Narrated Abu Huraira:
I heard Allahs Apostle saying, "If there was a river at the door of anyone of you and he took a bath in it five times a day would you notice any dirt on him?" They said, "Not a trace of dirt would be left." The Prophet added, "That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out (annuls) evil deeds."
[Sahih Al Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 10, Number 506]
Well, let’s open the door to Salaah and see what awaits us! …
The threshold, when we personally enter, as we all know is when we praise Him with Allahu Akbar, (Allah is The Greatest!).Yes! HE IS THE GREATEST! But how many times in our Salaah do we really say it with every movement,with that realization. If only for that minute second we actually feel about our reality.These two words are teeny weeny but are huge in their magnitude,and our “wajood” - our realty is actually just so so tiny and actually teeny weeny in comparison to this big earth, amongst all the planets, the galaxies, the Universe, His entire Creation which we know not of also.
Then we praise him with our introductory du’aas, which Prophet Muhammad salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa salaam (May Allaah send blessings and peace upon him) has taught.
Allaahumma baa’id bainee wa baina khataayaaya kamaa baa’adta bainal-mashriqi wal-maghribi, (Oh Allah, separate me from my sins as You have separated the East from the West.)
Allaahummaa naqqinee min khataayaaya kamaa yunaqqath-thawbul-abyadhu minad-danasi, (Oh Allah, cleanse me of my transgressions as the white garment is cleansed of stains.)
Allaahum-maghsilnee min khataayaaya, bith-thalji wal maa’i wal-barad. (Oh Allah, wash away my sins with ice and water and frost.)
[Sahih al-Bukhaari (Arabic – English), vol. 1, p. 398, no. 711) Sahih Muslim (English Translation), vol.1, p.295, no.1245), Sunan Abu Dawood (English trans.) vol.1p.200, no.780) and an-Nasaa’ee.]
A’uthu billaahi minash-shaitaa nir-rajeem (I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast)
What do we do next? That my brothers and sisters is the Foundation, which yours truly has found very useful, in communicating personally and directly with Allah. Each line as we start with Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem. (In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful) with the feeling that “Yes! Truly it is He who is so, the only One for us and He is listening to us. Always!
Alhamdu lillahi rabbi alAAalameen
(All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists). Oh! so huge is this world, which He encompasses, and this knowledge enables us to humble ourselves further. Yet, do you know, He knows, among the billions of people in the world, exactly how many times each person blinks his eyes per minute; how many eye lashes close each time, including the ones which are wet with tear drops – tears which come rushing out spontaneously in remembrance of Him and when His slaves plead their case to Him, in public and private! Regardless of whether we’ve knowingly or unknowingly done things to upset Him, actions that may meet His disapproval, but its never too late to, truly, ask him to forgive us out of the love of His Deen, fear of His Wrath and hope in His Mercy!
And why won’t the Most Compassionate of all forgive His truly repentant slaves!? He is the only One who loves each one of us, more than 70 mothers put together could love even one person at a time! He is the One I am speaking about, Ar Rahmaanir Raheem, The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful!
Maliki yawmi addeen (Master of The Day of Judgement) – the day when all our smallest of good and bad deeds would be judged. When man can create such a scale, as reported in the news recently so as to weigh a sheet of paper and then the minutest difference in weight of just a tiny dot on the paper that one makes, what is difficult for man’s Creator to actually have a Scale which measures our deeds even of the size of an egg of a lice on a head!
Then comes my favorite, if we miss to pay attention to this line, and it passes us by, believe me, my friends we miss a really great opportunity to present our pending case in front of Him direct! This is, our own personal hotline with him 24x7, as it were, the most Influential, Resourceful, Powerful Contact one could ever have! And that’s Iyyaka naAAbudu wa-iyyaka nastaAAeen, (You [Alone] we worship, and you [Alone] we ask for help [for each and everything].)
Apart from keeping us away from the worst sin – Shirk, this Qur’anic ayah helps us in many other ways too. For instance, when we are sad or depressed and feeling completely helpless, this helps us in pleading to Him and reaching out for Him. And despite our numerous faults He still listens to our prayers; surely He is the One and Only Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, the One we are lucky to have in our lives!
And what comes next, could you tell me? Yes, that’s right, Ihdina assirata almustaqeem - Guide us to the Straight Way.
And my brothers and sisters its from here that, I feel, starts a ray of hope, when we ask Him to guide us when we have just repented, seeking to be purified by the Most Pure. This Qur’anic ayah in actual effect, is the first step towards getting back on the right track - wherever, whenever, and at whatever point of our lives we are in; the first step to cleansing out all our sins whether they had been committed intentionally or unintentionally, hidden in private or openly in public as He ultimately is the All Knowing, All Wise, Al ‘Aleemu Al Hakeem!
