Merits of Prayers

Here is a blog post by IslamicSalvation, which can be found here:

باب فضل الصلاة

“Chapter on the Merits of Prayer”

قال محمد بن يعقوب الكليني مصنف هذا الكتاب - رحمه الله -:

محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن معاوية بن وهب قال: سألت أبا عبدالله (عليه السلام) عن أفضل ما يتقرب به العباد إلى ربهم وأحب ذلك إلى الله عزوجل ما هو؟ فقال: ما أعلم شيئا بعد المعرفة أفضل من هذه الصلاة، ألا ترى أن العبد الصالح عيسى ابن مريم (عليه السلام) قال: " وأوصاني بالصلاة والزكوة ما دمت حيا " (صحيح)

Muhammad bin Yaqub al-Kulayni - the author of this book (may Allah have mercy on him) said : (narrated to me) Muhammad bin Yahya from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa from Hasan bin Mahbub from Muawiya bin Wahb who said : I asked Aba Abdillah (a.s) about the best (of actions) with which the slaves can attain closeness to their Lord, and the (action) which is the most beloved to Allah (s.w.t), what is that? So He (a.s) said : I do not know of a thing after the cognizance (Ma’rifah) better than these Prayers (five daily), do you not see that the pious slave - Isa bin Maryam had said : “And He has ordained upon me the Prayer and the Purification as long as I live” (19:32). (Sahih)

علي بن إبراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يونس، عن هارون بن خارجة، عن زيد الشحام، عن أبي عبدالله (عليه السلام) قال: سمعته يقول: أحب الاعمال إلى الله عز و جل الصلاة وهي آخر وصايا الانبياء (عل)، فما أحسن الرجل يغتسل أو يتوضأ فيسبغ الوضوء ثم يتنحى حيث لا يراه أنيس فيشرف عليه وهو راكع أو ساجد إن العبد إذا سجد فأطال السجود نادى إبليس: ياويلاه أطاع وعصيت وسجد وأبيت (صحيح)

Ali bin Ibrahim from Muhammad bin Isa from Yunus (bin Abdir-Rahman) from Harun bin Kharija from Zayd ash-Shaham from Abi Abdillah (a.s), he (Zayd) said : I heard Him (a.s) saying : the action most beloved to Allah (s.w.t) is the Prayer, and it (the Prayer) is the final will (and testament) of all the prophets (before their deaths), so what goodness has a man achieved when he makes Ghusl or Wudhu - and does it well, and then moves to a place where none can see him (isolates himself), and presides over him (Allah (s.w.t) alone) while he is in Rukuu or Sujuud, verily when a slave goes into Sajda and lengthens it, the Iblis calls out : woe on me! he has obeyed Him and I have disobeyed, he has prostrated and I had refused. (Sahih)

  

جماعة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسين بن سعيد، عن فضالة، عن عبدالله بن سنان، عن أبي عبدالله (عليه السلام) أنه قال: مر بالنبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) رجل وهو يعالج بعض حجراته فقال: يارسول الله ألا أكفيك؟ فقال: شأنك، فلما فرغ قال له رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله): حاجتك؟ قال: الجنة، فأطرق رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) ثم قال: نعم، فلما ولى قال له: ياعبدالله أعنا بطول السجود (صحيح)

A large number of our companions from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa from Husayn bin Said from Fadhala (bin Ayub) from Abdillah bin Sinan from Abi Abdillah (a.s), that He (a.s) said : a man walked by the prophet (s.a.w.w) while He (s.a.w.w) was repairing (mending) some of His rooms (the chambers of His houses), so he (the man) said : am I not enough for (helping) you O messenger of Allah? So He (s.a.w.w) said : rather attend to your own affairs, so when he had completed (became free from his work), the messenger of Allah said to him : what is your need? So he (the man) said : Jannah, so the messenger of Allah knocked (what was repaired) and then said : Yes (indeed) – so when the man turned to him, He (s.a.w.w) said to him : O slave of Allah, help yourself (to fulfill your need) by elongating your Sujuud. (Sahih)

علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن حفص بن البختري، عن أبي عبدالله (عليه السلام) قال: من قبل الله منه صلاة واحدة لم يعذبه ومن قبل منه حسنة لم يعذبه (حسن)

Ali bin Ibrahim from his father (Ibrahim bin Hashim) from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hafs bin al-Bukhtariy from Abi Abdillah (a.s) who said : whomsoever Allah (s.w.t) accepts from him a single prayer, He (s.w.t) will not punish him, and whomsoever Allah (s.w.t) accepts from him a single good deed, He (s.w.t) will not punish him. (Hasan)