Submissiveness
in Prayer (Al-Khushoo' Fis Salah)
Islam has placed
great importance upon the performance of prayer, not only the physical
act but the mental and spiritual role as well. What is this importance
of prayer in the life and afterlife of a Muslim? What are the consequences
of prayer?
The Importance
of Prayer
1. The first
thing you are required to do after pronouncing Shahadah is Salah.
Salah is a primary pillar of Islam. In other words, it upholds one's
Islam. Abandonment of prayer will negate a person's Islam. Without
Salah, one becomes a Kaffir.
"Verily
between man and between polytheism and unbelief is the negligence
of prayer."Muslim
2. The performance
of prayer, as well as the grade of performance, affects all other
deeds in life. The Prophet, (saws), said:
"The first
thing that the servant will be called to account for on the Day
of Judgment will be Salah. If it is good, his deeds will have been
good. If it is bad, his deeds will have been bad." At-Tabarani
Salah, performed
correctly with khushoo' is the key to success and true faith. Allah,
(swt), tells us:
"Successful
indeed are The Believers, those who humble themselves in their prayers.Qur'an
23:1-2
Muslims, in
general are very deficient in their Salah. These deficiencies range
from small to severe, yet everyone suffers as a consequence. Prayer
benefits the individual as well as the society. If this benefit
is not gained, not only will the individual Muslim suffer but the
society will face the loss as well.
The situation
of today's Islamic society is not very optimistic and it is worsening.
This is due to progression of sin and lack of repentance. In order
to combat this we must return to the performance of obligatory acts
and render them as they should be performed. This, especially in
the case of Salah, will do much to improve the state of Muslims.
Why be astonished at our deterioration if our own Salah is cursing
us/ A "return to Islam", involves true, sincere repentance
and obedience of Allah's commands, If believers don't stop sinning,
punishment will come from Allah, (swt).
The Definition
of Khushoo'
Khushoo', which
may loosely be translated as submission, incorporates:
Absence of Haughtiness:
This characteristic, which is found in most, constitutes pride and
self-sufficiency. It must be completely removed. This does not mean
that we must belittle ourselves to a state of worthlessness. It
simply means that we should realise our deficiencies and eliminate
any feeling of lack of need for Allah. We are in need of Him not
He of us.
Humbleness:
Once the self-pride and self-sufficient feelings are removed, Allah's
greatness is magnified. We cannot but feel meek, insignificant,
and submissive and thereby humble ourselves and acknowledge our
true need for Allah(swt).
Acceptance of
Commandments and Compliance Through Actions: This refers to the
total surrender to the Creator, The owner of the Worlds.
Khushoo' is
a complex of different morals, feelings, and intentions, all of
which are directed to Allah, the fruit of which is compliance through
physical actions, This constitutes true extraction of oneself from
whatever may prevent this sincerity, feeling the Might and Glory
of Allah, and feeling humility and the tremendous power of Allah
coupled with complete poverty to Him only, (swt). It is to stand
before Him with our hearts placed sincerely in His hands. Though
this submission, this khushoo', is emphasised in Salah it should
be characteristic of every intention, word, and deed we perform.
"Say: Verily,
my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are
all for Allah, Lord of the Worlds." Qur'an,
6:162
The place of
submission, true submission, is in the heart. It bears fruit in
the different parts of the body; the eyes, tongue, hands, feed.
In essence, our whole life should be a submissive prayer if we wish
to be of the Muflihoon, the Successful:
"Successful
indeed are the Mu-mineen, those who humble themselves in their prayer."Qur'an,
23:1-2
Submission,
or khushoo', is most often mentioned with Salah, as it is the act
of worship that is the common denominator of all other acts of devotion,
e.g. Ihraam/Hajj, Sawm, Shahadah, expenditure of oneself, supplication
and remembrance of Allah, Recitation of Qur'an, and acts of devotion
of the heart, which are the most important Salah is the most important
pillar of Islam after the Shahadah. It is a true action of Shahadah
- Declaration of Faith. When we are praying we are directing ourselves
to Allah confirming our belief in Tawheed. . Compare Salah to fasting.
