Prayer is a kindness in abandoning sins, as if it is prohibiting them. If you say: How many pray and their prayer does not prohibit them? I say: The prayer that is accepted by Allah, for which there is a reward, is that one enters it with sincere repentance, being pious, due to His saying: 'Indeed, Allah only accepts from the pious.' And he prays it with humility of heart and limbs. It has been narrated from Hatim: It is as if my feet are on the Sirat, and Paradise is to my right and Hell is to my left, and the Angel of Death is above me, and I pray between fear and hope. Then he surrounds it after he prays it, so it does not become void. It is the prayer that prohibits immorality and wrongdoing. And from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him: Whoever his prayer does not command him to do good and prohibit him from wrongdoing, he does not increase by his prayer from Allah except distance. [Narrated by Al-Tabarani from the narration of Al-Ala' ibn Al-Musayyib from those who mentioned it from Ibn Abbas, this being a stopped narration. Al-Tabarani and Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Mardawayh narrated it through Lyth from Ata' from Ibn Abbas as a raised narration. And there is a narration from Ibn Umar. Al-Daraqutni narrated it in the strange reports of Malik. In its chain is Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan Al-Basri. Ibn Hibban said: It is not permissible to use him as evidence. It is narrated from Malik what has no basis. Ahmad narrated it in Al-Zuhd from the saying of Ibn Mas'ud. And Abdul Razzaq, Al-Tabari, and Al-Bayhaqi narrated it in Al-Shu'ab from the mursal of Al-Hasan.] And from Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him: Whoever his prayer does not prohibit him from immorality and wrongdoing, then his prayer is not a prayer, and it is a burden upon him. And it is said: Whoever is mindful of prayer, it will lead him to eventually abandon sins. It has been narrated that it was said to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, that so-and-so prays during the day and steals at night. He said: 'Indeed, his prayer will deter him.' [Narrated by Ahmad, Ishaq, Ibn Hibban, Al-Bazzar, and Abu Ya'la from the path of Isa ibn Yunus, Waki', and Mujahid from Al-A'mash from Abu Salih from Abu Huraira. A man came to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and said: Indeed, so-and-so prays at night, and when he wakes up, he steals. He said: 'His prayer will prohibit him.' Al-Bazzar narrated it from the path of Ziyad Al-Bakkai, and Abu Ya'la from the path of Abu Ishaq Al-Fazari, both from Al-A'mash from Abu Salih from Jabir. Al-Bazzar said: There is a difference in it from Al-A'mash, and it is also said from Abu Sufyan from Jabir.] And it is narrated that a young man from the Ansar used to pray with him the prayers, and he did not leave any of the immoralities except that he committed them. He was described to him, and he said: 'Indeed, his prayer will prohibit him.' He did not take long before he repented. [I did not find it.] In any case, the one who is mindful of prayer must be further from immorality and wrongdoing than one who is not mindful of it. And also, how many praying individuals are prohibited by their prayer from immorality and wrongdoing, and the wording does not imply that one of the praying individuals does not deviate from its purpose. Just as you say: 'Indeed, Zayd prohibits wrongdoing,' your intention is not that he prohibits all wrongdoings, but rather that this quality exists in him and is present from him without implying generality. 'And the remembrance of Allah is greater' means: and prayer is greater than other acts of obedience. And He called it the remembrance of Allah as He said: 'So strive towards the remembrance of Allah.' And He said: 'And for the remembrance of Allah,' so that it may stand alone in justification, as if He said: 'And prayer is greater, because it is the remembrance of Allah.' Or: 'And for the remembrance of Allah at immorality and wrongdoing and His prohibition of them and His warning against them is greater, so it is more appropriate to prohibit than the kindness that is in prayer.' And from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him: 'And the remembrance of Allah of you by His mercy is greater than your remembrance of Him by your obedience.' 'And Allah knows what you do of good and obedience, and He will reward you with the best reward.'