With prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would link with Allah. With prayer, Prophet Muhammad would find his peace.
When was the last time when we found peace in our prayer? When was the last time when we complain to Allah instead of complain to anyone else?
Verily I complain of my problems and my worries only to Allah.
Let me give the example of how the Prophet connected with Allah. In an authentic hadith in Bukhari and Muslim, Abdullah ibn Shaqiq said:
“I entered upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was praying and I saw that his beard was dripping wet as if a bucket of water had been poured on his head from crying for fear of Allah.”
Can you imagine that?
In the authentic hadith, Hudhayfah said:
“I prayed with the Prophet in the middle of the night and he, in the first rak’ah, he recited surah Al-Baqarah, Al-Imran,An-Nisa’ and he stopped at every verse where Allah mentions Jannah he asked Allah: “O Allah let me enter Jannah” and he stopped at every verse on Hellfire and he said: “O Allah save me from Hellfire.”
Aisha said:
“I woke up in the middle of the night and I searched for the Prophet and my hands touched his feet while he was praying and he was saying in his prostration this du’a:
“O Allah I seek refuge in your good Mercy and your goodness from your anger and in your forgiveness from your punishment and I seek refuge in you, from you. I can not praise you adequately, you are as you have praised yourself.”
Look at the way the Prophet praised Allah. Look at the way his heart went out to Allah. Look at the way how he was doing it purely, sincerely between him and Allah alone.
In the authentic hadith, ibn Abbas narrated that he once prayed with the Prophet at the middle of the night and the Prophet (peace be upon him) made the following dua. Listen to how the Prophet called out to Allah and imagine when was the last time you called to Allah in the same way:
There is no god but Allah. O our Lord! You are the light of the heavens and the earth and whatever is in between. For you is praise. You are the originator of the heavens and the earth and that which is in it and for you is praise. You are the Supporter and the Nourisher and Cherisher and Sustainer of the heavens and earth and that which is in it. And for you is praise.
O Allah you are the truth and your statement is true, and your promise is true, and Jannah is true, and the fire is true, and the prophets are true, and Muhammad is true.
O Allah! I believed in you and upon you I have put my trust and to your judgment I have submitted and to you I complain, forgive me that which I’ve done in the past and what I’ve yet to do, and which I’ve done publicly and which in secret, and that which you know more about me than me. You are the first and you are the last there is no god but you.” (Al-Bukhari)
Allahumma lakal-hamd. Anta qaiyyimus-samawati wal-ard wa man fihinna. Walakal-hamd, Laka mulkus-samawati wal-ard wa man fihinna.
Walakal-hamd, anta nurus-samawati wal-ard. Wa lakal-hamd, anta-l-haq wa wa’duka-lhaq, wa liqa’uka Haq, wa qauluka Haq, wal-jannatu Han wan-naru Haq wannabiyuna Haq. Wa Muhammadun, sallal-lahu’alaihi wasallam, Haq, was-sa’atu Haq.
Allahumma aslamtu Laka wabika amantu, wa ‘Alaika tawakkaltu, wa ilaika anabtu wa bika khasamtu, wa ilaika hakamtu faghfir li ma qaddamtu wama akh-khartu wama as-rartu wama’a lantu, anta-l-muqaddim wa anta-l-mu akh-khir, la ilaha illa anta.
This is how Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) pursued the pleasure of Allah i.e. by praising Him and worshiping Him in a way by Allah that no one could ever do. And this is how his heart was connected with Allah.