When we fast we abstain from the intake and output of many things
other than food and drink, such as evil thoughts, words and deeds.
Salah is similar act - the abstention of everything but prayer.
Zakah, as well as Sadaqah, purifies us in our actions, as does Salah.
Salah contains the best supplication:
"Show us
the Straight Way."Qur'an
1:6
We recite this
verse regularly in our prayer, at least seventeen times daily. How
often do we recite it for the sake of recitation outside of prayer?
We should do so more often. It is actually a complete prayer of
supplication to Allah for guidance.
When you are
bowing in rukoo' you praise Allah. When you are in prostration you
are the closest you can come to Allah. It is here that you should
supplicate and ask Him for your needs. All of your life's problems
should come out in your prostration's, remembering that it is we
who are in need of Allah not Him of us.
"The closest
a servant comes to his Lord is in Sujood; therefore make excessive
du'a, for it is most likely to be answered."Related
by Muslim
When submission
is truly established in the heart, only then will a Muslim be known
as a humble person. Only through true submission of the heart will
the rest of the body. - which carries out words and actions - comply
with discipline to the commands of Allah. This is the true meaning
of Islam - actual acceptance then compliance through obedience to
and performance of whatever command Allah has commanded. So submission
is not confined to Salah alone. Actually, submission is Islam. To
understand this, we must grasp the deeper connotations of khushoo'.
A person may
feel that he has khushoo' yet this is not apparent in his actions.
This is not true khushoo'. Submissiveness and humbleness cannot
possible end with prayer. It affects a person's entire attitude
and action, not limiting itself to Salah. Many of today's Muslims
feel that their level for Islam is sufficient.
When you advise
them to improve themselves and their deeds they respond by saying
that fanaticism is not necessary. They don't want to be labeled
a 'fundamentalist'. Any person who feels satisfied with his level
of Islam should remember the following ayah:
"Has not
he time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility
should engage in the remembrance of Allah and the Truth which has
been revealed (to them) and that they should not become like those
to whom was given the Book aforetime? But long ages passed over
them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious
transgressors."Qur'an
57:16
This ayah addressed
the Companions of the Prophet (saws). Though they were pious, righteous
and very devoted, Allah (swt) wanted them to improve themselves.
Factors of
Khushoo'
True Faith
The Islamic
definition of faith is: The belief in the heart, the words of the
tongue, accompanied by actions of the body. All three must be found
in a person to have true faith. The belief in the heart is evidenced
by the actions which are performed, and the actions are accepted
according to what is in the heart, so it's a combination of the
two. They cannot stand alone. Faith is bound by the following precepts:
To pronounce
the Shahadah as well as spread it to others.
To believe in
whatever we were told by the Prophet (saws). To believe the truth
of the complete knowledge and wisdom of Allah in what he has commanded
us to perform or abandon.
To perform good deeds and refrain from bad ones.
To comply and
obey and accept.
"And they
say; 'We hear and we obey; (we seek) Your forgiveness our Lord;
and to You is the end of all journeys'."(Qur'an,
2: 285)
If these things
are applied to Salah, along with firm belief in the importance and
benefit of Salah, then it is sure, Insh Allah, to increase our khushoo'
which will in turn increase our faith.
The main constituents
of faith may be grouped under two important conditions:
Ikhlas - sincerity
Emulation - following the Sunnah
"Blessed
be He in Whose hands is Dominion, and He has power over all things.
He Who created death and life that He may try which of you is best
in deed." Qur'an, 67:1-2
"Blessed
in deed" involves sincerity and emulation of the Sunnah. No
better advice is given to a brother Muslim than to tell him to fulfill
these two things. Without them, he will have lived his life for
nothing; all his deeds will have been lost. Through them, all deeds
will be saved and protected, and by Allah's mercy, accepted.
