( قُلْ ) (Say): Say, O’ Mohammad (saws).

( إِنَّ صَلَاتِي ) (Indeed, my prayer): Praying is the most essential pillar of Islam because there is never an excuse for not performing it, while pilgrimage and fasting are an obligation to those who have the ability to perform them. Allah (swt) says:

 فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۚ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ

(So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] – then an equal number of days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] – a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day].) (Al-Baqara: 184)

 Paying alms (zakat) requires that a one has certain amount of money, otherwise he si excused not to pay it. In fact, in prayer there is an act of  pilgrimage because we stand facing the Ka’ba; there is also fasting in it because we do not eat nor drink during the prayer; and there are alms in it because we dedicate a part of our time for it, and time is the essence of work and work brings money.

( وَنُسُكِي ) (my rites of sacrifice): Every act of worship is called (rite), although this Arabic word is mostly used with the acts of pilgrimage. The Arabic word for (rite) is derived from (An-nasikah), that is an ingot of silver which is melted down to render it pure. Likewise, we should be sincere to Allah (swt) when we perform any act of worship. We do good deeds so that Allah (swt) keeps it in our records, not for seeking out people’s pleasure; we do not pray to get praised for it; we do not pay alms, nor perform pilgrimage just to seek people’s praise. Our intentions should be pure as the ingot of silver. We conclude that prayers, rites, and all acts of worship must be for the sake of Allah (swt).

( وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي ) (my living and my dying): While life and death are in Allah’s (swt) hands, then they should be sincerely for the sake of Allah (swt):

( لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ) (are for Allah, Lord of the worlds)