—peace and blessings be upon him—used to be reported as saying: “Whenever something weighed heavily upon him, he would hurry to the prayer.”

Allah has also made clear in His Book that prayer keeps one away from indecency and wrongdoing. Therefore, when a person seeks help through prayer in any of his affairs, Allah eases those affairs for him. Prayer is a bond between the servant and his Lord: during it a person stands before Allah, converses with Him, supplicates to Him, and draws near to Him through the various acts of devotion contained in the prayer itself. For that reason it becomes a means of divine assistance.

His—Exalted is He—statement, “Indeed, Allah is with the patient” (al-Baqarah 153), refers to a special kind of divine accompaniment, for Allah’s maʿiyyah (being with) is of two types:

1. A general accompaniment that encompasses every creature. It is mentioned in His words, “He is with you wherever you are” (al-Ḥadīd 4), and, “No private conversation takes place among three but that He is the fourth, nor among five but that He is the sixth, nor fewer than that or more but that He is with them” (al-Mujādilah 7). This universal accompaniment includes all created beings: there is no creature except that Allah is with him, knowing him, surrounding him with His sovereignty, power, hearing, sight, and all else that pertains to His perfection.

2. A special accompaniment that entails support and aid. This is reserved for the messengers and those who follow them. Allah says, “Indeed, Allah is with those who are mindful of Him and those who excel” (an-Naḥl 128), and, “Indeed, Allah is with the patient” and similar verses. This special maʿiyyah is not granted to everyone; it is exclusive to the people of piety, excellence, and patience.