Ikhlas
Ikhlas, or sincerity,
refers to the complete absence of shirk. It means not only performing
Salah to fulfill the obligation, but to really feel your need, your
poverty for it, and to purify ourselves, all out of total love for
Allah, wanting to get nearer and nearer to Him, hoping for the highest
level in paradise amongst the Muqarraboon, those close to Allah.
The Messenger of Allah (saws) related the following:
"Allah
the Almighty has said: Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine,
I shall be at war with him. My servant does not draw near to Me
with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have
imposed upon him, and my servant continues to draw near to Me with
voluntary works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his
hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his
hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were
he to ask (something) of Me, I would surely give it to him; and
were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant it to him."
Related
by Al-Bukhari
Salah is indeed
a gift. There are many who don't like Salah at all, and when they
hear the Adhan they could car less. Those who find in Salah the
benefits that Allah bestows upon His servants, who perform it as
it should be performed, are joyful to be called to prayer. Be thankful
and appreciative in your heart for the gift of being able to perform
Salah.
One of the enemies
of sincerity is admiration of one's self. Pride is a type of shirk,
an association of oneself with Allah.
"He who
has in his heart a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise."Muslim
Never admire
yourself or your deeds, particularly your prayer. Look to those
who are better than you. This will encourage you and humble you.
As true sincerity
is built mainly on true love, desire, and fear of Allah, the following
will assist you in establishing your sincerity:
Knowing Allah
(swt) by His names and attributes, appreciating His Lordship.
Ihsan: "To
worship Allah as though you see Him, knowing that though you cannot
see Him, He sees you."Muslim
To acknowledge
religion and guidance as being from Allah.
"And you
have no good thing but it is from Allah."Qur'an,
16:53
If it wasn't
for Allah's guidance we would not be Muslims, so at least out of
thankfulness we should be humble and sincere.
"But Allah
has endeared faith to you and has made it beautiful in your hearts
and he has made hateful to you unbelief, wrongdoing and rebellion;
such indeed are those who walk in righteousness. A grace and favor
from Allah; and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom."Qur'an,
49:7-8
To look at our
defective selves and actions. No matter how much we try, we will
never be able to perform worship to the level that Allah deserves.
This should build a competitive feeling in us, an ambition to do
more, to try harder, hoping for Allah's mercy. This is what it means
to feel complete poverty to Allah. As well, we should look to those
who are better, who are very God-conscious and fearing. This will
help to develop the desire for humility. Failure to apply reflective
inspection to oneself will only serve to increase one's defects.
To appreciate
the blessings bestowed upon us. Anas bin Malik related that on the
Day of Judgement every servant will be presented with a record of
is good deeds and a record of his bad deeds. Then he will be shown
a record of all of the blessings he was given by Allah (swt) (such
as sight, hearing, feeling, etc.). The Lord will say (to the blessings
he granted his servant) "Take from the good deeds of my servant
what you deserve." If only one of the blessings of Allah were
to come forth and take what it deserves from the servants good deeds,
there would be none remaining. (Al-Khushoo' fis Salah 'Abdullah
Al-Jaar Allah)
"And He
gave you (the faculties) of hearing and sight and understanding;
little thanks do you give!"Qur'an,
32:9
Go and visit
the sick, the very sick, that lie in the hospitals. You will deeply
appreciate your seemingly simple blessings which will in turn increase
your sincerity in worship.
Emulation of
the Sunnah
Emulation is
a required principle of every act of worship in Islam. The act you
perform and the way you perform it cannot be a fabrication of your
own which has no basis in the Sunnah. This is according to the Hadeeth
of 'Ai-ishah (ra) who related the Prophet (saws) as saying:
"Whoever
innovates something into this religion of ours which does not belong
to it will have it rejected."Muslim
According to
the words of the Prophet (saws): "Pray as you have seen me
pray."
Prayer, as well
as all other acts of worship, can only be considered perfect and
complete if it is in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws).
They must be totally free of innovation. Otherwise they will be
rejected by Allah (swt).
