the self that beckon him towards evil.”
When we face Allah on the Day of Judgement, then we want to make sure that He is pleased with us and accepts us into His Heaven. Just calling ourselves believers is not enough. We have to behave as true believers, so when we face Allah in our prayers, we should be conscious of whether we are worthy on being in His presence. If we have some weaknesses and faults, then we should be aware of them. If we keep going into the presence of Allah knowing that we have weaknesses, but we cannot be bothered to change ourselves, then this is arrogance.
Therefore, it is important that we should keep examining ourselves and try to improve ourselves – hence the need of self-purification.
Can this be achieved in work? Every time we go for the prayers we should try to be as pure as possible, and so we have to keep examining ourselves and try to change. Hence ‘Prayer is the most effective means for becoming self-purified’.
Allah has throughout the Holy Qur’an exhorted us to observe prayers and also to exhort our families to do the same and this is for our own good. We are told that those prayers which are done properly will always be rewarded. That may be in this world or the next, but they will be rewarded. Therefore, we should understand that prayer is for our own benefit, the prayers are your means to talk to your Maker, a means to get help and guidance, but more importantly, a means which Allah rewards His worshippers and thereby you fulfil the purpose of your creation.
Understand the importance of prayer and that will help you love your prayers and increase your love for Allah. Also bear in mind that Allah is a Living God who answers you. He is constantly with you, listening to your requests and wants you to pray to Him.
Once you understand this, then that should be the motivation to ensure that you never miss any prayers, any opportunity to speak to your Maker. Work is important, but prayers are more important.