Why do we pray?

      Our lord says in Surat Albaqara aya 153: "O you who believe! seek help through perfect patience and the prayer. Surely Allah is with those who are patient", this promise applies, above all, to those who offer prayers, whether prescribed prayers (obligatory) or supererogatory prayers, for prayers are supreme form of worship . 

     Here Allah says in Surat Alan'am aya 72: "and observe prayer and fear Him, and  it is He to whom you will be gathered", here we are commanded to perform the prayer and to fear Allah in all circumstances, and it is to whom you shall gathered on the day of resurrection.

      Abu Huraira said 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 (the prophet's friends) not a trace of dirt would be left. The prophet added: that is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out evil deeds.

      Also our prophet (pbuh) said: "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", and in another Hadith He said that it will be expiation of his sins he committed between these prayers.  

     And in Hadith Qudsi "which is from Allah Azza wa Galla but it is in the words of our prophet", our prophet says:"your Lord delights at a shepherd who on the peak of a mountain crag gives the call to prayer and prays, then Allah (glorified and exalted be He) say: "look at this servant of mine, he gives the call to prayer and performs the prayers; he in awe of Me, I have forgiven my servant his sins and have admitted him to paradise.

    there are two kinds of prayers: the obligatory prayers (fard) and the supererogatory prayers (sunnah), the obligatory prayers are: the dawn prayer (Alfajr), the noon prayer (Aldhuhr), the afternoon prayer (Alasr), the sunset prayer (Almaghrib), and the night prayer (Alishaa).

   The supererogatory prayers are extra rakhahs before or after the obligatory prayers, or are independent prayers like traweeh prayer in Ramadan, duha prayer after sunrise, and Qeyam or Tahajud prayer between Ishaa and Fajr prayers.    

     And about the prayer in the hereafter our prophet said: "the first thing for which a person will be brought to account will be  his Salat (prayer), if it is sound then he will have succeeded, be salvaged, but if it is not then he will have lost and be doomed.

     We are commanded to guard prayers from Allah Almighty, according to Surat Albaqarah aya 238: "maintain with care the prayers, and in particular the middle prayer", furthermore, Allah has specifically mentioned the middle prayer, which is the Asr prayer according to Allah's Messenger: "the middle prayer is the Asr prayer, and He said: "whoever abandons Salat Alasr, his good deeds will perish.