"The Day
that the wrongdoer will bite at his hands, He will say, "Oh!
Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger!" Qur'an
25:27
Recitation of
the Qur'an and Remembrance of Allah (Dhikr)
"Don't
speak a lot without remembering Allah, for verily speaking much
without remembering Allah hardens the hearts. And the people who
are most distant from Allah are those with hard hearts."Tirmidhi
Recitation of
the Qur'an and Dhikr, accompanied by contemplation of the meaning
is one of the most tremendous ways of softening one's heart.
"Allah
has revealed the most beautiful Message in the form of a book, consistent
with itself, repeating; the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble
threat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the remembrance
of Allah."Qur'an
39:23
Recitation of
the Qur'an and Dhikr is a protection from shaytan and a cause of
tranquillity of the heart. Sadly, the hearts of today's Muslims
are no longer sensitive to the Qur'an. If our hearts are really
pure, then we never stop reciting Qur'an. 'Uthmaan bin' Affaan,
radi Allaahu 'anhu, would pray Fajr then remember Allah in Dhikr.
Then he would recite Qur'an till Dhuhr! If our hearts were purified,
we would never stop reciting Qur'an:
"Those
who believe and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance
of Allah; for without a doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts
find satisfaction." Qur'an
13:28.
"And remember
Allah frequently that you may prosper." Qur'an
62:10.
Shaytan always
works to distract us so we should always seek help from Allah by
saying "Audthu billahi minash shaytan nirrajeem". The
same can be applied in Salat. When you become so distracted in your
prayer that you can't control it say "Audthu billah himinash
shaytan nirrajeem" then spit lightly over your shoulder three
times. 'Uthman bin Affaan related that he came to the Prophet (saws),
and said:
"Allah's
Messenger, Satan intervenes between me and my prayer and my reciting
of the Qur'an and he confounds me." Thereupon, Allah's Messenger
(saws), said, "That is (the doing of the Shaytan) who is known
Khanzab. When you perceive its effect, seek refuge with Allah from
it and spit three times to your left."Muslim
Self Assessment
Make it a daily
habit to examine your Salah critically. If there is any defect,
repent and try to eliminate this defect, as sin without repentance
blocks your way to success. Don't let Shaytan defeat you -just keep
trying. Maintain a high spirit and ambition, holding firmly to your
faith and seek strength only from Allah.
Consider the
example of the Prophet (saws), who was protected from error, who
has been guaranteed paradise. He would ask Allah's forgiveness 100
times a day. What then should be expected from us?
Assessment of
oneself is not meant to instill a feeling of failure or incompetence.
As long as your intention is to do good, you follow through with
it, and you continue trying, the reward will be given to you.
"Verily!
As for those who believe and do righteous deeds - certainly! We
shall not suffer to be lost the reward of anyone who do his (righteous)
deeds in the most perfect manner." Qur'an
18:30
Recognising your defects shouldn't pull your spirit down but should
rather motivate you to improve. Remember that strength is the key
to closeness with Allah.
"The strong Mu-min is better and more beloved to Allah than
the weak Mu-min."Muslim
Comprehension
and Contemplation
The renown scholar,
Ibn Al-Qaym, has said that on two occasions the servant of Allah
will be between the hands of Allah: On the Day of Judgement and
in Salah. Whoever perfects his stand in this life will have an easy
stand on the Day of Judgement.
A man came to
the Prophet (saws)and said:
"Give me
brief advice in which I don't need anything else. He said to Him:
"When you pray, pray like a person who is saying farewell."
Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim, and Al-Buhaqi
When you stand
to pray and pronounce "Allahu Akbar", reflect upon the
meaning of Allah's Greatness, hoping for His reward and fearing.
His punishment. When you bow for rukoo' and say, Subhana Rabbi Al-Adheem
strive to refine the inner feeling of your own impotence and insignificance
before the Might and submission in prayer. Your words Subhanna Rabbi
Al-A'alaa should be said with full awareness of your complete poverty
to Allah. When you conclude your prayer, feel a sense of gratitude
to Allah, for having enabled you to complete this act of worship.
