The importance of prayer

April 11, 2025
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Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) has created the entire universe. Our globe is a tiny dot compared to Allah’s vast creation.

Man was created and sent to earth as a steward of Allah.[1] He was given the honor of being the crown of the entire creation. Allah says: “We created man in the best of creation.”[2] Another verse states: “We have honored the children of Adam and have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with good things for sustenance, and have preferred them over much of what We have created.”[3] and [4] Furthermore, the Quran states that everything in the universe glorifies Allah: “The seven heavens and the earth and all that is in them glorify Him. And there is not a thing that does not glorify Him, but you do not understand their glorification. Indeed, He is Forbearing, Forgiving.”

The fact that all of Allah’s creatures praise Him all the time is astonishing to man, who is the best of Allah’s creatures. A logical and quite natural conclusion from these premises is that since man is the best of all creatures, he must naturally worship Allah and praise Him more than anything else. And that is precisely the purpose of his creation. The Quran tells us: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me.” [5]

What is Salah?

The Arabic word salah means prayer. According to Islamic Sharia, salah is the ritual prayer which is one of the five pillars of Islam. It was narrated from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

Islam is based on five (principles):

To bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Messenger.
to perform prayer (salah)
to give alms (zakah)
to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) and
to fast during the month of Ramadan (sawm). [6]

Salah occupies a leading position and a unique place in the Islamic worship rituals. It is one of the most important ways to worship Allah. It is a religious duty for all sane and sexually mature Muslim men and women to pray five times a day. “Tell My servants who believe to establish prayer,” the Quran states. [7] This applies regardless of whether one is poor or rich, old or young, healthy or sick. One is not exempted from praying at all as long as one is conscious and sane. If one is sick and unable to stand, one can sit and pray. If one is unable to sit either, one must pray lying down in bed. [8]

The first commandment that the Prophet (peace be upon him) received after believing in the oneness of Allah (tawhid) was precisely about salah. It became obligatory for all Muslims on the night of Meraj, the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) ascension to heaven. There is a long hadith in Sahih Muslim that mentions the Prophet’s ascension to heaven. It says the following about salah:

“… Allah enjoined on me fifty prayers in a day… (finally) Allah said, O Muhammad! There are five prayers in a day. But for each of them there is a reward ten times greater. Thus the reward for the five prayers becomes as much as the reward for fifty prayers in a day.”

It is not possible to give a comprehensive description of the worldly and spiritual benefits of Islamic prayer. However, it can be summarized as follows:

a training in discipline and willpower
a vigilant remembrance of Allah (dhikr Allah), (and establish prayer for My remembrance!) [9]
a seed for spiritual cultivation and moral health
a guarantee against obscenity and evil, against deviation and error
an expression of gratitude to Allah
a source of patience and courage, of hope and trust. [10]

The key to paradise

Any Muslim who prays five times a day, and observes its rituals and prerequisites, is forgiven all minor misdeeds and sins.

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If one of you had a river in front of his house and bathed in it five times a day, would there be any dirt left on his body?” The Prophet’s companions replied, “There would be no dirt left on his body.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) added: “The same is true of the five prayers. Allah wipes out the sins of a person because of them.” [11]

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) went out one day in winter when the leaves of the trees were falling. He took a branch of a tree and (Abu Dharr said) the leaves began to fall. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Abu Dharr: “When a person prays to please Allah, his sins fall from him just as the leaves fall from the trees.” [12]

In another hadith narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The key to Paradise is Salah, and the key to Salah is cleanliness (taharah).” [13]

The purpose of prayer

There are so many benefits of salah that it is impossible to comprehend them all. Its blessings simply exceed our comprehension. One of the most important purposes of prayer in general is that it helps us to get rid of all evil and immoral acts. Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) says: “And establish prayer! Prayer keeps away shame and evil.” [14] So, the natural consequence of prayer is that one is purified from all kinds of negative, immoral and blameworthy acts. If it is the case that one prays but still does not avoid such acts, it is a worrying sign for that person. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was once asked what the above verse meant, and he replied; “If prayer does not keep someone away from shame and evil, then it is as if he has not prayed.” [15]

In order for our prayers not to be lost, we must try to perform them in such a way as is recommended both in the Quran and the Sunnah (the Prophet’s custom). The Quran says “aqim al-salah”, and “iqamah al-shai” means “tawfiyato haqqihi”, to fulfill absolutely all the requirements and obligations. That is, to complete the prayer with all its prerequisites and conditions. The external condition of the prayer is that it must be completed in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). And its internal requirement is that one shows one’s humility and devotion when praying. According to a well-known hadith, one must try to concentrate on one’s prayer in such a way as if one sees Allah in one’s prayer. If that is not possible, then it is quite obvious that Allah sees him.

But this does not mean that one can just give up praying if one cannot become a better person through prayer. One should always do one’s part and pray no matter what, and leave the rest up to Allah. He can guide us on the right path at any time. It is stated in a hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was told about a young Muslim who prayed and yet committed evil and stole. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Surely prayer will one day keep him away from all evil.” After a few days, he was a completely changed person. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) learned about it, he said: “Didn’t I tell you (that he would avoid evil deeds because of salah)?” [16]

But the Prophet (peace be upon him) has also used strong words against those who do not concentrate well enough on prayer, and thus are unable to make their prayer fruitful. He (peace be upon him) says: “If prayer does not keep one away from immodesty and wrongdoing, it takes him away from Allah, and it causes the anger of Allah rather than His pleasure.” The Quran also says something even more worrisome for this type of Muslim. “Woe to those who offer prayer but do not concentrate on it.” [17] So it is very important that one prays with a sincere intention and pays close attention to the requirements and conditions of prayer.

[1] Quran, 2:30

[2] Ibid., 95:4

[3] Ibid., 17:70

[4] Ibid, 17:44, 24:41, 59:24 osv

[5] Ibid, 51:56

[6] Al-Mishkat

[7] Quran, 14:31

[8] Sahih Al-Bukhari, kitab taqsir al-salah

[9] Quran, 20:14

[10] Hammudah Abdulati, Introduction to Islam, 1990, p. 73

[11] Sahih al-Bukhari, mawaqeet al-salah

[12] Musnad Ahmad

[13] Musnad Ahmad

[14] Quran, 29:45

[15] Tafsir Ibn Kaseer

[16] Shah, Pir Muhammad Karam, Zia-ul-Quran, 1978, vol.3, p. 537

[17] Quran, 107:4-5