Prayer raises rank and cleanses sins

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard from Amir ibn Sad ibn Abi Waqqas that his father said, "There were two brothers, one of whom died forty nights before the other. The merit of the first was being mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he said, 'Wasn't the other one a muslim?' They said, 'Of course, Messenger of Allah, and there was no harm in him.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'What will make you realise what his prayer has brought him. The prayer is like a deep river of sweet water running by your door into which you plunge five times a day. How much of your dirtiness do you think that will leave? You do not realise what his prayer has brought him.' "

أَنَّهُ قَالَ كَانَ رَجُلاَنِ أَخَوَانِ فَهَلَكَ أَحَدُهُمَا قَبْلَ صَاحِبِهِ بِأَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً فَذُكِرَتْ فَضِيلَةُ الأَوَّلِ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَلَمْ يَكُنِ الآخَرُ مُسْلِمًا قَالُوا بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَانَ لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمَا يُدْرِيكُمْ مَا بَلَغَتْ بِهِ صَلاَتُهُ إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الصَّلاَةِ كَمَثَلِ نَهْرٍ غَمْرٍ عَذْبٍ بِبَابِ أَحَدِكُمْ يَقْتَحِمُ فِيهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسَ مَرَّاتٍ فَمَا تَرَوْنَ ذَلِكَ يُبْقِي مِنْ دَرَنِهِ فَإِنَّكُمْ لاَ تَدْرُونَ مَا بَلَغَتْ بِهِ صَلاَتُهُ

[Machine] "I heard Sa'd and some of the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'There were two brothers during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and one of them was better than the other. The one who was better passed away, and the other brother lived for forty more days before he also passed away. So they mentioned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ the virtue of the first over the second. He said, 'Was the second one not praying?' They replied, 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah, he was praying and there was no problem with his prayer.' So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'What do you think the value of his prayers reached? The example of prayer is like a river flowing at the gate of a man's house, and he immerses himself in it five times a day. So what do you think remains of his dirt?' You do not know how far his prayers reached."

سَمِعْتُ سَعْدًا وَنَاسًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُونَ كَانَ رَجُلَانِ أَخَوَانِ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الْآخَرِ فَتُوُفِّيَ الَّذِي هُوَ أَفْضَلُهُمَا ثُمَّ عُمِّرَ الْآخَرُ بَعْدَهُ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ تُوُفِّيَ فَذَكَرُوا لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَضِيلَةَ الْأَوَّلِ عَلَى الْآخَرِ فَقَالَ «أَلَمْ يَكُنِ الْآخَرُ يُصَلِّي؟» قَالُوا بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَانَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «فَمَا يُدْرِيكُمْ مَاذَا بَلَغَتْ بِهِ صَلَوَاتُهُ إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الصَّلَاةِ كَمَثَلِ نَهْرٍ جَارٍ بِبَابِ رَجُلٍ غَمْرٍ عَذْبٍ يَقْتَحِمُ فِيهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسَ مَرَّاتٍ فَمَاذَا تَرَوْنَ يَبْقَى مِنْ دَرَنِهِ؟ لَا تَدْرُونَ مَاذَا بَلَغَتْ بِهِ صَلَاتُهُ»

"عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِى وَقَّاصٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ سَعْدًا وَنَاسًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُونَ: كَانَ رَجُلَان أَخَوَانِ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ ، وَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الآخَرِ، فَتُوُفَّىَ الَّذِى هُوَ أَفْضَلُهُمَا، ثُمَّ عمرَ الآخَرُ بَعْدَهُ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً، ثُمَّ تُوُفَّىَ، فَذُكِرَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَضِيلَةُ الأَوَّلِ عَلَى الآخَرِ فَقَالَ: أَوَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُصَلِّى؟ قَالُوا: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، وَكَانَ لَا بَأسَ بِهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ : مَا يُدْرِيكُمْ مَا بَلَغَتْ بِهِ صَلَاتُهُ؟ ثُمَّ قَالَ عَلَى أثَرِ ذَلِكَ: إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسِ كَمَثلِ نَهْرٍ - بِبَابِ رَجُلٍ - غَمْرٍ عَذْبٍ يَقْتَحِمُ فِيهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسَ مَرَّاتٍ فَمَا تَرَوْنَ ذَلِكَ يُبْقِى مِنْ دَرَنِهِ؟ إِنَّكُمْ لَا تَدْرُونَ مَا بَلَغَتْ بِهِ الصَّلَاةُ".