Prayer alone is not sufficient and must be accompanied by righteous action to have an effect.
In the Holy Quran, prayer is introduced as one of the fundamental principles of faith, but there is always an emphasis on the necessity of action accompanying prayer. In Surah Ghafir, verse 60, Allah states: 'And your Lord says, 'Call upon Me; I will respond to you.' This shows that Allah desires the prayers and requests of His servants and promises to respond to their supplications. However, this does not imply that prayer alone suffices; it is necessary to accompany prayer with righteous deeds that lead to following the prophetic traditions and Islamic commandments. In Surah Al-Imran, verse 147, Allah mentions: 'And their statement was not except that they said, 'Our Lord, forgive us our sins.' This verse indicates attention to the reform of deeds and the rectification of sins. Additionally, Imam Ali (AS) in Nahjul Balaghah refers to the notion that prayer without goodness and righteous action will be ineffective. Overall, in the Quran and religious teachings, prayer alone is not sufficient and must be accompanied by virtuous deeds and good ethics. Thus, it can be concluded that prayer without action has no effect, and action itself is effective in the realization of supplication.
And your Lord says, 'Call upon Me; I will respond to you.'
And their statement was not except that they said, 'Our Lord, forgive us our sins.'
One day, a young man named Majid faced many problems in his life and prayed to Allah to alleviate his troubles. However, after some time, he realized that nothing changed. He recalled the verses of the Quran and understood that he needed to simultaneously work on improving his behavior and doing good deeds along with praying. Therefore, he decided to help others and serve his community. Over time, not only did his problems lessen, but he also found a profound sense of satisfaction in life.