Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

“Whenever the matter became serious the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray.” (Collected by Abu Dawud (1319) and others.)

Benefits that derived from this narration

Muhammad Abdur Rauf Al-Manawee (may Allah have mercy on him) commented on this narration. He wrote that, ”Whenever the matter became serious,” means,

(The Prophet, peace be upon him, did such) if the Prophet was attacked by surprise, on the verge of being subdued or due to an important matter which caused him to be worried or feel sad.

“He (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray.”

Means (that) he’d pray because prayer helps against the removal of all heavy blows, disasters and misfortunes. Through prayer one is seeking the assistance of the Creator who allowed it to happen. Prayer is a means to draw nearer to Allah and whoever resorts to prayer to his Lord will be protected and averted from all evil. [Faydul Qadir # 6641]

Al-Mulla Ali Qari 1014H (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

“The meaning for this Hadeeth is derived from the verse, “Seek help in patience and prayer.” (Al-Baqarah 45.) [ Sharh Musnad Abu Haneefah page 342 printed by Darul Kutubul Ilmeeyah Beriut Lebanon.]

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen (may Allah grant him the Highest Paradise) commented on this issue in his Tafseer of Suratul Baqarah. He said,

“The excellence of prayer is that it’s one of the things a person can seek assistance in for all matters and worldly affairs. Allah mentioned prayer and we believe with certainty that this speech is the truth. It’s been reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray whenever the matter became serious. This is also supported by the Prophet’s action during the Battle of Badr. He prayed in the shade and appealed to his Lord for help. [Tafseerul Quran Al-Kareem Al-Fateehah-Baqarah vol 1 page 163-164]