Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barkatuhu.
Dear friends,
I hope you are all well with the infinite mercy of Allah Almighty. I am also well and healthy to accept your prayers and the infinite mercy of Allah Almighty.
'When a person who prays and a person who does not pray together, many problems arise' - this sentence is very significant and needs to be discussed extensively in the social and religious context. In Islam, prayer or salat is the most important pillar after faith. It is natural for a person who prays and a person who does not pray to have fundamental differences in their life style, values, priorities and character traits. When these two classes of people start living together in family, social or professional life, various kinds of complications and conflicts can arise. However, it must be remembered that Islam also instructs to make the utmost effort to guide and bring the person who does not pray back to the right path.
Differences in basic life style and priorities:
1. Conflict in religious values: The center of a person who prays is to please Allah and follow Islamic laws. He prioritizes the guidance of Sharia in every action, decision, and relationship. On the other hand, a person who does not pray may claim to be a Muslim, but due to his rejection of the main pillars of Islam, religious values have little importance in his way of life. Due to this fundamental difference, disagreements are inevitable when living together. For example, if it is time for prayer during an important work or trip, the person who prays will want to stop everything and pray, which may seem unnecessary to the person who does not pray.
2. Differences in time and routine: A person who prays five times a day has to match his daily routine with the prayer schedule. He has to take breaks and prepare for the Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha prayers at specific times. Since there is no such obligation in the life of a person who does not pray, he can make his time and plans more freely. When they start a work, family event or journey together, the prayer schedule of the praying person may appear as a kind of obstacle or difficulty to the non-praying person.
3. Criteria of Halal-Haram: In addition to the importance of prayers, a truly praying person is usually more careful about Halal-Haram in other aspects of life. His income, food, clothing, entertainment, and behavior are influenced by Islamic laws. If the non-praying person is indifferent to Halal-Haram, then ideological conflicts may arise between them in matters such as eating habits, financial transactions, or entertainment. For example, the praying person will avoid interest transactions or money earned through illegal means, but the non-praying person may not be as aware of this.
4. Differences in child-rearing: This problem is most evident in the relationship between husband and wife. If the husband is a Muslim and the wife is a non-Muslim, or vice versa, there can be major differences in raising the children in Islamic education. The Muslim partner will insist on teaching the child religious education, prayer habits, and Islamic manners, which the non-Muslim partner may take lightly or ignore. This can lead to confusion in the children between the two opposing lifestyles and weaken their religious foundation. It is narrated in a hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Instruct your children to pray when they are seven years old, and beat them when they are ten years old (for prayer), and separate their sleeping places.” (Abu Dawood). If the Muslim partner wants to follow this advice, the non-Muslim partner may object.
Social and Spiritual Impact:
1. Spiritual Distance: According to Islam, prayer is the best way for a person to establish a relationship with Allah. A Muslim person regularly seeks Allah’s presence and seeks His forgiveness. As a result, a kind of peace and spiritual power works in his heart. The non-Muslim person is deprived of this spiritual peace. When they walk together, this spiritual distance creates a difference in their thoughts, consciousness and mentality, which affects their relationship.
2. Lack of influence and inspiration: The praying person wants his partner to also follow the righteous path and offer prayers. But the ignorance of the non-Muslim partner can have a negative impact on the praying person. On the other hand, the non-Muslim partner may consider the regular prayer of the praying person to be excessive or unnecessary. The lack of mutual inspiration and ideals creates problems for a tolerant relationship.
3. Complexity of marital relations: According to Islamic jurisprudence, a person who deliberately avoids prayers is a fasiq (sinner) and according to some scholars, he can be considered a kafir. If a Muslim woman marries a man who does not offer prayers, then according to many scholars, that marriage is not valid (if he is a negator of prayers). Although there are differences of opinion, it is quite natural for the validity of such a relationship to be questioned, or for the neglect of prayer to lead to dissatisfaction and religious problems in the marital life. According to the Hadith, "Whoever abandons prayer has committed kufr" (Muslim). Such a stern warning creates additional pressure on the person praying to invite the non-prayerful.
4. The duty of da'wah (call) and reformation: It is an important duty for the person praying to call the non-prayerful partner or relative to reformation. But if there is no humility and tact in this da'wah process,can cause harm. Constant pressure and criticism can further alienate the non-prayer person, on the other hand, if this duty is not fulfilled, the praying person may consider himself a sinner.
Solution and coexistence:
Despite so many problems, the first and main duty of a praying person is to call the non-prayer person to the path of prayer through patience, humility and love. The Islamic principle in relationships is to cooperate in good deeds and encourage them to refrain from evil deeds.
1. Da'wah and humility: In calling to prayer, one should not resort to harshness, but to humility and good advice. Allah Almighty says in the Quran: "Invite to the way of your Lord with knowledge and good advice, and argue with them in kindness." (Surah An-Nahl, verse: 125).
2. Tolerance and supplication: One should not express resentment towards the non-prayer person, but sincerely pray to Allah for guidance for him. The Prophets and Messengers have always prayed to Allah for their relatives.
3. Maintaining limits: In some cases, such as in marriage or close friendship, if the non-prayerful person completely ignores prayers and other Islamic rules and shows no signs of reform, then according to the rules of Sharia, maintaining a certain distance or even severing the relationship may come into play (especially in marital relationships, depending on the jurisprudential issues). However, this should be a final decision and should be taken according to the advice of a wise scholar.
it can be said that the coexistence of a praying person and a non-prayerful person is a challenging matter. This problem mainly arises because the basic principles of life and spiritual goals are different. To overcome these conflicts, the praying person must, on the one hand, continue the work of da'wah with patience, and on the other hand, maintain the ideals of peace and tolerance, the main purpose of Islam. In such a situation, only the mercy of Allah and the right guidance can make the relationship easy and beautiful. it will be the opposite.
512.954 SRY