Prayer is important and essential in Islam because it develops taqwa [God regards fullness] and reminds the believer, who may be distracted or caught up in the ramifications of the temporal world, his true purpose of existence; the worship of and the obedience to God [Allah].
Prayer is so crucial in Islam, that it is widely believed that the person who abandons his [or her] prayer has abandoned his [or her] Islam.
The congregational prayer is more effective and brings more benefit and reward. The human being is a social creature, and needs to work and relate in groups in virtually every aspect of life. For even in our most selfish moments, we will find ourselves dependent upon others. In Islam, prayer is not only a private concern, but also a social institution and a practical way of life; A way of life that promotes love, concern, generosity, and brotherhood.
In my opinion, prayer is the most important part of worship because worship is the practical way in which people can express how they feel about god. There are many ways of doing this such as going on a pilgrimage, paying respect, reading the bible, singing, fasting, sacrifice and what I think is most important prayer.
In Islam, the most important features of worship are:
- The five pillars; shahadah – the declaration of faith which says “ There is no god, except Allah”, Zakah – the purification of wealth by the payment of an annual welfare due, Hajj – the annual pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetimes, Sawm – the time they fast from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan and finally Salah – the five compulsory daily prayers for communicating with and worshipping Allah. The last pillar I mentioned can be demonstrated in all religions because in Christianity the most important prayer is the Lord’s prayer, in Hinduism and also in Christianity, they have The Eucharist, which is more commonly known as The Lord’s Supper, Mass or Holy Communion. The Eucharist is the Greek word for ‘Thanksgiving’. It is a time when Christians remember Jesus’ last meal with the disciples. They do this by dining and praying.
Prayer is most important in my opinion because you can pray anytime you want, you can pray on your own and it is the easiest way I feel to express my feelings to god, because you don’t have to speak out aloud, you can pray in your head, to yourself.
