The virtue of prayer

It is narrated from Abu Qilabah that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was among a group of his companions, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "O Mu'adh, on what do the foundation, pillar and stability of this matter (that is, the religion of Islam) rest?" He replied: "On sincerity (ikhlas) for Allah's sake, and this is the sound natural disposition (fitrah) (upon which Allah created mankind); and on the prayer, and this is the fundamental mark of the Muslim community (millah); and on obedience and submission to Allah and His Messenger."
Imam Musaddad bin Musarhad narrated this report (athar) in his Musnad. All its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy); however, since Abu Qilabah's meeting with Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is not established, it is munqati' (broken) in its chain (mursal), but it has supporting reports in other books of hadith.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Awf bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the blessed gathering of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he mentioned the event like the previous hadith, and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), what is the legal status and reality of the prayer?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The prayer is an excellent deed that has been appointed (by Allah for His servants); so whoever wishes may do less of it, and whoever wishes may do more (through voluntary prayers)."
Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh narrated this hadith. This narration encourages the virtue of prayer and doing much of it, since it is an excellent gift and appointed act of worship from Allah Almighty, in which the choice of increasing it has been left to the servant's own love of worship.

It is narrated from Muhajir Abu Makhlad (may Allah have mercy on him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The first thing for which the servant will be held to account (on the Day of Resurrection) is his purification (ablution and cleanliness). So if he performed his purification well (according to the Sunnah), then his prayer too will be (sound) like his purification. Then he will be held to account for his prayer, and if his prayer proves sound, then all the rest of his deeds will be regarded (as accepted and pleasing) like his prayer."
Imam Musaddad and Imam al-Bazzar narrated this hadith in their Musnads. Its narrator Muhajir bin Makhlad is thiqah (trustworthy); however, this narration is mursal.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about a man who recited the Qur'an in the early part of the night and then stole in the last part of the night?" the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Since he recited in the early part of the night, this very deed will stop him from stealing in the darkness of the last part of the night."
Imam Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated this hadith. In its chain Muhammad bin Abi Layla has been declared da'if (weak) because of his poor memory; however, its meaning is supported by other sahih texts, namely that good deeds keep a person away from evils.