Prayer has a very unique status in the Islamic Shari`ah as it represent the link between the servant and his/her Lord. It is the first obligation after the testimony of faith. Prayer is the comfort of the heart of the Muslim and the honor of the believer.

In this short talk, Dr. Bilal Philips clarifies the real purposes of the acts of worship and how to feel the spirit of them. He gives the example of offering prayer and how some parents order their children to offer it as it is just an obligation. Therefore, children offer it as a tradition as well as a command of their parents.

Ibn Mas`ud  (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Verily one of you performs the actions of the people of Paradise until there is only one arm-length between him and it (Paradise), and that which has been ordained overtakes him, and so he commits the actions of the people of the Hellfire and thus enters it.”  (Muslim)

Dr. Bilal comments on the previous hadith showing that one may offer prayer regularly but it has no weight on the Day of Judgment.

Enjoy watching this interesting talk with Dr. Bilal Philips to know more about the spirit of prayer in Islam.

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Source: Muslim Speakers Channel on Youtube.