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namely, the very prayer that He enjoined in His words:
“Establish prayer from the decline of the sun until the darkness of night, and recite the Qur’an at dawn; indeed, the dawn recitation is ever witnessed.” ⦗17:78⦘
He also said, “Allah does not accept a prayer performed without purification,” yet the Christians pray without attaining such purity.
And the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “There is no prayer without the Opening Chapter of the Book,” and they do not recite it.
The prayer that He has made obligatory and praised is one that includes
وَهِيَ الصَّلَاةُ الَّتِي أَمَرَ بِهَا فِي قَوْلِهِ:
{أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا}
[الإسراء: ٧٨]
وَقَدْ قَالَ:
«لَا يَقْبَلُ اللَّهُ صَلَاةً بِغَيْرِ طَهُورٍ»
وَالنَّصَارَى يُصَلُّونَ بِغَيْرِ طَهُورٍ.
وَقَالَ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -:
«لَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ»
وَهُمْ لَا يَقْرَؤُونَهَا. وَالصَّلَاةُ الَّتِي فَرَضَهَا وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهَا مُشْتَمِلَةٌ