Prayer is the foundation and basis of faith, on which the rest is built. Whoever upholds it as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did it, will uphold other things, but whoever neglects it will be more neglectful with regard to other duties. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I cannot recognize anything of what you do that is the same as it was at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). According to another report, that was in Damascus, and what he was referring to was the neglect of some sunnahs and much of what was done at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Some of those who heard him were astonished, and it was said: What about the prayer? Meaning that prayer is something that was known at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and was still practised. Anas said: Are you not neglecting what you are neglecting in it? What he meant was: that they delayed it from its proper time, or until the time for it ended. According to a report narrated by Ahmad: “You prayed when the sun was setting.” His aim was to warn them against delaying ‘Asr prayer from the beginning of its time, until the time when prayer is not allowed and it is disliked (makruh) to pray. This hadith highlights the keenness of the Sahabah to uphold the sunnahs of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and to warn against being heedless with regard to prayer..