Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned:
The sequence in reforming one’s life is that after imaan, the first and foremost effort one should make is to concentrate on and endeavour to improve one’s salaah. Through perfecting one’s salaah, one will be able to correct and rectify all other departments of one’s life. Hence salaah is the field upon which one needs to work in order to reform one’s entire life. When salaah is performed in the proper manner fulfilling all its etiquettes and requirements (i.e. the wudhu is done properly, and the salaah is performed in the musjid with jamaat, with concentration and devotion, and fulfilling all the postures according to the sunnah method), one will witness a notable change and improvement in all the other spheres of one’s life. (Malfoozaat Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) pg. 87)
Source: Ihyaauddeen.co.za