The Holy Qur’an says, “Then woe to those prayer performers. Who are heedless of their prayers (Part 30, Surah verse 4-5). The First Accounting will be for the Prayer.

Hazrat Anas Radi Allahu ta’ala anhu narrates that Rasool Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, “The first thing that a person will be questioned about is his prayers.” (Tibrani)

My Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam’s beloved devotees! How ungrateful is a person who eats the sustenance that He has given us, takes advantage of the life that He has given us, but does not bow down his head to Him? That is why we are reminded that the first thing that we will be asked about on the day of judgment is our prayers. Therefore, we should be punctual in our prayers so that we are not shamed on the day of judgment, and we can be blessed with respect in the court of Allah Ta’ala. May Allah Ta’ala make all our accounting easy through the waseela of His Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam. Aameen. Allah Ta’ala gives us sustenance. He has given us life and has ordered us to pray five times a day. Hazrat Umar radiallaho ta’ala anho narrates that Rasool Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, “Prayer is a pillar of faith. Whoever abandons it has destroyed his faith.” (Baihiqi)

My Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam’s beloved devotees! If a child drops something expensive at home, we get angry and shout at them. If a child or someone else breaks an expensive possession, we lose control. Please tell me, is there anything more valuable than our faith? Today, all members of our household are destroying their faith five times a day, but we don’t get upset at this because we are guilty of the same crime.

My Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam’s beloved devotees! Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam has proclaimed that prayer is the pillar of our faith and one who does not pray is called a destroyer of faith. No Muslim would ever desire that he should be classified as the destroyer of faith. Therefore, try to be a builder of the faith by being punctual in prayers. May Allah Ta’ala guide us all to establish prayer. Aameen.

Valley of Hell for Those that Miss Prayers
It is reported in Hadith that Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam said, “The faces of those that do not pray will be blackened first of all on the day of judgment, then he will be put in a valley of Hell called Alam. There are snakes in this valley that are as large as camels, and their length is the equivalent of one month’s travel time. They will bite the people and their poison will stay in the person’s body for seventy years, then their meat will rot”. (Makashifat Ul Quloob).

My Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam’s beloved devotees! We are not able to withstand a little mosquito bite and are troubled by its pain. Therefore, think that for missing prayers the punishment is snakebites. Who will be able to withstand that? Our state is that we believe in Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam but do not have total faith in what he has said. Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam has done great favors to us by telling us every aspect of the day of judgment and the punishments in the life hereafter.

Now that he has told us that the punishment for missing prayers is being stung by a snake, and has told us the size and appearance of the snake, it is our duty to perform prayers and save ourselves from such a punishment. May Allah Ta’ala make us all punctual performers of prayer. Aameen.

Flames in the Grave
Certain scholars have narrated that a person’s bag accidentally fell into his sister’s grave as he was burying his sister. When everyone had left, he remembered his bag. He returned to the grave and started digging it to rescue his bag. He saw that flames were burning in the grave. He covered the grave again and returned to his mother, very upset and with tears in his eyes. He asked, “Mother! Tell me what my sister’s habits were?” The Mother said, “Why are you asking?” He replied, “I have seen flames in her grave.” His Mother started crying and said, “Your sister was very lazy with her prayers and used to pray the prayers late.” (Makshifat Ul Quloob)

My Beloved Prophet sallalaho alaihe wasallam’s beloved devotees! Laziness in praying will result in flames in the grave as punishment. No relative will come into the grave to help us, therefore it is up to us to ensure that we pray on time and do not be lethargic about it. We should pray on time and pray with sincerity and presence of mind and body. May Allah Ta’ala save us all from the punishment of the grave and make our grave a garden from the gardens of paradise. Aameen

At the Door of Hell
Hazrat Abul Lais Sarqandi rehmatullahe ta’ala alaihe has narrated the following saying of Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam. “The person that misses even one compulsory prayer, his name is written on the door of hell, and he will certainly have to go there.” (Qurrat Ul Ain),

Missing prayer is such a great sin and leads to such displeasure of Allah Ta’ala that one is subjected to all kinds of different punishments, and one of these punishments is the punishment of the grave. We know that we cannot cope with the smallest punishment, so why then do we continue doing things that will result in greater and more severe punishment?

Let us promise that Allah Ta’ala willing, we will not sin missing prayers from now on, and that we will be punctual in our prayers and give coolness to the blessed eyes of Rasool Allah sallalaho alaihe wasallam.
May Allah Ta’ala guide us all. Aameen