The most important act of worship and method of connection to Allah are the canonical prayers, which a Muslim is obligated to perform from the day one becomes of age until one leaves this world. These are the five daily prayers, which must be performed every day in their allotted time span.

In the traditions, Prophet Muhammad (S) has told us that if the salat is accepted, then all of the other acts of worship will also be accepted. However, if the salat is rejected, then all of the other acts of worship will also be rejected. The Prophet has also described the prayers as being the pillar of religion, the means of spiritual ascent (mi'raj) of a believer, and other such beautiful metaphors. Indeed, while in the state of prayer, a believer is in direct communion with one's Lord and it is the time when one is the 'closest' to Allah (SwT).

The process of gaining spiritual proximity to the Beloved is not limited only to the five daily prayers, which are performed at specific times within a 24-hour period. Rather, we are told that we can and should speak to Allah in this way at any time - not only when we need something, but even to simply thank Him for all of the countless blessings and favours that He has showered upon us, just as the Commander of the Faithful 'Ali has beautifully stated:

إِنَّ قَوْمًا عَبَّدُوا اَللَّهُ رَغْبَةً، فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةٌ لِتُجَّارٍ، وَإِنَّ قَوْمًا عَبَّدُوا اَللَّهُ رَهْبَةً فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ اَلْعَبِيدِ، وَأَنَّ قَوْمًا عَبَّدُوا اَللَّهُ شُكْرًا فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ اَلْأَحْرَارِ

Verily, some people worship Allah being desirous (of His reward) - so this is the worship of traders; and some people worship Allah fearing (His punishment) - so it is the worship of the slaves, and a group worship Allah in gratitude (to Him) - so this is the worship of the free ones.1

Therefore, we have also been encouraged to engage in the recommended prayers which have been taught to us by Prophet Muhammad (S) and his noble family, the Ahl Al-Bayt (‘a) - not so that we may ‘buy’ our way into paradise; nor that we ensure our salvation from the hell-fire, but rather, simply for the fact that Allah (SwT) deserves to be worshipped and cherished for all that He has done, continues to do and will continue to do for us - in this life and in the next.

Some of these prayers are designated to be performed specifically on a certain day or night within the Islamic lunar calendar - such as the 1,000 units of salat, which we are recommended to perform in the blessed month of Ramadhan2; while others take place on special events in specific months - such as on the day of the completion of the fast on the day of 'Eid Al-Fitr or the completion of the pilgrimage to Mecca on ‘Eid Al-Adha, or on the birth anniversaries of the Fourteen Infallibles.

However, if we draw our attention to a tradition from Imam Hasan Al-'Askari and the five signs of a true follower, we see that we have been encouraged to perform a minimum of 51 rak'at within each 24-hour period which is outlined below:

عَلَامَات اَلْمُؤَمَّنِ خَمْس: صَلَاةُ إِحْدَى وَخَمْسِينَ، وَزِيَارَةُ اَلْأَرْبَعِينَ، وَالتِّخْتَمْ بِالْيَمِينِ، وَتَعْفِيرَ اَلْجَبِين، وَالْجَهْرُ بـ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ اَلرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The signs of a believer are five: praying fifty-one rak'at [including mandatory and optional prayers], Ziyarat Al-Arba'in, wearing a ring on the right hand, prostration on dirt, and saying Basmallah3 in a raised voice [in the salat]."4

Thus, we see that the recommended prayers are even greater in number (in fact double) than the minimum which Allah desires from us, and these are more beloved to Him because their performance shows our devotion and commitment to the faith and its sacred teachings as we are going ‘above and beyond’ the call of duty to cherish our Creator.

In this regard, there are numerous traditions from Prophet Muhammad (S) and the infallible Imams (‘a) in which they have accentuated on the significance of engaging in recommended prayers. Below are ten such traditions.

• 1. Nahj Al-Balagha, Short saying #228.
• 2. Details can be found in various major books of worship, however Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi has mentioned the following in this regard:
  The special nawafil (recommended or supererogatory prayers) for the month of Ramadhan are to be recited as follows:
  1st to 20th day: 20 rak'at (2 rak'at x 10) each night.
  19th ,21st and 23rd: 100 rak'at (2 rak'at x 50) on each of the three eves.
  21st to 30th: 30 rak'at (2 rak'at x 15) on each of the ten nights.
  The total numbers of the special nawafil of Ramadhan comes to 1,000 rak'at. However, it is important to note that these nawafil prayers, from the Shi'a Islam’s perspective, are not allowed to be performed in congregational form (jama'at) and can only be performed individually (furada).
• 3. The Arabic phrase at the beginning of each chapter of the Qur’an. The English meaning is “In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”.
• 4. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, page 75, sect. 24, trad. 7.