The Excellence of Prayer

2. Ali Ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn 'Isa from Yunus from Harun Ibn Kharijah from Zayd al-Shahham who has said the following: “I heard Abu ’Abd Allah عليه السلام say 'The most beloved deed in the sight of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, is Salah (prayer). Prayer is the last item in the wills of the prophets. How nice it is for a man who performs Ghusl or Wudu’ properly and then moves away where no one can notice his presence when he is in Ruku’ or Sajdah! When a servant of Allah is in Sajdah which he prolongs, Iblis (Satan) will say crying, “Woe is on me, he (this servant of Allah) obeys Him but I disobeyed, he is doing Sajdah but I refused to do so!’"

3. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Washsha’ who has said the following: “I heard al-Rida’ عليه السلام, say, ’The condition wherein a servant of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, is nearest and closest to Him is in Sajdah. It is because of the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, “Prostrate (do Sajdah) and become close.’””

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn Tsa from Yunus from Yazid ibn Khalifah who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, say, ‘When a person praying stands up for Salah (prayer), mercy from the horizons of the sky descends upon him as well as from the horizons of earth, angels surround him and one angel says, “Had this person praying known what Salah (prayer) is he would not stop performing Salah (prayer).””’

5. Muhammad ibn al-Hassan has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from abu Hamzah who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘When a believing servant of Allah stands up for Salah (prayer), Allah looks upon him - or he said that Allah turns toward him - as long as he is in his Salah (prayer). At such time, mercy covers him up to the horizons of the sky and angels surround him up to the horizons of the sky. Allah appoints an angel who stands up over his head and says, “O praying person, had you known who is looking at you, to who you are speaking and whispering, you would never turn away or leave this place.’””

6. Abu Dawud has narrated from al-Husayn ibn Sa’id from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan al-Rida عليه السلام, has said, ‘Salah (prayer) is a means for every pious person to getting nearer to Allah.’”

7. It is a narration from him (narrator of previous Hadith) by af-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Safwan ibn Yahya from ibn Muskan from Isma’if ibn ‘Ammar from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said, ’Performing an obligatory Salah (prayer) is more virtuous than performing one Hajj. Performing one Hajj is more virtuous than giving in charity one whole house full of gold.’”

8. A group of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Fadalah from ‘Abdillah ibn Sinan who said: “Abu ’Abdillah عليه السلام has said that once a man passed by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم while he was doing some work around one of his rooms. He asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, can I help you?’ He replied, ‘As you wish.’ When the work finished, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم asked, ’Can I do anything for you?’ The man pleaded, ’(I want) Paradise!’ The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم looked into the sky then said, ‘Yes, (paradise is your reward).’ When he (the man) was leaving, he (the Prophet) said to him, ‘O servant of Allah, you must assist us by prolonging your Sajdah (prostration).’

9. Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from Hamzah ibn Humran from ‘Ubayd ibn Zurarah from abu ‘Abd Allah, who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Salah (prayer) is like the poles of a tent. If the poles are established then the ropes, pegs and the covering work, but if the poles break, none of the ropes, pegs and covering work.

10. Muhammad ibn Isma’il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar al-Yamaniy from those who narrated to him the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘Good deeds eliminate bad deeds 5 (11:116) has said, ‘It is a reference to the Salah (prayer) of a believing person during the night that eliminate his bad deeds he has done during the day.

11. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hafs ibn al-Bakhtari from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, who has said the following: “Whoever Allah accepts even a single prayer from, He will not punish them, and whoever Allah accepts even one good deed from, He will not punish them.”

12. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Salmah ibn al-Khattab from al-Husayn ibn Sayf from his father who has said the following: “Narrated to me the one who had heard abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, say, ‘Whoever performs a Salah (prayer) of two Rak’ah in which he is aware of what he says, when he finishes them no sin remains upon him before Allah.

13. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from al-Sakuniy from Abu 'Abdillah عليه السلام who said: “The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said, ‘Salah (prayer) is a balance. Whoever maintains it balanced receives his part properly balanced.