Prayer is a pillar of religion

Prayer is a pillar of religion and the best of all acts of worship. One who offers prayer loves God very much and in prayer will talk to God, the Generous, and confide in Him his needs, and thank Him for His infinite blessings.

Those who pray, especially children, are likewise loved very much by God, and he gives them a very beautiful reward. Every Muslim is devoted to prayer, and likes to pray and to talk to God, and values it highly. He awaits the time of prayer so as to beseech God in the prayer and to open his heart to Him.

As soon as the time of prayer arrives, he stops whatever he is doing, cleans himself of whatever dirt is on him, takes "wuzu" ,puts on clean clothes and scent and, at the start of its time, becomes engaged in prayer. He empties his mind of all things, letting his heart and soul become intimate only with the Creator, and culturing love of Him within himself.

He stands with respect before the Lord of the World, says "Allaho Akbar", and remembers that God has such greatness. He recites Surah Hamd and another surah, and performs perfectly the ruku' (bowing), and the sujud (prostrations). He performs all the acts of the prayer calmly, and, throughout the whole of the prayer, doesn't hurry at all. One day, our Holy Prophet, Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, salla-llahu' alayhi wa alih, entered the mosque and saw a man praying very hastily; not performing his ruku' and sujud completely, and not standing still throughout the whole prayer.

The Prophet was amazed and said, "This man is not offering prayer, rather, he bends down and straightens up like a crow sharpening its beak on the ground! By God! If he dies still praying like this, a Muslim has not left this world, and in the Hereafter, he will suffer."

To offer the prayer, it is much better for us to go to the mosque and offer our prayer in "Jamaat" (congregation).

Some points about prayer:

1. For men it is necessary in the morning prayer and in the maghreb (sunset) and 'isha (evening) prayers to read Surah Hamd and the other surah audibly.

2. One's clothes and body must be clean for the prayer.

3. To offer prayers in a place if the owner doesn't give permission or in clothes if the owner doesn't give permission is Haram (forbidden), and makes the prayer void.

4. When traveling, two-unit prayers (just like the morning prayer) must be offered in place of the four-unit prayers. Do you know in what journeys? How many miles must they be? We find the answers to questions like these in the book "Tawdih al-Masail".