The importance of prayer in Islam cannot be understated. It is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet, may Allah praise him, mentioned after mentioning the Testimony of Faith, by which one becomes a Muslim. It was made obligatory upon all the prophets and for all peoples. Allah has declared its obligatory status under majestic circumstances. For example, when Allah spoke directly to Prophet Moses, He said,
“And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you. Verily, I am God! There is none worthy of worship but I, so worship Me and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance.” (Quran 20:13-14)
Similarly, the prayers were made obligatory upon the Prophet Muhammad during his ascension to heaven. Furthermore, when Allah praises the believers, such as at the beginning of the chapter entitled ‘al-Muminoon’ (The Believers), one of the first descriptions He states is their adherence to the prayers.
Once a man asked the Prophet about the most virtuous deed. The Prophet stated that the most virtuous deed is prayer. The man asked again and again and for the first three times, the Prophet answered, “The prayer,” then on the fourth occasion he stated, “Jihad in the way of Allah.”
The importance of prayer is demonstrated in many of the Prophet’s statements. For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is incomplete, then the rest of his deeds will be incomplete.”
The importance of the prayers lies in the fact that no matter what actions one performs in his life, the most important aspect is one’s relationship to Allah, that is, one’s faith (Imaan), Allah-consciousness (taqwa), sincerity (ikhlas) and worship of Allah (ibaadah). This relationship with Allah is both demonstrated and put into practice, as well as improved and increased, by prayer. Therefore, if the prayers are sound and proper, the rest of the deeds will be sound and proper; and if the prayers are not sound and proper, then the rest of the deeds will not be sound and proper, as the Prophet himself stated.