A verse from the Quran says that when some people will enter Paradise and some Hell. The people of Paradise will ask the people of Hell what took them to the Fire. قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَ (74:43) They shall reply, "We were not among those who prayed."

There is another verse which says: فَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُصَلِّينَ . This means: "Woe to those who pray." (107:4) Both verses used the same word. The people of Hell will say, We were not among those who prayed. The other verse says, Woe to those who pray. What is the difference between the two? Why does one person who prays is doomed, while another who prays enters Paradise?

The Quran answers: فَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُصَلِّينَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ (107:4-5)  Woe to those who pray but whose hearts are not in their prayer. Those who offer spiritless prayer are doomed. Those who offer prayer with spirit will enter Paradise.

What is the spirit? If you have the spirit of prayer, you will cultivate the entire culture of prayer. The spirit doesn’t remain confined. It revolutionizes one's entire being. A new revolution comes into your life. You can read the Quran to understand it. The Quran says: إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَوْقُوتًا (4:103) Prayer is prescribed at the appointed hours. If you offer five times prayer on time, but are not on time for other tasks, then you have split up your prayer: you have separated the form of prayer from its spirit. If you pray on time, you will adopt an entire culture of time management in your life. You will perform every task on time.