How to Taste the Sweetness of Prayer

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

All praise and thanks be to God, and may peace and blessings be upon the most noble of
Prophets and Messengers.

A while ago, a show aired in Arabic called “‫ ”كيف تتلذذ بالصلةا؟‬which means “How can you taste
the sweetness of prayer?” by a young Kuwaiti da’iya named Mishary Al-Kharaz. For many of us,
our khushoo’ in our prayer fluctuates. What is khushoo’? It is a state of mind that contains
serenity, tranquility, dignity and humility during prayer, which springs from one’s heart standing
in front of Allah in humility and submission. Sometimes in prayer we have so much devotion and
can feel every word; yet at other times it’s all about the ritual movements and nothing more.
Insha’Allah (God willing), I will try to summarize the main points of this show every week.

The Story of the Ansari and the Muhajir

In the sunan of Abu Dawud, it is narrated with a hasan (good) chain that in one of the battles, the
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬appointed two guards, one from the Muhajiroon and one from the Ansar. At one
point, the Ansari got up to pray while the man from the Muhajiroon reclined in order to have a
nap. A man from the mushrikeen (disbelievers) who was close by saw this, and fired a small
arrow at the Ansari who was praying. It hit him, but the Ansari, with some difficulty, removed
the arrow and continued praying as the blood seeped from him. The mushrik, upon seeing this,
fired another arrow. The Ansari was able to remove it also and continued praying. However, the
Ansari could not stand the pain of the third arrow and fell into rukoo’ (bowing) and sujood
(prostration), and this is when the man of the Muhajiroon woke up, seeing his friend seeping
with blood. Upon seeing this, the mushrik fled. “SubhanAllah! (Glory be to Allah!) Why didn’t
you alert me when he first hit you?!” the Muhajir exclaimed. The reply of the Ansari was, “I was
reciting a surah (chapter of the Qur’an) that I love, and I did not like to cut it off.” Allahu Akbar
(Allah is great!) Imagine this person’s state in the salah (prayer).

The Sweetness of Prayer

The prayer is one of the most beautiful acts of worship. When one does his tasleem1 to end the
prayer, there is a certain sense of serenity. Ibn Al-Jawzi said about the prayer:

‫إنا في روضة طعامنا فيها الخشوع و شرابنا فيها الدموع‬

“We are in a garden, where our food is khushoo’ (devotion), and our drink is the tears that flow.”

For a person who has true devotion in his salah, his soul is not even with him; as Ibn Taymiyya
said, his soul is actually circling the Throne of Allah.
One could say that those were the people of old. No one feels this way anymore. But this isn’t
true; one only has to realize the importance of prayer, and unlock the secrets of khushoo’ to taste
this unique sweetness. Then the prayer becomes your refuge; the remover of your distress;
something that you look forward to; and something that you wish would never end.

Let us begin to unlock these secrets and truly connect to our Lord when we pray.

Step One

The first step is that we have to change our understanding of khushoo’. Having khushoo’ doesn’t
just mean that you are concentrating and you are not distracted. Having a present heart is only
the first level of khushoo’. It is as though you have just entered through the door, and now you
have the whole house to explore. There are depths and depths to khushoo’.

Some may say that having a present heart is hard enough. Before coming to the prayer, we need
to put it into perspective. Say we spend ten minutes in each prayer. That equals fifty minutes a
day, so not even one hour. The rest of the twenty-three hours are for our dunya (this world). Can
we give these fifty minutes solely for Allah, or do we have to turn them into dunya as well?

Think of this before you start your prayer, so that your nafs (self) doesn’t tell you that it is too
hard to concentrate—because you can do it. Remember that the sweetness of being in front of
Allah far supersedes the sweetness of whatever dunya distracts you.

Greater Depth

There is a greater depth, and that is understanding. Truly understanding what you are reciting,
and contemplating it. On the show, Mishary Al-Kharaz stated: “Let me introduce you to one of
your biggest competitors in the salah.” Do you know who he introduced?

One of the pillars in the masjid. Yes, the actual physical pillar. Any pillar, whether you are at
home, work, or the masjid, is your competition. Why?

Because if you stand in prayer, it stands longer. When you are in your sujood, it is in sujood
longer. You do your tasbeeh, it does its tasbeeh for longer. How? Allah says in the Qur’an:

‫حوإبمن بممن حشميءء إبلل يهحسببهح ببححممبدبه حولحبكمن حل تحمفقحههوحن تحمسببيححههمم‬

“…And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise, but you do not understand
their [way of ] exalting,” (Qur’an, 17:44).

And:

‫س حوٱملقححمهر حوٱلنبهجوهم حوٱملبجحباهل حوٱللشحجهر حوٱللدحوآَ ب‬

‫ب حوحكبثيررر بمحن ٱللنا ب‬
ِ ‫س‬ ‫ت حوحمن بفىِ ٱملحمر ب‬
‫ض حوٱللشمم ه‬ ‫أحلحمم تححر أحلن ٱللح يحمسهجهد لحهۥُه حمن بفىِ ٱللسوحموحو ب‬
‫ق حعلحميبه ٱملحعحذا ه‬
‫ب‬ ‫حوحكبثيرر حح ل‬
 “Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth
and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the
people? But upon many the punishment has been justified.” (Qur’an, 22:18).

“But I read the Qur’an!” we say. You are not the only one that reads Qur’an.

Yet, if you ask the pillar, or the parrot, what they understood, they would not be able to respond.
So we need to ask ourselves—are we any better? What does it mean when we say “sami’a
Allahu liman hamida“? What about the tahiyyat?2 Not the generic meaning, but the specific
meaning. Insha’Allah throughout this series we will understand these meanings so that we can
attain this level of khushoo’.

One last thing…

Do not say, “But I can’t!” How can Allah ask you to have khushoo’ in salah and then make it
impossible for you? Even if Arabic isn’t your first language—did Allah not know that Islam
would spread far and wide? A’udhubillah (I seek refuge in Allah) from any such thought.

So remember that you can. Strive, and you will achieve it insha’Allah (Allah willing).
Remember that Allah is Generous, more Generous than we can even imagine. If you take one
step towards Him, He is the One that comes to you at speed. Allah says:

‫حوٱللبذيحن وحجهحهدوا بفيحنا لحنحمهبديحنلههمم هسبهلححنا حوإبلن ٱللح لححمحع ٱملهممحبسبنيحن‬

“And those who strive for Us— We will surely guide them to Our ways.” (Qur’an, 29:69).

So bismillah (in the name of Allah), and insha’Allah let us pray that by the end of it, we all have
much more khushoo’ than we used to.

1. “Tasleem” is saying assalamu alaykum wa rahtmatullah (may peace and mercy be upon
you) signifying the end of the prayer.

2. “Tahiyyat” are the salutations which we say after the two prostrations in the second and
last rak`ah.

The Tawba of Abu Nuwas

Abu Nuwas was a person who loved to drink and say obscene things, such that he would even
make up verses of poetry and sing about inappropriate things. However, he underwent a change
and repented to God. People were surprised—Abu Nuwas, who was a known drunkard? Abu
Nuwas the lewd man? In a sense, it was almost as though they believed Allah would not forgive
him and that Allah would not have mercy on him. So he wrote verses of poetry, and they found
these verses under the bed that he died upon. The lines in the poem said:
O my Lord, if the greatness of my sins increase, then I know that Your forgiveness is greater
If only the righteous called on You, then who would the criminal go to?
I call on You my Lord, as you commanded, with reverence
And if You turn my hands away, then who else will have mercy?

What do you feel?

Last week we talked about having a present heart and understanding what we are saying. This
week, we will go deeper insha’Allah (God willing). A lot of people when they pray, they have no
feelings, no emotions. Yet if this person were to meet their friend, they would probably feel
emotions of joy, and when they depart they would feel a sense of sadness, and if they stay away
then they start missing him. This array of emotions comes to a person when they meet a friend;
yet when it comes to prayers, and we are meeting Allah, we don’t feel anything. This is why it
does not have an effect on our actions when we have finished praying. So what should we be
feeling?

The third depth: Rajaa

What is this third depth? Coming to Allah while you desire and hope for His Mercy. And your
opinion is that He will insha’Allah accept you and bring you closer to Him. This is the feeling of
rajaa. A person who feels this rajaa is higher with Allah, because this has to do with the heart.
What is the use of concentrating and understanding when everything is mechanical? The
sweetness of the prayer when you come to Him with rajaa is greater.

How can you feel this?

You feel it if you know Allah. The more you know Allah, the more rajaa you have of Allah.
Allah has more mercy towards you than your own mother. All you have to do is think well of
Allah, and He is as you think of Him. If you think of Him as Merciful and Forgiving, then He
will be that to you. It is as simple as that—because Allah has said it of Himself. The Prophet
(saw) said, “Allah has said, ‘I am as My servant’s opinion of Me, so let Him think of Me as he
pleases.’”

If we contemplate over these meanings before our prayer, then something in us must move and
affect the way we think of our prayers. Ibn Al-Qayyim has said, “Allah does not have any
grievance against you that it will heal if He punishes you.”

Meaning that Allah has no grievance towards you and He does not want to punish you. How,
when He has said that His mercy supersedes His blame, that He has written mercy on Himself?
Allah has said:

‫ب حرببهكمم حعلحوىِ نحمفبسبه اللرمححمةح‬

‫حكتح ح‬

“Your Lord has decreed upon Himself mercy” (Qur’an, 6:54).

Subhan’Allah (Glory be to Allah)—for many of us years have passed and we’ve prayed every
prayer, but never did we come to Allah with these emotions, even though He loves for us to ask
for His Mercy. Allah says in the Qur’an:

‫ت حأن تحبميهلوا حمميمل حعبظيمما‬ ‫اه يهبريهد حأن يحهتو ح‬

‫ب حعلحميهكمم حويهبريهد اللبذيحن يحتلببهعوحن اللشهححوا ب‬ ‫حو ل‬
‫ضبعيفام‬ ‫م‬
‫ق ا بلنحساهن ح‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ه‬
‫ف حعنكمم حوخلب ح‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ح‬ ‫ل‬
‫يهبريهد اه أن يهحخف ح‬

“Allah wants to accept your repentance, but those who follow [their] passions want you to
digress [into] a great deviation. And Allah wants to lighten for you [your difficulties]; and
mankind was created weak.” (Qur’an, 4:27-28).

Try this in your next prayer

Believe with certainty that Allah wants to forgive you, pardon you and have Mercy on you.
Believe and have so much hope in Him that He will enter you into Paradise, and not just that, but
that you will be the neighbor of the Prophet (sal Allahu `alayhi wa sallam – peace be upon him).
These things aren’t made-up, pie-in-the-sky hopes. It is Allah who has said:

‫حوحقاحل حرببهكهم امدهعوبني أحمستحبج م‬

‫ب لحهكمم‬

“And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you” (Qur’an, 40:60).

The Prophet (saw) said, “Call on Allah with certainty that He will respond.” If you do that, He
will give you MORE than you wanted. But remember that it has to be rajaa and not ‘amany.’
What is the difference?

Rajaa is all of the above feelings that we mentioned, but accompanied with work and striving.
‘Amany’ is those feelings, but without striving on your behalf—hoping for Allah’s Mercy, but
deliberately doing things that you know He despises. Allah says in the Qur’an:

‫صالبمحا ثهلم امهتححدوى‬ ‫حوإببني لححغلفارر لبحمن حتا ح‬

‫ب حوآَحمحن حوحعبمحل ح‬

“But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness
and then continues in guidance” (Qur’an, 20:82).

And with this He will give you more than you need and deserve.

Mercy

Subhan’Allah how this lioness took care of this baby antelope. Who put this mercy in her heart,
even though it is against her very nature? It was reported that after the pack of lions ate the baby
antelope, the lioness in later times adopted five other baby antelopes.

Allah has divided His mercy into 99 parts, and given one part of His mercy to the earth. This one
part is so strong that it has transformed the animosity of a lioness towards something that should
be her prey, to love. So what would His Mercy, the other 99 parts, be like on the Day of
Judgment? If Allah has said that His Mercy encompasses all things, how would it not encompass
you? It has encompassed those whose actions are worse than yours, like the man who killed 99
people and then killed one more person making them 100, and Allah has forgiven him. How
could He not forgive you and have mercy on you?

So how can you be the recipient of Allah’s Mercy? Ask for it in your prayer.

The Prayer of `Ali

When the time for prayer came, Ali (radi Allahu `anhu – may Allah be pleased with him) would
begin to shake and the color of his face would change. When he was asked, “What’s wrong?” he
would reply, “The time has entered for a trust that was offered to the heavens and the earth and
the mountains and they declined to bear it (Qur’an, 33:72), and I undertook it.”

Their prayer differed from ours, because their feelings towards the prayer differed. We want to
increase these feelings in our heart to truly taste the sweetness that is in prayer.

So we progressed from having a present heart, to understanding, to rajaa (which was defined in
the previous post). And now we would like to balance that rajaa with something else.

Before starting, I’ll remind you that we still did not unlock the key of tasting the sweetness of
prayer. We’ll uncover it soon… but not today.

Hayba

Hayba is a kind of fear that we should have towards Allah. Unfortunately when translated into
English, words like ‘hayba,’ ‘khashya,’ ‘khawf,’ and so on are lost in translation and simply
translated as ‘fear,’ when there are actually subtle but important differences between them.

Ibn Al-Qayyim shows us the discreet but important differences:

‘Khawf’ is to flee from the thing that you fear, and requires no knowledge of that which is
feared. You can be afraid, or have ‘khawf’ from the dark.

‘Khashya’ on the other hand, is fear with knowledge. The more a servant has knowledge of his
Lord, the more ‘khawf’ turns to ‘khashya’. As Allah says in the Qur’an:

“Only those fear Allah,

from among His servants, who have knowledge” (Qur’an, 35:28).
But ‘hayba’ is fear associated with respect, awe and glorification. You could, for example, fear
fire. But the reason for your fear is that the fire may harm you, but fire has no ‘hayba’; you do
not glorify it. However, one’s father could have a certain ‘hayba’; you could be afraid if you do
something wrong, but that fear is out of your respect.

First rajaa’, now hayba?

Aren’t these two conflicting emotions? How can we combine them? It isn’t difficult because we
do this everyday when we deal with the people around us. A student who submits a bad paper to
his kind teacher, will fear failing because he knows that his paper is bad, but at the same time
will have hope, rajaa’, that the teacher will pass him because his teacher is compassionate.

It is not so different when you deal with Allah. When you recognize your sin and are before
Allah, you have fear but at the same time you hope for the generosity of the Al-Kareem, the Most
Generous. This is most apparent in “sayyid al-istighfar” (the master supplication for
forgiveness), the du`a’ (supplication) we are recommended to say every morning and every
evening, which the Prophet (sal Allahu `alayhi wa sallam – peace be upon him) described as
being the best way to ask for forgiveness:

“O Allah, You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship but You. You created me and I am
your servant. I keep Your covenant and my pledge to You so far as I am able. I seek refuge in
You from the evil of what I have done. I recognize Your blessings upon me, and I admit to my
misdeeds. Forgive me, for there is none who may forgive sins but You.”*

Notice that in this du`a’ you are combining rajaa and fear; you admit to your misdeeds, but you
also ask Allah to forgive them.

Gems on this kind of fear

Everything that you fear, you flee from, except Allah. Your fear from Allah causes you to flee to
him. Allah says in the Qur’an,
 “So flee to Allah” (Qur’an, 51:50).

