Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 494 [Read full issue]
Voluntary Prayers
"Whoever prays twelve rak'ahs of prayer voluntarily in a day and night, Allah will build him a house in Paradise."
[Sahih Muslim 1/503]
"The first thing which the people will be called to account for of their actions on the Day of Judgment is their prayer. If it is in a good state, he is successful and has passed. If it is in a bad state, he has failed and has lost. Allah will then Say: 'See if there are some optional prayers that can compensate for the deficiency in his obligatory prayer!' Then, all the actions will be dealt with similarly."
[Sahih at-Tirmidhi 1/130]
"Allah Says: "My servant approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him, and My servant keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary deeds until I Love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him.""
[Fath al-Bari 6502]