One day,the righteous scholar Ibrahim Ibn Adham (100-165 AH) passed through the market of Basrah. People crowded around him and said, "O father of Ishaq, why is it that we pray to Allah, but He does not answer us?"
He said:"Because your hearts have died due to ten things you do."
They asked,"What are these things?" He listed them as follows:
1. You claim to love Allah, but you do not fulfill His rights.
2. You read the Qur'an, but you do not act upon it.
3. You claim to love the Prophet (Peace be upon him), but you abandon his Sunnah.
4. You claim that Shaytan is your enemy, but you always obey him.
5. You claim to love Paradise, but you do not work to attain it.
6. You claim to fear the Fire, but you do not flee from it.
7. You say that death is real, but you do not prepare for it.
8. You are busy pointing out the faults of others, forgetting your own faults.
9. You consume the blessings of Allah, but you do not show proper gratitude for them.
10. You bury your dead, but you do not learn a lesson from them.
So,how could your prayers possibly be accepted?
May Allah enable us to reform.