A seeker inquired,

‘O Abu Saeed (Allah have mercy on him)! I spend the night in a sound state of physical health, I even have a desire to wake up at night for worship (tahajjud) and I also make arrangements for ablution but why is it that I can not get up?’

The Shaikh replied, ‘Your sinful activities hold you hostage (stopping you from getting up at this precious time to pray).’

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What sinful activities?

Shaikh Taiwiri (Allah have mercy on him) said, ‘Once I was deprived of benefiting from the tahajjud prayers for seven month as a result of a sinful activity.’

On being question about this sinful act, he replied,

‘I saw a person crying and I thought (actively and with conviction) that he is being pretentious (riya kar).’

Awarif al-Ma’arif, (Urdu) 567