Explanation

The meaning in a few plain lines

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked his Companions if they wanted him to guide them to deeds that would be a means of forgiving sins and erasing them from the records of the guardian angels and elevating ranks in Paradise. The Companions said: Yes, we want this. He said: First: Completing and perfecting the ablution despite hardships like coldness, scarcity of water, physical pain, and hot water. Second: Frequent steps—distance between the two feet—made to mosques, given the remoteness of the house from the mosque and the frequent repetition. Third: Waiting for the time when the prayer becomes due, having one's heart attached to it, getting ready for it, and sitting in the mosque for its sake, waiting for the congregation. Then, on performing the prayer, one stays in his prayer area waiting for another prayer. After that, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that such things represent the real Ribāt (standing at the frontline of danger against the enemy) because it blocks the devil's ways to the self, overpowers personal desires, and prevents the self from accepting the devil's whispering. This way, the party of Allah defeats the devil's soldiers, which is the major Jihad, and that puts it in the same position of standing guard at the frontline against the enemy.