Importance of the Prayer 

The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated. It is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet Muhammad (saw), 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. God has declared its obligatory status under majestic circumstances. For example, when God spoke directly to 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 (saw) during his ascension to heaven. Furthermore, when God praises the believers, such as in the beginning of the chapter entitled ‘al-Muminoon’ (the Believers), one of the first descriptions He states is their adherence to the prayers. 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 God, that is, one’s faith (imaan), Godconsciousness (taqwa), sincerity (ikhlas) and worship of God (ibaadah). This relationship with God is both demonstrated and put into practice, as well as improved and increased, by the 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.
In reality, if the prayer is performed properly – with true remembrance of God and turning to Him for forgiveness – it will have a lasting effect on the person.