Imagine that you are saying this farewell prayer of yours and that
you may not live to offer another like it.
Remembering
The Last Day
Remember the
hardness of the Day of Judgement when we shall all stand before
Allah, fearful and ashamed of what we have to present to Him. It
is for this reason we should avoid concerning ourselves so much
with this life and concentrate on that which will be of benefit
to us on that day, particularly acts of worship. Nothing else deserves
the importance of remembrance of this day.
"And part
of the night prostrate yourself to Him and glorify Him a long night
through. As to these, they love the fleeting life and put away behind
them a Day that will be hard."Qur'an
76:26-27
Those who ignore
this Ayah love the world and are forgetting the heavy day that they
will face. Consider the seriousness of the Day of Judgement. Remember
death. Remember that your life here is only temporary and can be
short.
"Seek help
in patience and prayer; truly it is hard except for those who are
humble. Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their
Lord and that they are to return to Him." Qur'an
2:45-46
Truly those
who possess Khushoo', the Khashi'een, seek help in patience and
prayer. They know and realise the importance of the Day of Judgement
and appreciate that they will meet with their Lord.
This is a positive
anxiety which pushes them to do more. They know that as long as
they are alive they have a chance to do something to improve their
stand on that Day. And they take advantage of each and every chance.
"If only
you could see when the guilty ones will bend low their heads before
their Lord (saying): Our Lord! We have seen and we have heard; now
then, send us back (to the world) we will work righteousness, for
we do indeed (now) believe." Qur'an
32:12
Following the
Path of the Companions
The Companions
of the Prophet (saws, were always shy and afraid to present a bad
prayer to Allah. They were filled with fear that their deeds would
not be accepted. Consider this in relation to their exquisite piety,
as seen in the following stories from their lives:
* One whose
leg was in need of amputation was faced with the difficulty of surgery
without anesthesia. He was offered alcohol to help decrease the
pain he would undoubtedly feel but he refused saying: Cut it off
while I am in prayer. The amputation was completed while he was
in Sujood.
* Muslim bin
Yasaar was praying in the masjid when a portion of the building
collapsed. He was completely unaware of the event due to his Salah.
* 'Amir bin
'Abdullah was one of the humble in prayer. He was asked: "Does
anything come into your mind in your prayer?" He replied: "Is
there something that is more beloved to me than Salah that should
come to my mind." They said: "Verily, things come to our
minds when we pray." He said to them: "Such as Paradise
and the Maidens of Paradise and thing like this?" They said:
"No. Our families and our wealth." 'Amir replied: "I
would rather spears pass through my body than get that sort of thing
in my prayer."
We should look
to their level of concentration, love them for their deep faith
and strength, and ask Allah to make us like them. They show us that
the fundamental elements of prayer are not the mere rituals but
rather humility and conscious awareness.
Knowing the
Rewards and Punishments
One who has
khushoo' benefits enormously whereas one who is lacking in khushoo'
will suffer various consequences. By knowing the rewards associated
with khushoo' and the punishments for the lack thereof, we may better
conceive the importance of developing this very special aspect of
Iman.
The Rewards
1. "Successful
indeed are the Mu-mineen, those who humble themselves in their prayer."Qur'an
23:1-2
2.The right
to enter Al-Jannah through Baab As-Salah - The door of Prayer.
3. Khushoo'
will provide you relaxation and will become 'pleasing to the eye'.
You will experience tranquillity and calmness. However, such things
come only through jihad and patience.
"Truly
man was created very impatient. Fretful when evil touches him. And
niggardly when good reaches him. Not so those devoted to prayer.
Those who remain steadfast in their prayer." Qur'an
70:19-23
4.It will become
a source of strength and power and will serve as a protection from
Shaytan and provide you with stability. Allah (swt), says:
"Seek help
through Sabr (patience) and Salah."Qur'an
2:45
This is evident
in the following Hadith:
"He (saws),
when saddened by a thing, would seek refuge in prayer."Related
by Ahmad and Abu Dawud
Whenever you
are in need or trouble - pray!