Sirata allatheena anAAamta Aaalayhim – The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, like the previous prophets, our Prophet Muhammad salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa salaam (May Allaah send blessings and peace upon him), his noble wives, his wonderful companions including those whose citizenship of Jannah, Allah confirmed in their lifetime itself. But we must not just recite this du’aa in words but also try to emulate these pious predecessors of ours in deed as well; how they handled the opposition of the enemies of Allah, including that from those who were their own kindred. The zaalimoon (wrongdoers) and faasiqoon (transgressors) played the cruellest of tricks and heartless games and yet these believing slaves of Allah said no word and did no deed that would have undermined Islam and displeased Allah. Yes, emulating them is a difficult task but if we set our sights on the rewards that Allah has promised to His believing slaves, insha’Allah we can motivate ourselves. We only need to do our best and leave to Allah the rest, because nothing is difficult for Allah.
BadeeAAu assamawati wal-ardi wa-itha qada amran fa-innama yaqoolu lahu kun fayakoon
The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it : "Be!" - and it is. [Al Qur’an 2:117]
Once we do make up our minds to submit our will to His Will, He will soon say “Kun” (“Be”) to convert our efforts into success, insha’Allah!
ghayri almaghdoobi AAalayhim wala addalleen (Ameen) – not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians).
I believe the obligatory recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha, in every rakah, plays a pivotal role in making Salaah a “programming towards righteousness”. Man may create the “best” guidelines to lead a healthy and happy life, free from want and misery but no man-made guideline or program can ever make man rise from the depths of moral decay to the heights of spiritual upliftment, from the dirt and darkness of sins and misdeeds to the purity and light of obedience to Allah – the one program that will achieve this goal for all times to come; indeed till the end of Time itself, is Salaah! No wonder then that Salaah is the second pillar of Islam and after Shahaada is considered a foundation of the Islamic faith.
We have a shower when we feel the heat of the sweltering days of summer; the sweat and grime get cleansed by a simple shower of a few minutes. There is the natural shower also, rain pouring direct from Allah, for our needs. Then how about chilling the heat generated by our own misdeeds with a spiritual shower to get rid of the dirt and filth that settles on our souls? The daily or the sudden stress and strain which could either be because “of what our hands have sent forth”, as mentioned in the Quran, or also at times, as a slight nudge from Allah to make us surrender all our matters to His Infinite Care and Protection! Not to forget the deep cleansing of sins which takes place in a thorough wudoo, with every drop of water that falls!
Uthman b. Affan (radiallaho unho) reported: The Messenger of Allah (salallaho
alaihi wasallam) said: He who performed ablution well, his sins would come out from his body, even coming out from under his nails.
[Sahih Muslim, Book 002, Number 0476]
Now, ask yourself, don’t you want to keep your appointment with Allah with the utmost punctuality, every single time? What if the richest man in the world were to invite us personally with a card written in gold, wouldn’t we start to prepare to meet him almost immediately after receiving his invitation, buying the best dresses for ourselves and the most expensive gifts we could afford for our host? And once we went to his place one would stay there for hours till late into the night, at his party; then how about a few minutes of full attention to Allah? Why can’t we do this for the Creator who lets us breathe each breath in and out through the miraculous respiratory system that only He could create? I know, most of my readers, in all probability, are ones who love to perform Salaah. Yet, this is meant to be a gentle reminder to perform this primary Muslim duty of ours with full khushoo and taqwa and the utmost humility and eagerness, as this and only this is the direct means of contacting Him, and that too, with His full attention diverted towards us; His slaves praising Him while standing, bowing and prostrating and feeling His closeness in doing all this. Isn’t this amazing? Yes, it is simply brilliant and the “coolest” and most “happening” thing of all times, to realise that the One with whom we are in conversation with is Him and He is LISTENING! Just have to stretch our hands towards Him.
And then comes a Surah which comes from within, amongst those we have memorized. Then the bowing or Rukoo, praising Him and seeking His Forgiveness, with our hearts truly bent towards Him, having fully realized the burden on them, because of what “our hands have sent forth”!
Subhaana Rabbiyal-Adheem (Glory to my Lord, the Exalted)
Subhaanaka Allaahumma Rabbanaa wa bihamdika Allaahum-maghfir lee (Glory is to You, Oh Allah, our Lord, and praise is Yours. Oh Allah, forgive me)
Rising from Rukoo, we say:
Sami’allaahu liman hamidah (May Allah hear whoever praises Him)
Rabbanaa wa lakal-hamd, hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan feeh (Our Lord, praise is Yours, abundant, good and blessed praise) And all the angels rush to record it for the slave!