The Prophet (saw) in his du`a’ said:

‫ل ملجأ ول منجأ منك ال اليك‬

“There is no refuge and no asylum from You except with You.”

The Prophet (saw) also said:

ِ‫ وأعوذ بك منك ل هأحصي ثناء عليك أنت كما أثنيت على‬،‫ وأعوذ بمعافاتك من عقوبتك‬،‫اللهم إني أعوذ برضاك من سخطك‬
‫نفسك‬

“O Allah, I seek refuge in You for Your pleasure and against Your wrath and in Your forgiveness
and against Your punishment and in You from You. I am not able to praise You as You can praise
Yourself.” (Muslim)

You recognize Allah’s wrath but also you seek refuge in His forgiveness, and know that the only
refuge from Him is by fleeing to Him. Ibn Al-Qayyim said about this du`a’ in particular that no
one knows the degree of tawheed and knowledge and servitude in these words except those who
have deep knowledge. He said that if one were to explore all the meanings of this du`a’, a huge
book would be written, and to enter into this realm of knowledge you would see that which no
eye has witnessed, no ear has heard, and that which has never been imagined by any human.

Knowledge of Allah and Knowledge of Yourself

This hayba is the highest level of fear, as it is coupled with awe and love and knowledge. This
fear increases when the servant increases his knowledge of Allah and increases his knowledge of
himself. When you increase your knowledge of Allah, and recognize His power and majesty, you
increase in fear. On the night of the Prophet’s (saw) ascension, the Prophet (saw) described
Jibreel, who has 600 wings and is the Angel chosen to give the Prophet (saw) revelation, as being
afraid.

Then when we remember our own sins, in relation to Allah’s power and majesty, we increase in
fear. We realize our shortcomings and our heedlessness, and the fact that we are being given a
chance is because of Allah’s forbearance.

Most fears are unnerving, except the fear of Allah, this hayba, because Allah is the One who will
guide you to the best of places: Paradise insha’Allah (God willing).

Let us try to couple this feeling of hayba of Allah, with the emotion of rajaa in our prayer.

—
*Reference: Whoever recites this with conviction in the evening and dies during that night shall
enter Paradise, and whoever recites it with conviction in the morning and dies during that day
shall enter Paradise, Al-Bukhari 7/150. Other reports are in An-Nasa’i and At-Tirmithi.

Beauty
The Highest Emotion

Today we will go deeper; now that we have a present heart, have understood our words, and
having added two emotions, we are going to add one more. With this emotion, our prayer will
feel shorter, yet when we look at how much time we actually spent, we will think, “Did I just
spend 10 minutes?” or even 15 and 20 minutes (insha’Allah). One person who began applying
this said that he wished the prayer would never end.

A feeling that Ibn Al-Qayyim describes as “what the competitors compete for… it is nourishment
for the soul and the delight of the eyes,” and he also said, “If this feeling leaves the heart, it is as
though it is a body with no soul.”

Do you know what this emotion is?

Love (‫)الحب‬

Some people’s relationship with Allah is limited to following orders and leaving prohibitions, so
that one does not enter hell. Of course, we must follow orders and leave prohibitions, but it needs
to be done out of more than fear and hope—it should also be done out of love for Allah. Allah
says in the Qur’an:

“… Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him”
(Qur’an, 5:54).

We often find that when a lover meets the beloved, hearts are stirred and there is warmth in that
meeting. Yet when we meet Allah, there is not even an ounce of this same feeling. Allah says in
the Qur’an:
 “And [yet] among the people are are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They
love them as they [should] love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah”
(Qur’an, 2:165).

And those who believe are stronger in love for Allah. There should be a feeling of longing, and
when we raise our hands to start the prayer, warmth and love should fill our hearts because we
are now meeting with Allah. A du`a’ of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬:

‫اللهم إني أسألك الشوق الىِ لقائك‬

“O Allah, I ask You for the longing to meet You” (Nisa’i, Hakim).

Ibn Al-Qayyim says in his book Tareeq Al-Hijratain that Allah loves His Messengers and His
believing servants, and they love Him and nothing is more beloved to them than Him. The love
of one’s parents has a certain type of sweetness, as does the love of one’s children—but the love
of Allah far supersedes any of that. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

“Any person who combines these three qualities will experience the sweetness of faith…”

The first thing he ‫ ﷺ‬mentioned was:

“…that God and His messenger are more beloved to him than anything else…” (Bukhari)

Ibn Al-Qayyim says, “Since ‘there is nothing like unto Him’ (42:11), there is nothing like
experiencing love for Him.”

If you feel this love for Him, it will be a feeling so intense, so sweet, that you would wish the
prayer would never ever end.

I want to feel this love, but how?

Do you truly want to feel this love? Then ask yourself—why do you or should you love Allah?
Because know that you love people for one (or all, in varying degrees) of three reasons:

1. For their beauty;

2. Because of their exalted character;

3. Because they have done good to you.

And know that Allah combines all of these three to the utmost degree.

1. Beauty

We’ve all been touched by beauty. It is almost fitra (natural disposition) to love what is beautiful.
Ali ibn Abi Talib (radi Allahu `anhu – may Allah be pleased with him) said about the Prophet
‫ ﷺ‬that it was “as if the sun is shining from his face.” Jaabir (ra) said: “The Messenger of Allah
‫ ﷺ‬was more handsome, beautiful, and radiant than the full moon” (Tirmdhi). Allah made all his
Prophets have a certain beauty so that people would have a natural inclination towards them.

And beauty is more than what is in the face, because beauty is in all of creation and somehow
has the ability to take our breath away and give us peace simultaneously. The glimmer of the
crescent moon on a calm night, the intensity of a waterfall as the water drops for thousands of
feet, the sunset by the sea… Something about certain scenes of natural unspoiled beauty stirs
something in us. If we’re living in the city and it’s been a while, take a look:

And Allah is the One who made it beautiful. So what of Allah’s beauty? Ibn Al-Qayyim said,
“And it is enough to realize Allah’s Beauty when we know that every internal and external
beauty in this life and the next are created by Him, so what of the beauty of their Creator?”

This fitra for loving what is beautiful is because Allah is beautiful. One of His Names is Al-
Jameel (the Most Beautiful). Ibn Al-Qayyim states that the beauty of Allah is something that a
person cannot imagine and only He knows it. There is nothing of it in creation save for glimpses.
Ibn Al-Qayyim says if all of creation were the most beautiful they could be (so let’s imagine,
ever single human being looked as beautiful as Yusuf (as), and the whole world was like
Paradise), and all of them combined from the beginning of time until the Day of Judgment, they
would not even be like a ray in comparison to the sun when compared to Allah. Allah’s beauty is
so intense that we will not even be able to take it in this life. In the Qur’an, Allah describes
Musa’s (as) request:

“And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, “My Lord,
show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.” [Allah] said, “You will not see Me but look at the
mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.” But when his Lord appeared to the
mountain He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious” (Qur’an, 7:143).

Even the mountain could not bear the beauty of Allah and crumbled, and when Musa (as) saw
this (he did not even see Allah), he fell unconscious. This is why on the Day of Judgment it is
Allah’s light that will shine on everything. We talk about breathtaking beauty, but we have yet to
experience Allah’s beauty. While things in this world can be beautiful or majestic, or if they
combine both they are finite, true majesty and beauty are for Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an:
 “And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor” (Qur’an, 55:27).

Keeping all of this in mind, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫إن ا ينصب وجهه لوجه عبده في صلته ما لم يلتفت‬

“Allah directs His Face towards the face of His servant

who is praying, as long as he does not turn away” (Tirmidhi).

Remember this in your prayer, and ask Allah to allow you the joy of seeing Him in Paradise.

Shall we take this love to another level? Next week insha’Allah!

Love
Love

Khushoo’ in prayer increases as our love for Allah increases. Think of meeting with someone;
when you meet with someone you love, what you feel in your heart is different than when you
meet with someone you don’t love.

We have mentioned in previous articles that love increases due to the beauty of the person, the
character of the person, or what they have done for you; and Allah combines all of these to the
maximum degree. We mentioned how Allah is the Most Beautiful, but what about the ‘character’
aspect? What He has done for us? You know a person’s character when you deal with them. So
what can we say of the Most Forbearing (al-Haleem), the Most Merciful (ar-Raheem), the
Generous (al-Kareem), the Loving (al-Wadud)?

Dealings with Allah

Ibn Al-Qayyim says we can recognize the Mercy of Allah in how He speaks to His servants
gently. When talking to those of us who have transgressed, He does not say, “O you sinners!”
Rather Allah says:
“…O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the
mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the
Merciful,” (Qur’an, 39:53).

Look at Allah’s dealings with us. He has given us all of our faculties which we take for granted:
eyes, nose, ears, tongue… Then we use it for what He has forbidden and He does not punish us.
Rather, He is forbearing and gives us chances to return to Him. When we do return to Him and
ask forgiveness, He erases that sin and it is as though we did not even commit it.

Think of the way Allah treats us—how many things have we thought were bad at the time, then
later realized the good in them? We spend time complaining, and then say, “Oh wow,
alhamdillah (all praise be to Allah) it was actually great for me.” Imagine someone gives you a
gift which you don’t like and you show them you don’t like it. Then later when it benefits you,
you say, “Oh thank you, your gift saved me!”

Ibn Al Qayyim says, “Allah is shy of His servants, yet His servants do not feel ashamed in front
of Him.” Allah sends us Prophets so that we return to Him, He comes down to the lowest heaven
during the last third of the night asking us to ask Him if we need anything, to repent and He will
forgive us. All of this, yet He has no need for us. And we have all the need for Him and are not
ashamed to ignore all that He has given.

Knowing

Ibn Al-Qayyim said that if you know Allah, you will love Him. How could you not love the One
who answers du`a’ (supplications), who rewards more than you give, who forgives, who veils the
faults, and who is more merciful towards you than your mother?

Watch the following video. It is a true story about two men who raised a lion. When it grew too
big, they then had to send it back to the wild. They missed it and decided to go back and look for
it. Look what happens (the music is a little distracting so you can mute if you want):

They were told that the lion would be too wild, but subhan’Allah (glory be to Allah) look at how
the lion greeted them.

This should make us think of our relationship with Allah. He takes care of us everyday, and gives
us all of our sustenance, and when we make a mistake, if we repent, He forgives. Allah says in
the Qur’an:

“Is the reward for good [anything] but good?” (Qur’an, 55:60)

An animal that is by its nature wild and ferocious knew to appreciate those to whom it attributed
goodness. What about us? This is the way we should feel in our salah (prayer)!
If you were to visit a King, you would have to make an appointment, and if your appointment is
accepted, if he decides to let you, only then can you appeal to him; and when you ask him he
may or may not give you what you ask for. And if he gives it to you, you feel so grateful and
small.

What of Allah, who only requires us to stand between His Hands by raising our hands “Allahu
Akbar (Allah is great)” in prayer?

More Than Just Movements

Favors

At this point we agree that we must come to the prayer with emotions, and our emotionless
prayers are of the past. This is because our prayer is more than just movements; prayers mean we
are standing in front of Allah, talking to Him. There is one last point that we need to talk about
with regard to why we love Allah—and that is His favors and blessings. This needs no
introduction. Allah says in the Qur’an:

‫صوحها‬ ‫ت ل‬
‫اب حل تهمح ه‬ ‫حوبإن تحهعبدوا نبمعحم ح‬

“[…] and if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them,” (14:34).

Whenever we hear this ayah (verse), it makes us stop and think of everything that we have: from
our faith to our family, health, education; as well as the things we usually take for granted such
as being able to talk, walk, see, hear, and so on. Perhaps another way of really feeling these
blessings is to just think of one blessing that we are really appreciative of, recognize how it has
benefitted us, and then imagine life without it. Living without that one blessing is hard enough—
imagine all that Allah has blessed us with.

Here we are just going to talk about two of these blessings: eman (faith) and amn (safety).

Eman ‫إيمان‬

We are lucky, because we know who our Lord is, and that our Lord is One. Many people search
for God in other creations; be they animals, people, material pleasure, or narcissism. Yet when
we pray, we know we are going to Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an:

‫اه حل إب ولحهح إبلل أححنا حفامعبهمدبني حوأحقببم ال ل‬

ِ‫صحلةاح لببذمكبري‬ ‫إبنلبني أححنا ل‬

“Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My
remembrance” (20:14).

Amn ‫أمن‬
We are going to talk about two kinds of safety: internal and external. As for some of the forms of
internal safety, one is our immune system. While we do our day-to-day tasks, little do we notice
what is happening internally. Our white blood cells get trained to attack the harmful diseases that
attempt to enter our body. Look here:

The big blob is the white blood cell and the round circles are red blood cells, and that ant-shaped
thing is the bacteria. Without us putting any conscious effort into it, our white blood cells work
daily to protect us.

What about external safety? Has anyone woken up in the morning knowing that, for example,
someone wants to kill them? Or waiting for someone to rob them in the night? Imagine the
people living in Gaza or Iraq, where they do not know if they will live until the next day, or in
Mexico where drug violence could easily claim the life of a child going to school. And then we
should think of ourselves, and how we have so much that we take for granted.

Haya ‫حياء‬

We now want to move on to a different emotion—haya, or for the lack of a better translation,
shyness. When we come to the prayer, we should embody this feeling. Some may ask why
should I be shy of God? The answer is because Allah is forbearing with us. There is no one more
patient with us, despite all that we do, than Allah. He has given us our faculties, yet we commit
sins with them; He then veils us so that people do not know about our sins, and does not punish
us on the spot. All of this, and then He accepts our repentance; and not just that, but He is shy of
returning a human being’s supplication with nothing, when he raises his hands asking Allah for
something, as the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said (Ahmad). So how can we not be shy when standing before
Allah in prayer?

We ask Allah to help us perfect our prayers.

Impediments Toward Tranquility

Distractions!

The previous articles have been heart softeners – emphasizing a little more about Allah and our
relationship with Him so that we can come to the prayer (salah) knowing Whom it is we are
facing. We must remind ourselves of everything we learned before we come to the prayer, so that
our lethargy ceases to be as it was before and so the prayer takes on new meaning.

Yet, for most of us something plagues us. Yes, we love Allah and fear Him, we have hope in His
mercy, but we just can’t seem to concentrate. Random thoughts pop into our mind: we remember
where we put the key we lost, we start daydreaming about saving the world or what to have for
dinner. All of this happens as soon as we raise our hands saying “Allahu Akbar (God is Great)”
to commence our prayer. And these thoughts come to an end when we end our prayer. Why?
Perhaps one thing that could encourage us to drown out these distractions is knowing that we
only get rewarded for when our hearts are present. Is our prayer invalid when we get distracted?
No, it is not invalid. But in terms of rewards for your prayer, it does make a difference. The
Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said:

‫ب لحهه بممنحها إبلل هعمشهرحها تهمسهعحها ثههمنهحها هسبههعحها هسهدهسحها هخهمهسحها هربههعحها ثهلهثهحها نب م‬
‫صفهحها‬ ‫إبلن املحعمبحد لحيه ح‬
‫صبلي ال ل‬
‫صحلةاح حما يهمكتح ه‬

“A servant may pray and only be credited for one tenth of the prayer, or one ninth, or one eighth,
or one seventh, or one sixth, or one fifth, or one fourth, or one third, or half” (Abu Dawud,
Ahmad).

This is because:

‫ليس للمرء من صلته إل ماعقل منها‬

“A man is rewarded only for that part of his prayer of which he is conscious” (Abu Dawud).

We shouldn’t let this make us feel down and think “Well, I might as well not even pray” or “I’ll
never be able to do it.” Imagine a person walking through the blazing desert and one of his
sandals tears, so he is only walking with one sandal. And then he says, “Well, one foot is already
burning, I might as well burn the other!” and he removes the other sandal voluntarily, instead of
trying to mend the torn sandal. We’d say this person is silly, even stupid; yet we would be like
this person if we choose to give up on our prayer.

A secret key

Finally it is time to reveal a secret key. It is not a difficult one, but can drastically change the way
we pray. Before we reveal it, let’s ask a question: what time of year do we generally have most
khushoo’ (devotion)? The answer is easy: Ramadan. And when during Ramadan? It’s probably
during qiyaam prayer (night prayer). And when do we find people’s eyes overflowing with tears?
It’s mostly during the du`a’ of salat al-witr (witr prayer) when everyone prays behind the imam.
Guess what? This is when everyone applies the secret key.

How? At that point, we feel as though we are talking to someone and we are waiting for a
response. This brings our heart and mind to the prayer, and this is when we taste the sweetness
of prayer.

The secret key? Three simple statements:

1. Talk to your Lord

2. Address your Lord

3. Converse with your Lord

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said:

‫إذا كان أحدكم في الصلةا فإنه يناجي ربه‬

“When performing the prayer, one is conversing intimately with one’s Lord” (Bukhari, Muslim).

It is reported that the scholar Ibn Uthaymeen said that when one enters the prayer, he should feel
as though he has entered into the realm of His Lord and is having a conversation with Him.

The problem is that we don’t feel that our prayer is a connection to God; it becomes as though it
is a monologue. Rather, when we say “Alhamdulilahi Rabb Al-`Alameen” we should truly feel
that we are telling Allah that all praise and thanks are unto Him. In the sujood (prostration), say
things like “don’t leave me oh Allah, I have no one but You, I remain at Your door,” to really feel
that you are telling Allah what is in your heart. We should not just repeat the words we are
required to say, but rather say them with feeling to Allah – in this way, all of our prayers will be
like that witr prayer with the imam in Ramadan.

When we are in prostration, many of us say what we have to and maybe even add a small du`a’
which we have memorized. But one of the righteous predecessors knew the value of this
position, and he would make du`a’ and say “O Allah, this servant of yours [meaning himself], in
heaven or in hell?” Look at the intimacy- he knew that he was at that point the closest to Allah
and he felt that he was talking to Allah in his prostration.

Not just an article

It is very easy to read these articles and just nod, perhaps learning a thing or two and think, “I
already know this.” Let’s get past the point of simply knowing – let’s start living what we learn.
Let’s all help each other to succeed with the following steps:

1. Find a partner you are comfortable with. Before every prayer, remind each other that you
are now going to talk to Allah. Remind each other of Allah’s attributes or things you are
grateful for, or the fact that you need forgiveness.

2. As soon as you step on your prayer mat, raise your hands to say “Allahu Akbar,” do so
with conviction. Imagine that you are leaving this world, and that your soul is being taken
to Allah and that you will now begin your intimate conversation. Nothing else in this
realm matters.

May Allah make our prayers like that of the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, the companions (radi Allahu `anhum –
may Allah be pleased with them) and the righteous. Ameen.

In a State of Prayer Before Prayer

When we say salah most of us believe it begins when we stand and say “Allahu Akbar” (God is
great). But it begins before that. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:
‫ل زال أحدكم في صلةا ما انتظر الصلةا‬

A person is considered in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer (Bukhari, Muslim).

For men, this refers to one who has prepared for and is waiting for the prayer to start in the
mosque. For women who are not at the mosque, this refers to performing wudhu and dressing in
the appropriate attire, if necessary, and waiting for the time for prayer to set in.

A Treasure of a Secret

An oft-neglected aspect of prayer is the athan (call to prayer). Have we ever tasted the sweetness
of the athan? Whoever tasted the sweetness of the athan will increase in devotion in the prayer.
One could ask what is the relation between the athan and khushoo’ (devotion)?

Satan hates the prayer. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said, “When the athan is pronounced, Satan takes to his
heels and passes wind with noise during his flight in order not to hear the athan. When the athan
is completed he comes back and again takes to his heels when the `iqama is pronounced and
after its completion he returns again, whispering into the heart of the person (to divert his
attention from his prayer) and making him remember things which he does not recall to his mind
before the prayer and that causes him to forget how much he has prayed” (Bukhari).

From the time the athan starts, Satan tries to distract you, so that you do not benefit even from
the great blessings of it. So what is so special about the athan?

Athan: An Opportunity

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫المؤذن يغفر له بمد صوته ويصدقه من سمعه من رطب ويابس وله مثل أجر من صلىِ معه‬

The mu’athin (person calling to prayer or making the athan) is forgiven for as far as his voice
reaches and whoever hears him will confirm what he says. He will get a reward similar to those
who pray with him (An-Nisa’i, Ahmad).

So if fifty people pray, the mu’athin gets the reward of fifty prayers. If it is 100, he gets the
reward of 100 prayers. Now we ask, what does that have to do with me? I’m not a mu’athin. Yet
you too can get the same reward of a mu’athin. Abdullah bin Amr (radi Allahu `anhu – may
Allah be pleased be with him) related that a man asked the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, “Do the mu’athins get
more virtues than us?” and the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬responded:

‫قل كما يقولون فإذا انتهيت فسل تعطه‬

“Say what they say and when they finish, ask and it shall be given” (narrated by Abu Dawud).

When the athan starts with “Allahu Akbar,” it is reminding you that Allah is greater than what
you are doing, be it the television series you are watching, the article you are reading or the
conversation you are having. And why do you rise up when you hear the athan? Because of “La
ilaha ila Allah” – your belief in One God. If you find what you are doing seems to be more
important, then in reality it is almost as if that is what you deem to be more important than
praying to God.

There is No Power or Strength Except Through God

We know that when we hear the athan, we repeat what the mu’athin says, except for when he
says “haya `ala as-salah” (make haste to the prayer) and “haya `ala al-falah” (make haste to true
success). Here we say, “la hawla wala quwatta ila billah” (there is no power or strength except
through God).

Why do we say that? Because we know that we will not be able to have true devotion, nor
perform the prayer perfectly, except with the help of Allah.

A Calling

Remember that the athan is a calling; it is a most beautiful calling because it alerts you to
meeting your most Beloved. When we are about to meet someone we love, the feelings of
excitement and longing come before the meeting. They begin when someone tells us, “They
begin when that special someone tells us “I’ll meet you in ten minutes” or “I’ll see you in a few.”
This implies that the person that is telling you that he or she will meet you is a special someone,
which brings upon feelings of happiness.

Aisha (ra) narrated that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫من أحب لقاء ا أحب ا لقاءه‬

“Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him” (Bukhari).

The athan is telling you that now is the time to meet Allah. So those who truly love Allah, will
jump at the chance to meet Him, and not wait until the time for that prayer is almost over. Look
at Musa (`alayhi assalam – may Allah be pleased him):

‫ب لبتحمر ح‬
ِ‫ضوى‬ ‫ك حر ب‬ ‫ك ويحهموحسوىِ حقاحل ههمم هأوحلبء حعلح و ىىِ أحثحبرى حوحعبجمل ه‬
‫ت إبلحمي ح‬ ‫حوحمآَ أحمعحجلح ح‬
‫ك حعن قحموبم ح‬

“[Allah] said, “And what made you hasten from your people, O Moses?” He said, “They are
close upon my tracks, and I hastened to You, my Lord, that You be pleased.” (Qur’an, 20:83-84).

Look at how Musa (as) said he rushed to Allah – that is the action of one who truly loves and has
awe.

Enjoy the athan, and you will, insha’Allah, enjoy the prayer. We ask Allah to help us perfect our
prayers.
Sweetness of Faith
A Question

Imagine you were a criminal, and for the many crimes you committed, a great king told you he
would imprison you for 50 years. And he told you that after those 50 years, he would ask you
one question; if you answer correctly, you would be set free. If not, the punishment would be the
death penalty. When you are put in jail, what would you be thinking about for those 50 years?
Would you be thinking of anything other than what the question could be?

And now imagine further, that there had been someone else imprisoned with you who said, “I
know exactly what the king will ask.” How would you feel? You would beg him for it. And once
you know, you would sit and prepare for the answer as best as you possibly can.

In reality, we are all that imprisoned person. On the Day of Judgment, there is one question that
will be asked of us, and if we answer correctly, insha’Allah (God willing) all will be well. And if
not, the consequences are dire. And this article contains that question that we are all dying to
know. It isn’t from me, but from the beloved Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬:

.‫ فسد سائر عمله‬،‫ وإن فسدت‬.‫ صلح سائر عمله‬،‫ فإن صلحت‬.‫أول ما يحاسب به العبد يوم القيامة هي الصلةا‬

The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the
prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his
deeds will be bad (narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, Bayhaqi, Nisa’i).
We can be in one of five categories of people who face this question. Who would we like to be?

Praying in the mosque and khushoo’

The first category is the man who prays in the mosque with khushoo’ (devotion), or the woman
who prays as soon as the call to prayer ends, also with khushoo’. This is the highest level and if
you are already here, then try to stay firm. Allah says:

‫ت بممكحرهموحن‬ ‫و‬ ‫الذين هم علىِ صلتهم يحافظون هأولئب ح‬

‫ك بفىِ حجلنا ء‬

“And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer: They will be in gardens, honored” (Qur’an,
70:34-35).
Allah also says about those with khushoo’:

‫أولئك هم الوارثون الذين يرثون الفردوس هم فيها خالدون‬

“Those are the inheritors who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will abide therein eternally” (Qur’an,
23:10-11).

Firdaws is the highest level of paradise.

Praying in the mosque minus khushoo’

These people receive the reward of praying in the mosque. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫صلةا الجماعة أفضل من صلةا الفرد بسبع وعشرين درجة‬

“Offering the prayer in congregation carries 27 times greater reward than offering it alone
individually” (Sahih, agreed on).

However, lacking khushoo’ is not a minor issue. Umar (radi Allahu `anhu – may Allah be
pleased with him) once stood on the pulpit in the mosque and said:

“A person may grow old in Islam but Allah has not rewarded him for one prayer”

He was asked, “And how could that be?”

Umar (ra) responded, “Because he or she lacked khushoo’.”

Look at this example of one who prayed with full devotion. Al-Qasim bin Muhammad (ra)
visited Aisha (ra) one morning. He saw her praying and reading the ayah (verse):

‫فمن ا علينا ووقانا عذاب السموم‬

“So Allah conferred favor upon us and protected us from the punishment of the Scorching Fire”
(Qur’an, 52:27)

When she read this ayah, she would weep, and then repeat the verse. She did this so many times
that Al-Qasim (ra) got bored and went to the market to get something that he needed. When he
returned, he saw her standing in the same place, still reading that same verse and weeping.

Muslim bin Yasar is another example of someone who was rarely distracted in his prayers. One
day, a part of the mosque had collapsed, and everyone rushed to it in a frenzy, because they knew
he was there. They found him standing in the same place, not distracted in the least.

Praying at home
What is the difference between praying at home and praying in the mosque? First, we need to
know the virtue of praying in the mosque. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫ فإنه من وافق تأمينه تأمين الملئكة غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه‬،‫إذا أمن المام فأمنوا‬

“When the imam says ‘ameen‘ [in the prayer], you should say ‘ameen.‘ If this corresponds to
when the angels say it, that person will have all of his previous sins forgiven” (Bukhari).

Sa’eed Al-Musayib said: “In 40 years, the mu’athin did not make the call to prayer except I was
in the mosque.”

Here, one can see the great dedication. Ubaydallah bin Umar Al-Qawariri said:

“I would never miss the ‘Isha prayer in the mosque. One day, a guest came to visit me, so I spent
time with him until I realized that I had missed the ‘Isha prayer in the mosque. So I wandered in
the streets of Basra searching for a mosque that had not prayed yet, but I found that everyone had
prayed. I returned home, thinking of the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬saying that the prayer in congregation
supersedes an individual prayer by 27 degrees. So I prayed at home 27 times. That night I had a
dream that I was on a horse, racing with a group of people, but I could not keep up with them.
One of them said to me, ‘You will never beat us.’ When I asked why, he said “Because we
prayed together, and you did not.’ And I woke up in sadness.”

Those who pray outside the prescribed times

If we knew we had a flight to catch at 4pm, would we arrive at 5pm? No, because too much is at
stake – we paid for the ticket, people are expecting us or we need a holiday. Yet the prayer is
even more important, so how can we miss fajr (dawn prayer) and pray it at 10am? Or pray dhuhr
(noon prayer) and `asr (afternoon prayer) together? Or wait until the call to ‘isha (night prayer)
has sounded before praying maghrib (sunset prayer)?

‫من حافظ عليها كانت له نومرا وبرهامنا ونجاةا يوم القيامة ومن لم يحافظ عليها لم تكن له نومرا ول برهامنا ول نجاةا وكان يوم‬
‫ي بن خلف‬‫القيامة مع قارون وفرعون وهامان وهأب ل‬

“Whoever keeps on performing prayers (in its due time), it will be a light, a proof and
redemption for him on the Day of Judgment. Otherwise, he will be assembled with Pharaoh,
Qarun, Haman and ‘Ubai Ibn Khalaf” (narrated by Ahmad).

The one who does not pray

How long does prayer take? Five minutes? Maybe 10 minutes if you pray with khushoo’. And
yet we make it as if fifty minutes in total in a day for Allah is too much. Listen to this hadith:

‫بين الرجل وبين الكفر ترك الصلةا‬

“The only thing between a person and disbelief is leaving the prayer” (Bukhari).
Ask yourself, which category are you in? May Allah make us of the first one.

Wuḍū’
We all know that proper wuḍū’ (ablution) is a prerequisite to the prayer. Thus, many of us see
wuḍū’ just as a means. One thinks, “I cannot pray unless I have proper ablution,” so one
performs it with that intention. But there is so much more to wuḍū’ than that – because of this, it
is sad when we think that we have been praying for 10 or 20 or 30 years of our lives, without
being invigorated with our wuḍū’. Wuḍū’ has its secrets, but in order to taste these secrets, we
must change.

Intention

Abdullah bin Mubarak said, “How many deeds that are considered small are elevated because of
the intention [behind it]? And how many deeds that are considered great are made lowly because
of the intention [behind it]?”

The first thing we can change in our wuḍū’ is how much we get rewarded for it. Some may say,
“But I perform all of the sunnahs of wuḍū’. I do not waste water and I say the remembrances
before and after.” This is good, but if we have noticed, this is all external. What remains is the
internal – the heart. Ibn Al Qayyim said that a person may do something small but he is more
beloved to Allah (subhana wa ta`ala – Glory be unto Him) than a person who does a lot, simply
because the former person’s heart is present. To illustrate, Ibn Al Qayyim told the story of a
man, who saw Satan at the door of the mosque unable to enter. When he looked inside, he saw a
man sleeping and a man standing in prayer. So he said to Satan, “Is it the man who is praying
who is preventing you from entering?” Satan replied “No, but it is that man on the floor.” Why?
It was the state of his heart.

Ask yourself: when you perform wuḍū’, what is your intention? Most of us would say the
intention is to prepare for prayer. But we need to arouse our hearts and add another intention –
that we are doing so for the sake of Allah. It is akin to giving charity; if you drop some change in
a homeless man’s hat on your way home from work, you might not think much of it. But if you
are doing so with the specific intention of feeding the hungry for the sake of God, a different
feeling arises in your heart and indeed you become inspired to do it. You begin to feel a
closeness to God, whether you give 50 cents or $50.

Add another intention, which is that of following of the sunnah of the best of creation, the
Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. This will make us want to perfect our wuḍū’ and think of the way the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬did
wuḍū’ as we are performing it. I remember during the days when I was really inspired by the
Prophet’s example, and I would take a small jar and fill it with water for wuḍū’. It actually made
me more inspired but also made me realize how little water I needed!

There is a final dimension that we can add in order to move our hearts and make our wudhu
more beloved to Allah – the intention of removing some of our sins. The ablution is purifying as
it removes the minor sins. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

“A person who performs wuḍū’ properly will have his sins removed from his body, so much that
the sins are removed even from underneath his nails.” (Muslim)

Problem of Wiswaas (Whisper)

Some people, in their quest to perfect their wuḍū’ and prayer, are faced with a difficult problem:
wiswaas, which is translated as insinuations or whisperings to the self, and here it takes the
meaning of paranoia. For example, a person will constantly perform the wuḍū’ more than once,
and want to pray more than once because of the paranoia that he or she has.

If you are of the people that suffer from this, then there is a cure insha’Allah. Many people have
tried and they have said, that by the grace of Allah, they have been cured. Scholars have said that
the people who are extreme in their paranoia should assume the best about their deeds. So if one
thinks, have I performed wudhu or not? Assume you have. If you start thinking have I prayed
four or three rak’as [for dhuhr]? Assume four. This may cause discomfort to some so let’s answer
some questions one many have about this. Firstly, why do we repeat the wuḍū’ for the prayer?
We fear that we have not done it properly and so Allah will not accept it from us. Since you are
doing it for the sake of Allah, know this: Allah does not want you to repeat. How do we know
that? The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

“If one of you finds a disturbance in his abdomen and is not certain if he has released any gas or
not, he should not leave the mosque unless he hears its sound or smells its scent.” (Muslim)

Thus one must be 100% certain.

Some dua’s after wuḍū’

There are some du`a’ that we should say after wuḍū’:

“Ash-hadu an la la ilaha ila Allah (swt) wa ana Muhammad ‘abduhu wa Rasulu.”

“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and messenger.”

“The eight doors of paradise are opened for him and he may enter from whichever door he
wants.” (Muslim)

Also:
“Subhanak Allah (swt) uma wa bihamdik ash-hadu an la la ilaha ila ant astaghfiruka wa atoobu
ilayk.”

Glorified are You O’ Allah and I am in your praise, I testify that there is no god except You, I ask
Your forgiveness and repent unto You.”

“It would be written on vellum (the best paper) then sealed; thereafter, it would not be broken
until the Day of Resurrection.” (Sahih Al-Jami)

May Allah make us perform the wuḍū’ with a present heart. Ameen.

Dimensions of Wuḍū’
Internal Purification

Wuḍū’ gives us the necessary external purification so that we can pray. Now that we have
purified the external, we need to think about purifying the internal – and wuḍū’ also helps us to
do just that. Ibn Al Qayyim said:

‫اذا لقي العبد ربه يوم القيامة قبل الطهر التام فإنه ل يؤذن له بالدخول عليه كما أنه ل يؤذن له ان يدخل علىِ ريه للصلةا ال‬
‫بطهارةا‬

“If the servant is to meet his Lord on the Day of Judgment without complete purification (i.e.
from sins), then he will not be allowed to enter [jannah] – Similarly, one is not allowed to meet
his Lord in prayer except in a state of purity.”

Let us ponder a little bit over one of the du’a that is said after the wuḍū’:

‫اللهم اجعلني من التوابين واجعلني من المتطهرين‬

“O Allah make me of those who repent often [to You] and of those who purify themselves.”
(Tirmidhi)

So, before a person beautifies himself to meet Allah, one needs to cleanse oneself from his or her
sins. Think of it this way: if you were to put on a new shirt, would you wash it first then perfume
it, or would you perfume it then wash it? You would wash it first.
Uthman (radi allahu anhu – may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said:

‫من توضأ فأحسن الوضوء خرجت خطاياه من جسده حتىِ تخرج من تحت أظفاره‬

“A person who performs wuḍū’ properly will have his sins removed from his body, so much that
the sins are removed even from underneath his nails.” (Muslim)

And in the narration by Abu Hurayra, it is said the sins leave “with the last drop of water”
(Muslim).
SubhanAllah (Glory be to God) how wudhu removes sins, preparing one for his or her meeting
with Allah. It was related by Uthman bin Affan (ra):

‫إن العبد إذا دعا بوضوء فغسل وجهه حط ا عنه كل خطيئة أصابها بوجهه فإذا غسل ذراعيه كان كذلك وإن مسح برأسه‬
‫كان كذلك وإذا طهر قدميه كان كذلك‬

“When a servant [of Allah] washes his face (in the course of wuḍū’), every sin which he
committed with his face will be removed; when he washes his arms, the same thing happens;
when he wipes his head, the same thing happens and when he cleanses his feet the same thing
happens” (Ahmad).

So imagine the sins we committed with our eyes will be removed, and with our ears removed
and so on. The next time we perform wuḍū’, we should think of it as though we are actually
seeing the sins as they fall off. And always think well of Allah that He will forgive (for a
refresher, go back to the article on Rajah).

Abu Hurayra also narrated that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said: “Shall I not guide you to that by which
Allah wipes away the sins and raises the ranks?” They responded, “Certainly O Messenger of
Allah.” He replied:

‫إسباغ الوضوء علىِ المكاره وكثرةا الخطا إلىِ المساجد وانتظار الصلةا بعد الصلةا فذلكم الرباط فذلكم الرباط فذلكم الرباط‬

“Performing the ablution thoroughly despite odds, traversing of more paces toward the mosque,
and waiting for the next prayer after observing a prayer, and that is mindfulness” (Muslim).

Do whatever you want?

A person can say, “Well, great I’ll do what I want and commit so many sins and then do wuḍū’. I
have a free pass!” But this isn’t correct. We should not make a mockery of Allah’s mercy with
pre-meditated disobedience. Allah says:

‫اه حخميهر املحمابكبريحن‬

‫اه ِ حو ل‬
‫حوحمحكهروا حوحمحكحر ل‬

“And they [i.e. the disbelievers] planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners”
(Qur’an, 3:54).

What will Allah (subhana wa ta’ala – Glory be to Him) do? He could deny us the benefits of
wuḍū’ as a result of making a mockery of His mercy.

The Marking of Wudhu

We all know the hadith when the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬passed by the graveyard and said:

“Peace be upon you, dwelling of Believing People, and we will (all), if Allah wills, join you
soon. I would have liked to have seen our brothers!”
The companions (ra) were surprised at this and said, “Are we not your brothers, O Messenger of
Allah?”
He said, “You are my Companions and our brothers are those who have not yet come.”
They said: How will you know those who have not yet come from your ummah, O Messenger of
Allah?” He said, “Have you not seen that if a man had a horse with a white blaze and hoof along
with a totally jet-black horse, then would he not know his horse?”
They said, “Certainly, O Messenger of Allah.”
He said, “So they will come with white blazes and marks from the wuḍū’ and I will be present
before them at the Hawḍ (the pool)” (Muslim).

That is one of the ways by which the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬will know us on the Day of Judgment. Allahu
akbar – God is great.

Raising Your Station with Wudhu

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬woke up one morning and went to Bilal (ra), saying to him, “O Bilal, how is it
that I heard the sound of your footsteps in Jannah?”
Bilal (ra) answered, “O Messenger of Allah, I never committed a sin except that I prayed two
rak’as [in repentance]; and every time my wuḍū’ breaks, I go renew my wuḍū’.”
The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬answered, “Yes this is the reason why [I heard your footsteps].” (Ibn
Khuzayma)

Some Things That Nullify Wudhu

Of course the purpose of this series is not solely to feel the spirituality behind wuḍū’ and prayer
without cautioning against invalid wuḍū’. These are some of the things that nullify wuḍū’:

1. Passing urine, feces or gas

2. Deep sleep where you become unaware of your surroundings

3. Losing consciousness

4. Sexual intercourse

(This is not an exhaustive list.)

Siwak

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said:

‫لول أن أشق علىِ أمتي لمرتهم بالسواك مع كل وضوء‬

“Were it not for the fact that I did not want to make things too hard for my ummah, I would have
commanded them to use the siwak for every wuḍū’ [in another narration, before every prayer]”
(Bukhari).
The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬also said:

‫السواك مطهرةا للفم مرضاةا للرب‬

“Siwak cleanses the mouth and earns the Lord’s pleasure” (An-Nisaa’ee).

Look at the Prophet’s (‫ )ﷺ‬scrupulousness and care in his relationship with Allah – that he wanted
to meet his Lord in prayer with a clean and pure mouth. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬loved the siwak so
much that when he was sick in his final days, he was with Aisha (ra) when her brother Abdur-
Rahman (ra) walked in and he had a siwak. She saw the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬looking at it and she knew
he wanted it. So she asked Abdur-Rahman for it, softened it for the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬by chewing it,
and gave it to him. May we all perfect our wuḍū’ for the sake of Allah and in accordance to the
example of his Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬. Ameen.

From One State to Another

Takbeerat Al-Ihram

Takbeerat al-ihram is one of the obligatory and first acts of the prayer; it is the declaration of
Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest) at the beginning of the salah.

Why Allahu Akbar? Why not Alhamdulilah (all praise and thanks is to God), or la ilaha ila Allah
(there is no deity but Allah)? Because Allahu Akbar means that Allah is bigger and greater and
more important than whatever you are thinking of in terms of dunya (worldy) matters. “Allahu
akbar” is in all the important declarations; when we pray, for the adhan, when we throw the
stones during Hajj (rami al-jamarat), during `Eid al-Adha and `Eid al-Fitr. Allah says in the
Qur’an at the end of the verse about Ramadan:

“…to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.”
(Qur’an, 2:185)

When you say Allahu akbar, you are beginning your meeting with your Lord. You are saying,
“God is greater” than your work worries, or the food you are planning on cooking or the outing
you’re going on with your friends. God is greater than anything in your heart except Him. That is
why, between every change of position, you say Allahu akbar – reminding you in case your mind
starts to wander that that Allah is greater than any other matter on your mind . There is only one
part where you do not say “Allahu akbar,” which is when you rise from rukoo’ (the bowing
position in prayer). This will be discussed later insha’Allah.

Raising the hands

When we say the takbeerat al-ihram, we raise our hands. There are three reported ways that the
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬did so:
 1. Raising the hands before saying Allahu Akbar: you raise your hands up, bring them down
in the position for prayer (right hand over the left on your chest), and then say Allahu
Akbar.

2. Raising the hands while saying Allahu Akbar: you raise your hands in conjunction with
saying Allahu Akbar.

3. Raising the hands after saying Allahu Akbar: you say Allahu Akbar, then raise your
hands, then put them down in the position to start reciting.

All these are valid ways of raising the hands. And where should the hands be raised? Either level
with the shoulders or with the ears – both are equally valid.

Mishary Al-Kharaz, the da’iya (caller to Islam), recommended alternating between these ways,
so that our prayer doesn’t become mechanical, and so that we do everything with deliberation.
You are also ensuring that the different sunnahs (examples of the Prophet ‫ )ﷺ‬are not left. The
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫من أحيا سنة من سنتي فعمل بها الناس كان له مثل أجر من عمل بها ل ينقص من أجورهم شيئا‬

“Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah [that is forgotten after my death], he will have a
reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from
their reward.” (Ibn Majah)

What does Allahu Akbar really mean?

Some people start their prayer by lying. Some say Allahu Akbar and they mean it; others lie
because they say Allahu Akbar but in their hearts dunya is greater. They do not feel the essence
of the words that are being uttered.

‘Allah’ is our Lord’s unique name; no one is or can be called Allah, and it means the One who is
worshiped and prostrated to. Others of His majestic names were used to describe people, for
example, in Surat Hud it was said by the people to the Prophet Shuaib (may Allah be pleased
with him):

‫ت ٱملححبليهم ٱللربشيهد‬ ‫ك حح‬

‫لن ح‬ ‫انل ح‬

“Indeed you are al-Haleem al-Rasheed [forbearing, right-directing one].” (Qur’an, 11:87)

But the two names that cannot be used to describe people are “Allah” and “Ar-Rahman” (The
Most Merciful) – they are unique to Him.

“Akbar” is from takbeer, which means to glorify. Allah says:

‫حوحكببمرهه تحمكببيمرا‬
“… proclaim His limitless greatness” (Qur’an, 17:111)

Allah is so great that we cannot fully comprehend all His attributes and greatness, yet we can
understand a little of it by seeing His creation. From the mountains to the sea to the trees to
animals to humans, all of this is proclaiming Allahu Akbar! How can we then not?

Yes, but why do we raise our hands?

You raise your hands in submission to Allah, throwing the dunya behind you. If you want to
surrender to someone, you put your hands up saying, “I give up,” submitting to that person.
Here, we are submitting willingly and with love, hope and awe, before our Creator.

Spiritual significance

When you raise your hands beginning with Allahu Akbar, your sins slowly start to rise to your
head and shoulders. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫إن العبد إذا قام يصلي هأتي بذنوبه كلها فوضعت علىِ رأسه وعاتقيه فكلما ركع أو سجد تساقطت عنه‬

“When a slave stands and prays, all his sins are brought and placed on his head and shoulders.
Every time he bows or prostrates, some of them fall from him.” (Bayhaqi, Saheeh al-Jami’)

Amazing! What else happens when we begin the prayer? Allah faces you. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫اه هممقببل حعحلىِ املحعمببد حما لحمم يحملتحفب م‬

‫ت‬ ‫ل يححزاهل ل‬

“Allah faces the servant during prayer as long as he does not turn away.” (Abu Dawud)

So many things happen with the simple step of initiating the prayer with the takbeer. A specific
shaytan whose sole job is to distract you from prayer comes. You cease to talk, you cease to
fidget. Even your sight – you do not look up towards the sky. You are now in a sacred space, in
intimate conversation with Allah. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫مفتاح الصلةا الطهور وتحريمها التكبير وتحليلها التسليم‬

“The key to prayer is purification, its opening is to say Allahu akbar and its closing is to say
assalamu `alaykum.” (Abu Dawud)

You

Another thing comes with saying Allahu akbar. You should start to think about yourself, and
your place in this world, your size. Please take the time to watch this one minute video:

Did you see how tiny the earth is compared to the sun? And how tiny the sun is compared to
other stars? Imagine the Red Supergiant were to come before you right now. What awe we would
have for it. And now remember: Allahu Akbar, Allah is greater.
May we all take heed of these words when we pray, and truly start to feel the meaning of them.
Ameen.

