Imam Ibn Al Uthaymeen said:

قال الشيخ ابن عثيمين رحمه الله تعالى:

“لقد خاب قوم تهاونوا بصلاتهم حتى ثقلت عليهم فأشبهوا بذلك المنافقين،

Indeed a people whom were negligent in regards to their prayers were put to loss/deprived until the prayer became heavy upon them and thus they resembled in that the hypocrites.

تجد أحدهم تحبسه الحاجة الدنيوية ساعة أو ساعتين أو أكثر من ذلك، ولو كانت قليلة وزهيدة،

You will find that one of them will be occupied by a worldly need and it may hold him back for an hour or two or even more than that, even if it be small or worthless.

ولا يستطيع أن يصبر عُشْر هذا الزمن للصلاة المكتوبة، الصلاة عنده أثقل من الجبال،

And he isn’t able to be patient for a tenth of this time for the prescribed prayer. The prayer to him is heavier than the mountains.

وتنعيم بدنه واتباع لذاته عنده هو رأس المال، فما أعظم خسارته، وما أطول ندمه عند أخذ الكتب باليمين
وبالشمال.”

The comfort of his body and following its pleasures to him is the capital, thus how great is his loss and how long his regret will be when taking the books with either the right or left (hand).

[الضياء اللامع: ١٣٦/١]

‏Translated by

Majid Jawed Al-Afghanee
Abu Layl


Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said:

If you find prayer heavy upon you, even if it be a voluntary (prayer), then known that there is hypocrisy in your heart because this is the affair of the hypocrites whom Allah said in regards to

وإذا قاموا إلى الصلاة قاموا كسالى

“And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness”

[4:142]

And if you find in your heart (that it is) light upon you and a means of rejoice, then know that this is proof upon the strength of your Imaan

[Sharh Saheeh Muslim, 15]

Translated by

Majid Jawed Al-Afghanee
Abu Layl