The Excellence of Prayers and Strong Recommendation about it

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبادَتِي‌ سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ داخِرِينَ‌[1] قَالَ هُوَ الدُّعَاءُ وَ أَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَةِ الدُّعَاءُ قُلْتُ إِنَ‌ إِبْراهِيمَ لَأَوَّاهٌ‌ حَلِيمٌ‌[2] قَالَ الْأَوَّاهُ هُوَ الدَّعَّاءُ.

“Allah (azwj) has said: «Surely those who are too proud for My worship shall soon enter hell disgraced»(40:60). This is a reference to supplications, as the greatest act of worship is supplicating." I (Zurara) asked: "What is meant by: «Indeed, Ibrahim was very tender-hearted and forbearing» (9:114)." He said: "Tender-

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع أَيُّ الْعِبَادَةِ أَفْضَلُ فَقَالَ مَا مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ أَفْضَلَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِنْ أَنْ يُسْئَلَ وَ يُطْلَبَ مِمَّا عِنْدَهُ وَ مَا أَحَدٌ أَبْغَضَ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِمَّنْ يَسْتَكْبِرُ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَ لَا يَسْأَلُ مَا عِنْدَهُ.

“Once I asked Abu Ja’far (al-Baqir) (as), ‘What is the best form of worship?’. He (as) said, ‘There is nothing more virtuous before Allah (azwj) than to ask and request Him for things.' There is no one more spiteful in the eyes of Allah (azwj) than one who seems himself as above the need to worship Him and does not ask

قَالَ لِي‌ يَا مُيَسِّرُ ادْعُ وَ لَا تَقُلْ إِنَّ الْأَمْرَ قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنْهُ إِنَّ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مَنْزِلَةً لَا تُنَالُ إِلَّا بِمَسْأَلَةٍ وَ لَوْ أَنَّ عَبْداً سَدَّ فَاهُ وَ لَمْ يَسْأَلْ‌ لَمْ يُعْطَ شَيْئاً فَسَلْ تُعْطَ يَا مُيَسِّرُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ بَابٍ يُقْرَعُ إِلَّا يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُفْتَحَ لِصَاحِبِهِ‌[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) once said to me, ‘O Maysir, pray and do not say that it is predetermined and it is all over. There is a position with Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, that is not accessible without praying to Him. If a servant keeps his mouth closed and does not plead to receive help, he will not receive anyth

مَنْ لَمْ يَسْأَلِ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَقَدِ افْتَقَرَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘One who does not ask help from Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, becomes needy and poor.’”

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ ادْعُ وَ لَا تَقُلْ قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ فَإِنَّ الدُّعَاءَ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ داخِرِينَ‌ وَ قَالَ‌ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ‌[2].

‘Pray and do not say that it (belief in predetermination) is already determined and the matter is settled; prayer is worshipping. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘Those who consider themselves above the need to worship Me will soon go to hell in disgrace,’ (40:60) ‘Pray to Me, I will accept your pray

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالدُّعَاءِ فَإِنَّكُمْ لَا تَقَرَّبُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَ لَا تَتْرُكُوا صَغِيرَةً لِصِغَرِهَا أَنْ تَدْعُوا بِهَا إِنَّ صَاحِبَ الصِّغَارِ هُوَ صَاحِبُ الْكِبَارِ.

"Cling to supplication, for you will not be able to draw as close [to Allah] by a means other than this. Do not neglect supplicating for the smallest of things due to its insignificance. Indeed, the one who is turned to for small matters, is also turned to for big matters."

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ الدُّعَاءُ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ الَّتِي قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبادَتِي‌ الْآيَة ادْعُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لَا تَقُلْ إِنَّ الْأَمْرَ قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنْهُ قَالَ زُرَارَةُ إِنَّمَا يَعْنِي لَا يَمْنَعْكَ إِيمَانُكَ بِالْقَضَاءِ وَ الْقَدَرِ أَنْ تُبَالِغَ بِالدُّعَاءِ وَ تَجْتَهِدَ فِيهِ أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ‌[3].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, pleading before Allah for help is the form of worship about which Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘Those who consider themselves above the need to worship Me will soon go to hell in disgrace,’ (40:60) pray to Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, and do not say that thin

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ أَحَبُّ الْأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ‌ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي الْأَرْضِ الدُّعَاءُ وَ أَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَةِ الْعَفَافُ قَالَ وَ كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع رَجُلًا دَعَّاءً.

“Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) has said, ‘The most beloved of deeds before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, on earth is pleading before Him for help and the best worship is chastity.’ The Imam said, ‘Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) was a very prayerful man.’”