Humility: the Beginning of Prayer

Lower your head

We have now begun the prayer, and thus we should lower our heads in reverence of Allah
subhana wa ta’ala (glory be unto Him). When the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would pray, he would lower his
head and keep his gaze on the ground towards the place where his head would fall in sujood, in
humility to Allah (swt). Ibn Al-Qayyim said that a sign of a lover when he meets the beloved is
he looks down, out of shyness and reverence- and this is exactly how we should be. The Prophet
‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫فإذا صليتم فل تلتفتوا فإن ا ينصب وجهه لوجه عبده في صلته ما لم يلتفت‬

“When you pray, do not turn here and there because Allah (swt) directs His face to the face of
His servant, as long as he does not turn away.” (Tirmidhi)

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬also said:

‫ل يزال ا مقبل علىِ عبده ما لم يلتفت‬

“Allah (swt) does not cease to turn to a servant in prayer as long as he does not turn away.” (Abu
Dawud)

And what if we turn away? The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫فإذا صرف وجهه صرف عنه‬

“… If he turns away, Allah (swt) turns away from him.” (Abu Dawud)

And remember, to ‘turn away’ has two meanings: 1) turning away in your heart, which means
getting distracted and thinking of other things, and 2) turning away with your sight, so looking
up or left and right.

If you think of meeting a king or someone of high status, you wouldn’t dart your eyes left or
right, nor would you look directly into his eyes. Allah (swt) said about the humility of the
Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, when Allah (swt) raised him to the heavens during the Isra’ wal Mi’raj (the Night
Journey and Ascension):

“The sight [of the Prophet] did not swerve, nor did it transgress [its limit].” (Qur’an, 53:17)
Ibn Al-Qayyim said that this action is the height of adab (good manners). Amr bin Al-Aas radi
Allahu anhu (may Allah be pleased with him), before he became Muslim, said that he really
disliked the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. After he became Muslim, he said that his eyes never got enough of
seeing the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬but if he was told to describe him, he would not be able to as he never
looked at his face directly – this was his adab in front of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.

Humility

Do not think that when you humble yourself before God, you are bringing yourself down. The
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫من تواضع رفعه ا‬

“Whoever humbles himself to God, Allah will raise him.” (Muslim)

As for raising your eyes in the prayer, that is forbidden according to the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. Some people
ask, do I keep my eyes open or should I close them? Closing the eyes is not from the sunnah, but
Ibn Al-Qayyim says that if you absolutely cannot have khushoo‘ with your eyes open, then it is
okay to close them.

Position of the hands

Once we have said the takbeerat al-ihram (the starting of prayer with Allahu Akbar) and lowered
our gaze in humility to Allah (swt), we place our right hand over our left hand, or grasp our left
wrist with our right hand. There is some legitimate difference on where to place the hands; either
below the navel, as taught by the Hanafi school of thought, or above the navel as taught by the
Shafi`i school of thought. It is also fine, as some hold, to place the hands on the chest, or even to
drop them to the side, as is held by some scholars of the Maliki school of thought.

What is the reason for placing our right hands over the left? Imam Ahmad was asked the very
same question, and replied “In humility to Allah. If you were to enter a palace, and saw people
with their heads raised and hands on their waists, and then saw others, with their heads lowered
and their hands clasped together on their chest, and you were asked ‘Who are the kings and who
are the servants?’ you would immediately be able to point them out.”

Du`a’ al-Istiftah – the Opening Du`a’

This is the opening du`a’ that is said when greeting our Lord. Whenever you meet someone,
especially one you revere, you ensure that you greet them appropriately. In Arabic, there are
different ways of addressing different people. . For instance, when saying good morning to
someone whom you love, you say, “Sabah al-khayr!” (good morning) or “Sabah al-ward!”
(fragrant morning). In the prayer, the opening du`a’ is a sunnah (optional) act, but since we are
here trying to make the most of our prayer, let us encompass all of its aspects and pray as the
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬prayed.
If someone whom you loved asked you to do something and you didn’t do it, and then they
called you, you most likely wouldn’t answer out of embarrassment for not fulfilling the request..
This should always be our state with Allah (swt); how many commandments have we forsaken?
How many prohibitions have we failed to avoid? So when we commence prayer, we sometimes
have this discomfort. This is why the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬taught us some beautiful words, in one of the
opening du`a’:

‫اللهم باعد بيني وبين خطايايِ كما باعدت بين المشرق والمغرب اللهم نقني من خطايايِ كما ينقىِ الثوب البيض من الدنس اللهم‬
‫اغسلني من خطايايِ بالثلج والماء والب‬

Allahumma baa’id bayni wa bayna khataayaaya kama baa’adta bayna al-mashriqi wa’l-
maghrib. Allahumma naqqini min khataayaaya kama yunaqqa al-thawb al-abyad min al-danas.
Allaahumma ighsilni min khataayaaya bi’l-thalji wa’l-maa’i wa’l-barad.

“O Allah, put a great distance between me and my sins, as great as the distance You have made
between the East and the West. O Allah, cleanse me of sin as a white garment is cleansed from
filth. O Allah, wash away my sins with snow and water and hail.” (Bukhari)

In the first part, we are asking Allah (swt) to keep us far from the sins we have not committed
yet. In the second part, we are asking Allah (swt) to cleanse us of those sins we did commit.
And the third is greater, because we are asking Allah (swt) to purify us. The choice of the words
“snow and water and hail” signifies being washed of our sins. The snow and the hail have a
cooling effect, like the forgiveness from Allah of our sins.

There is another du`a’ of istiftah that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬used to say:

‫سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك وتبارك اسمك وتعالىِ جدك ول إله غيرك‬

Subhanaka Allahuma wabi hamdik, wata-baraka ismuk, wa ta’ala jad-duka wala ilaha ghyruk.

“Glory be to you, O Allah, and all praises are due unto You, and blessed is Your name and high is
Your majesty and none is worthy of worship but you.” (Sahih Jami`)

When you say “subhanaka Allahuma wa bihamdik” you are saying that Allah is above
everything and free from imperfections and all praise is to Him; “tabarak ismuk” signifies that
whenever Allah’s name is mentioned with something, it blesses that thing and increases it; “wa
ta’ala jadduk” is exalting Allah’s majesty; and “la ilaha ghayruk” is a natural result of
everything that we mentioned before – how can there be another deity worthy of worship when
we have just mentioned all of these attributes?

From how beautiful this du`a’ is, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said that it is one of the most beloved words to
Allah (Sahih al-Albani). Some scholars have said that the first du`a’ is said in the fardh
(obligatory) prayers, and the second in the nafl (voluntary) prayers.

Starting with these du`a’ clears the mind, humbles us and thus removes the barrier before we
start reciting the Qur’an, insha’Allah.
Seeking Refuge in Allah
Do you know that shaytan (satan) becomes extremely envious when a person is standing in
prayer before his Lord? And thus he does everything he can to get the worshiper out of that
elevated state- by distracting him or her to think about other things. And all too often,
unfortunately, we accept the invitation. The likeness of shaytan is to that of a fly – every time
one pushes him away, he comes back.

Shaytan

We have been taught to seek refuge with Allah from the accursed devil before we begin to recite
the Qur’an in salat. The devil’s impact is substantial – when we come to pray we remember
things that previously escaped our memory and we think of solutions to our biggest problems. By
the time we say “salaam” at the end, we do not remember what we have said in the prayer or
even how many rak`ahs we prayed. If this description fits us, Ibn Al-Qayyim says that this
person leaves the prayer the same way he entered it – with all of his sins and burdens unexpiated.
If this is how it is in this life, can we imagine how it will be in the next? In the Qur’an, Allah
(subhana wa ta’ala – glory be unto Him) tells us of the scenario on the Day of Judgment:

“And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded, “Indeed, Allah had promised you the
promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except
that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves.” (14:22)

Imagine- being duped and distracted and then having that sealed with remorse on the Day of
Judgment. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said:

‫ سدسها‬، ‫ سبعها‬، ‫ ثمنها‬، ‫ تسعها‬، ‫إن الرجل لينصرف وما كتب له إل عشر صلته‬
‫ نصفها‬، ‫ ثلثها‬، ‫ ربعها‬، ‫خمسها‬

“A person may pray and have nothing recorded for it except a tenth of it, or a ninth, or an eighth,
or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or half.” (Abu Dawud)
So the shaytan wants to decrease our reward by stealing what he can from our prayers. It is as
though we have already been given up all of our rewards but we must guard them- every time we
become heedless the shaytan steals some of it. And for some of us, he keeps on stealing until we
are left with nothing.

The Solution

Sheikh Al-Shinqiti tells us that Allah (swt) has shown us how to guard ourselves from the
human demons and from the demons of the jinn. Allah (swt) says:

“And who is better in

speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, ‘Indeed, I am of the
Muslims.’ And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is
better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he
was a devoted friend.” (Qur’an, 41:33-34)

Thus to protect ourselves from the human demons, we should do the above – repel evil with
good. This will not only protect us but it might make that enemy a warm friend. This is not easy,
which is why Allah (swt) says straight afterward:

“But none is granted it

except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good]”
(Qur’an, 41:35).

But what about the demons from the jinn? We cannot use the same method above. So what do we
do? Seek refuge in Allah (swt), as Allah (swt) tells in the verse directly following the one
mentioned above:

“And if there comes to

you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the
Knowing.” (Qur’an, 41:36)

It is related that an old man asked a young lad what he would do if he saw shaytan.
“I would hit him,” the young man said.

“And if he came back?”

“I would hit him again,” he replied.

And the old man asked the same question, and the young man gave the same response.

Shaking his head, the old man said, “If you were walking on a road and a ferocious dog came to
you, how often would you hit him to make sure he doesn’t come back? Rather the smarter way is
to ask the master of the dog to remove it from your path.”

And this is why we seek refuge in Allah when we begin the prayer. Ibn Al Qayyim said that it is
narrated that when we commence the prayer, Allah orders for the barrier between us to be lifted
and we are directly facing our Lord, yet if we turn away (i.e. get distracted) the barrier is brought
back down. And it is in these moments of heedlessness that the shaytan tries to make one thought
lead to another but when the barrier is removed, shaytan does not dare to distract us.

Thus, let us seek refuge in Allah from the shaytan, truly think over the meaning of that
supplication, and guard ourselves from shaytan throughout the prayer.

In the Name of God

We have now arrived at a beautiful place, where we recite the most beautiful name – the basmala
(beginning one’s prayer by saying bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem – in the name of Allah, the
most Merciful the Most Compassionate). Reciting this majestic Name should invoke within us a
sense of peace and safety in all places and at all times – does the heart find rest except with His
remembrance? His Name is the most incredible thing to be in the heart of a Muslim, as His
Name is not mentioned on anything small except that it increases it and not on anything great
except that it blesses it. His Name is magnificent, as it removed the harms of all places and in all
times. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

Whoever dismounts to rest in a place should say: “I seek refuge with the complete words of
Allah from the evil of what He created,” and nothing will harm him until he remounts.”
(Muwatta)

If you say this, Allah (subhana wa ta`ala – glory be unto Him) will protect you wherever you
are, insha’Allah (God willing). As for removing the harm at all times, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said that
whoever says:

‫ضبر حمحع اسبمبه حشيرء في المر ب‬

“‫ض حول في السسمابء حوهحو السسميهع الحعليم‬ ‫”ببسبم اب الذيِ ل يح ه‬
‫م‬ ‫م‬
‫من قالها ثلثا إذا أصبح وثلثا إذا أمسىِ لم يضره شيء‬
 “In the name of Allah with whose name there can be no harm in the earth or in the heavens and
He is the Hearer the Knower” whoever says it three times in the morning and three times in the
evening, nothing will harm him.” (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad)

Ibn Al-Qayyim asks that if this is the greatness of the name, then what of the named? A person
who truly loves someone, loves to mention the name of the beloved. In the famous story of Qays
and Layla, the former was called “Majnoon Layla,” because he went mad out of his love for her.
Qays’s father decided to take him to Hajj so that he could be cured of his love-sickness. As they
performed the rituals, it seemed that Qays was becoming better. But during one of the last days,
when they were in Mina, a man who had lost one of his female relatives started calling out
“Layla! Layla!”. Every time that man called out for his lost one, Qays’s heart would bleed just
from listening to that name, and his love-sickness returned with more intensity. Would that we
would all have that kind of love for the Creator!

In this verse of the Qur’an, Allah (swt) says:

“O you who have believed, when you encounter a company [from the enemy forces], stand firm
and remember Allah much that you may be successful.” (Qur’an, 8:45)

In his commentary, Ibn Taymiyyah stated that the believers love to remember Allah (swt), their
beloved, even in this state. Antara, a pre-Islamic warrior and poet, wrote a poem on how he
remembered Abla, the woman he loved, as the arrows hit him. Just like those people remember
their loved ones in battle, Allah (swt) has told us to remember Him in battle.

Ibn Al-Qayyim stated that the delight of the one who loves is being in isolation with his or her
beloved. He stated that Ibn Taymiyya would leave the city to the desert and enjoy that isolation
with Allah (swt). Just like those past poets would feel peace when remembering their beloved,
we should feel an even greater sense of tranquility when remembering Allah (swt). Do we have
anyone but Allah (swt)? Who else answers the du’a (supplication) but Him? Who else is more
merciful towards us?

Thus, when you see “Bismillah Ar-Rahmah Ar-Raheem,” it is signifies the beginning of the
conversation you are about to have with Allah (swt). When you start reciting the beginning
chapter of the Quran, surat Al-Fatiha, Allah (swt) responds to you. Ibn Jareer said that he was
amazed at people who recited the Qur’an without understanding; how could they taste its
sweetness? Al-Fatiha is the only surah that we know of where Allah (swt) responds to us. What
secrets does it hold?

Al-Fatiha
The first verse that we recite after the basmala is:

“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” (Qur’an, 1:1)

Al-Hamd is both praising and thanking Allah, and Hamd is based on both love (mahabbah) and
honor (ta’dheem). It is a very deep phrase, and insha’Allah will be looked into with detail in the
coming articles. This phrase is so great that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫الحمدل تمل الميزان‬

“Alhamdulillah fills the scales.” (Muslim)

We have to say alhamdulillah for all the blessings we have, knowing that the fact that we are
saying alhamdulillah is also a blessing – because there are many others who ignore the gifts of
Allah (swt).

‫رب العالمين‬

This verse means the “Lord of the worlds.” The Lord is the One who has authority, the Sustainer
and the Owner of everyone and everything. “The worlds” refers to all of creation, including
humans, jinn, angels, animals and others, each of which may be referred to as a ‘world.’ One
says ‘the world of angels,’ ‘the animal world,’ ‘the human world’ or the ‘world of the jinn.’ This
extends to everything big and small; even the bacteria and the cells are their own worlds. Most of
the time we do not even realize the greatness of Allah’s creation making us ignorant of Allah’s
Power over all His creation.

To demonstrate the intricacy of one world, take the inside of a white blood cell for example. One
drop of blood can contain anywhere from 7,000 to 25,000 white blood cells at a time.

The only thing remaining to be said is:

[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds. (1:2)

Insha’Allah next week, we will continue with exploring the meanings of Surat Al-Fatiha.

Reflecting on Creation
Surat al-Fatiha is the surah (chapter) we recite in every rak`ah (unit) of every prayer – over 17
times a day. Thus it is crucial to know the detailed meanings of every verse so that we can
connect with what we recite.

Today we will embark on a unique venture to inculcate within us awe of God and, interestingly,
the path of this particular endeavor is trodden by few.

Allah (Glory be unto Him) says:

“Say, ‘Observe what is

in the heavens and earth’…” (Qur’an, 10:101).

