Importance of Prayer for a Muslim’s Characters

Prayer is an obligation and it must be performed five times a day by the Muslim. It’s one of the central elements of faith and the core of worship. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said in the authentic hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be Pleased with him): “The first of man’s deeds for which he will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection will be Prayer. If it is found to be sound, he will be safe and successful; but if it is incomplete, he will be unfortunate and a loser.” (At-Tirmidhi)

The Almighty Allah mentions some of the attributes of the believers in the Qur’an regarding the prayer as follows:

Observing and Sticking to Prayer

The Almighty Allah says:

Those who believe in the unseen keep up the prayer, and give out of what We have provided for them. (Al-Baqarah 2:4)

The Believers never debase themselves by worshipping anyone or anything else. They turn to the real and ultimate power in this world, humbling their hearts and souls to Him alone. In this way, they link up to the cause and origin of existence; their lives assume real meaning and noble purpose, transcending the crude and trivial pursuits and needs of worldly living.

Their ties with Allah give them power over other creatures and feed their conscience with moral strength and fear of Allah. Prayer is an essential element in the building of a believer’s character and shaping his concepts, feelings and behavior and in linking them directly with Allah.

Humbling Themselves in Their Prayer

The Almighty Allah says:

Those who pray humbly. (Al-Mu’minun 23:2)

They feel the reverence associated with prayer, as they stand up to address Allah, and their hearts are thus filled with awe, which is, in turn, reflected in their features and movements.

Prayer is an essential element in the building of a believer’s character and shaping his concepts.

`Ubadah ibn As-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: “Allah, the Exalted, has made five prayers obligatory. If anyone performs ablution for them well, offers them at their (right) time, and observes perfectly their bowing and submissiveness in them, it is the guarantee of Allah that He will pardon him; if anyone does not do so, there is no guarantee for him on the part of Allah; He may pardon him if He wills, and punish him if He wills.” (Abu Dawud)

Their spirits feel Allah’s Majesty as they realize that they stand in His Presence. Thus, all their preoccupations and distractions disappear. Their thoughts and feelings are all concentrated on their discourse with Him. In His sublime Presence, they are heedless of all their surroundings.

They see and feel nothing but His Majesty. Their minds and hearts are purged of even the slightest alien thought or feeling. In such a situation, a stray atom is reunited with its source, a wandering spirit finds its way, and a heart that has been long in isolation finds its company. Thus, all values, concerns and considerations diminish, except for the ones that are related to Allah in some way.

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This article is based on the interpretation of some verses from the Qur’an.