Honesty Over Theft by maryam shakeel

My dear children,

Alhamdulillah, Allah has blessed us with an incredible favor. He created us as Muslims, gave us the noble Qur'an, and blessed us with the guidance of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Just think for a moment—there are countless people in this world who have not been blessed with Islam, yet Allah chose us out of His infinite mercy. Have we ever sincerely thanked Allah for this priceless blessing?

Today, we are going to discuss a topic that can transform both our worldly life and our Hereafter.

"Salah (Prayer) – The Identity of a Believer and the Most Beautiful Relationship with Allah."

My dear children, let me ask you a question.

What happens if your mobile phone is not charged for an entire day? It switches off.

If we do not eat for two days, our body becomes weak.

If we do not drink water, we become extremely thirsty.

But have we ever thought about what nourishes our soul?

Just as our body needs food and water, our soul needs the worship of Allah. And the greatest nourishment for our soul is Salah.

Allah Almighty says in the Qur'an:

«"I did not create jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me."
(Surah Adh-Dhariyat, 51:56)»

This verse teaches us that the real purpose of our life is not merely education, careers, wealth, business, or worldly success. These things are important, but our first and greatest purpose is to earn the pleasure of Allah.

Think about it.

Imagine someone has a beautiful house, expensive clothes, delicious food, money, and every worldly comfort—but their parents are displeased with them. Can they truly be happy?

Certainly not.

Likewise, if a person possesses everything in this world but Allah is displeased with them, they can never achieve true success.

And the greatest way to earn Allah's pleasure is through Salah.

My dear children,

What really happens when the Adhan is called?

Is it merely the voice of the Mu'adhin?

No.

In reality, it is Allah, the Lord of the worlds, inviting us to stand before Him.

Imagine if the principal of your school or an important officer called you and said, "Come to my office immediately."

Wouldn't you go without delay?

Yet when Allah calls us five times every day, we often respond by saying:

"Just five more minutes."

"I'll pray later."

"Let me finish this first."

Sometimes the prayer time passes completely.

Now think about your own life.

When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you look at?

Your phone.

Your notifications.

Your messages.

But at that very moment, Allah is calling you for Fajr prayer.

We immediately respond to the messages of this world, but how often do we ignore the invitation of our Lord?

My dear children,

Allah does not need our prayers.

Allah is completely independent of all creation.

It is we who need Allah every single second.

Think about it.

If Allah withheld the air for just one day...

If He stopped sending water...

If He prevented the sun from rising...

Could we survive?

Never.

When Allah gives us countless blessings without us even asking, can we not spare a few minutes for Him?

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that the first deed to be judged on the Day of Judgment will be Salah.

If a person's prayers are correct, then the rest of their deeds will also become easier.

If their prayers are neglected, then their other deeds may also be in danger.

That is why Salah is one of the greatest pillars of Islam.

The Prophet ﷺ also said that Salah is the pillar of the religion.

Just as a building collapses when its pillars fall, a person's religion becomes weak when they neglect their prayers.

Allah says:

«"Indeed, prayer prevents immorality and wrongdoing."
(Surah Al-'Ankabut, 29:45)»

A person who sincerely performs Salah gradually develops better character. Their speech becomes truthful, their heart becomes pure, and they begin to avoid lying, backbiting, and sinful actions.

However, my dear children,

Shaytan never wants us to pray.

Whenever prayer time comes, he whispers:

"Check your phone first."

"Sleep a little longer."

"You can pray later."

And before we realize it, the prayer time has passed.

Whenever you hear the Adhan, seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan and rush towards Allah.

The Prophet ﷺ gave a beautiful example.

He asked:

"If there were a river flowing outside someone's house and they bathed in it five times every day, would any dirt remain on them?"

The companions replied,

"No."

The Prophet ﷺ said,

"The five daily prayers remove sins in the same way."

SubhanAllah.

Prayer is not merely bowing and prostrating.

Prayer is love.

Prayer is gratitude.

Prayer is the most beautiful conversation between a servant and his Lord.

When we say "Allahu Akbar," we declare that Allah is greater than everything.

Greater than our studies.

Greater than our phones.

Greater than our friends.

Greater than our worries.

During Surah Al-Fatihah, authentic narrations tell us that Allah responds to every verse His servant recites.

Imagine the honor!

Allah Himself responds while you are praying.

And the moment of prostration...

It is the closest a servant comes to Allah.

That is why the Prophet ﷺ would make many supplications while in prostration.

You should also ask Allah for all your lawful needs while in sujood.

Allah understands every language.

He sees every tear.

He knows every secret hidden within every heart.

My dear children,

Many people say,

"I'm still young."

"I'll start praying when I grow older."

But death never says,

"Grow older first."

Death does not look at age, health, wealth, or status.

That is why the habit of prayer must begin in childhood.

The Prophet ﷺ instructed parents to teach their children to pray from the age of seven.

Children who grow up praying find it much easier to remain steadfast in prayer throughout their lives.

Remember also that Fajr often feels like the hardest prayer.

Yet whoever wakes for Fajr, Allah places immense blessings in their day.

The peaceful morning...

Reciting the Qur'an...

Making du'a after Fajr...

These can transform a person's entire life.

Always remember,

No worldly activity is more important than pleasing Allah.

Whether it is school...

Examinations...

Games...

Or any other task...

When the time for prayer arrives, Allah's command comes first.

My dear children,

Everyone wants Paradise.

But Paradise is not attained merely through wishes.

Paradise is earned through obedience to Allah.

And one of the clearest signs of obedience is Salah.

Today, let us all make a sincere promise to Allah:

We will protect our five daily prayers.

We will answer the Adhan immediately.

We will never intentionally abandon Salah.

We will pray with sincerity, humility, and concentration.

And we will encourage others towards prayer with kindness and wisdom.

Now close your eyes for a moment and imagine that Allah asks:

"My servant, I gave you health, eyes, ears, speech, parents, a home, and endless blessings every day. What did you do for Me?"

What answer will we give?

Will we say,

"O Allah, I had time for my phone...

Time for television...

Time for games...

Time for friends...

But I had no time for Salah."

How ashamed we would feel.

Every relationship in this world survives through regular communication.

If we stop speaking to our friends or relatives, those relationships become weak.

If we never spoke to our parents, how hurt they would be.

Then how can our relationship with Allah remain strong if we never stand before Him?

Prayer is our daily meeting with Allah.

It is not merely an obligation.

It is an invitation from our Lord.

Every Adhan reminds us that Allah is calling us towards His mercy.

Imagine receiving an invitation from the king of a great kingdom.

How excited you would be!

Then how much greater is the invitation from the King of all kings?

Allah does not need our prayers.

We need them.

Prayer gives life to our hearts.

It washes away our sins.

It carries our supplications to Allah.

It leads us towards Paradise.

So from today onward, no matter how busy life becomes, whenever we hear the Adhan, let us respond from our hearts:

"Labbaik, O Allah! Here I am."

This one decision can completely transform both our life in this world and our life in the Hereafter.

Finally, let us pray:

O Allah! Grant us true love for Salah. Make us among those who establish the five daily prayers regularly. Fill our hearts with humility during prayer. Forgive our parents, our teachers, our relatives, and all Muslims. Grant us the ability to follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Bless us with success in this life and the Hereafter, and grant us the honor of being with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in Jannatul Firdaus.

Ameen, O Lord of the worlds.

And our final prayer is: All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.