Prayer priority

A non-Muslim friend once asked me: -"In the early days of Islam, Muslims did not have many things to do. It was fine for them to pray five times a day. But our modern life leaves us with little spare time; so is it difficult for you to find the time to pray?"
My reply was, "it's all about priority..."

Prayer, in its prescribed form,i.e. as taught to us by God through his final messenger, Muhammad peace & blessings be upon him, is the second of the 5 fundamental pillars of Islam. Allah tells us (in the 3rd verse of the second chapter of the Quran), that in addition to the declaration of faith I bear witness there is no one/thing worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger, Prayer is to be "established". Prayer is a real institution in Islam, not just an informal act. It is the major medium Allah has offered us to coummnicate with him, and that it 5 times throughout each and every day. Beyond its both spiritual and physical worldly benefits, prayer is a paramount regular meeting between The Creator, The Sustainer, The Most Kind & Loving and his human creation. Not to be missed really!...

Furthermore prayers are performed invariably during health or sickness and so if one is not able to stand, but can sit or only lye down, their prayer is still valid. In fact If one is so sick and cannot move at all except their eyes, then that is sufficient for them to signal the different movements of the prayer. Moreover if one misses or forgets any one time to pray, the opportunity to catch up ASAP is there whenever one is able to or remembers. Nothing should stand in the way of the prayer, not even our "Modern" hectic life. In fact if it was necessary to pray fourteen hundred years ago when the pace of life was slower, then it is even more important to pray in today's materialistic "super sonic" world in which we have become so engrossed that many have a poor connection, if any at all with Allah. Yet nothing more than prayer reminds us of the reality of our human existence and it is the first thing we will be questioned about on the Day of reckoning.

During each prayer, we recite Surat Al Fatiha (the first chapter in the Quran), which is actually a conversation between the worshiper and Allah. Performed, with sincerity of intention and concentration, it will strengthen the person's Faith and provide comfort, hope and perseverance in times of trouble. Prayer not only stimulates a person to do good deeds, cleanses him/her from his/her minor sins, but is also a comprehensive soothing & uplifting process, at both the physical and spiritual levels, which ultimately leads to a state of inner peace. So, is it difficult to find time to pray?... Yes, it can be sometimes... but more so difficult and a real shame would be not to make the time for this extraordinary meeting.

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