Quran Verses about Neglecting prayer
The Quran warns those who are heedless of their prayer, waste it and follow their desires, and names failure to pray as a reason people enter Hell. The hypocrites are described as standing for prayer lazily and to be seen. In contrast, the successful believers are humble in their prayer, guard it, and are not distracted from it by wealth, children or trade.
The warning to those who neglect and waste their prayer
۞ فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ خَلۡفٌ أَضَاعُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَلۡقَوۡنَ غَيًّا ٥٩
Fakhalafa mim baʿdihim khalfun aḍāʿuṣ-ṣalāta wattabaʿush-shahawāt, fasawfa yalqawna ghayyā.
But there came after them successors [i.e., later generations] who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil1 -
Footnotes (1)
- Described as a valley in Hell or may be rendered "the consequence of error."
إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ يَدۡخُلُونَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظۡلَمُونَ شَيۡـٔٗا ٦٠
Illā man tāba wa āmana wa ʿamila ṣāliḥan fa ulāʾika yadkhulūnal-jannata wa lā yuẓlamūna shayʾā.
Except those who repent, believe and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged at all.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تُلۡهِكُمۡ أَمۡوَٰلُكُمۡ وَلَآ أَوۡلَٰدُكُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡخَٰسِرُونَ ٩
Yāʾayyuhal-ladhīna āmanū lā tulhikum amwālukum wa lā awlādukum ʿan dhikrillāh, wa may yafʿal dhālika fa ulāʾika humul-khāsirūn.
O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allāh. And whoever does that - then those are the losers.
فَوَيۡلٞ لِّلۡمُصَلِّينَ ٤
Fawaylul lil-muṣallīn.
So woe to those who pray
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَن صَلَاتِهِمۡ سَاهُونَ ٥
Al-ladhīna hum ʿan ṣalātihim sāhūn.
[But] who are heedless of their prayer1 -
Footnotes (1)
- i.e., the hypocrites who are unconcerned if they miss prayers when no one sees them.
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ يُرَآءُونَ ٦
Al-ladhīna hum yurāʾūn.
Those who make show [of their deeds]
Refusing to pray and its outcome in the Hereafter
يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ ٤٢
Yawma yukshafu ʿan sāqiw wa yudʿawna ilas-sujūdi falā yastaṭīʿūn.
The Day the shin will be uncovered1 and they are invited to prostration but they [i.e., the disbelievers] will not be able,
Footnotes (1)
- i.e., when everyone will find before him great difficulty. In accordance with authentic ḥadīths, "the shin" might also refer to that of Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā), before which every believer will prostrate on the Day of Judgement. See footnote to 2:19.
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ ٤٣
Khāshiʿatan abṣāruhum tarhaquhum dhillah, wa qad kānū yudʿawna ilas-sujūdi wa hum sālimūn.
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.1
Footnotes (1)
- During worldly life.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱرۡكَعُواْ لَا يَرۡكَعُونَ ٤٨
Wa idhā qīla lahumurkaʿū lā yarkaʿūn.
And when it is said to them, "Bow [in prayer]," they do not bow.
The prayer of the hypocrites: lazy and for show
إِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ يُخَٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَٰدِعُهُمۡ وَإِذَا قَامُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ قَامُواْ كُسَالَىٰ يُرَآءُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ وَلَا يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا ١٤٢
Innal-munāfiqīna yukhādiʿūnallāha wa huwa khādiʿuhum wa idhā qāmū ilaṣ-ṣalāti qāmū kusālā yurāʾūnan-nāsa wa lā yadhkurūnallāha illā qalīlā.
Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allāh, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allāh except a little,
وَمَا مَنَعَهُمۡ أَن تُقۡبَلَ مِنۡهُمۡ نَفَقَٰتُهُمۡ إِلَّآ أَنَّهُمۡ كَفَرُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِۦ وَلَا يَأۡتُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ إِلَّا وَهُمۡ كُسَالَىٰ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا وَهُمۡ كَٰرِهُونَ ٥٤
Wa mā manaʿahum an tuqbala minhum nafaqātuhum illā annahum kafarū billāhi wabirasūlihī wa lā yaʾtūnaṣ-ṣalāta illā wa hum kusālā wa lā yunfiqūna illā wa hum kārihūn.
And what prevents their expenditures from being accepted from them but that they have disbelieved in Allāh and in His Messenger and that they come not to prayer except while they are lazy and that they do not spend except while they are unwilling.
The opposite: humility in prayer and guarding it
حَٰفِظُواْ عَلَى ٱلصَّلَوَٰتِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ٱلۡوُسۡطَىٰ وَقُومُواْ لِلَّهِ قَٰنِتِينَ ٢٣٨
Ḥāfiẓū ʿalaṣ-ṣalawāti waṣ-ṣalātil-wusṭā wa qūmū lillāhi qānitīn.
Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle [i.e., ʿaṣr] prayer and stand before Allāh, devoutly obedient.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَٰتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ ٩
Wal-ladhīna hum ʿalā ṣalawātihim yuḥāfiẓūn.
And they who carefully maintain their prayers -
رِجَالٞ لَّا تُلۡهِيهِمۡ تِجَٰرَةٞ وَلَا بَيۡعٌ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَإِيتَآءِ ٱلزَّكَوٰةِ يَخَافُونَ يَوۡمٗا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُ ٣٧
Rijālul lā tulhīhim tijāratuw wa lā bayʿun ʿan dhikrillāhi wa iqāmiṣ-ṣalāti wa ītāʾiz-zakāti yakhāfūna yawman tataqallabu fīhil-qulūbu wal-abṣār.
[Are] men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allāh and performance of prayer and giving of zakāh. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about -
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ ٣٤
Wal-ladhīna hum ʿalā ṣalātihim yuḥāfiẓūn.
And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer: