Abu Hazim says that Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa’d Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) used to appoint the young men of his people to lead the prayer. He was asked: Why do you do this when you yourself hold a high status and rank? He replied: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:“The imam is responsible; if he leads the prayer well, he will have the reward and so will the people praying behind him. But if he does not lead the prayer properly, its burden will be upon him, while the people praying will still receive the reward.”

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are three people whose prayer is neither accepted nor does it ascend towards the sky, nor does it rise above their heads: the man who leads people in prayer while they dislike him (without a valid Shari' excuse), the man who offers the funeral prayer without being appointed (by the guardian), and the woman whom her husband calls at night and she refuses."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), he says that a man came to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said that a certain man prays at night but steals in the morning. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Soon his (good) deed will prevent him from doing that."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "What do you think, if there were a river by the side of someone's courtyard and he bathed in it five times a day, would any dirt remain on him?" The companions said: Not a trace (of dirt) would remain. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Prayers also wipe away sins just as water removes dirt."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Salman al-Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a Muslim performs prayer, his sins are placed upon his head. Whenever he prostrates, they fall off. When he finishes his prayer, his sins have fallen away."

Abu Muneeb reports that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) saw a young man performing a prayer with excessive length and asked: Who knows this young man? A man said: I know him. He said: If I had known him, I would have instructed him to perform more bowing (ruku) and prostration (sujood) instead of prolonging (the standing), because I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When a servant stands for prayer, all his sins are placed upon his shoulders; when he bows or prostrates, his sins fall away from him."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“The five daily prayers, and from one Friday to the next Friday, and from one Ramadan to the next Ramadan, are expiation for all the sins committed in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.”

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The five prayers and Friday (prayer) to the next Friday are expiation for all the sins committed in between them, as long as major sins are not committed, and (Friday) also becomes expiation for the sins committed in the next three days."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "When the time for each prayer begins, a caller is sent who announces: O sons of Adam! Rise and extinguish the fire which you have kindled for yourselves. (When they heed this announcement and) stand up and perform ablution, their sins fall from their eyes, and when they perform the prayer, the sins committed between this prayer and the previous one are forgiven. Then you (by committing sins) kindle the fire again, and as soon as the time for Zuhr prayer comes, the caller announces again: O sons of Adam! Rise and extinguish the fire which you have kindled for yourselves. They rise again, perform ablution, and pray, and thus the sins committed between this prayer and the previous one are forgiven. When the time for Asr prayer comes, the same happens; when the time for Maghrib comes, the same occurs; and when the time for Isha comes, it happens likewise. Thus, when people sleep, they are forgiven." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Some people spend the day adorned with goodness, and some are immersed in evil."

Busr bin Mihjan narrates from his father Sayyiduna Mihjan (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was present in a gathering with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The call to prayer was given, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and performed the prayer. When he returned (after praying), he saw that Mihjan was still sitting there; he had not prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "What prevented you from praying with the people? Are you not a Muslim?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah! Why not, (I am a Muslim, in fact) I had already performed the prayer at home." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you come (and the people are praying), then pray with them, even if you have already performed the prayer."