Mishkat al-Masabih 772

Abu Hurayrah reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone observes a prayer in which he does not recite Umm al-Qur’an, it is deficient (he said this three times) and incomplete.”

When someone asked Abu Hurayrah if he were led by an imam, he told him to recite it inwardly, for he had heard God’s Messenger declare that God most high had said, “I have divided the prayer into two halves between me and my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks.”

When the servant says, “Praise be to God the Lord of the universe,” God most high says, “My servant has praised me.” When he says, “The Compassionate the Merciful,” God most high says, “My servant has lauded me.”

When he says, “Possessor of the day of judgment,” He says, “My servant has glorified me.” When he says, “Thee do we worship and of Thee do we ask help,” He says, “This is between me and my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks.”

Then when he says, “Guide us in the straight path, the path of those to whom Thou art generous, not of those with whom Thou art angry nor of those who go astray,” He says. “This is for my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks.”