Offering prayers on time is highly rewarded. Prayers and thoughts are the two main things to complete your religion. You should know – My dear Brother and Sister Muslim that the following has been authentically reported from our Messenger (SAW) regarding the lessons; benefits; and rewards of the five daily prayers:
1. Allah the Exalted wipes away sins by the five prayers.
2. That the five prayers are an expiation for what occurs between them if major sins are avoided.
3. That sins burn and destroy a person and thus it is necessary to extinguish that with the sending prayers.
4. That the Muslim reaches the level of the truthful and the martyrs on account of his prayers; charity; and fasting.
5. The superiority of prayers over other actions.
6. That Allaah the Exalted bestowed favor upon that companion by entering him into Paradise before his brother who died as a martyr because he prayed more than him.
7. That the prayer is light which illuminates the path of the servant in this world and the hereafter.
8. That an abundance of prostrations and prayers is the way to accompany the Messenger (SAW) in Paradise.
9. Those two Rakat prayers are more loved by the dead person than the world and what is in it.
10. That emptying the heart for Allah in the prayer puts a person in the same condition as the day when his mother gave birth to him.
11. That should a person enter the Fire – refuge is sought from that – the angels will remove him from it and will recognize him by the marks of prostration.
Benefits of Sending Prayers
1. That the prayer participates in undoing the knots which Shaytaan places at the top of one’s head.
2. That the night prayer is the most excellent prayer after the obligatory prayers.
3. That the one who prays at night obtains a reward which most of mankind does not.
4. Gratitude is shown to Allaah with the (obligatory) prayer and night prayer.
5. That the prayer most loved by Allaah is the prayer of Dawood (as) which is to pray for a third of the night and to sleep for two-thirds of the night.
6. That has Allah has bestowed favor upon His servant by the hour during the night in which the supplication is answered. It is befitting for the Muslim that he aspires for it and seeks to find it so that he is given the good of this world and the Hereafter.
The Night Prayers
1. That the night prayer is a shred of evidence for righteousness and taqwa and it expiates the sins and prevents one from falling into them.
2. That Allaah Azzawajall covers the husband and wife who help each other in performing the night prayer with His mercy. If one of them refuses the other sprinkles water on his or her face.
3. That two rakahs of prayers at night makes a person among the men who remember Allaah often or the women who remember Allaah often.
4. That Allaah is amazed by the man because he gets up from his sleep; leaving his bedsheet; his wife; and his love for her in order to perform prayer. Allah laughs at him and informs the angels about him.
5. That there is no jealousy or competition except with regard to two men; one of whom prays at night reciting the Qur’an which Allaah has bestowed upon him.
6. That whoever recited ten verses in the night (in prayer) will not be written among the heedless; a Qintaar of reward will be certainly; written for him and Allaah the Exalted will say to him: “Recite and rise by one degree with every verse” until he comes to the last verse he knows. Allah favors him by giving him eternity.
7. That whoever prays at night with a hundred verses is written among the devout worshipers and whoever prays with a thousand verses is written among the Muqantareen and whoever prays with two-hundred verses is written among the devout worshipers and sincere ones.
Rewards for sending prayers
Here are the rewards for sending prayers,
1. That the one who walks to the prayer (in the mosque) is raised in ranks and has his sins removed; both while he goes to the mosque and when he returns from it.
2. That for every step he takes he receives ten good deeds.
3. That the Muslim is written among the worshipers from the time he leaves the house until he returns to it.
4. That the one receiving the greatest reward for the prayer is the one who walks the furthest towards it and then the one further than him (from the mosque).
5. That one step which a servant takes to the prayer in congregation is counted as an act of charity for him.
6. That taking many steps towards the mosque is from ar-Ribaat (guarding the frontiers)
7. That every time a servant leaves for the mosque in the morning or the evening Allah prepares for him a feast in Paradise.
8. That Allah makes the light of those who walk through the darkness to the mosques complete and perfect on the Day of Judgement.
9. That the reward for the one who leaves his house in a state of purity for the obligatory prayer is like the reward of the pilgrim in the state of ihram.
10. That the one who leaves for the mosque has a guarantee from Allah in that he should provide for his sustenance and suffice him (in his affairs).
Congregational Prayer
1. That the one who walks for the prayer in the congregation. After having beautified his wudhu and travels to visit Allaah the Exalted; is bestowed with great favor in that Allah honors those of his servants who visit Him; Allah’s honoring of them is increasing their Eemaan; showing benevolence to them; rewarding them; raising their ranks, removing their difficulties and making their heart’s content and happy.
2. The obligation to pray in the congregation.
3. That the Prophet (SAW) did not make a concession for the old blind man by allowing him to leave the congregational prayer.
However, How then can those who are fit and well be allowed a concession?
4. That whoever abandons the congregational prayer has been threatened with heedlessness and having a seal placed on his heart.
5. That staying away from the congregational prayer is a sign of hypocrisy.
6.Therefore, The extreme striving of the Companions (RA) for attending the congregational prayer in spite of difficult circumstances.
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Footnotes
1. Its condition is that the Aqeedah of the person is correct; sound; and in accordance with the Pious Predecessors of this Ummah.
2.Therefore, The condition for being removed from the fire due to the intercession of the angels (and others) is that a person should be from the People of Tawheed. Intercession is only for the People of Tawheed.
3 His (SAW) saying:
“He used to sleep half the night; then prayer for a third and then go to sleep for a sixth of it.” When a half is added to a sixth they give two-thirds.
http://www.jannah.org/articles/prayrewards.html
