Prayer in Islam: Any Benefits?

QAs-salamu alaykum. I want to know, what is the point of Salat? Do you get Good Deeds for Salat? Are there benefits for Salat?


ANSWER

Short Answer: Five times a day a Muslim seeks refuge in prayer and his heart finds inner peace. When a Muslim is faced with any difficulty, he resorts to prayer. When a Muslim starts the prayer, he is engaged in an intimate conversation with Allah.

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Salam Dear Reader, 

Thank you very much for your question which shows your interest to know more about Islam and Islamic rituals.

Muslims believe that Islam is based on five essential pillars; namely, testifying that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, establishing the Prayer, paying zakah (obligatory charity), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and performing hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca once in a lifetime.

These pillars are given in the due order. As you can see, prayer comes next to the testimony of faith. Therefore, prayer has a special status in Islam.

Prayer literally means supplication or glorification. It is so called because while offering the prayer, you supplicate to Allah and during the prayer your main goal is to glorify Allah the Almighty.

Prayer is what connects a Muslim with Allah five times a day.

Prayer is what distinguishes a Muslim from a non-Muslim. A Muslim who performs the prayer perfects his religion.

A Muslim who neglects prayer is really neglecting his religion.

Many Benefits


When a Muslim offers the prayer, he or she is protected from committing sins.

We read in the Quran what means:

{[…] prayer restrains outrageous and unacceptable behavior […]} (Al-`Ankabut 29:45)

When a Muslim offers prayer, he declares wholeheartedly that Allah is the greatest. He is greater than anything and any person in his life.

During prayer, a Muslim talks directly to Allah the Almighty without any intermediary and at the same time Allah listens to his recitations, supplications and glorification.

What a Muslims benefits from prayer is that he answering the call of Allah mentioned in many verses in the Quran:

{[…] keep up regular prayer, for prayer is obligatory for the believers at prescribed times […]} (An-Nisaa’ 4:103)

{Order your people to pray, and pray steadfastly yourself. We are not asking you to give Us provision We provide for you, and the rewards of the Hereafter belong to the devout.} (Ta-Ha 20:132)

{Keep up the prayer, pay the prescribed alms, and bow your heads [in worship] with those who bow theirs.} (Al-Baqarah 2:43)

Tranquility & Inner Peace


Prayer saves the Muslim from the Hellfire. Prayer is a comfort for the Muslim.

Through prayer a Muslim achieves tranquility of the heart.

Five times a day a Muslim seeks refuge in prayer and his heart finds inner peace.

During the prayer, a Muslim reads the Quran harmoniously, bows down humbly, and prostrates in full submission to Allah.

When a Muslim starts the prayer, he is engaged in an intimate conversation with Allah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:

When anyone of you is engaged in the prayer, he is holding an intimate conversation with his Lord. (Muslim)

Time Out


When a Muslim is faced with any difficulty, he resorts to prayer because he feels that in prayer he is close to Allah and that Allah hears his inner thoughts and responds to his supplications to make a way out for him from his dilemma.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to tell Bilal before he pronounces the adhan (call to Prayer):

O Bilal, give us rest with it. (Abu Dawud)

By prayer, a Muslim’s misdeeds are forgiven, and his good deeds duplicated and gets closer to the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth.

In addition to the spiritual benefits of prayer, let me cite for you what Dr. Alexis Carrel, awarded the Nobel Prize for his book, Man, the Unknown, said about the psychological and health benefits of prayer:

As far as known until now, prayer is ever the greatest creative source of power. As a physician, I have seen a lot of patients that all medicines have failed to cure them. Yet, it is prayer that finally relieved their pains.

I hope this answers your question.

Salam and please keep in touch.