Virtues of the Prayer

he Prayer is the second pillar from the pillars of Islaam and the most
important pillar of Islaam after the Shahaadah (testimony) of Faith.



The
Prayer is a link between the servant and his Lord. The Prophet (saws)
said: "Indeed, when one of you prays, he speaks privately with his
Lord." [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree] And Allaah says in the qudsee
hadeeth: "I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into
two parts, and My servant will have what he asks for.

So when the servant says: ‘Al-Hamdulillaahi Rabb-il-‘Alameen’ ,
Allaah says: ‘My servant has praised Me.’

And when he says: ‘Ar-Rahmaan-ir-Raheem’ , Allaah says: ‘My
servant has extolled Me.’

And when he says: ‘Maaliki-yawm-id-Deen’ , Allaah says: ‘My
servant has honored Me.’

And when he says: ‘Iyyaaka Na’bdu wa Iyyaaka Nasta’een’ , Allaah
says: ‘This is between Me and My servant and My servant will have
what he asks for.’

And when he says: ‘Ihdinaas-Siraat-al-Mustaqeem. Siraat-aladheena an’amta ‘alaihim.
Ghairil-Maghdoobi ‘alaihim wa lad-Daalleen’ , Allaah says: ‘This
is for My servant and for My servant will be what he asks for.’ "
[Reported by Muslim]

The Prayer is a garden of ‘ibaadaat (acts of worship), in which every
splendid type of worship is found. There is the takbeer, by which the
prayer is initiated, the standing in which the person praying recites
the words of Allaah, the bowing in which he extols his Lord, the rising
from the bowing position, which is filled with the praising of Allaah,
the prostration in which he glorifies Allaah by His highness and in
which he implores him through supplication, the sitting in which there
is the tashahhud and (more) supplication and the closing with tasleem.

The Prayer is a means of support and assistance in times of distress and
grief. And it prevents one from evil and shameful deeds. Allaah says:
"Seek assistance in patience and prayer." And He says: "Recite what has
been revealed to you from the Book and establish the prayer. Verily, the
prayer prevents one from evil and shameful deeds."

The Prayer is the light of the believers in their hearts and in their
place of gathering (on the Day of Judgement). The Prophet (saws) said:
"The prayer is light." And he (saws) said: "Whoever guards it (his
prayers), it will be a light, a proof and a (means of) salvation for him
on the Day of Judgement." [Reported by Ahmad, Ibn Hibbaan and
At-Tabaraanee]

The Prayer is the joy and delight of the believers’ souls. The Prophet
(saws) said: "My delight was placed in the prayer." [Reported by Ahmad
and An-Nasaa’ee]

The Prayer wipes away sins and expiates evil deeds. The Prophet (saws)
said: "Do you think that if there was a river by the door of one of you
and he bathed in it five times a day that there would remain any dirt on
him?" They (the Companions) answered: "There would not remain any dirt
on him." The Prophet (saws) said: "That is how it is with the five
(daily) prayers, through them Allaah washes away the (minor) sins."
[Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] And the Prophet (saws) said: "The
five (daily) prayers and Jumu’ah (prayer) to Jumu’ah (prayer) are an
expiation for what (sins) occur between them so long as one is not
guilty of major sins." [Reported by Muslim]

The Prayer in Congregation: Ibn ‘Umar (raa) reported that the Prophet
(saws) said: "Prayer in congregation is better than praying alone by
twenty-seven degrees." [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Ibn Mas’ood
(raa) said: "Whoever would be happy to meet Allaah tomorrow as a
Muslim, then let him preserve (in establishing) these five prayers from
the place where they are called from (i.e. masjids), for verily, Allaah
has legislated for your Prophet the ways of guidance. And indeed these
(five prayers in the masjid) are from the ways of guidance. And if you
were to pray in your homes as this man who refrains (to pray in the
masjid) prays in his home, then you would have abandoned the Sunnah of
your Prophet. And if you were to abandon the Sunnah of your Prophet
(saws) you would go astray. There is not a man that performs the
ablution and does it well, then sets out to go to one of these masjids
except that Allaah records a good deed for him for every step he takes
and raises him up one level and erases one evil deed due to it. You have
certainly seen us, and no one would refrain from the prayer (in the
masjid) except the hypocrite whose hypocrisy was well known. And indeed a
man would be brought supported by two men until he was made to stand in
the row (for prayer)." [Reported by Muslim]

Al-Khushoo’ (Submissiveness) in the Prayer, which means that

1) the heart is present and attentive, and
2) preserving that condition - are both from the means of entering
Paradise.

Allaah says: "Successful indeed are the believers. Those who in
their prayers are submissive. And those who turn away from vain talk.
And those who pay their Zakaat. And those who protect their private
parts - Except in front of their spouses or those (women) whom their
right hands possess, for indeed they are not held to blame (in that). So
whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors. And those
who keep their trusts and covenants. And those who preserve their
prayers. They are the inheritors - the ones who will inherit Al-Firdaus
(highest level in Paradise), in which they will abide forever."

Being sincere to Allaah in the prayer and performing it according to the
manner it is described in the Sunnah are the two fundamental conditions
for its acceptance.

The Prophet (saws) said: "Verily, actions are by intentions and
every person will have what he intended."
[Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]

And he (saws) said: "Pray as you have seen me pray." [Reported
by Al-Bukhaaree]


Author:Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-'Uthaimeen
Source:Sifat Salaat-in-Nabee
Translator:isma'eel alarcon