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All the Prophets including the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) adopted Prayer --- a sublime way to attain mental peace. The Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) attached great importance to spiritual contemplation. In
prayer, a link is established between Allah and His masses. When a person
presents himself with a thought that Allah is watching him, the mind starts
revolving around Allah's attributes. Of all the spiritual states, the state of contemplation
is the most important one. In the cave Hira, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) meditated
about Allah and His manifestations for a very long time. Meditation means to
ponder over the signs of Allah seriously while leaving aside every other thing.
After accomplishing this pillar of Islam, a person's link is established with
Almighty Allah.
Sala'at is the name of that prayer in which we
admit the greatness, honour, providence and governance of Allah. That is why to
offer Sala'at is an obligation on every Prophet and his umm'ah. A person can come
close to Allah by observing prayer. The prayer stops us from vulgarities and
the prohibited things. In fact, Sala'at is a certain source of establishing a
link with Allah. The devotee with constant practice gets centralization through
prayer. That is why meditating observers when offer their prayers, they
establish their link with Allah quite easily. Hazrat Ibrahim settled his son on
the barren land of Mecca and mentioned the following reason for this.
Hazrat Ibrahim prayed to Allah for his
generation in the following way:
"O my lord! So that they establish
prayers."
(Surah Ibrahim: Verse 37)
"My Lord! Make me to establish proper
worship and also (raise such) among my posterity; my lord! And accept my
prayers."
(Surah Ibrahim: Verse 40)
"He used enjoin on his people to prayer
and Zaka'at"
(Surah Meryum: Verse 55)
The Holy Quran says about Hazrat Loot, Hazrat
Ishaq, Hazrat Yaqoob and the Prophets of their generation in the following
ways:
"We inspired in them the performance of
good deed and keeping up prayer."
(Surah Anmbia: Verse 73)
Hazrat Luqman advised his son as:
"O my dear son establish regular prayer.:
(Surah Luqman: Verse 17)
Allah said to Moses:
"So serve me only and establish regular prayer for my
remembrance."
(Surah Taha: Verse 14)
Allah ordered Hazrat Moses, Hazrat Haroon along
with Bani Israiel in the fallowing way:
"Allah ordered to establish prayers."
(Surah Younus: Verse 87)
The Jews and Christians observed Sala'at in Arabia:
"There are followers of Holy book who
establish prayers at
night and recite verses and prostrate to Allah."
"For, (we shall requite) all those who
hold fast the divine writ and are constant in prayer verily shall requite those
who enjoin the doing what is right."
(Surah Araf: Verse 170)
When a person creates his link with Allah,
there opens a door in his mind and by passing that gate the person enters the
world of entry. Sala'at restores mental concentration. A person with mental
harmony and peace leaves his conscious state and enters the unconscious state.
The meaning of being attentive to Allah we must leave our both the conscious
and unconscious world and be aware with the mysterious world.
Following is the way to escape thoughts from
the prayer, 'before offering prayer, sit properly and comfortably facing Qibla
', Recite Darud Sharif three times, Kaltna Shahdat three times, while closing
your eyes imagine, I am under the throne of Allah, Allah is in front of me, and
I am going to bow down before Allah.
Quran Hakeem is the speech of Allah and
mentions those facts and known things which Allah has revealed upon the Holy
heart of the Prophet (PBUH) through Hazrat Gibriel AS. Every word of the Holy
Quran is a source of light and beatific vision. Apparently the topics of
mystery are encoded in Arabic but behind these worlds of heavenly meanings do
exist. The teachers of mysticism try that their disciples must comprehend the
hidden heavenly lights packed in these words so that the Holy Quran should be understandable with its complete comprehension
and meaningfulness.
The spiritual mentors tell that whenever the
Holy Quran is recited whether in prayers or in Nawafil of Night prayers, one
who offers prayer must imagine that Allah is addressing to him and He is
listening to him. During recitation one should keep in mind that illustration
of light or being revealed upon him. When a person recites the Holy Quran whole
heartedly, gets satisfaction and concentration. A connection is created with
Mullai Ala by reciting the Holy Quran time and again. So one's heart gets
chaste and purified and in this respect the heavenly world of its comprehension
and meanings start revealing· upon him. There are two things very important to
establish closeness with Allah. They are to observe sala'at and pay zaka'at. To
attain Allah's closeness the Holy Quran states the following: "Establish
Prayers and Zaka'at."
(Surah Baqara: Verse 44)
Both the parts of sala'at of the Holy Quran are
about the body and the soul's worship. Soul's worship means a type of activity
necessary to maintain life. The holy Prophet said, "When get engaged in
your prayer you must feel either Allah is watching you or you are watching
Allah."
Daily worship of soul in prayers does not only
mean to physical organ in prayer but to meet with Allah. The worship of soul is
in fact the meeting and consulting of soul to Allah. To move organs of body
called body's worship. One gets habitual by observing prayer in every walk of
life.
The more a follower of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)
follows him the more he gets close to Allah. We must abstain ourselves from the
things which distance us from cleanliness, chastity and enlightenment in order
to create. a light in our heart. We must reject the unfair means of our mind
and soul and follow the right means and ways of our mind which lead us to
heaven and consequently by practicing such things stated above our souls
receive a lot of beatific vision. Prayer is such a repetition of organs of body
and spiritual deeds as it includes all physical movement and spiritual states.
One who offers prayers reclines to Allah, gets purified after performing
ablution, selects a clean place, raises his both hands to ears while facing
Qibla ', joins both hands, recites the Holy Quran i.e. talks with Allah, prays
to Allah and eulogizes Allah, then kneels and recites Tasbeeh: My Allah is
chaste and great stands up again and says: All prayer is but for you and
prostrates humbly and proclaims: O Allah! You are Great, You are Great. One
offers prayers recites the Darood for Holy Prophet (PBUH) to solute him. To
wash hands, gurgle, put water into nose, wash up face, and draw hands over head
in prayer is called physical repetition or worship of body. The purpose of all
such deeds as stated above I is to
create a link with Allah. Sala'at is such a deed that one becomes habitual of
being observed by Allah. Prayer is a way to Allah. In prayers we distance
ourselves from the earthly gods and come near to Allah. When this practice is
established between man and Allah, one gets obliged by Allah. It is through
prayers that one gets fully obliged by Allah.
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
Many a scholar has written a lot about
spiritualism and pantheism. One school of thought is of the view that as saints
often used to wear wooly dresses therefore people would call them sufis. Wool
is called sauf in Arabic. They used to wear such a dress, for it had been the
habit of many a prophet, saints and pious people. According to some people, as
they have been associated with the Ashaab-e-suffa that is why they are called sufis;
whereas according to yet another school of thought the word sufi is linked with
suf a.... but all these explanations are not satisfactory.
In fact, the terminological meaning of Sufi'ism
(tasawaf) is self cleansing. It is the name of a true spirit that is related
to conscience and the light of conscience is always inherent. A sufi always
thinks in the context of Allah. His talk moves around Allah. He lives with
Allah and dies in the name of Allah. He recites His words and always praises
Him and remains enmeshed in His love. He sacrifices everything in order to see
and meet Allah.
