Woe to those who are heedless of their prayers.

"Woe to those who pray who are heedless of their prayers"—this verse is taken from verses 4 and 5 of Surah Al-Ma'un of the Quran. There is a profound warning hidden in these words that very strongly highlights the importance and sense of responsibility of prayer in Muslim life. In Islam, prayer is the most important act of worship after faith. It is a means of establishing a direct relationship between the servant and Allah and is the central guideline for all actions and moral behavior in daily life. But the responsibility does not end with just praying, but how it is prayed, with what intention it is prayed, and how much impact that prayer has on life—all these are measurable to Allah.

In this verse, despite pronouncing the word "salat", Allah Almighty has used the word "wail", which means suffering, destruction, curse, or terrible consequences for those who do wrong. It is noteworthy that just as the Quran describes the hypocrites in a terrible way, it also uses harsh language about those who pray but do not understand their responsibilities and significance. They pray but do not have sincerity, contentment, deep devotion or fear of Allah. Sometimes they pray late, sometimes they leave it completely, and sometimes they pray only for show.

The word “indifference” or “fasting” used in this verse does not only refer to skipping prayers, but also includes those who do not attach importance to the time of prayer, who pray today and not tomorrow, or pray as if it were a burden—a duty. There is a class of people who get caught up in prayer during difficult times in life, before trials, in times of danger, and then lose interest in prayer when their needs are met. This verse of the Quran is addressed to all of them.

Prayer is not just a formality; It is a training in self-purification, an expression of obedience to Allah and an excellent means of spiritual self-expression. For those who consider this prayer to be only a physical exercise, prayer does not have a spiritual effect. As a result, they pray, but the light of prayer does not spread in their character. They pray, but cannot restrain themselves from obscenity, lies, deceit, and ugly behavior. However, the Quran says, “Prayer certainly restrains from obscenity and evil deeds.” (Surah Al-Ankabut: 45)

If we think more deeply about the context of the verse, we understand that it is also warning about those who pray just to show off. Their purpose is to gain people’s praise, to create a pious image, or to gain a false religious reputation in society. This ‘riya’ or show-off prayer is one of the most hated forms of worship in Islam, because it has nothing to do with Allah, but only to attract people’s attention. This kind of prayer will stand as a witness against people on the Day of Judgment. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The most terrible form of shirk is ‘Riya’. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will say, ‘Go to the one for whom you acted, and see what he can give you.’”

Another meaning of this verse is the connection between prayer and other aspects of life. According to the Quran, those who pray but deprive people of their rights, are harsh towards orphans, and are not interested in feeding the poor—their prayers are also questionable. That is, salvation will not be achieved through prayer alone if it does not create responsibility and humanity towards society. Prayer has a huge impact on people’s thoughts, actions, and social behavior. Therefore, Islam rejects prayers that do not purify the soul, do not make people humble, or do not contribute to establishing justice in society.

In Muslim life, prayer is a criterion by which the truth of one’s faith is tested. Not praying, or praying with indifference, actually indicates weakness or lack of faith. The ‘wail’ that Allah utters in this verse is basically a prediction of a danger that is not a sudden destruction in this world, but rather a terrible picture of a punishment in the Hereafter. The punishment of the grave, the shame of the field of resurrection, and the torment of Hell—all these are echoed in this word ‘wail’.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself has warned strongly against neglecting prayer. He said, “Whoever intentionally leaves a prayer, it is as if he has lost his family, his wealth, and his own life.” (Abu Dawud) He also said, “The first thing that will be lost among my Ummah is khushu—humility and sincerity before Allah.”

This verse is therefore a mirror not only for those people who do not pray, but also for those who pray regularly but do not have a connection of the soul, intention, or fear of Allah in that prayer. They may stand in prayer, prostrate, but their hearts are completely absorbed in some other thought. They may pray on time, but they pray mechanically—like a daily task, with no emotion, no surrender. This warning from the Quran should remind us of this—prayer is not just structural or external, but deep within it there is a spiritual world, which runs towards Allah with complete humility, love, and fear.

Therefore, this verse provides an opportunity for each of us Muslims to deeply self-criticize. I pray—but is there love for Allah in that prayer? Am I changing through that prayer, becoming more restrained, more righteous? Or do I just stand up on time, recite a few memorized words, and then get back to the business of the world? This self-questioning can save us from the horror of that word 'wail'. Let us not make our prayers merely a ritual, but a form of reverence, fear, and devotion to Allah.