Imām Aḥmad Razā Khan’s Love for Prayer

At the age of 52, Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه performed Hajj for the second time, but after its completion, he fell ill and was bedbound for more than two months. When he recovered slightly, he embarked on a 3-day journey on a boat from Jeddah to Rabigh, and from there he travelled on a camel and headed towards Madinah. When he reached Biˈr al-Shaykh, he was close to his destination but there was not long left for the Fajr prayer. The camel riders intended to stop travelling once they reached their destination, but there was a risk of missing the prayer. 

Imam Aḥmad Razā Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه assessed the situation and stopped at Biˈr al-Shaykh with his companions whilst the rest of the caravan travelled onwards. There was a deep well nearby but the Imam only had a bucket made of canvas with no rope, so he used his turban to lower the bucket into the well. After performing ablution and offering the prayer, the Imam was worried about how he would complete the rest of the journey on foot, especially considering that he had only recently recovered from illness. Imam Aḥmad Razā Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه turned his head and saw an unknown man waiting with a camel. He climbed on to the camel and praised Allah Almighty as he continued with the journey.^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                          صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

سُبْحٰنَ اللہ! O devotees of Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه! This was the Imam’s passion for prayer and worship. Despite the long illness and extreme weakness, he felt, he tolerated the difficulties of travelling and even abandoned the caravan so he could perform the greatest worship-the prayer. Regardless of whether it is an occasion of happiness or sadness, we must offer the prayer consistently, and those who do not