prayer consistently will be well-acquainted with his other religious obligations اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه. He will also be successful in avoiding a lack of direction, carelessness, and laziness. According to modern psychology, strong willpower is necessary to achieve success in any task, and the one who lacks willpower will remain unsettled. This is why it is considered a fundamental condition for success. One excellent worldly benefit of prayer is that by carrying out this righteous deed, a person’s willpower is strengthened.

Another important benefit of prayer is that it acts like a protective shield. If we take medicine as an example, we can divide them into 2 categories: one is simple medicine that alleviates a sick person’s illness, and the second is a vaccine. Not only does a vaccine do away with a person’s ailment, it also protects them from that virus in the future. We can say that prayer is like a spiritual vaccine.

Allah announces:

اِنَّ الصَّلٰوۃَ  تَنْہٰی عَنِ الْفَحْشَآءِ  وَ الْمُنْکَرِ ؕ

certainly the prayer prevents evil and indecency.^[1]

This is a very important benefit. Not only does it transform our negative mindset, conduct, and character into a positive one, it safeguards our actions, conduct, character, habits, and speech from becoming negative again.

Prayer - a means of rectification

A Companion once came and said, “O Messenger of Allah! So-and-so offers prayer but also steals.”

Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, “Leave him. His prayer will