This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi's book Sahih Fazail-e-Amaal.
When Ibrahim (peace be upon him) left his children in the valley of non-cultivation, he prayed to Allah for them to establish prayer:
﴿رَّبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ.﴾
"O our Lord! I have settled some of my offspring in a valley without cultivation, near Your Sacred House, O our Lord! That they may establish prayer. So make the hearts of people incline towards them and provide for them fruits so that they may be grateful."
Reference: (14-Ibrahim:37)
Maryam (peace be upon her) pointed towards her son, Sayyiduna Isa (peace be upon him), and told the people to ask him, but the people said, how can we talk to a baby? Isa (peace be upon him) heard their words and spoke. When Isa (peace be upon him) spoke for the first time, he declared himself a servant of Allah, denied being His son, and continued saying: And he was commanded to pray and give zakat as long as he lives, and to be obedient and dutiful to his mother.
Thus it is stated:
﴿قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا . وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا.﴾
"The child said (i.e., Isa (peace be upon him)): Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I am, and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakat as long as I live."
Reference: (19-Maryam:30,31)
Prayer is a means of divine help. Thus it is stated:
﴿وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ . الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَاقُو رَبِّهِمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ.﴾
"And seek help through patience and prayer; indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah] who know that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him."
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:45,46)
عن أبى هريرة أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: الصلوات الخمس، والجمعة إلى الجمعة، ورمضان إلى رمضان، مكفرات لما بينهن إذا اجتنب الكبائر.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The five daily prayers, from one Friday to the next, and from one Ramadan to the next, erase the sins committed in between, provided that major sins are avoided."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Purification, Chapter on the Five Prayers and Friday to Friday and Ramadan to Ramadan as expiations, No: 233.
عن أبى موسى الأشعري رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم : من صلى البردين دخل الجنة.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever prays the two cool prayers will enter Paradise."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Prayer Times, Chapter on the Virtue of Fajr Prayer, No: 574. Sahih Muslim, Book of Mosques, Chapter on the Virtue of Fajr and Asr Prayers and Maintaining Them, No: 635.
Benefit: The two cool prayers refer to Fajr and Asr prayers. The Quran and Sunnah have mentioned great virtue and importance of these two prayers.
وعن جندب بن عبد الله رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم : من صلى الصبح فهو فى ذمة الله، فلا يطلبنكم الله من ذمته بشيء، فإنه من يطلبه من ذمته بشيء فيدركه، فيكبه على وجهه فى نار جهنم.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Jundub bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Whoever prays the morning prayer is under the protection and covenant of Allah, so (you should be careful that) Allah does not demand anything from you from His covenant, for whoever He demands from, He will seize and throw him face down into the Hellfire."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Prayer, Chapter on the Virtue of Isha and Fajr Prayers in Congregation, No: 657.
When the time for prayer comes even in the midst of battle!!!
The Qiblah-facing people of Hijaz were humbled to the ground
عن جابر رضى الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: إن بين الرجل وبين الشرك والكفر ترك الصلاة.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: "Between a person and disbelief is abandoning prayer."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, Chapter on Calling One Who Abandons Prayer a Disbeliever, No: 82.
وعن عمارة بن رويبة رضى الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: لن يلج النار أحد صلى قبل طلوع الشمس وقبل غروبها يعني الفجر والعصر.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Zuhair Amarah bin Ruwaybah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: "Whoever prays before sunrise and before sunset, that is, Fajr and Asr prayers, will never enter the Hellfire."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Mosques, Chapter on the Virtue of Fajr and Asr Prayers and Maintaining Them, No: 634.
عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: أرأيتم لو أن نهرا بباب أحدكم يغتسل منه كل يوم خمس مرات، هل يبقي من درنه شيء؟ قالوا: لا يبقي من درنه شيئا. قال: فذلك مثل الصلوات الخمس، يمحو الله بهن الخطايا.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: "Tell me, if there was a river at the door of one of you in which he bathes five times a day, would any dirt remain on him?" The Companions said: No dirt would remain on him. He said: "That is the example of the five prayers; Allah erases sins through them."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Prayer Times, Chapter on the Five Prayers as Expiation, No: 528. Sahih Muslim, Book of Mosques, Chapter on Walking to Prayer Erases Sins and Raises Degrees, No: 667.
