Five times obligatory prayers keep us away from indecency
and evil from our lives. The Glorious Qur’an guides us in Surah al-An’kabut
Ayah 45 saying: “Recite that have been revealed to you of the Book, and
establish the prayer, verily, prayer (keeps) one away from indecency and evil,
and certainly the remembrance of Allah is greater, and Allah knows what you
do.” In this Ayah, Allah (s.w.t.) commands His Messenger to take help from the
two strengthening sources for performing the heavy responsibility of Prophet
hood. He (s.a.w.a.s.) will find whatever he wants in them: knowledge and
wisdom, advice and admonition, the criterion for the cognition of right and
wrong, the means of enlightening of heart and spirit. He should recite it and
apply in his life. The next command is to establish prayer which keeps one away
from indecency and evil. Since the nature of prayer reminds man the strongest
restraining factors i.e., the firm belief in origin and the Resurrection. He
who stands in prayer, calls Allah higher than everything, he remembers His
Bounties, praises, and glorifies Him, remembers the Day of Judgement, confesses
his servitude to Him, seeks for His help, asks Him to lead him to the Straight
Path, and he refuges to Him for the path of those inflicted with His Wrath and
those gone astray. It creates a wave of spirituality in him which is a barrier
against sins.
The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) said: “The five ritual
prayers are like a stream with flowing wholesome water at the door of one of
you in which he washes himself five times a day, then there will remain no dirt
over his body.” “Whoever intentionally abandons prayer, his name will be
written on the door of Hell among those who enter it. Allah says: “I have a
covenant for My servant that if he establishes the prayer in its time, I may
not punish him and that I admit him in Paradise without reckoning.”
Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “I recommend you to prayer and
protecting it is the best deed and it is the pillar of your religion”
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: “The one who wants to know whether
his prayer has been accepted or not, he should see whether his prayer hindered
him from indecency and evil.” The first thing that will be reckoned from a
servant is the prayer. If the prayer is accepted, his other (good) deeds will
be accepted, if it is rejected, his other good deeds will not be accepted.
Benefits of Prayers:
1.
The basis, philosophy of the prayer is the
remembrance of Allah.
2.
The prayer is the means of wiping out the
sins and forgiveness of Allah.
3.
The prayer is the barrier against committing
future sins.
4.
The prayer removes negligence.
5.
The prayer removes egotism and haughtiness
6.
The prayer fosters the virtues of morals and
spiritual perfection.
7.
As Imam Ali (a.s.) says: “prayer is a means
of seeking nearness to Allah.”
8.
The prayer gives value and spirit to other deeds.
9.
The prayer strengthens the spirit of discipline.
10.
As Imam Imam Ali al-Reza (a.s.) said: “The
reason of the legislation of prayer is acknowledgement to the Lordship of Allah,
struggle against polytheism and idolatry,
standing in front of Allah in utmost
humbleness and submission, confession to the sins and asking forgiveness for
the past faults and putting forehead on the ground for the Glorification of
Allah every day.
Source: The Glorious Qur’an (Urdu translation) of Tafsir-e-Namounah
compiled by Ayatuallah Nasir Makarem Shirazi
