Namaz (salat) - the importance in Islam

The following excerpt has been translated from the book entitled el-Fiqh-u-’ala-l-madhâhib-ül-erbe’a:
Namâz is the most important one of the basic essentials of the Islamic religion. Allâhu ta’âlâ has commanded people who want to worship Him and thank Him for His blessings to do so by performing namâz. He has made it farz for them to perform namâz five times daily. A hadîth-i-sherîf reads: “Allâhu ta’âlâ has commanded His slaves to perform namâz five times daily. He has promised that He will put people who deem this command their prime duty and perform namâz into Paradise.” There is quite a number of hadîth-i-sherîfs stating the honour and high value of namâz and recommending to perform namâz. It has been declared that there is very bitter torment awaiting people who do not attach importance to namâz and people who are remiss in performing namâz. Performing namâz purifies hearts. It causes forgiveness of sins. However, a namâz performed in thoughts centred around worldly advantages and without thinking that it is one’s duty as a slave (of Allâhu ta’âlâ) will not yield any benefit, worldly and next worldly alike, even if it is sahîh because it has been performed in a way compatible with its rules. As you perform a namâz, you must ponder over the greatness of Allâhu ta’âlâ and be aware of that you are performing a command of Allâhu ta’âlâ. It is only a namâz performed so as to satisfy these criteria that will purify your heart and which will protect you from doing evil. Allâhu ta’âlâ will judge people by their hearts, not by their appearances and actions. That is, He will accept good deeds performed with a good heart and fear of Allah. The first thing to be done when performing a namâz is to put your niyyat right; the next important thing is to observe the farzes and the principles of the namâz being performed, and next comes covering your awrat parts. A namâz must be performed - both physically and spiritually. As you perform a namâz, you should never forget that Allâhu ta’âlâ sees you, that He hears the prayers you have been saying, and that He knows what you are thinking of. A slave possessed of such qualities will not harm anybody. They will always be good to others. They will be useful to their country and nation.
Lexical meaning of ‘namâz’ is to ask for goodness and to invoke a blessing on someone. In Islam ‘namâz’ means to do commanded actions and say commanded things in the meantime. Namâz is started by saying the Takbîr Iftitâh, and ends when the Salâm is made.

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