5. Help's one's
conscience and purifies and perfects other deeds. Indeed all of
our actions, word and deed, are affected by our Salah. And, Subhan
Allah, it works in two very simple ways. Submit more in Salah and
you'll submit in other deeds...and vice versa!!!
"The first
thing that the servant will be called to account for on the Day
of Judgment will be Salah. If it is good, his deeds will have been
good. If it is bad, his deed will have been bad." Related
by Al-Tabarani
6. Perfects
one's morals, manners, character and attitude. This is known as
Husnul Khuluq.
"Verily
Salah restrains from indecency and evil deeds" Qur'an
29:45
"There
is nothing that weighs heavier upon the scale of a believer on the
Day of Judgement as does Husnul Khuluq." Related
by Al-Tabarani
7. Establishes
for you a closeness to the Prophet (saws), on the Day of Judgement.
The Prophet (saws), said:
"Verily
the most beloved of you to me and the nearest to me on the Day of
Judgement are those with the best manners." Al-Tabarani
Rabe'ah bin
Ka'ab said:
"I was
with the Messenger of Allah (saws) one night, and I brought him
water and what he required. He said to me: Ask (anything you like).
I said: I ask your company in paradise. He (The Prophet (saws))
said: "Anything other than that?" I said: "That is
all." He said: "Then help me to achieve this for you by
devoting yourself often to prostration." Muslim
8. Brings you
close to Allah (swt).
"Sujood
is the closest you can come to Allah." Related
by Muslim
9. The falling
of sins from your body. The Prophet (saws) said:
"Verily
when a Muslim performs Wudu properly, and then observes Salah five
times a day, his sins fall off just as these leaves have fallen
off.
He then recited
the following ayat:
And establish
regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches
of the night; for those things which are good removes those things
which are evil. That is a reminder for the mindful." Qur'an
11:114
10. The Love
of and from Allah. This is the highest of rewards.
"My servant
does not draw near Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious
duties I have imposed upon him, and my servant continues to draw
near Me with voluntary works so that I shall love him. When I love
him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which
he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which
he walks. Were he to ask (something) of Me, I would surely give
it to him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant
it to him."
The Punishments
1. Life will
be full of discomfort, agony and misery.
"But whosoever
turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down,
and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment." Qur'an
20:124
Sufferings in
life may be evidence of one being upon the wrong path, or relief
of sufferings a sign that one is upon correct guidance. A German
man suffered continually from migraine headaches. No treatment was
of any relief, despite his constant search. He happened upon a Muslim
who was offering prayer. He was so interested that he waited to
inquire as to what this act of worship was and to what religion
it belonged. His interest in the prayer, and the religion which
commanded such as an act, was due to the prostration - he had found
that he could only obtain relief from his pain while in such a position
as that which is assumed in Sujood. He eventually accepted Islam
and has not, Subhan Allah, suffered from migraines since.
2. All deeds
will be bad - a complete loss. If Salah is not performed, it will
definitely affect our other deeds in life.
"The first
thing that the servant will be called to account for on the Day
of Judgement will be Salah. If it is good, his deeds will have been
good. If it is bad, his deeds will have been bad." Related
by Tabarani
3. Destruction
of the bond of brother/sisterhood in Islam. If we are unable to
develop khushoo' with our Lord how can we expect to care and feel
for our brother Muslims? Without the benefits that are attained
through khushoo', Muslims will part from each other and hatred will
be given freedom to develop.
4. Depletion
of morality and righteousness. Without submission and humbleness,
we will be faced with a society of aggressive, self-centered personalities
who have no concern for Allah and Islam.
5. Rejection
from Allah. We know the great benefits of Allah's love. What will
become of us, if He turns away from us?
