Prioritizing Obligations
فرائض اور مستحبات
لَا قُرْبَةَ بِالنَّوَافِلِ إِذَا أَضَرَّتْ بِالْفَرَائِضِ.
جب مستحب کاموں سے فرائض (واجبات) کو نقصان پہنچ رہا ہو تو وہ قربتِ الٰہی کا باعث نہیں بنتے۔
“Recommended (supererogatory) acts of worship do not bring one near to Allah if they harm the obligatory ones.”
Reflections: Imam Ali ؑ teaches us the importance of spiritual balance and discipline. While voluntary prayers and good deeds are virtuous, they lose their value if they lead to the neglect of what is mandatory (Wajib). For example, staying up for extra prayers but missing the dawn (Fajr) prayer, or spending on charity while neglecting family debts, is counterproductive. True proximity to Allah is built on the solid foundation of fulfilling our primary duties first.