Prayer, mercy and prescribed action

Arabic source excerpt

وتضاف الصلاة إلى البشر بمعنى الرحمة والدعاء والأفعال المخصوصة المعلومة شرعا على ما سنذكره فجمع البشر هذه الثلاث المراتب المسماة صلاة قال تعالى آمرا لنا وأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وتضاف الصلاة إلى كل ما سوى الله من جميع المخلوقات ملك وإنسان وحيوان ونبات ومعدن بحسب ما فرضت عليه وعينت له قال تعالى أَ لَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ الله يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ من في السَّماواتِ والْأَرْضِ والطَّيْرُ صَافَّاتٍ كُلٌّ قَدْ عَلِمَ صَلاتَهُ وتَسْبِيحَهُ فأضاف الصلاة إلى الكل والتسبيح في لسان العرب الصلاة

English translation draft

Prayer is attributed to human beings in the senses of mercy, supplication and the particular actions known through the religious law, as we shall explain. Human beings thus gather these three degrees called prayer. He, exalted is He, commanded us: “Establish prayer.” Prayer is also attributed to everything other than God, to all created beings—angel, human, animal, plant and mineral—according to what is prescribed and assigned to each. He, exalted is He, said: “Have you not seen that all who are in the heavens and earth glorify God, and the birds with wings outspread? Each knows its prayer and glorification.” He thus attributed prayer to all; and glorification in the language of the Arabs is prayer.