REMEMBRANCE AND PRAYER THE WAY OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD

Written by MUHAMMAD AL GHAZALI / TRANSLATED BY YUSUF TALAL DELORENZO

Muhammad Al-Ghazali's (d.1996) "Remembrance and Prayer" is an incredibly insightful look

into the Prophet's, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, spiritual worldview.While primarily concerned
with the Prophet's approach to worship, Al- Ghazali's sometimes subtle criticism of modern
decadent cultures underpins the entire work. In a post-traditional world, where secularism and
even atheism have displaced a religio-centric worldview, skepticism, rather than faith, is widely
championed, and empirical reason, rather than scriptural claims of truth, is considered the true
barometer of intellectual sophistication.

In the eyes of many believers, such a state of intellectual affairs has given rise to the sorts of
social anathmeas -hedonism, materialism and political corruption, to name a few - that distract
and dissuade many from the straight path of Islam. It is within this context that an indignant
Al-Ghazali approaches the Prophet's biography to highlight the central role that thikr and salah
played in his life. From the Prophet's seerah we learn that the modern dichotomy between faith
and reason, or intellectualism and obedience to the Qur'an and Sunnah, is in fact a false
dichotomy. Relying on Allah and beseeching His help and guidance is the one and only true
path to success in this world and the next, and the Prophet's example epitomizes the ideal
balance between worldly and akhira concerns a believer must have. Al-Ghazali's subtitle "The
Way
of the Prophet" carries with it a much stronger message than a more common title like
"According to the Prophet" would have carried.
TheWay
suggests singularity of purpose and uniformity of intention.

Remembrance and Prayer was the way of the Prophet, and thus should be our way, too.
Al-Ghazali selects very specific points from the Prophet's life to convey to us just how the
Prophet dealt with the various trials of life, including times of extreme duress as well as times of
joy. In what light did he view struggle and in what light did he view joy? How did he maintain a
healthy balance between hope and fear in Allah? How did he handle adversity and how did he
handle success? The Prophet introduced (and reintroduced for some) to the Arabs a way of
life centered on Allah, and we are evermore in need of the same message as we encounter the
st century. In an
unchartered territories of the 21
increasingly materialistic world teetering on the edge of godlessness, "Remembrance and
Prayer" is a breath of much needed fresh air.

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