"But, after
them followed a posterity who lost Salah and followed after lusts;
soon then will they face destruction." Qur'an
19:59
In the tafseer
(explanation) of this Ayah it is mentioned that the phrase who lost
Salah does not mean that they completely stopped praying, but that
they delayed it, not praying it at the proper time.
Fulfilling our
Bodies Needs
Stray thoughts
may be prompted by something external. We should fulfill such bodily
needs as necessary to concentrate and gain complete benefits from
our Salah. We should sleep and eat well.
We should protect
ourselves from the elements of weather so that cold and heat do
not cause us discomfort.
Our clothing
should be comfortable, not irritating. Our attention is caught by
anything which happens to engage our eyes and ears. We should distance
ourselves from noise as much as possible to avoid distractions that
are possible to control.
Du'a
We should seek
guidance and help from Allah for proper and submissive prayer. The
Prophet Ibrahim (as) used to make the following du'a:
"O Lord!
Make me and my offspring of those who establish regular Salah. O
our Lord, and accept my supplication." Qur'an
14:40
To Act Upon
and Spread Knowledge
We all have
knowledge. Some have a little, some have a lot. We will be asked
as to what we have done with it. Act upon it and use it for your
benefit and the benefit of others. Offer what knowledge you have
to others, even something as simple as telling someone to say Bismillah.
The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:
"He who
calls people to righteousness, there would be reward assured for
him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards
being diminished in any respect. And he who called people to error,
he shall have to carry the burden of its sin, like those who committed
it, without their sins being diminished in any respect." Related
by Bukhari
There is indeed great difference in he who learns and spreads what
he learned and he who does not.
As the Prophet
(saws) said:
The example
of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant
rain falling on the earth, some of which has fertile soil that absorbed
rain water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance.
Another portion of it was hard and held rain water and Allah benefited
the people with it and they utilised it for drinking, making their
animals drink from it, and for irrigation of the land for cultivation.
And a portion was barren which could neither hold the water nor
bring forth vegetation. The first is the example of the person who
comprehends Allah's religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge)
which Allah has revealed through me and learns and then teaches
others. The last example is that off a person who does not care
for it and does not take Allah's guidance revealed through me. Bukhari
It is without
doubt that khushoo' in Salah is one of the greatest assets a Muslim
can possess in his faith. It comes with struggle, perseverance,
and patience and is obtained only by those who work for it, who
really set their sights where they should be.
It is related
by Hatim bin Al-Asam that he said in answer to a question about
prayer:
"When the time for prayer is at hand. I make a proper ablution,
go to the spot where I attend to pray and sit there until all my
limbs and organs are in a collected state. Then I stand up to perform
my prayer, placing the Kabah between my brows, the bridge over Hell
beneath my feet, Paradise to my right and Hell to my left, and the
Angel of Death behind me, thinking all the while that this is my
final prayer. Then I stand between hope and fear. I carefully pronounce
"Allahu Akbar!" Then I recite the Qur'an harmoniously,
bow in humility and prostrate myself submissively. I then sit back
on my left haunch, spreading out the left foot, raising my right
foot on the toes. I follow this with sincerity. Then I wonder whether
or not my prayer has been accepted.
Excerpt from
Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship - by Al Ghazali
So, as we can
see by this example if we could imagine ourselves in this same position,
which we are really in though we can't see it visually, we would
soon make the realisation that this prayer of ours is of the utmost
importance.
We as Muslims,
must not only be willing to commit to Islam but we must be ever
ready to sacrifice our desires for what will be best for us - in
the long run. We should always reflect on the life of the Prophet
(saws) and the companions, their struggles and (in this life) very
few personal accomplishments - by worldly standards. Their sights
were always focused on what they would hopefully achieve in the
next life and for the success of the Deen . Make this your aim,
not the aim of what you can achieve in this world because you and
it will pass away, all that you achieve here other than for Allah
(swt) is worthless to you.
So don't waste
time - this truth is available to all who sincerely seek it. Now
you have your priorities right - your goal is set.
Go
For It! Islam is easy, we are the ones who cloud and confuse ourselves.
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