Hazrat Shaikh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned:
One should stipulate and allocate a certain time in the night and day for each of the responsibilities and works that he has to fulfil. Thereafter, when it is the time to fulfil that work, he should not allow himself to be distracted by people. Some people claim that if a person comes to meet you while you are engaged in your work then meeting this person and showing him good character is a valid excuse for one to leave his work. In response to that, I ask you what you would do if a person came to meet you when you urgently needed to relieve yourself. Would you not excuse yourself?
Why attribute the matter to the criticism of relatives and people? When your heart does not wish to do something then you will find a thousand excuses.
Make a firm resolve and determination that you will never leave out your ma’moolaat. Punctuality upon one’s ma’moolaat is the ladder through which one progresses in deen. Commitment and punctuality upon ma’moolaat was the practice of all our pious predecessors. (Suhbat Baa Awliyaa pg. 148)
Source: Ihyaauddeen.co.za