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Prayer and the worst kind of theft |
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By Yasmin Mogahed, IFN Columnist
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Tuesday, 12 January 2010 |
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Page 1 of 2 The only sad part of finding the straight path is when you lose it. There are many ways to fall, but no fall is more tragic than a fall in one’s faith. Sometimes it’s a sister who decided to take off her hijab and live a different type of life, other times it’s a brother who was once active in the community but got caught up with the wrong crowd. But, with each story, somehow, somewhere along the line, our brothers and sisters fell so far.
Sadly, these stories are not uncommon. Sometimes we can’t help but look at them and wonder: How? Why? We wonder how someone who was so straight could have gotten so far off the path.
In wondering this, we often don’t realize that the answer may be simpler than we think. People fall into all types of sin, but there is one sin all these people have in common. There is one common denominator for every individual who lives a life full of sin. Whether that person was once on the straight path and fell, or whether that person was never on that path at all, one thing is for sure. That person had to first abandon, minimize, put aside, or ignore their salah (prayer) before they were able to fall.
If one is praying, but continues to live a life full of sin, that salah is likely only the action of limbs — not heart or soul. See, there is a crucial characteristic of salah that is often overlooked. Besides being a sacred meeting with our Creator, salah is a protection of the realest kind.
Allah says, “Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish regular prayer: for prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do.” (Quran: 29: 45)
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 February 2010 )
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