Prayer is the indispensable life of the heart

DOWNLOAD PDF

OR

DOWNLOADPDF

OR

DOWNLOADDOC

All perfect praise is due to Allâh The Almighty and prayers and peace of Allâh be upon His Messenger.

 

I have contemplated on the state of our prayer and that of many of those who pray. I found a close relationship between failing to take the full advantage of prayer and all of its meanings, and the current conditions of the Islamic nation and the crisis it faces; rather, the social and moral crises, psychological and military defeatism and so on.

 

By the same token, the conditions of everyone in his prayer are related very much to the goodness of his conditions and conduct. The more one excels in and perfects his prayer, the more excellent his conditions and conduct will be and vice versa.

 

One may ask: How is that?!

 

Answering such question may be as follows: Actually, prayer is a way of life. It is the highest rank of Al-‘Ubôdiyyah (true submission and servitude) to Allâh The Almighty.

 

The prayer that is done in perfect submissiveness is an essential element of one’s success in this life and the life to come. Allâh The Almighty says: {Successful indeed are the believers. those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness.} [Surat Al-Muminûn 23:1-2]

 

{قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١﴾ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ} المؤمنون: 1-2

 

Transliteration: Qad aflaha almuminoon, Allatheena hum fee salatihim khashi’oon.

 

And it was narrated that the Messenger of Allâh, prayers and peace of Allâh be upon him, said: “Prayer is the best of prescribed things, so the one who is able to do a lot of it, let him do a lot of it.” [Al-Albâni deemed it Hasan (good)]

 

«الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرُ مَوْضُوعٍ فَمَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ أَنْ يَسْتَكْثِرَ فَلْيَسْتَكْثِرَ» حسنه الألباني

 

The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allâh be upon him, also said: “And the Prayer is light.” [Reported by Muslim]

 

«والصَّلاةُ نُورٌ» رواه مسلم

 

Indeed, it is a light for the slave in the worldly life and in the Hereafter.

 

Let us touch upon the meanings of prayer quickly.

 

The slave’s standing between the hands of Allâh The Almighty, submitting himself, in a complete state of purity, directing his heart and body towards his Lord, entering the prayer saying Takbeer of his Lord: Allâhu Akbar, Allâh The Almighty is really the Greatest of all things, His Command is the greatest of all things, then opens his prayer with acknowledging his sins and seeking forgiveness for his sins: “O Allâh, put a great distance between me and my sins, as great as the distance You have made between the East and the West. O Allâh, cleanse me of sin as a white garment is cleansed from filth. O Allâh, wash away my sins with snow and water and hail.” [Agreed upon]

 

«اللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَايَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ اللَّهُمَّ نَقِّنِي مِنْ خَطَايَايَ كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنْ الدَّنَسِ اللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْنِي مِنْ خَطَايَايَ بِالثَّلْجِ وَالْمَاءِ وَالْبَرَدِ» متفق عليه

 

Transliteration: Allâhumma bâ‘id bayni wa bayna khatâyaya kama bâ‘adta bayna al-mashriqi wal-maghrib. Allâhumma naqqini min khatâyaya kama yunaqqa al-thawb al-abyad min al-danas. Allâhumma ighsilni min khatâyaya bil-thalji wal-mâi wal-barad