Funny story told by Saudi Sheikh Areefi

I provided a translation of what the Sheikh is saying in the video. Basically imagine that it is him talking. Another point is that when I say the word Prayer, I mean performing Salah. Video is kinda funnier in Arabic coz the Shiekh does voice impressions as he tells the story xD

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I remember, a while ago, I was giving a few lectures in Jordan. So I sat in a gathering and I spoke a little about Prayer (Salah). There was an old Jordanian man in this gathering, his age was about 70.

He said to me “Sheikh”.

I turned to him and said “Yes?”

He said to me “I would like to tell you my story with Prayer”

I don’t remember ever coming across anyone before that had a story to do with Prayer. People have stories with a job, stories with ladies they fell in love with … but a story with Prayer? “You have a story with Prayer?” I said to the old man.

“Yes ya Zalameh (Zalameh translates to Man. People in Shaami countries sometimes use it when talking to each other) what are you saying? I told you I have a story with Prayer”

“Ok, don’t get irked. Tell me your story with Prayer.”

“Sheikh, when I was a young man, I was not a very good person: I was rotten. However, I used to Pray. All my bad friends would not Pray, I was the only one amongst them who did. So I entered a Masjid once in order to Pray, and as I lifted my eyes to perform the Takbeera, I saw infront of me written on the wall a Hadeeth of the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him that said: ‘Whomever his Prayer would not stop him performing Fahshaa and Munkar (Sinful deeds), he has no Prayer (i.e.: the Prayer is not accepted with Allah)’ ”

This Hadeeth, by the way, is weak. The old man continues:

“I thought to myself ‘what in the world is this?’ I have no Prayer …? My Prayer does not stop me from sinning so that means I have no Prayer … so what am I Praying for then!? You know what, I will not Pray anymore!’”

--The Sheikh pauses and smiles at the audience--

Instead of thinking “I will not sin anymore so that my Prayer can be accepted by Allah” the old man thought “I will not Pray anymore so that my sins be accepted” ! Look at how Iblees (Devil) plays with people! The old man continues:

“And so, Sheikh, for 10 years of my life after this incident I did not Pray a single Prayer … what is the point of me Praying when I have no Prayer? I was invited to a party at one point after all this time passed, and there was a Saudi man there from Jeddah. And there were so many people in the boisterous party, doing who knows what. The Jeddah man sat next to me, and we both began drinking together. The Jeddah man asked me, and we were drunk at this point: ‘Where is your girlfriend?’

I told him: ‘I don’t have a girlfriend.’

‘How come? Don’t you do Zina? (premarital sex)’

‘No, I don’t do Zina.’

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t want to that’s all!’

‘Well … if you don’t do Zina then why don’t you Pray?’”

Remember, this is them talking to each other and they are drunk. Subhan Allah, sometimes wisdom comes from the most unlikely sources. The old man continues:

“I said to the Jeddah man: ‘I don’t Pray because, look at me, I drink’

‘Listen to me man’ the Jeddah man said ‘Us human beings, we have ropes between us and our Lord of the Worlds. A rope called [Being good to Parents]. A rope called [Reading the Quran]. A rope called [Giving Charity]. A rope called [Prayer]. When you are not good to your parents, you come to the first rope and you cut it. When you don’t read Quran, you come to the second rope and you cut it. When you don’t give charity, you come to the third rope and cut it. Dude, keep the last rope [Prayer] between you and our Lord of the Worlds intact, it might come in handy to you someday!’”

This is them and they are drunk, one of them telling the other to keep the Prayer rope intact incase he needs it later. The old man continues:

“As the Jeddah man finished talking, I thought to myself ‘What he is saying is truly right …’ I stood up, left the party, went home, washed myself and Prayed Maghrib and Ishaa. And since that day I have never left a single Prayer!”

And the reward of bringing the old man back to the righteous path is given to whom? –Sheikh pauses and smiles again—This is one of the benefits of alcohol by the way, because as it says in the Quran (In them there is great harm and also benefit to people).