Steadfastness in Prayer

Q: I have a younger brother of 18. His name is Md. Shamoon Belali. He has a good intelligence and does everything nicely which is told to him to do, But He doesn't pay attention to studies neither he performs salah. We always have to keep forcing him to do so but he still isn't regular in performing salah

Please give a solution to this so that he becomes pious and also work hard on studies. Jazak'Allah khair.

A: All-Praise is due to Allah,

Without a doubt it is obligatory for every mature sane Muslim to establish the five daily prayers. Allah ﷻ says:

And they were not commanded except to worship Allah , [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion. [ al Bayinah: 5]

As for not praying this is a serious and dangerous matter where ones Emaan is questionable by Shari'ah. Allah ﷻ says: 

So woe unto those performers of Salat (prayers),  Who delay their Salat (prayer) from their stated fixed times.

[al Maa'oun: 4-5]

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his neglect of the prayer.”  

[Sahih Muslim]

It was narrated that Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is the prayer, and whoever neglects it has disbelieved (become a kaafir).’” (It was narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah).

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What is meant here by kufr or disbelief is the kind of kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made prayer the dividing line between the believers and the disbelievers. It is known that the community of kufr is not the same as the community of Islam, so whoever does not fulfil this covenant must be one of the kaafireen (disbelievers).

[Risaalah fi Hukm Taarik al-Salaah]

As you can see that the issue of leaving the prayer is not a light matter, the individual that does this has put themselves in a state of which is between Emman and Kufr (disbelief). Why should any Muslim put themselves in this position where their faith is questionable over a simple matter of just laziness. All one has to simply do is pray and repent to Allah for his actions. 

Ways that one should keep steadfast in their prayer is:

• Attending the Mosque for the Five daily prayers 

• Having good companionship whom pray and encourage one another to pray on time

• remaining around the company of the scholars and students of knowledge  

• visiting the graveyards and attending funerals for reminders that we will one day be soon there 

• reading up on the this issue from among the books of the Scholars about leaving the prayer and what its rulings is.

• attending lessons in the mosque 

These are some things that will help one remain steadfast in their prays. Also making plenty of Du'aa that Allah keeps us all steadfast as the Prophet (ﷺ) would say: O'Turners of hearts remain our hearts steadfast on Your religion. 

As for the issue of studying this is an optional thing not an obligation, and it is much preferred that his encouragement is focused towards his prayers because this is the main thing that will give him success in this life and the next in-sha-Allah. 

And Allah know best....