Allah has ordered us to observe and to think. The following video takes us on a breathtaking
journey:

It is unfathomable how tiny we are compared to creation at large. Did we ever stop to think about
the distance between us and the heavens? Allah has said:

‫ض بفي بستلبة أحلياءم ثهلم امستححووى حعحلىِ املحعمر ب‬

‫ش‬ ‫ت حواملحمر ح‬ ‫اه اللبذيِ حخلح ح‬
‫ق اللسحماحوا ب‬ ‫إبلن حربلهكهم ل‬

“Indeed, your Lord is Allah , who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established
Himself above the Throne” (Qur’an, 7:54).

Of course, we do not know the true meaning of how Allah (swt) established Himself above the
Throne, as Allah (swt) also says “There is nothing like unto Him” (Qur’an, 42:11). Nevertheless,
this is not the topic of our discussion today. If what we saw in that video is just the samaa ad-
dunya (the lowest heaven), can we imagine that there are seven heavens, and finally above those
seven heavens, is the Kursi (translated as “footstool”) and Throne of Allah (Al-`Arsh)?

Can we imagine the Kursi? The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬told us:

‫ إل كحلقة ملقاةا بأرض فلةا‬، ‫ما السماوات السبع في الكرسي‬

“The seven heavens are no more in comparison to the Kursi than a ring thrown in a desert.” (Ibn
Hajar)

If that is the Kursi, then what of the magnificent Throne?

He then said:

‫ كفضل تلك الفلةا علىِ تلك الحلقة‬، ‫فضل العرش علىِ الكرسي‬
 “And the superiority of the Throne over the Kursi is like that desert compared to that ring.”

Can we even begin to imagine this? How can we then be arrogant? How can we stand before
Allah (swt) and not feel the sheer magnanimity of the situation we face? Sometimes we marvel at
human accomplishments like building the tallest tower, flying on airplanes or cloning, but then
we discover Allah’s natural untouched creation (like the video shown above) and we can only be
in awe. After pondering over this, read this hadith of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬:

‫فإذا صليتم فل تلتفتوا فإن ا ينصب وجهه لوجه عبده في صلته ما لم يلتفت‬

“When you pray, do not turn here and there because Allah (swt) directs His face to the face of
His servant, as long as he does not turn away” (Tirmidhi)

So how can we turn away? Compare what we saw here to what we saw in the last post about the
cell. All of these things work without needing us, and as we go about our day Allah moves them
and ensures they function. We can only say, “Al-hamdu lilahi Rabb al-`alameen” (all praise is
due to Allah, Lord of the worlds).

The Prayer is a conversation

Allah has said in a hadith qudsi (sacred tradition) about Surat al-Fatiha:

“I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant, into two halves, and My servant
shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says, “[All] praise is [due] to Allah , Lord of
the worlds,” Allah says, “My servant has praised Me.”

When the servant says “The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,” Allah says, “My servant
has extolled me.”

When the servant says “Sovereign of the Day of Recompense,” Allah says, “My servant has
glorified me.”

When the servant says “It is You we worship and You we ask for help,” Allah says, “This is
between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked for.”

When the servant says “Guide us to the straight path – the path of those upon whom You have
bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray,” Allah
says, “All these are for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked for.” (Muslim)

What a beautiful conversation to be having with our Lord. Ibn al-Qayyim said the most beautiful
thing is that Allah refers to us as His servants. Remember that when Allah (swt) raised the
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬during the Isra and Mi’raj, He said:
 “Exalted is He who
took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al- Aqsa, whose surroundings
We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” (Qur’an,
17:1)

Servitude to people brings humiliation, but servitude to Allah, coupled with love, is the highest
of honor.

May we all come to the prayer with this feeling of awe of our Creator. Ameen.

The Entirely Merciful, the Especially

Merciful
The Sweetness of Al-Fatiha

As we discussed before, Al-Fatiha is a conversation between us and Allah subhana wa ta’ala

(Glory be unto Him). It is perhaps when reciting this surah (chapter) that we should have the
most khushoo’ (concentration) because we have been told that Allah (swt) responds. What
usually happens though is that Surat al-Fatiha is the surah that we have least khushoo’ in because
we repeat it so frequently, and this should change.

If we look at the order of the words in this surah, we ask ourselves: why did Allah (swt) follow
the first ayah (verse) “[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds” with Ar-Rahman, Ar-
Raheem “The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful”? Ibn Uthaymeen stated that this is
because Allah’s Lordship is based on mercy. When we read that He is the Lord of the worlds, a
natural question comes up- what kind of Lord is He? He answers us in the following ayah:

“The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful” (Qur’an 1:3).

The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

Many people who read Surat al-Fatiha will not know the difference between Ar-Rahman and Ar-
Raheem. It is usually translated as “The Beneficent, the Most Merciful,” but most people who
read that do not know the difference. A better translation would be “The Entirely Merciful, the
Especially Merciful.”
Amr Khaled, a famous lecturer from Egypt, explained the difference in the following way:

Ar-Rahman (The Entirely Merciful) is when Allah bestows His mercy upon all the creatures in
this universe. Allah says:

“Say, “Who can protect you at night or by day from the Most Merciful?” But they are, from the
remembrance of their Lord, turning away” (Qur’an 21:42).

However, Ar-Raheem (The Especially Merciful) is when Allah bestows His special mercy upon
the believers only. For example, eating and drinking is a general mercy, while worshiping Allah
in Ramadan is a special one.

And why did Allah follow Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem with “Sovereign of the Day of Recompense”?
If it had been the other way around, our hearts would fill with dread. We would read that Allah is
the Lord, and then that He will judge us on the Day of Judgment, knowing very well our own
spiritual state. Yet the All-Merciful tells us of His attributes of mercy first, so that we fill with
hope and not dread. The All-Merciful is the Sovereign on that day.

Glimpses of Mercy

Are we still not feeling that mercy? Watch the following video:

Look at how the leopard cuddles the baby baboon- subhanAllah (Glory be unto Allah)! If this
predator can be overcome with mercy towards what could be its prey, then how can we doubt the
mercy of Allah (swt) towards His own creation? Look at what the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said about Allah’s
mercy:

Narrated ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him): “Some Sabi (i.e. war
prisoners, children and women only) were brought before the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and behold, there was
a woman amongst them whom whenever she found a child captive, she took it over her chest and
nursed it (she had lost her child but later she found him) the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said to us, ‘Do you
think that this lady can throw her son in the fire?’ We replied, ‘No, if she has the power not to
throw the baby (in the fire).’ The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬then said, ‘Allah (swt) is more merciful to His
slaves than this lady to her son.'” (Bukhari)

So we have immense hope in Allah’s forgiveness, forbearance, and mercy on the Day of
Judgment. Yet we too have to work and remember that Allah has said:
“But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness
and then continues in guidance” (Qur’an 20:82).

Will we be of the people whom Allah (swt) bestows His mercy on? We hope so, insha’Allah (if
Allah wills), and that is why we must work- to show that we indeed want it.

Do you remember the secret key? Speak to Allah (swt). When you recite Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem,
remember that Allah (swt) responds with “My servant has extolled me.” Let your heart soften
with the knowledge that you are having an intimate conversation with the One who is the Most-
Merciful to you.

Sovereign of the Day of Recompense

The Sovereign

Today we will continue with discussing the meanings of al-Fatiha, the surah (chapter) we must
recite in every prayer. As we mentioned previously, our purpose is to be truly devoted to Allah
subhana wa ta’ala (Glory be unto Him) in our prayer and to have His words move our hearts.
This takes more than just understanding the basic gist of what we are reciting, but it also requires
reflecting on their meanings.

We discussed how Allah (swt) placed the verse Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem (the Entirely Merciful,
the Especially Merciful) just before telling us that He is “Sovereign of the Day of Recompense”-
this is so we know that the One who is the Sovereign of that day is the Most Merciful. Although
the translation I have used interprets “Maalik” as “Sovereign,” in Arabic, the meaning slightly
differs depending on the recitation. The most popular recitation reads:

‫مالك يوم الدين‬

(Maaliki yawm al-deen)

But according to another sound recitation, it is read as:

‫ملك يوم الدين‬

(Maliki yawm al-deen)

These are both valid ways of reciting it, and they are both from Allah’s Names; however, there
are subtle differences between Maalik and Malik. Maalik means a possessor, while Malik means
that you have sovereignty over something and can do with it as you wish. A person can be a
maalik and not a malik, or the other way around; for example, a President is sovereign over a
country and has power to act with the resources of that country, but after 4 or 8 years he does not
have his post anymore. He was malik, but not a maalik because he did not have permanent
possession over those things he had power over. Or conversely, you could have a king or a
queen, whose reign over a country is inherited from generation to generation, but like in the
United Kingdom for example, they have no power to act or to make decisions (the power to act
is with the Prime Minister). So this king can be considered a maalik, but not a malik in the true
sense of the meaning.

Allah (swt) is both Maalik and Malik. He fully controls and has ownership over the Day of
Judgment and what occurs therein.

The Day of Recompense

When we recite,

“Sovereign of the Day of Recompense” (Qur’an 1:4).

We seldom reflect over the power of these words and what they signify. The Day of Recompense
is the Day of Judgment, the day in which we will all return to our Lord to be judged for our time
here on earth. Why does Allah (swt) emphasize this when He has already told us that He is the
Lord of the Worlds, which includes the Day of Judgment? To remind us of our eventual return,
and to show us that all possessions and power that people have in this world will fade away and
nothing will remain except His Power over all things. On that day we will not even be able to
utter a word unless He has given us permission, as Allah (swt) says:

“The Day that the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows, they will not speak except for one
whom the Most Merciful permits, and he will say what is correct” (Qur’an 78:38).

No one will even be able to intercede unless He allows them:

‫شفدهع هعنددهه إهلل بهإ هذذنههه‬

‫دمنَ دذا اللهذيِ يد ذ‬

“Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission?” (Qur’an 2:255).

We must also know that the Day of Judgment is closer than we think. Al-Qurtubi stated that for
every person who dies, his personal Day of Judgment has already begun. No one can avoid this.
If anybody had been able to bypass the process it would have been the beloved Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬. But
even as the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬was dying, he wiped some water over his face and said:

‫ل اله ال ا ان للموت سكرات‬

 “There is nothing worth of worship but Allah; surely death has its agonies” (Bukhari).

The scenario on that day

We all know the destruction that will come on the Day of Judgment. Allah (swt) tells us:

‫دوإهدذا اذلبهدحاهر‬ ‫شدرذت‬ ‫طلدذت دوإهدذا اذلهوهحو ه‬

‫ش هح ه‬ ‫دوإهدذا اذلهع د‬
‫شاهر هع و‬ ‫س هكوودرذت دوإهدذا الننهجوهم اندكدددرذت دوإهدذا اذلهجدباهل ه‬
‫سيودرذت‬ ‫إهدذا ال ل‬
‫شذم ه‬
‫سوجدرذت‬ ‫ه‬

“When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness], and when the stars fall, dispersing, and when the
mountains are removed, and when full-term she-camels are neglected, and when the wild beasts
are gathered, and when the seas are filled with flame…” (Qur’an, 81:1-6).

To bring the point home, we can look at the numerous videos that show the destruction caused by
storms, earthquakes, and volcanoes. This is nothing compared to what will happen on that day.

We will come out of our graves, and those who did not believe will say,

“They will say, ‘O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place?’ [The reply will
be], ‘This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers told the truth'” (Qur’an,
36:52).

On that day the sun will be brought closer, and everybody will be sweating such that the sweat of
some people will reach their chins. The only people safe will be the seven types of people for
whom Allah promised His shade. Everyone else will be in absolute terror, until suddenly

“And your Lord has come and the angels, rank upon rank” (Qur’an, 89:22).

And Allah’s light will fill up the skies,

 “That Day, everyone will follow [the call of] the Caller [with] no deviation therefrom, and [all]
voices will be stilled before the Most Merciful, so you will not hear except a whisper [of
footsteps]” (Qur’an 20:108).

Who is going to be saved on that day?

The answer can be found in Surat al-Fatiha, in the following verse:

“It is You we worship and You we ask for help” (Qur’an 1:5).

The proof?

“We had certainly sent Noah to his people, and he said, “O my people, worship Allah ; you have
no deity other than Him. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a tremendous Day” (Qur’an
7:59).

Thus worshiping Allah, the Sovereign of the Day of Recompense, will save us from the
punishment of that day, insha’Allah. When we recite these words, we should remember how
Allah (swt) is the Maalik and the Malik, that we will return to Him, and that no one can save us
on the day except Him.

May Allah grant us khushoo’ (concentration) in our prayers. Ameen.

You Alone We Worship…

Our Essence – Worshiping Allah

Ibn Taymiyyah stated that Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (Glorified and Exalted is He) revealed 104
heavenly books. All of these books’ meanings are found in the Qur’an and all of the meanings of
the Qur’an can be found in Surat al-Fatiha. Eminently, all of Surat al-Fatiha can be found in the
following verses:

“It is You we worship and You we ask for help” (Qur’an 1:5).
After recounting Allah’s majesty and mercy, and after realizing that we will indeed return to
Him, in this ayah our attention is brought to the essence of what it is we are supposed to do here
on earth – worship Allah and seek His help in doing so.

It is You We Worship – Sincerity

One of the acts of worship of the heart is doing things purely for the sake of Allah. The Prophet
‫ ﷺ‬said,

‫قال ا تبارك وتعالىِ أنا أغنىِ الشركاء عن الشرك من عمل عمل أشرك فيه معي غيريِ تركته وشركه‬

“God Almighty has said ‘If anyone does anything in which he associates anyone else with Me, I
shall abandon him with one whom he associates with Allah.'” (Muslim)

When we say “You alone do we worship,” we essentially declare our ikhlas (sincerity) and
remind ourselves of it. So we must ask ourselves – when we do something good, do we expect
some kind of praise from others? Do we become bothered if we do not receive it? This means
our act was not purely for the sake of God, rather for someone else too. Ibn Al-Qayyim
mentioned that the cure for this is to realize and internalize the fact that no one’s praise can
benefit us, nor can their blame harm us. For example, if people think we are truthful, but to Allah
we are in contrast of that, can the people benefit us? Or if a wealthy person is mentioned and
people say “he is in debt and is not that rich,” does that make us lose any of our wealth?

Moreover, we should know that if people knew that we were doing an outwardly good act to get
praise, they would hold a bad opinion of us. So how can we hide our intentions from people
because we fear what they think, yet we ignore the One who knows what is in our hearts? This is
called riyaa (ostentation).

The worst kind of riyaa is one that is coupled with lies, like a person who wants to be praised for
something he did not even do. Allah says,

“And never think that those who rejoice in what they have perpetrated and like to be praised for
what they did not do – never think them [to be] in safety from the punishment, and for them is a
painful punishment.” (Qur’an, 3:188)

The cure? To always revise our intentions and aim to rectify them; if we do many things in
public, we should do as much -or more things – in private without telling anyone. This is the
essence of this verse, and this is why we recite it everyday,
 “It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” (Qur’an, 1:5)

Hidden Riyaa

Unfortunately, in many societies, we are brought up on riyaa. How so? We are told, “Don’t do
this – what would people say?” Or we are told, “Don’t do that – do you want people to think you
have no manners?” instead of being told that we should not do this or that because Allah is
watching. So our biggest problem is that we have grown up on this. If people are not watching,
we are fine with doing things while they cannot see us. Thus we have more shame in front of
people than in front of Allah.

