Why do we pray?

The prayer is the second pillar of Islam, and it is known that it is one of the greatest rituals and the most beneficial features of Islam, and it is a supreme form of worship by which degrees are raised, good deeds are multiplied, and evil deeds are expiated, where as narrated by Abu Huraira: "I heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) saying if there was a river at the door of any one of you and he took a bath in it five times a day Would you notice any dirt on him?, they said not a trace of dirt would be left, the Prophet added that is the example of the five prayers with which Allah erases the evil deeds (Sahih Albukhari 528). And Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Uthman bin Affan: "If any Muslim when the time of prescribed prayer comes perform ablution well and offers his prayer with humility and bowing, it will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he has not committed a major sins, and this applies for all times" (Sahih Muslim 228), and in another narration of Abu Hurayrah, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "The five prayers and from one Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer, and from Ramadan to Ramadan are expiation for the sins committed in between, provided one avoids the major sins"(Sahih Muslim 233).

 Allah commanded the believers in Aya (238) of Surat Albaqarah to maintain with care the prayers and the middle prayer and to stand in obedience before Allah, and Allah has specifically mentioned the middle prayer, which is the Asr prayer, and Allah's Messenger said in narration of Abdullah bin Umar: "Whoever misses the Asr prayer, it is as if he has lost his family and his wealth" (Sahih Albukhari 552). Allah has promised those who maintain their prayers with forgiveness and great reward on the day of resurrection, and especially He promised those who are humble in their prayer with success in the worldly life and the Hereafter as mentioned in Ayat (1,2) of Surat Almu'minun {Indeed, the believers have succeeded, those who are humble during their prayers}, and as narrated by Uqbah bin Amir: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say Your Lord is pleased with a shepherd high in the mountains who calls the Adhan for the prayer and prays, Allah says Look at this servant of Mine, he calls the Adhan and Iqamah for the prayer and fears Me, I have forgiven My servant and admitted him into Paradise" (Sunan Alnasai 666).

But at the same time, Allah has threatens those who neglect the prayer by offering it out of its prescribed time and not performing its pillars properly, and followed the desires of the worldly life and its adornment, and assures that they will meet destruction and loss on the day of resurrection as He has stated in Aya (59) of Surat Maryam {But there came after them successors who neglected the prayer and followed the desires, so they will meet destruction}. And Allah's Messenger said in narration of Jabir bin Abdullah: "Indeed, between a man and polytheism and disbelief is abandoning the Prayer" (Sahih Muslim 82). So abandoning the prayer completely out of denial of its obligation, negligence, or laziness is disbelief that takes one out the fold of Islam according to the opinion of many scholars.