Praying Only the Obligatory Prayers
Question:
Is it okay to pray only the obligatory prayers? Am I a sinner if I do not offer the Sunnah and Nafl prayers?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright.
Allah has really endowed upon us His favor by decreeing for us the nafl prayers as extra good deeds that can complement our obligatory ones and compensate for any deficiency in performing them. It was narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “The first thing for which a servant of Allah will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his Salah. If it is found to be complete then it will be recorded as complete, and if anything is lacking Allah will say: ‘Look and see if you can find any voluntary prayers with which to complete what was defective in his obligatory prayers’.” (Abu Dawud)
Nafl prayers are really gracious and whoever offer them regularly will draw nearer to Allah and the Almighty will grant him success and protection.
It was narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) as he said that Allah the Almighty said, “The most beloved things with which My servant comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My servant keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he seeks My Protection (Refuge), I will protect him.” (Al-Bukhari)
Watch this short talk to learn more about the virtues of offering the sunnah and the nafl prayers.
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Source: Huda Youtube Channel.