One of the deeds in obedience to the law is obligatory
prayer. He Who is the Bearer of divine mysteries hath called it the ladder of
ascent. He saith: "Obligatory prayer is a ladder of ascent for the
believer." Within it are hidden and
concealed a myriad effects and benefits. Indeed, they are beyond computation.
How great would be a man's indolence and his injustice to himself if he were to
abandon this ladder of ascent and attach himself to earthly treasures. It is
our hope that we may be assisted to perform pure and acceptable deeds. We
beseech God, exalted and glorified be He, to confirm us in that which He desireth
and pleaseth and in that which will draw us nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the
Almighty, the All-Powerful, He Who is wont to answer the prayers of all men. - Baha’u’llah (compilation on ‘The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting’,
prepared by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
