Muslims, of course, first and foremost pray because Allah commands them in the Qur’an[1].
However, just as all of Allah’s commandments have essential and meaningful reasons, prayer also has many meanings and benefits for human beings.
Allah has created the universe to show His unique beauty and virtues.[2]
Everything he created in the universe, animals, plants, the uniqueness of the human face, the functionality of the internal organs of humans, the sky, the earth, space, planets, minerals, the water cycle, the functioning of all these, are all mirrors that show his artistry, perfection, and generosity. “Mankind” has been created as a will-powered processor who can see all these, think about them, and express this by admiring Allah through what he has witnessed.
The most crucial duty of humankind is to get to know Allah by examining His creations and presenting Him with the feelings of gratitude and admiration that appear in his soul as he gets to know Him.
Prayer is precisely the comprehensive method of this “offering.”
A person praying frequently repeats three phrases in his actions and prayers:[3]
Subhanallah (Allah cannot have defects, errors, faults, or lacks. He is perfect.)
Alhamdulillah (All praise belongs to Allah. Whatever value and beauty there is to be praised, it belongs to Him.)
Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest. There is no limit to his greatness and majesty.)
Here, prayer is the presentation of the high meanings arising from these three core words to Allah and proclaiming them to the entire universe together with persons.
Besides this baseline characteristic, prayer provides excellent contributions to peace and friendship by equalizing status among the people, physical health with the physical movements it includes, and psychological well-being with the life order and internal discipline it creates.
A person who performs prayers consciously and regularly gets away from evil, and his emotions and behaviors become balanced [4].
[1] See. Baqara, 43, Baqara, 110, Baqara, 238, Nisaa, 162, Araaf, 170, Hud, 114, Muminoon, 9.
Apart from these examples, tens of verses order about prayer and sensitivity, and continuity in prayer.
[2] For an explanation of this subject with examples, see. 11. Word, Words, Said Nursi
[3] Regarding these three expressions, for the encouragements of Prophet Muhammad, see the following hadith sources. Muslim, Mesâcid (Masjid-i feth), 146, Abu Dawood, Witir, 24 and Muslim, Mesâcid (Masjid-i feth), 135.
[4] See. Ankaboot, 45.[1]