The merit of Prayer

Many Muslims do not comprehend the importance of salah; shaykh 'Ab'd Al Muhsin Al-Abbad points out , that of all the fard [obligatory] duties imposed on mankind, it is only the salah that has been revealed above the Seven Heavens.

Allah summoned His Prophet above the Seven Heavens to reveal the salah , then had him returned back to Earth. There is a long narration in Sahih Al-Bukhari, a part of which reads: "Then he [Jibrail] took my hand and ascended with me to the nearest Heaven..." They proceeded through to the second Heaven then third etc Till "Then Jibrail ascended with me to a place where   I heard the creaking of pens...then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers. When I returned  with this order of Allah, I passed by Musa who asked me' " What has Allah enjoined on your followers ? I replied: He has enjoined fifty prayers on them, Musa said:'Go back to your Lord [and appeal for reduction] for your followers will not be able to bear it Then it continues in detail until... so I returned to Allah and requested for a further reduction and half of it was reduced. I again passed by Musa he said to me: 'Return to your Lord, for your followers will not be able to bear it.  So I returned to Allah and He said, 'These are five prayers and they are all [equal to] fifty [in reward] for My Word does not change...

Originally, fifty salah were ordered by Allah, and the Prophet at the urging of the Prophet Musa who he met in the Heavens, went back to Allah to ask for a reduction in the number of salah offered in a day, till the present five salah were ordered