The Importance of Prayer
Your connection with Allah
Sadly, many Muslims do not pray or fulfil the conditions of prayer, despite its importance. The purpose of prayer is to strengthen your relationship with God; to be grateful for all His blessings; and to remind yourself of His Greatness. Just as the body requires physical needs such as food and water, the soul requires spiritual needs, nourished by acts of worship, the most important of which is prayer.
Its importance
“The comparison of one who remembers Allah and one who does not, is like that of the living and the dead.”
“O you who believe! Respond to (the call of) Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life.”
Qur'an 8:24
Direct communication with Allah
Prayer connects you with Allah. The Arabic word for prayer (As-Salah) is actually derived from the Arabic word meaning 'connection'.
“The closest a person is to His Lord is when he is in prostration.”
“When any one of you stands to pray, he is communicating with his Lord, so let him pay attention to how he speaks to Him.”
Do not sever this relationship with your Creator.
A pillar of Islam
Prayer is the second most important pillar of Islam, and is the most regular compulsory action in a Muslim's life. It must be fulfilled daily, regardless of circumstance. Allah did not even exempt the Muslims from praying during battle.
“Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers... If you fear (an enemy), pray on foot, or riding.”
Qur'an 2:238-239
Such is the case during war. What then during peace?
Success lies in the prayer
“The first of his deeds for which a man will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection will be the prayers. If it is found to be perfect, he will be safe and successful. But if it is defective, he will be unfortunate and a loser.”
Shields against evil
Without seeking Allah's help, it is impossible to refrain from evil.
“Verily, prayer restrains (oneself) from shameful and unjust deeds...”
Qur'an 29:45
How can sins be committed if you're willingly standing before Allah five times a day?
Enriches your soul
Prayer satisfies your spiritual need to be in contact with your Creator. This gives your soul peace and contentment, especially with your busy lifestyle.
“Without doubt, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”
Qur'an 13:28
Makes you humble
Pride and arrogance are removed by realising Allah's greatness and your dependence on Him. In the prayer, the Muslim puts the highest part of his body and source of intellect, his head, on to the ground and says: How perfect is my Lord, The Most High.
“Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their prayers.”
Qur'an 23:1-2
Of course, this can only be achieved when you understand what is recited and concentrate with humility.
Washes away sins
Everyone commits sins, however Allah has provided, through prayer, a way to wipe out those sins.
“And perform prayer... surely the good deeds remove the evils deeds.”
Qur'an 11:114
The Messenger gave a beautiful example: Consider if one of you had a river by his door in which he bathed five times a day. Would any filth remain on him? They said, 'No.' Then the Prophet replied: Likewise, Allah wipes away sins with the five daily prayers.
Solves your problems
If you strengthen your relationship with Allah, Allah will strengthen your relationship with the rest of creation. Through prayer, He, who is All-Powerful, will rectify all your problems.
“Seek help in patience and prayer.”
Qur'an 2:153
Unites the Muslims
Congregational prayer cultivates brotherhood, equality and humility between Muslims. The worshippers stand in rows as one body, shoulder to shoulder, without any distinction of race, nationality, colour, wealth, family or status. This act of unity helps demolish all barriers which stand between people.
Abandoning prayer
“O Mankind, What has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Most Generous?”
Qur'an 82:6
The whole purpose of your existence is to worship Allah, yet daily, you are disobeying your Creator.
“Then, there has succeeded them a generation who have given up prayer and have followed their desires. So they will be thrown in Hell. Except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness.”
Qur'an 19:59-60
“(The people in Hell will be asked:) What has caused you to enter Hell? They will say: We were not of those who used to pray...”
Qur'an 74:42-43
Allah created you and gave you everything.
“It is He who has created you and endowed you with hearing and seeing and hearts, little are you grateful.”
Qur'an 67:23
The Prophet's feet would swell because he would stand in prayer for lengthy periods. When asked about this, he replied: Should I not be a grateful servant of my Lord?
You are being lazy
What excuse will you give your Creator, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, on Judgement Day? The One Who blessed you with 24 hours in a day, yet only asked that you pray five times a day.
“The son of Adam will not be dismissed from before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he has been questioned with five things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it, his wealth and how he earned it and how he disposed of it, and how he acted upon what he acquired of knowledge.”
You will be miserable
“And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed for him is a life of hardship. And We will raise him on the Day of Resurrection, blind. He will say, 'My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was (once) seeing?' (Allah) will say, 'Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot (disregarded) them; and thus will you, this Day, be forgotten.'”
Qur'an 20:124-126
You are only harming yourself
Allah doesn't need your prayer or anything from anyone — Glory be to Him! It is you that stands in need of His Mercy.
“Give thanks to Allah, and whoever gives thanks, it is only for his own soul's good, and whoever is ungrateful, surely Allah is Free of all needs, Worthy of all praise.”
Qur'an 31:12
You are flirting with disbelief
Many Scholars of Islam hold the opinion that if you do not pray, you are a disbeliever, quoting the following hadith:
“The covenant which distinguishes between us and them (i.e., between believers and disbelievers) is the prayer, and whoever neglects it has disbelieved.”
Additionally, the Prophet's companions did not consider the abandonment of any act as disbelief, except for prayer.
Common excuses
No time (work, study, busy, etc): Pure and simple deception. You haven't given prayers priority. Allah will bless your time and make you more effective, efficient and successful.
My heart is clean: Allah judges who has clean hearts, and He wants you to pray! Actions will reflect what is in your heart. No one has a cleaner heart than Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who used to pray regularly.
My alarm: It's hard for your alarm to go off, if you don't SET it!!! Purify your intention and sleep according to the Sunnah.
My family/spouse/parents/friends prevent me: The Prophet said: There is no obedience to anyone in disobedience to Allah. You will be judged alone.
I'm sinning too much: In time, your prayers will prevent you from committing these sins — just pray! You are sinning because you are not praying.
“If they knew the merits of the 'Isha and Fajr prayers, they would come to them (in the mosque) even if they had to crawl.”
What excuse for abandoning prayer do you honestly have when you face your Lord on that difficult Day?
Source and credit
Reproduced with permission from Insight into Islam (insightintoislam.co.uk), originally published at islamicpamphlets.com. The wording is theirs and has been kept as printed.
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