And then the prostration or Sujood; oh! my friends the importance of this bit should not be missed either as the Prophet Muhammad salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa salaam (May Allaah send blessings and peace upon him) said: “The closest that a person is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so say a great deal of du’aa’ then.” [Sahih Muslim, 482]
So fall in Sajdah and call on Him Who is the Highest.
Subhaana Rabbyial-A’laa (Glory to my Lord, the Most High)
Subhaanaka Allaahumma Rabbanaa wa bihamdika Allaahum-maghfir lee (Glory is to You, Oh Allah, our Lord, and praise is Yours. Oh Allah, forgive me)
Not to forget the At-tahiyyaat; each and every living and non-living thing (even stones!) recite His praises, so why not us? And these are the words presented during the Meraaj to Prophet Muhammad salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa salaam (May Allaah send blessings and peace upon him) from His throne; indeed, all the most Beautiful Praises are for Him.
At-tahiyyaatu lillaahi was-salawaatu, wat-tayyibaatu, as-salaamu ‘alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu, as-salaamu ‘alaina wa ‘alaa ‘ibaadillaahis saaliheen. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illallaahu wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasooluhu (All greetings of humility are for Allah, and all prayers and goodness. Peace be upon you, oh Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger)
And then the darood:
Allaahumma salli ‘alaa Muhammadin wa’alaa aali Muhammadin, kamaa sallaita ‘alaa Ibraaheema wa ‘alaa aali Ibraaheema, innaka Hameedum Majeed. Allaahumma baarik ‘alaa Muhammadin wa ‘alaa aali Muhammadin, kamaa baarakta ‘alaa Ibraaheema wa ‘alaa aali Ibraaheema, innaka Hameedum Majeed. (Oh Allah, bestow Your favour on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad as You have bestowed Your favour on Ibrahim and on the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. Oh Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.)
And the du’aas such as these:
Allaahumma inne a’uthu bika min ‘athaabil-qabri, wa min ‘athaabi jahannama, wa min fitnatil-mahyaa wal-mamaati, wa min sharri fitnatil-maseehid-dajjaal
Oh Allaah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, from the torment of the Fire, from the trials and tribulations of life and death and from the evil of the trial of the Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal (the False Messiah). [Al-Bukhaari 2/102, Muslim 1/412]
Allaahumma innee a’uthu bika min ‘athaabil-qabri, wa a’uthu bika min fitnatil-maseehid-dajjaali, wa a’uthu bika min fitnatil-mahyaa wal-mamaati. Allaahumma innee a’uthu bika minal-ma’thami wal maghrami.
Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge in You from the trial of the False Messiah, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death. Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from sin and from debt.
[Al-Bukhaari 1/202, Muslim 1/412]
The above two du’as are very much simlar in content except for what is in bold.and all three things are important! RasoolAllaah salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa salaam (May Allaah send blessings and peace upon him) said one needs to seek refuge in Allah from debt, as when a man gets into debt, (he is obliged) to tell lies and break promises.
[Al-Bukhaari 832, Muslim 589]
Here are a few more favourites of mine, don’t let go of them!
Rabbana atina fee addunya hasanatan wafee al-akhirati hasanatan waqina AAathaba annar
"Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!" [Al Qur’an 2:201]
Allaahumma innee dhalamtu nafsee dhulman katheeran, wa laa yaghfiruth-thunooba illa Anta, faghfir lee magh-firatan min ‘indika warhamnee innaka Antal-Ghafoorur-Raheem. (Oh Allah, I have greatly wronged myself and no one forgives sins but You. So grant me forgiveness and have mercy on me. Surely You are Forgiving, Merciful.
[Al-Bukhaari 8/168, Muslim 4/2078]
Allaahum-maghfir lee maa qaddamtu, wa maa akhkhartu, wa maa asrartu, wa maa a’lantu, wa maa asraftu, wa maa Anta a’lamu bihi minnee. Antal-Muqaddimu, wa Antal-Mu’akhkhiru laa ilaaha illa Anta. (Oh Allah, forgive me what I have sent before me and what I have left behind me, what I have concealed and what I have done openly, what I have done in excess, and what You are better aware of than I. You are the One Who sends forth and You are the One Who delays. There is none worthy of worship but You.
[Muslim 1/534]
In conclusion , while seeking His refuge from all these evils, one feels like when one is walking in the heat of the sun and suddenly we come under the shade of a tree - such coolness! I guess that this is a very inadequate comparison as the relief one gets from communicating with our Lord through Salaah is multiplied many times manifold! Alhamdulillah! So while you sit under the fan or switch on your AC in the summer heat, don’t forget to make arrangements for getting your grave “air-conditioned” by the cool breeze of Jannah. Happy communicating with the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful! May He bestow His Compassion and Mercy on you all and me too! Ameen, ya Rahmaanir Raheem, ya Rabb ul Aalameen!
Last update : 05-07-2006 21:09
|
|
|
(0 vote)
