Regarding this very point.
Intervention: In fact, I had met Shaykh al-Shaʿrāwī once before in Islamabad. It was purely by chance—I was working there at the time—and we happened to sit and talk.
Shaykh: Excellent.
Intervention: He asked me, “Do you pray?” At that time—this was twenty years ago—I told him, “I fall short.” He said, “What do you mean, you ‘fall short’?” I replied, “I’m not consistent.”
Shaykh: Meaning you pray at times and at other times …
Intervention: Yes. He then said, “How many hours are there in a day?” I answered, “Day and night together make twenty-four hours.” He asked, “How do you divide them?” I said, “I divide them into three parts: one for work, one for sleep, and one for neither work nor sleep.” He said, “Very well. And how long does the prayer take from all that?” I told him, “About half an hour, I suppose.” He said, “Is it not reasonable that you turn to your Lord, the Creator, and pray to Him for half an hour spread over twenty-four hours?”
Naturally, I was very impressed by those words. From that moment I became committed, and I was truly convinced.
Shaykh: Praise be to Allah. As for me, sir, I now see him on television, and frankly the style in which he presents is captivating. He interweaves literature with religion and the like, so he really draws in his viewer or listener and makes him actually enjoy the discussion.
Intervention: And he brings new things in …
Intervention: New, contemporary matters that keep pace with the times. So I went to Brother Nāṣir and spoke, and to other brothers who said, “No, my brother, this is dangerous for you and for the younger generation; this man—”