What is the meaning of the Hadith of Anas ibn Malik: "I do not recognize anything of what was present during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)! It was said: Even the prayer? He replied: Did you not waste what you wasted in it?" And does it mean that our prayer today is not like the prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him)?

Anas ibn Malik's weeping over the neglect of prayer was due to the squandering of its proper times, as some rulers, like Al-Hajjaj, caused prayers to be delayed beyond their prescribed times. He (Al-Hajjaj) would pray Dhuhr and Asr at sunset. This neglect is referenced by Al-Bukhari in the chapter "Neglecting Prayer Beyond Its Time." Anas narrated that he recognized nothing from the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, except the prayer which was neglected. He cited Al-Hajjaj's delaying of prayer as evidence, affirming that this was not how the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed. Ibn Mas'ud and other Salaf interpreted Allah's saying: (But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued [their] appetites; so they are going to meet ghayy) [Maryam: 59] as a neglect of the prayer's time. As for the form of prayer and its pillars, they have remained preserved and cared for by scholars.