Work and Worship
by Sheikh Muhammad Tufail
Al-Ahmadiyya, November 1980 Issue (Vol. 2, No. 11, p. 3)
Some people think that prayer helps man in becoming lazy. Nothing is further from the truth. Asking God for a favour without making any effort on our part is against the spirit of worship and prayer. A Muslim utters several times during his ritual worship:
“Guide us on the right path” (The Holy Quran, 1:5),
or:
“Lead us on the right path.”
Thus, the effort to reach the destination by treading the path of righteousness is ours. We are asking God’s guidance and help to keep us and lead us on the right path. On this path we have to walk the distance ourselves and face all the difficulties which we might come across in taking such a course in accordance with the will and commandment of God. In fact, it is sharing the greatest responsibility by asking Divine help to lead us on the ways of His pleasure.
As the right path is always beset with difficulties, therefore we constantly need the kind help of God so that we may reach our destination. For guidance, the Arabic word is hidayah, which means:
“Guiding and leading on the right path with kindness until one reaches the goal”(Taj Al-Arus).
Apart from this, acceptance of prayer in the Quran is itself associated with the reward of the hard work:
“So their Lord accepted their prayer, (saying): I will not suffer the work of any worker to be lost, whether male or female” (The Holy Quran, 3:195).
Again, we read in the Quran:
“Surely with difficulty is ease, with difficulty is surely ease” (The Holy Quran, 94:5–6).
“We have certainly created man to face difficulties” (The Holy Quran, 90:4).
“And that man can have nothing but what he strives for” (The Holy Quran, 53:39).