# I stopped praying because it feels mechanical and forced; will I go to hell?

*'I don't want to pray salah': prayer from gratitude, not fear, and the Companion who slept past dawn*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ixsylbrg6a0/s/1/
- Date: 2020-05-25 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: "I don't want to pray salah" | Mufti Abu Layth (0:00–11:26)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXSyLbrg6A0&t=0s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ixsylbrg6a0/

**Topics:** Prayer; Religious guilt and scrupulosity; Individual hadith explained

**Question as asked:** I don't pray five times anymore, I just feel it's mechanical and forced. I don't like feeling pressured. Will I be sent to hell?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Pray out of gratitude and connection, not fear of hell, and do not develop hatred for the prayer even if you slack or combine prayers; each person's journey is their own. The Prophet told a Companion who slept past dawn simply to pray when he wakes.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says he personally prays out of gratitude and connection rather than fear of hell and that this is the best way to pray, that each person's journey is their own and others should not condemn them, and that someone struggling with prayer should not develop hatred for it.

**Evidence, his words at 5:31:** “I don't personally pray out of this kind of fear of burning in hell and things like this I just pray out of a kind of sense of gratitude” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXSyLbrg6A0&t=331s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth reads a question from someone who no longer prays five times because it feels mechanical and forced, dislikes feeling pressured and asks whether they will be sent to hell. After a joke about the pressure of hell, he says the deen is a path each person walks individually and that prayer, devotion and commitment mean different things at different stages; for some, reflection and learning are worship, for others dhikr, prayer and fasting. He says the questioner's journey is their own and they should take their time, that ritual is important for human beings and is like a lifeline thrown from a ship, and that even if they do not pray now they may some day; above all they should not develop hatred for the prayer, since even great imams of the past, among them Sayf al-Din al-Amidi [?] and another [?], abandoned it for a while and came back. He says those who can only pray their obligatory prayers before sleeping, or combine them at points of the day, are fine, and that it is not for others to condemn them. He says that for himself prayer is not out of fear of punishment or bad luck but a pulse of gratitude and connection, and that praying like that is the best way. He then tells the story of a Companion, identified in the chat as Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal, whose wife complained to the Prophet about his control of her charity, his objection to her voluntary fasts and his not praying Subh on time; the Prophet told them to be moderate with worship, and when the man said his people do not wake until after sunrise, the Prophet simply said 'when you wake up, pray', without threats of hellfire. He says the hadith is in Abu Dawud and other collections.

## Sources and names cited

- report: idha istayqazta fa-salli (when you wake up, pray)
- Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal
- Sayf al-Din al-Amidi [?]
- Sunan Abi Dawud
- salah
- jam' (combining prayers)

## Transcript (machine tier, 0:00–11:26)

[0:00] ah Anaya has asked I don't pray five times anymore I just feel it's mechanical and forced I don't like feeling pressured will I be sent to hell a cha-cha-cha you don't like pressure how's the

[0:26] pressure of 10,000 degrees Celsius look this this Dean is is the path upon which we all walk individually okay so this Dean isn't faith is an individual journey okay

[1:06] praise devotion commitment these things may mean different things to different people at varying stages of this journey and sometimes our journey our work our kind of experience is almost it's like an elasticated kind of experience like we spring out spring back in spring out spring back in sometimes to some people reflection pondering meditating reading learning is is an act of devotion it's an act of worship to or to the

[1:46] board to some people doing thicker praying never you know keeping fasts that is an act of you know and that is clearly the switch will worship but and sometimes some people may kind of feel that they can't pray that they can't do certain things you know that they understand it but they don't you know find themselves on that particular walking that walk for whatever reason I would say look your journey is your own okay take your time

[2:25] inshallah I mean things I do feel the concept of ritual is important for human beings Allah has placed that knowingly how important ritual is sometimes I would say that that no matter where you find yourself these things are like a kind of lifeline they like a kind of I don't it's like a rope thrown from a ship you know and you you kind of feel that you

[3:02] are still connected that's how I feel I mean I I would say that even if you don't pray sometimes you know if you don't pray take it maybe someday you will maybe I don't know I mean maybe you won't ever pray but I would say don't kind of develop a hatred for the prayer there's no pray is not to be hated everybody can slack in the prayer Imam look at great Imams in the past they abandon the prayer sometimes a mammal has early abandoned it for a you know certain while there was the great you

