Will you give information about the effect of worship on man and restraining him from bad deeds?

A believing person is an exemplary person but there are some people who are careful about worship and yet who are deprived of mercy and do wrong things in terms of character and ethics nowadays; on the other hand, there are some people who do not worship but who make other people admire them due to their high ethics. Why is it like that?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Prayer is a deed of worship that Allah wants from us. In addition to prayer, there are other deeds of worship and also haram (forbidden) deeds that we have to avoid. Thus, we will be rewarded for our good deeds and punished for our sins. 

Besides, Allah will evaluate in the hereafter everything that man does. Our religion, which regards even removing something that hinders people from the way a deed of worship, will definitely not overlook worship, which is an important deed of worship.   

For example, a girl who does not cover her head outside will get the reward when she performs a prayer; when she goes out without covering her head, she will receive a sin. One of them does not prevent the other. 

The deeds and attitudes of a person who performs prayers should definitely be good. However, we cannot say "his prayer is not accepted" if he does a bad deed.

There is a rule: "When a general statement is made, the perfect form of it is understood." For example, when we say “man” the Prophet (pbuh) comes to mind. When we say physicist, the most famous one is understood. Similarly, what the statement "prayer restrains people from sins" brings to mind is the peak of prayer; it is the perfect result of prayer.

Every statement has some conditions. For example, suppose that it is written in the manual of a car that it can do 200 km/h speed. This statement does not mean that the car will always do 200 km/h with any driver. If that car is on a stabilized road and has some water mixed with gasoline in the fuel tank, if its front alignment is out of order, if its headlights are off or are not adjusted and if the driver is inexperienced, it will naturally not do 200 km/h; however, it does not mean that the statement in the manual is wrong. On the contrary, it is true, but some necessary conditions are not fulfilled. Therefore, the car will enable us to travel but it will not reach the speed we want.

Similarly, man is like a perfect and living car created by Allah. The eyes, which are the headlights of this car, what man eats, drinks, the places he goes to, what he thinks, his feet, in short, everything should be perfect so that he could get the result when he says a prayer or performs a prayer. Therefore, that statement is true if those conditions are fulfilled.

The statement "Every seed is a tree" is true. Although every seed has the program of a tree, it cannot be a tree if it is not planted in accordance with necessary conditions. Similarly, every prayer has a secret that leads man to Allah and causes his sins to be deleted. However, there are some conditions for this secret, which is like a seed, to be opened. He who fulfills the conditions like belief, worship, intention and avoiding harams will open it like a tree. It will cause his previous sins to be deleted. Otherwise, it will remain as a seed and will not reach to fruition. What is more, he will be held responsible for spending his life in the wrong place.

Worship prevents man from evil. However, we cannot say that it prevents everyone at the same level. In addition, this person, who commits evil even though he worships, might have committed worse deeds if he had not worshipped.

The interpretation of the verse of the Quran regarding the issue is as follows:

"Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do." (al-Ankabut, 29/45)

Recite the book that has been inspired to you repeatedly, regularly and in a nice way. That is, do not feel worried due to the mischief of the old-fashioned unbelievers; if you cannot recite the Quran to them, recite alone in a nice way and meditate on the states of the prophets and their nations mentioned in the verses of Allah. Therefore, you are not ordered “to recite to them” but to “recite” in general. Establish regular prayer; prayer definitely restrains from shameful and unjust deeds, immorality and evil, from inappropriate things that the mind and the religion do not like and from sins. When one performs a prayer, he cannot do any of them during prayer.   

Besides, true prayer that is performed by knowing its reality restrains man from bad and inappropriate deeds outside prayer too. Forbidding does not ensure restraining fully but necessitates it. As man continues performing prayers truly and correctly, good deeds will increase. The following is reported from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh):

"If a person performs prayers and if prayer does not restrain him from open and secret bad deeds, he keeps away from Allah with that prayer."

Therefore, Ibn Mas'ud states the following:

"If a person does not perform prayers properly, prayer will keep him away from Allah."

The reason for it is that obeying the prayer occurs by performing it properly and paying attention to its boundaries. Its boundaries include prevention from all open and secret bad deeds.  

Thus, obeying the prayer necessitates performing it properly and keeping away from what it prohibits. 

"So woe to the worshippers Who are neglectful of their prayers." (al-Maun, 107/4-5)

As it is stated in the verses above, woe to those who seemingly perform prayers but who are unaware of what prayer is. Therefore, the following is stated in the Quran: 

"The believers must (eventually) win through - Those who humble themselves in their prayers." (al-Mu'minun, 23/1-2)

The following is stated in the chapter of Taha:

"So serve thou Me (only), and establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise." (Taha, 20/14)

Thus, the wisdom behind and the purpose of prayer is celebrating Allah’s praise (dhikr). 

"Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you." (al-Baqara, 2/152)

Thus, man will be remembered by Allah when he mentions Allah as it is stated in the verse above. Thus, prayer is a kind of miraj (ascension).

"Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord..." (al-Baqara, 2/46)

Those who know that prayer is ascension perform prayers with pleasure and with the intention and sincerity that they are always in the presence of their Lord. Mentioning Allah (prayer) is the greatest thing. 

Thus, prayer, which means remembering Allah with all subtleties, details and realities and a slave’s presenting his weakness and needs to Allah with his attitudes in the presence of His magnificence, is the greatest reason that prevents man from open and secret bad deeds. Allah’s remembering you is greater than your remembering Him. When a slave remembers Allah with His majesty and beauty, he will avoid open and secret bad deeds in His presence and will elevate with his good manners and sincerity; when he thinks of Allah’s remembering him, he will not want to be remembered with any bad deeds in the divine presence; therefore, he will be full of the feeling of good deeds in order to attain Allah’s consent. Doubtlessly, this feeling will be a greater means of salvation than the previous one. One should think about how Allah mentions the people like Pharaoh on the one hand and the prophets and believers on the other hand. Besides, Allah knows whatever you do. He remembers you accordingly and punishes or rewards you accordingly. (see Elmalılı, the interpretation of the verse in question)

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