Balancing Worship And Living The Prophetic Way

ANAS IBN MALIK NARRATED: A GROUP OF THREE MEN CAME TO THE HOUSE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S WIFE AND ASKED ABOUT THE PROPHET’S WORSHIP WHEN THEY WERE INFORMED THAT HE WORSHIPPED ALL NIGHT THEY CONSIDERED THEIR OWN WORSHIP VERY LITTLE AND SAID: “WHAT ARE WE IN COMPARISON TO THE BLESSED PROPHET?” SINCE ALLAH HAS FORGIVEN THE PROPHET’S PREVIOUS AND FUTURE SINS ONE OF THEM SAID: “AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, FROM NOW ON I WILL ALWAYS PRAY ALL NIGHT LONG” THE SECOND ONE SAID: “I WILL FAST ALL DAY” THE THIRD ONE SAID: “I WILL KEEP AWAY FROM WOMEN AND NEVER MARRY” THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE UPON HIM) CAME TO THEM AND SUMMONED THEM AND SAID TO THEM: “ARE YOU THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAID ALL THESE THINGS?” “BY ALLAH, I FEAR ALLAH MORE THAN ALL OF YOU” “AND I AM DEVOTED TO HIM MORE THAN ALL OF YOU” “BUT I FAST SOME DAYS, NOT OTHERS” “I PRAY AND I SLEEP” “I MARRY WOMEN” “SO WHOEVER TURNS AWAY FROM MY WAY” “HE IS NOT FROM ME”