This hidden riyaa becomes so deeply entrenched within us that some of us have it even when we
are worshiping and shedding tears (of devotion) in seclusion. How so? By becoming proud of
ourselves later and wishing that people had seen us. Or we imagine dying a noble death, such as
in sajda (prostration), but then we further imagine the good things people will say about us,
rather than the joy of meeting Allah in that state.

As such, we should try to wash our hearts with this verse and become aware of our intentions
and of the importance of sincerity.

Those with Soft Hearts

This surah (chapter) and this verse had a profound effect on the people who truly understood the
meanings. Muzahim bin Zafar related that Sufyan Ath-Thawri, the great tabi’i (person from the
generation after the Prophet ‫ )ﷺ‬was leading the Maghrib prayer and when he was reached this
verse from Surat al-Fatiha he started weeping so much that he could not continue to the
following verse. He then repeated the surah again from the beginning.

Muhammad Al-Himsy once saw Ibn Abi Al-Hawari, one of the righteous salaf (early Muslims),
praying the Isha prayer by the Ka’ba. When he reached the verse “iyyaka na`budu wa iyyaka
nasta`een” he could not get past it and wept profusely. So Al-Himsy continued his circling of the
Ka’ba, and when he got to Al-Hawari again, he was still reciting that verse.

Do we think that those people who felt that way are just the people of the past? Then see this:

That year was the first year that Shaykh Sa`ud Al-Shuraim recited for taraweeh prayer during the
whole of Ramadan. Usually, the most crowded days are the 27th night (because many people
believe it to be Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power)) and the 29th night because that is when
they complete the Qur’an. However, that year in particular they completed the Qur’an on the
27th night – so the view of the masses of people was so great that it reminds us of the Day of
Judgment. Perhaps this is why the shaykh was so moved as he recited “Maliki yawmi addeen”
(Sovereign of the Day of Recompense).
It is You We Ask for Help – Humility

The key to letting our prayers touch us deeply is sincerity; and we will not be able to be truly
sincere unless we ask Allah for help. For this reason Allah has followed the verse, “it is You we
worship” with “and You we seek for help.” Allah has said in a hadith qudsi (sacred tradition):

‫كلكم ضال ال من هديته فاستهدوني اهدكم‬

“All of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so ask me for guidance and I will guide
you.” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi)

And this is why Allah follows this verse with,

“Guide us to the straight path.” (Qur’an, 1:6)

Subhan’Allah (Glorified is He) how Allah creates a perfect order for His words!

Ibn Al-Qayyim said that he heard Ibn Taymiyya say that iyyaka na’budu wards of ostentation,
and iyyaka nasta’een wards off arrogance. When we say, “You we ask for help” we acknowledge
that we do not have the power to do it ourselves and that we need to ask Allah’s help for all acts.
We often hear of one who is “too proud to ask”; he feels that he is better or that he can do it on
his own. Conversely we admit our inability and thus we ask Allah – the Self-Sufficient.

May Allah (swt) guide us to worshiping Him with true sincerity and humility.

Guidance Through al-Fatiha

Reminders about al-Fatiha

When we started discussing Surat al-Fatiha, we mentioned how with this surah (chapter) in
particular, we are having a conversation with Allah, and Allah responds with every verse we
recite. This surah affirms Allah’s ruboobiyah (lordship), but it also tells us that this lordship is
based on mercy, which is why we recite “Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem” (the entirely Merciful, the
especially Merciful) right after we praise Allah, the Lord of the worlds. His mercy is mentioned
before we are told that He is the Sovereign of the Day of Judgment, so that we know that His
mercy supersedes His wrath. Finally we talked about the key to being given this mercy, which
is that we sincerely worship Him. In order to worship Him, we need His help, thus we say:

“It is You we worship

and You we ask for help.” (Quran, 1:5)
And thus if we want to be guided, we should ask for guidance.

Guidance

We have now entered into the realm of du`a’:

“Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of
those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.” (Qur’an, 1:6-7)

Ibn Taymiya stated that the du`a’ of Surat Al-Fatiha is the greatest, wisest and most beneficial
du`a’. If Allah guides us to the straight path, He helps us to obey Him.

One may ask – why should I ask for guidance if I am already guided? ‘I pray, I fast, I read
Qur’an – surely I am guided!‘ Firstly, the peak of guidance is to be at the level of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬,
and none of us can claim to have reached that state, or even the level of the companions (ra).
Thus we ask Allah to increase us in guidance. Secondly, being guided is dependent upon our
reliance on Him and our humility before Him, and asking Allah to continue guiding us is
expressing that. How can we claim to be guided by Allah when we do not ask Him? The Prophet
‫ ﷺ‬has told us:

‫من لم يسأل ا يغضب عليه‬

“Whoever does not ask Allah, Allah is angry with him.” (Ibn Majah)

Ibn Al-Qayyim stated that the straight path we are asking to be guided upon consists of
knowledge and actions, both internal and external. Yet a servant may not know all of the details,
in terms of what to follow, what to avoid, and what earns Allah’s pleasure or displeasure. And
what the servant doesn’t know may be more than what he does know. Thus, when we ask for
guidance, we are also asking Allah to increase us in knowledge of these things. Moreover, even
with the knowledge that we do have, we are capable of doing some things, and other things we
are not. For example, we know that we must go for Hajj, but some of us just do not have the
means. So when we ask for guidance, we are asking Allah to help us to be able to do the things
we have knowledge of. Furthermore, even with those things that we have knowledge of and are
able to do, our nafs may not incline us towards them. Perhaps we know the benefits of qiyaam
al-layl (the night prayer), but are too lazy to attempt to wake up for it. When we ask Allah to
guide us, we are asking Him to make our souls incline towards it.
A further point – perhaps we have the knowledge, ability, and desire to perform a good deed, yet
we may not be sincere when we perform the act. Perhaps our intentions are mixed. Asking Allah
for guidance is to ask Him to grant us sincerity too, because sincerity is what keeps us on the
straight path. Asking Allah to guide us on this path means also asking Him to follow the
footsteps of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, and finally having thabaat (firmness) in these actions so that we do
not waver.

As-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem: The Straight Path

Anas bin Malik (ra) narrates that he asked Allah’s Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬if he would intercede on his
behalf on the Day of Judgement. “I will,” the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬replied.

“So, where should I look for you on the Day of Judgement?” enquired Anas (ra).

“When you need me, first of all look for me at Sirat [the bridge],” said the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.

“And if I do not find you there?” asked Anas (ra).

“Look for me, then, at the Mizan [the Scales],” replied the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.

“Where may I seek you,” asked Anas (ra), “if you are not near the Mizan as well?”

“Then look for me at the Hawd [the Pond]. I will not go away from these three places at that
time,” the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬replied. (Tirmidhi)

Thus the first place to ask intercession from the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬will be at the sirat. The sirat itself is a
bridge over hell that one must pass to get to Paradise. It is described as a thin bridge – as thin as
a hair – and is slippery. So how will we pass over it?

People pass over it according to their deeds: the first of them as fast as lighting, then as fast as
wind, then as fast as birds, and then as fast as a running man. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬will be standing on
the path saying “Lord, Save! Save!” as some people’s deeds will fall short. Some of them will
come crawling. At both sides of the path there are hooks designed to take whom Allah wills:
some are saved but bruised; others are thrown into Hell. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Ibn Al Qayyim stated that in this life, Allah has given us a straight path and has invited us all to
it. Thus, whomever is guided to the straight path in this life, will make it over the straight path in
the next life, insha’Allah. Our situation on the sirat, whether we fly over it or crawl, depends on
our sticking to it on this life.

Can we see the importance of the du`a’ that we make in every prayer?

Amen!

When we say “ameen” (‘O Allah please respond’) at the end of the du`a’ of Surat Al-Fatiha, we
should say it with all of our heart, because after knowing all of these meanings, we should have
true devotion and really desire for Allah to respond to this magnificent du`a’. However, if we are
distracted, this du`a’ will not be answered. Why not? The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫ادعوا ا وأنتم موقنون بالجابة فإن ا ل يستجيب من قلب غافل له‬

“Make du`a’ to Allah with certainty that your du`a’ will be responded to, and know that Allah
does not answer a du`a’ that originates from a negligent, inattentive heart.” (Tirmidhi)

Ibn Al-Qayyim said that when a person recites Surat al-Fatiha, he or she should give a short
pause after every verse to anticipate the response of Allah. It was reported on the authority of
Umm Salamah (ra) that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would do that.

May Allah guide us to the straight path and enable us to have a present heart in our prayers.
Ameen.

Allah’s Favors
Those on whom Allah has bestowed His favors

The last article we described the sirat, which is the straight path that we must follow in this life
so that we can cross over the physical one in the next life. In Surat al-Fatiha, we then specify the
path we want to take. We recite:

‫صراط الذين أنعمت عليهم‬

“The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor…” (Qur’an, 1:6)

When we recite this ayah (verse), our heart should soften because we remember those people
whom Allah (subhana wa ta’ala – glory be unto Him) has bestowed His favor- the Prophets
(alayhum salaatu wasalaam – may peace be upon them), the Companions, the righteous and so
on. This verse gives us comfort that those who follow this path are those whom Allah is with –
thus, do not be ashamed of your faith before those who belittle it; do not shrink back when you
are the only person who does not drink or when your hijab is questioned. Many of the surahs in
the Qur’an tell us the stories of the Prophets (as), almost as though to give comfort to our
Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬when he was going through hardship in delivering the message. This
ayah too should do just that for us – we should know that as long as we are on this path, Allah is
with us.

The continuation of this verse tells us:

‫غير المغضوب عليهم ول الضالين‬

“…not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.” (1:6-7)
Who are those who have evoked His anger? Ibn Kathir stated that it is a description of those who
know the truth but do not follow it. And those who are astray are those who do things without
knowledge. We need to be aware of these two paths so that we do not fall into them, and thus to
be on the straight path, we need to combine both knowledge and actions.

Surat al-Fatiha also teaches us the proper order of du`a’ – that we should always start by
praising Allah, and then asking for our need.

Ameen

We talked briefly about “Ameen” in the last article, and how we should say it truly desiring for
Allah to answer the du’a of Al-Fatiha. But something else happens when we say it. Abu Hurayra
(radi Allahu` anhu – May Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫ق تحأمبمينههه تحأمبميحن املحمحلئبحكبة هغفبحر لحهه حما تحقحلدحم بممن حذمنبببه‬

‫ فحإ بنلهه حممن حوافح ح‬،‫إبحذا أحلمحن ا م بلحماهم فحأ حبمهنوا‬

“When the Imam says, ‘ Ameen’, then say, ‘Ameen’, because whoever says, ‘Ameen’ with the
angels, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

We say “Ameen” meaning ‘O Allah please respond’, and the Angels in the heavens also say
“Ameen.” If they coincide, then Allah forgives our sins. This is also why we should say it with all
of our hearts – in order that Allah responds to our sincere du`a’ and so that our sins are forgiven.

Qur’an
After reciting Al-Fatiha, we recite a brief surah afterwards. Unfortunately, sometimes we cannot
even remember which surah we read. For those of us who have this problem, we should heed
Allah’s words:

“Then do they not

reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?” (Qur’an, 47:24)

Look at how the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬used to pray. Aisha (ra) related that sometimes the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would
pray in the night until Fajr reciting just one ayah. One of the righteous, Muhammad bin Ka’b Al-
Qardhi would say: “To read Surat al-Zalzala from night until morning and Surat al-Qari`ah and
contemplating over them and repeating them is more beloved to me than just reading the entire
Qur’an [i.e. without contemplation].”

A neighbor of Ibn Abbas (ra) mentioned that when he would pray tahajjud (the night prayer), he
would recite an ayah and then pause. Then he would recite another ayah and pause. The
neighbor asked him why he would do that, and he replied that it was so he could contemplate
over the words. Oftentimes we focus on quantity and not on quality. Some of us may read an
entire chapter of the Qur’an, but if we were asked what lessons we took, we would not be able to
talk about even one. Ibn Al-Qayyim stated that if one wishes to benefit from the Qur’an, he
needs to ensure that his heart is present; he needs to recite or listen to the words giving them their
due importance, knowing that Allah is addressing him.
These words are so powerful that Allah (swt) has said:

‫لو أنزلنا هذا القرآَن علىِ جبل لرأيته خاشعا م متصدعا م من خشية ا‬

“If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming
apart from fear of Allah…” (Qur’an, 59:21)

SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah), look at the parable that Allah (swt) has set for us. Look at the
weight of this Qur’an that we recite every single day not realizing that the words are addressed to
us and are there to guide us. Even if some of us say that we do not understand Arabic, many of us
have certain ayaat and surahs that we have memorized and recite them in our prayers. We should
try to read the tafseer (exegesis) and understand the meanings so that our hearts are moved when
we recite. It should not even take very long if we make a commitment to read a few pages of
tafseer every week of a surah that we know. We should even get together with others to do so
and gain the baraka (blessing) of reflecting on the words of God in congregation.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said that we should be moving between the emotions of love, fear and hope.
When we read the verses pertaining to Allah’s blessings, our hearts should fill with love,
recognizing these blessings in our lives. When we read of those who were before us and of their
punishment, we should feel fear because we could be of them. When we recite the verses telling
us about how Allah (swt) forgives, we should fill with hope in His mercy. Let us not forget the
prayer is not a monologue- it is an intimate dialogue with Allah. The Qur’an is His Words to us.

May Allah aid us in reflecting and taking lessons from the Qur’an and having a present heart in
our prayers. Ameen.

“And bow with those who bow…”

Rukoo’ (the bow): Internal Actions

Preparing ourselves for the prayer means realizing whom we are meeting with—Allah
subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), our Lord, the Most Merciful of those who show mercy. We
beautify ourselves externally because we are meeting with Allah, and we humble ourselves
internally as we stand before the Most High. We stand between fear and hope, but the
overwhelming emotion is love. When we recite Surat al-Fatiha (the Opener), we pause after
every verse to reflect on it, knowing that Allah responds. When we recite a short surah (chapter)
afterward, we recognize that these words are a message to us.

The External Acts of Rukoo’

When finish reciting the short surah after al-Fatiha, we should implement a very short pause just
as the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬did (as related by Abu Dawud), and then raise our hands to say, “Allahu Akbar
(God is Greater).” Remember that between almost every change of position we say, “Allahu
Akbar.” This is to remind ourselves and to alert us that Allah is greater than anything—whatever
our mind is distracted with and whatever worries plague us. And then we bow down in rukoo’.
When we bow down, we should emulate the actions of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬who said:

“When you make rukoo’, place your palms on your knees, then space your fingers out, then
remain (like that) until every limb takes its (proper) place,” (Ibn Khuzaymah). In another
narration, he added that we should straighten our backs (Abu Dawud).

Many of us rush our rukoo’ and sujood (prostration), but it is very important to give each action
its due measure. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬once saw a man not completing the rukoo’ properly, and rushing
his sujood such that he looked like he was pecking, and he said:

‫لو مات هذا لمات علىِ غير ملة محمد صلىِ ا عليه وسلم مثل الذيِ ل يتم ركوعه وينقر في سجوده مثل الجائع يأكل التمرةا‬
‫والتمرتين ل تغنيان عنه شيئا‬

“Were this man to die in this state, he would die on a faith other than that of Muhammad—the
likeness of one who does not make rukoo’ completely and pecks in his sujood is like the hungry
person who eats one or two dates, which are of no use to him at all” (Tabarani).