[3:40] know sayfudine all amedy they say he abandoned Salah one of the greatest or Celine but they they came back they fluctuated but they you know just don't feel a certain point they didn't they just left it they weren't kind of but don't develop a kind of don't kind of what I'm but I don't transfer negativity onto the Salah the Salah is not about being pressured if you know if somebody can only pray all his Farah it let's say he only praise them before going to

[4:17] sleep fine some person they pray them they combine three at a particular point of the day and they buying two at night fine you know some person may be praised Suba when they wake up whenever that is then combines the other two and then combines the other two fine I mean every person is on their own journey it's not for somebody else to really condemn them or to tell them off or to do things like that but

[4:53] and the way I see Salah is it's not about praying it because you're scared this is me personally it's not about praying salat because I'm scared of being punished or I'm scared of bad luck it's about wanting to pray in the sense that like I feel you know if anything it's a tiny appreciation God doesn't need it but you know it's it's something that kind of I don't know it's a it's

[5:31] something that a pulse that I remain kind of connected to even if I have to sometimes combine praise sometimes I might slack on praise sometimes I might not just like everybody else I'm no bloody you know different in that regard but I wouldn't project negativity onto the pre and I don't personally pray out of this kind of fear of burning in hell and things like this I just pray out of a kind of sense of gratitude that's what I would say if you pray like that that's the best way to pray look somebody came to the prophet salaallah solemn and his wife actually complained about I've

[6:11] narrated this story on several occasions where the wife came and she complained and said you know he doesn't let me she complained about three things of mm-hmm I think one was about giving in charity or something but I think he was controlling her wealth or something or he wasn't controlling over but he was being controlling the other was I think she wanted to keep voluntary fasts and he was objecting and third was that that he wouldn't a couple

[6:48] complaints she probably did him over she complained to the Prophet she said he doesn't even wake up for Suba hmm you be cool check him out he doesn't even pray for on time so the Prophet calls this person I believe it was I believe it was so fun even a Mista I believe but anyway calls this

[7:24] companion and says what's this that I'm hearing this person says about you know the charity I thought and the prophecies will let her give in charity stop her so he says okay and and the Prophet asked him what's this about the fast you know past this objection towards the fast so he had said well look he was newly married and you know testosterone a bit high you know there's some other matters one must also who can't neglect

[8:04] you know Babu by department so the the profit in regards to that just said to them that look they should have some mutual understanding like you know Oh take it easy to both to him and to her that look you don't need like relaxes well with the worship you don't like keep it moderate you don't need to kind of go full-on like thinking but at the same time told him to be understanding but then asked him what's this about not praying are this know pray huh no Salah

[8:42] so check his response ER he says somebody correct me I think it's so funny ma tell somebody saying it may have been so funny bro mater I wasn't so fond of remodel the foster child of a worker anyway right so I'll remember I remember his name being Safwan the surname I've kind of forgotten right now so the Prophet asks him why don't you pray so he says that look in omen we are people who don't wake up except after sunrise learn

[9:20] aesthetically to elaborate illusions [Laughter] tada this is Childress out saying look this is the the kind of Childre the kind of we only wake up where are people who only wake up after sunrise so the prophets response here is amazing that the Prophet could have said that look listen you know don't you know how the Hellfire is don't you know how this is how do you live a life of luxury how dare you refuse to sacrifice some sleep

[9:56] how do you but yet the prophets response was the Prophet said farthest a thirst a putter for suddenly he said okay when you wake up pray and that is one of the most amazing responses ever because the Prophet never said oh my god you're gonna get you're gonna burn in hell you're gonna watch what God does to you watch this watch that no I never said oh my god you're gonna get bad luck or none of that the Prophet said either

[10:35] stay cutter for Sully so and somebody said where is this hadith on that hadith I believe it's in Abu Dawood and it's in several it's in I think Behati it's in I know how he brings it as well it's a very famous hadith either stay cut toughie suddenly if you just even if you just do a quick search you'll come right up right so I hope that right so what's going on what's going on people who are

[11:10] somebody said it is so fun if no Martin shukran shukran because I thought for a moment I mixed mix them up so funny mr. hunts of anabaena motto so funny blue motto shukran right so

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment IXSyLbrg6A0/s/1. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ixsylbrg6a0/s/1/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.