Indeed, a servant may pray a prayer, but nothing of it is recorded for him except a tenth of it, or a ninth, or an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or a half

Explanation

‘Ammār ibn Yāsir (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) entered the mosque and performed a voluntary prayer, which was brief. When he left the mosque, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Anamah followed him and said: O Abu al-Yaqzhān, I noticed that you prayed very briefly! ‘Ammār said: Did you see me omit any of its pillars, obligations, or conditions? He replied: No. ‘Ammār said: Verily, I only prayed it briefly before the devil could distract me. I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: A servant may perform a prayer, yet only a tenth of its reward is written for him, or a ninth, or an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or a half.

Lessons

• Keenness of the early generations to advise and counsel one another.
• Verification and asking for clarification before objecting or criticizing.
• Sufficing with the words of the Prophet (ﷺ) as the final and complete answer to any question or doubt.
• The reward of prayer decreases in proportion to the lack of humility and contemplation within it.
• Strong encouragement and earnest urging to maintain humility and to have one’s heart fully present with Allah Almighty during prayer.