The Chapter on the Virtues of Prayer

Hadith.622 - The Messenger of Allah (sw) said: "Prayer is a balance, so whoever fulfils it properly will receive their due reward."

Hadith.623 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Obedience to Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, is to serve Him on earth, and there is nothing among His acts of service that equals prayer. This is why the angels called out to Zakariya (as) 'while he was standing in prayer in the sanctuary' (Surah Ale ‘Imran 3:39)”.

Hadith.624 - The Prophet, said: "There is no prayer whose time arrives except that an angel calls out in front of the people, 'O’ people, stand up to extinguish the fires you have ignited upon your backs with your prayers.'".

Hadith.625 - "The Messenger of Allah (sw) entered the mosque where some of his companions were present and said: "Do you know what your Lord (azj) has said?" They replied: "Allah (swt) and His Messenger know best." He (sw) said: "Your Lord (azj) says: 'These five obligatory prayers—whoever performs them at their appointed times and maintains them, will meet Me on the Day of Judgment with a promise from Me to admit him into Paradise. And whoever does not perform them at their appointed times and does not maintain them, then that is up to Me—if I wish, I will punish him, and if I wish, I will forgive him.'"

Hadith.626 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "The first thing a servant will be held accountable for is prayer. If it is accepted, the rest of his deeds will be accepted; and if it is rejected, the rest of his deeds will be rejected."

Hadith.627 - Imam (as) said: "When a servant performs prayer at its prescribed time and maintains it, it ascends as a pure, white light, saying, 'You preserved me, may Allah (swt) preserve you.' But if he does not perform it at its prescribed time and does not maintain it, it ascends as a dark, black shadow, saying, 'You neglected me, may Allah (swt) neglect you.'"

Hadith.628 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "The closest a servant is to Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, is when he is in prostration (Sujood)”.

Hadith.629 - Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) said: "There is no servant from among our followers (Shiite) who stands for prayer except that an equal number of angels, matching those who oppose him, surround him and pray behind him, invoking Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, for him until he completes his prayer."

"An obligatory prayer (fardh) is better than twenty pilgrimages (Hajj), and one Hajj is better than a house filled with gold given in charity until it is depleted."

Hadith.631 - Imam (as) said: "Beware of laziness, for your Lord (azj) is Merciful and appreciates even the smallest acts. Indeed, a person may pray two rak'ahs (units of prayer) sincerely seeking the Face of Allah (swt) (The Aimmah (as)), and Allah (swt) will admit him into Paradise because of them. And indeed, a person may give a single dirham in charity with sincerity, seeking the Face of Allah (swt), and Allah (swt) will admit him into Paradise because of it. And indeed, a person may fast one day as a voluntary act, sincerely seeking the Face of Allah (swt), and Allah (swt) will admit him into Paradise because of it."

Hadith.632 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Desire (for Allah’s (swt) mercy) and fear (of His displeasure) do not gather together in a heart except that Paradise becomes obligatory for it. So when you pray, turn your heart fully toward Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, for there is no believing servant who turns his heart fully toward Allah (swt) in his prayer and supplication except that Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, turns the hearts of the believers toward him, strengthens him with their love, and grants him Paradise along with their affection”.

Hadith.633 - The Messenger of Allah (sw) said: "When the sun passes its zenith (noon), the gates of the heavens and the gates of Paradise are opened, and supplications are answered. Glad tidings to the one whose good deeds are raised at that time."

Hadith.634 - Muawiya ibn Wahb asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about the best means by which the servants can draw closer to their Lord (azj) and what is most beloved to Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic. Imam (as) replied: "I do not know of anything, after knowledge (of Allah (swt)), that is better than this prayer. Do you not see that the righteous servant, Jesus, son of Mary (as), said: 'And He has enjoined upon me prayer' (Surah Maryam 19:31)?".

Hadith.635 - A man came to the Messenger of Allah (sw) and said: "Pray to Allah (swt) to admit me into Paradise." The Prophet (as) replied: "Help me [in achieving this for you] by increasing the number of your prostrations (Sujood)."

"The one who prays has three qualities: When he stands for prayer, the angels encompass him from his feet up to the highest part of sky, Goodness descends upon him from the highest part of the sky to the crown of his head, And an angel assigned to him calls out, 'If the one praying knew whom he is conversing with, he would never turn away (from the prayer).'"

Hadith.637 - Abu Al-Hasan, Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as), said: "Prayer is the means of nearness for every pious person."

Hadith.638 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "The most beloved of deeds to Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, is prayer. It is the final counsel of the prophets (as). How beautiful it is for a person to perform ghusl (ritual bathing) or ablution (wudu'), perfecting it thoroughly, then to go to a place where no one can see him, and to humble himself before Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, in bowing (ruku') or prostration (Sujood). When a servant prostrates and prolongs his prostration, Iblis (Satan) cries out, 'Woe to me! They obeyed Him, while I disobeyed Him, and they prostrated while I refused.'".

Hadith.639 - The Messenger of Allah (sw) said: "The example of prayer is like the central pole of a tent. If the central pole is firmly established, then the ropes, pegs, and coverings remain firm; but if the central pole breaks, then neither the pegs, ropes, nor coverings are of any use."

Hadith.640 - Imam (as) said: "The example of prayer among you is like that of a stream (sari), a river at the door of one of you, into which he bathes five times a day. No dirt remains with bathing five times, and similarly, no sins remain with the five daily prayers."

Hadith.641 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Whoever has one prayer accepted by Allah (swt) will not be punished, and whoever has one good deed accepted by Allah (swt) will not be punished."

Hadith.642 - Imam (as) said: "The Messenger of Allah (sw) used to say: "Whoever devotes himself to a prescribed prayer, waiting for its time, then prays it at its first appointed time, completes its bowing (ruku'), prostration (Sujood), and attentiveness (khushu'), and then glorifies, magnifies, and praises Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, until the time for the next prayer arrives without engaging in idle talk in between, Allah (swt) will record for him the reward of a pilgrim (Hajj) and one who performs 'Umrah, and he will be among the people of 'Illiyyīn (the highest ranks in Paradise)."