Why did the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬use such an example? Because we come to our prayer as people who are
spiritually hungry and thirsty, looking for a refuge from the worries of the world. It does not
make sense for a starving person to eat one or two dates if he has access to more; neither does it
make sense for us to rush our rukoo’ and sujood.

Du`a’s (supplications) of Rukoo’

Just as we discussed previously that there are different opening du`a’s, there are also a variety of
du`a’s of rukoo’. We should try to memorize them and vary what we say so that we are conscious
of them and so they do not become words we simply repeat.

1- We should say three times:

‫سبحان ربي العظيم‬

Subhaana Rabbiy al-‘Adheem

“How Perfect is my Lord, the Supreme” (Ahmad, Abu Dawud).

When we say “Subhaan Allah” or “Subhaana Rabbiy,” we are disassociating Allah from any
imperfection or impurity or from anything derogatory. And we say “Rabbiy” meaning “my Lord”
in order to feel closeness to Him and love Him.

2-
‫سبوح قدوس رب الملئكة والروح‬

Suboohun Qudoos, Rabb al-Mala’ikati wa al-Rooh

“Exalted, Pure, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit” (Muslim).

Subooh comes from the same root word of subhan, which is Sa-Ba-Ha, and is an aggrandizement
of subhan, meaning the Exalted One who is praised and glorified extensively. It has been debated
by scholars as to what the ‘Spirit’ refers; most have said that it refers to Jibreel `alahi al-salam
(peace be upon him), others have said it is another great Angel, and others have said that it is a
formidable being that not even the Angels can see. Allah knows best.

3-

‫سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك اللهم اغفرلي‬

Subhaanak Allahuma wa bihamdik, Allahuma ighfirli

“How Perfect You are, O Allah. Praises are for You. O Allah, forgive me” (Bukhari, Muslim).

Next week, we will discuss the inner beauty of rukoo’ insha’ Allah (God willing).

Allah Listens
Alhamdu lil Lah (all praise is due to God), we have reached almost midway through a rak’ah
(unit) of prayer. At this point, we should take a step back and ask ourselves, “Has my prayer
improved? Do I feel a deeper connection with Allah?”

It is easy to skim through articles and pick up one or two points, but it is important to read these
kinds of articles with a prior intention. I only realized how much my prayer was lacking when I
watched the series and saw that each position in prayer has a deeper meaning and allows a new
way to connect to Allah.

Rising from Ruku’

After the ruku’ (bowing), he ‫ ﷺ‬would straighten up his back, saying:

‫سمع ا لمن حمده‬

“Allah listens to the one who praises Him.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

He ‫ ﷺ‬also said that “no person’s prayer is complete until … he has said takbeer (Allahu akbar)
… then made ruku’ … then has said ‘Allah listens to the one who praises Him’ until he is
standing straight.” (Abu Dawud)

Most of us rush this part; as soon as we are standing after ruku’, we immediately jump down to
sujood (prostration). However, when the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬went back to the standing position, he would
stand straight until every vertebra returned to its place. (Bukhari) As we said in the last article, he
used to make his ruku’, his standing after ruku’, his sujood, and his sitting in between the two
sajdahs (prostrations) nearly equal in length. (Bukhari)

The hands are raised as they are in the takbeerat al-ihram (first takbeer in the prayer).The hands
can then be placed on the chest, as it is when we are reciting, or to the side.

The Du`a’ (Supplication)

There are different du`a’; I have just listed a few here:

‫ربنا ولك الحمد‬

Rabbana wa laka al-hamd.

“Our Lord, and to You be all Praise.” (Bukhari/Muslim)

‫ربنا لك الحمد‬

Rabbana laka al-hamd.

“Our Lord, to You be all Praise.” (Bukhari/Muslim)

‫ حمدا كثيرا طيبا مباركا فيه‬،‫ربنا ولك الحمد‬

Rabbana wa laka al-hamd, hamdan katheeran, tayyiban mubarakan feeh.

“Our Lord, and to You be all Praise, so much pure praise, inherently blessed.” (Malik)

Why not say “Allahu akbar?”

Between every change of position we say “Allahu Akbar” except this part. Why? Because we are
preparing for sujood. We know that at the sujood, we are at the closest point to Allah, and it is
where du`a’ is responded to. Thus, we are preparing for that by praising Allah (because Allah
listens to those who praise Him, and this is from the etiquette of du`a’) and then making du`a’ in
the sujood.
May Allah allow us to perfect our prayers so that our hearts are evermore attached to Him.
Ameen.

Ruku’: The Internal Component

When we recite Qur’an, we know we should have khushoo’ (devotion) because we are reciting
the words of Allah. When we go into sujood (prostration), we know that God answers our du`a’
(supplication), so we try hard to concentrate. Yet what do we feel when we go into ruku’
(bowing)?

Fulfilling the Needs of the Soul

We all have certain daily needs. A parent cannot wait to get home from work to embrace their
children, and even if the children are asleep, the parent will give them a kiss just to fill that
space. When we feel hunger, we sometimes become tired and cranky until we eat. Just like we
have emotional and physical needs, we also have spiritual needs. The soul thirsts for the worship
of God. Many people feel an emptiness, and try to fill it with other things. But just like a hungry
person cannot satisfy his hunger by running—we would find that absurd—this spiritual thirst
cannot be fulfilled except through the true worship of God.

Humility through Ruku’

True worship comes through humility of the soul, and ruku’ represents a part of that. One of the
Arabs, Hakim bin Hizam, when accepting Islam, told the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬that he would fulfill all of
the commandments except Ruku’ during prayer because of the humility it involved. Thus when
we go into ruku’, we should make a conscious effort to make the straightening of our backs, the
lowering of our heads, and the uttering of “subhaan rabbiy al-`adheem” (Perfect is my Lord, the
Supreme) a reflection of our internal state.

When we say “subhaan rabbiy al-`adheem,” we explained in the last article that we are
disassociating Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) from anything. “Rabb,” as with many
other words, does not just have one meaning—rabb means the Lord, the Sustainer, and the
Cherisher. When we think of what we have—the clothes we wear, our wealth, our health, our
loved ones—who has provided them? So, how can we not humble ourselves to our rabb? And
how can we not feel a special closeness to Him—that He is rabbiy, my Lord?

Glorifying Allah, the Supreme

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫أما الركوع فعظموا فيه الرب‬

“In the Ruku’, therefore, glorify the Supremity of the Lord, Mighty and Sublime.” (Muslim)
When you recognize the supremity of Allah (swt), and the words are reflected in your heart, you
should then have reverence for everything associated with Him. Allah (swt) has said in the
Qur’an:

“And whoever honors

the symbols of Allah—indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.” (22:32)

Thus, reverence during ruku’ is from piety of the heart and we should all strive to perfect it
insha’ Allah (God willing). Ibn Al-Qayyim stated that the ruku’ is almost an introduction to
sujood, when we take one form of humility before Allah (swt) to a deeper level. This effort that
goes into feeling humility in ruku’ can only increase our love for Him, and is one way of
manifesting the meanings in the famous hadith qudsi:

“If my servant comes closer to Me a hand span, I come closer to him or her an arms-length; and
if he or she comes to Me walking, I come to him or her at speed.” (Muslim)

As we increase in good deeds to grow closer to Allah (swt), Allah loves us, and what more could
we want than Allah’s love? This is why the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would lengthen his ruku’, such that his
ruku’, his standing after ruku’, his sujood, and his sitting in between the two sajdahs
(prostrations), were nearly equal in length (Bukhari & Muslim). Bear in mind that his ruku’` was
also almost as long as his standing before ruku’, where he would sometimes recite five sections
(ajza’). (Muslim)

Muslim bin Makki once described Abdullah bin Al-Zubair radi allahu `anhu (may Allah be
pleased with him) as he was praying. He said that he saw him go into Ruku’, and in that time,
Muslim read chapters al-Baqara, ali-‘Imran, an-Nisaa’ and al-Maida (Qur’an 2, 3, 4, and 5), and
Abdullah bin Al-Zubair (ra) was still in ruku’. SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah).

Some of us may be inspired by this, but others of us may think, “I can never reach this level,”
and not even try. However, let us remember the hadith above about servants who try to move
closer to Allah (swt) by as little as a hand span—as long as we are trying to change the state of
our prayers, we have fulfilled this part of the hadith.

May Allah allow us to taste the sweetness of ruku’.

The Secret of Prayer: Sujood

We have now arrived at the sujood (prostration). Ibn Al-Qayyim described the sujood as the
secret of prayer, the greatest pillar, and the seal of the rukoo’. He said all the other actions we did
before it were just preludes.

We should step back and reflect: what do we feel when we go into sujood? Some of us simply do
it because it is a part of prayer; others because it is where we can make du`a’ (supplication). But
how many of us feel the humility of the soul, as we put our faces on the ground, in glorification
of God?

True Happiness

Where do we find happiness? Not material happiness, but true internal happiness. As Muslims,
we may respond that true happiness in this world comes from being closer to God. The closer
you are to Allah, the more your heart is at rest. This is why the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬chose to be with
Allah, saying “God has given a slave the choice between immortality in this world for as long as
God wills, or meeting his Lord, and he has chosen to meet his Lord.” When Abu Bakr (radi
Allahu `anhu – may Allah be pleased with him) heard this he wept, because he knew that the
Prophet ‫ﷺ‬had chosen being with Allah over this life.

To be close to Allah, you have to go into sujood. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫ب حما يحهكوهن املحعمبهد بممن حربببه حوههحو حسابجرد‬

‫أحمقحر ه‬

“The closest that a servant is to his Lord is when he is in prostration.” (Muslim)

The more you humble yourself and go into sujood, the closer you are getting to Allah; and
indeed, He elevates you. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫من تواضع ل رفعه‬

“Whoever humbles himself before Allah, Allah will elevate him.” (Muslim)

This is why, whenever the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬received something that pleased him, he would
immediately prostrate to Allah in thanks. Allah has said in the Qur’an to the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬

“No! Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near [to Allah].” (96:19)

Rising up to the heavens

Ibn Taymiyyah said that the souls of people are brought closer to Allah during prostration. The
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬taught us:

‫اكثر من السجود فإنه ليس من مسلم يسجد ل تعالىِ سجدةا ال رفعه بها ا درجة في الجنة وحط عنه بها خطيئة‬

“Prostrate much because there is no Muslim that prostrates to God except that God raises him
one degree in Paradise by it and forgives for him a sin.” (Ahmad)

The more you prostrate, the more you raise your ranks in paradise insha’Allah (God willing),
until we reach the highest level, Jannat Al-Firdaws (Paradise), and this is where the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
will be. And the roof of this particular level is the Throne of the All-Merciful. How do we know
that prostration allows us to achieve this? Rabi’a bin Ka’b (ra), a companion of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
said:

“I was with Allah’s Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬one 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 said: ‘Anything else besides it?’

I said: ‘That is all (that I require).’

He said: ‘Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration.’”
(Muslim)

The Prostration of the Heart

Does the heart prostrate? It does, and to a greater degree than the body. The prostration of the
heart is in its humility, such that a person could physically rise from prostration, yet his heart
would still be performing sujood. It does so with the knowledge that it is Allah who guides, who
raises people and lowers others, who shows mercy but also punishes, and who removes the
afflictions and sadness of the heart. If your heart does not experience a certain type of
brokenness, the humility that we speak of, then an important component of sujood is missing.

The da’iya (caller to Allah) Mishary Al-Kharraz was once asked “How do I know whether my
heart is in a state of humility or not?” He answered, “When you feel it, you will know.”It is
impossible for your heart to be prostrating in humility to Allah and for you not to feel it. Allah
says in the Qur’an:

‫سيماهم في وجوههم من أثر السجود‬

“Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration…” (48:29)

Most people assume that the “mark” refers to the physical mark on one’s forehead that
sometimes appears when one prostrates much. However, commenting on this verse, Mujahid
stated that the “marks” refer to the marks of humility that come from khushoo’ (devotion), and
this is just in the dunya (world). In the Hereafter, Al-Jalalayn described it as a light and radiance
by which these people will be recognized. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫إن أمتي يومئذ غر من السجود محجلون من الوضوء‬

“My ummah on that day will surely have bright faces because of sujood, and bright arms and feet
because of ablution.” (Ahmad)
The prostration is so important that Satan hates us for it. It has been narrated that when the son of
Adam recites the verse of Sajdah (prostration) and then falls down in prostration, Satan goes into
seclusion and weeps and says: “Woe unto me, the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate, and
he prostrated and Paradise was entitled to him and I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused
and am doomed to Hell.” (Muslim)

Close to God

Subhan’Allah (Glory be to Allah), this person died in prostration in the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬Mosque. We
do not know who he is, or what things he has done in his life, just that Allah blessed this person
to pass away in that state.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said: “How many a seemingly disheveled, dusty, negligible person, but if he
would swear to God, He would respond to him.” (Tirmidhi)

We are resurrected upon our final states. What position will we be in?

May Allah allow us to perfect our prayers so that our hearts are evermore attached to Him.
Ameen.

Forgive Me
After the first prostration, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would raise his head, lay his left foot along the ground
and sit on it relaxed (Ahmad).

He ‫ ﷺ‬said “When you prostrate, prostrate firmly, then when you rise, sit on your left thigh”
(Bukhari)

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would lengthen his sitting until it was about almost as long as his sajdah
(Bukhari and Muslim). He would say:

‫رب اغفر لي اغفر لي‬

“O my Lord! Forgive me, forgive me.” (Ibn Majah)

Forgiveness

When we say the above, most of us know the general meaning of ‘maghfira’ or forgiveness. But
since we are learning the intricate meanings of our words and actions during the prayer, we also
need to know what the deeper significance of these words is. Ibn Al-Qayyim said that maghfira
is erasing the sin, removal of its traces and prevention of its evil. It is taken from the word
mighfar, which means the metal helmet that a warrior wears to protect himself. And just as a
mighfar protects the one wearing it from the consequences of the attacks, maghfira (forgiveness)
protects a person from the consequences of the sin. And just as the mighfar covers the warrior’s
head, maghfira veils the person’s faults. Thus when Allah bestows upon you maghfira, He
protects you from the consequences of your sin and veils that sin from others. That is what we
seek when we say “Rabbi ighfir-ly.”

Two Prostrations

In each cycle of prayer, we go into rukoo’ (bowing) once, and into sujood (prostration) twice.
Have we ever wondered why? Ibn Al-Qayyim has stated that because the sujood is the most
important pillar in the prayer, its significance is shown in its repetition. We desire to taste that
sweetness of being the closest we can be to Allah, and thus fall into prostration again.

We begin the prayer with reciting, and we end with prostrating, just like the first surah to be
revealed to the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. It begins with:

“Recite in
the name of your Lord who created.” (Qur’an, 96:1)

and ends with:

“No! Do not
obey him [the disbeliever]. But prostrate and draw near [to Allah].” (Qur’an, 96:19)

Another Du`a’

While the most common du`a’ when we are sitting is the one mentioned above, there is another
one that we can say which is more comprehensive:

‫رب اغفر لي وارحمني }واجبرني{ }وارفعني{ واهدني }وعافني{ وارزقني‬

“O my Lord! Forgive me; have mercy on me; strengthen me; raise my rank; guide me; pardon
me; sustain me.” (Tirmidhi)

May Allah enable us to taste the significance of every single action of prayer. Ameen.

Salam from The Prophet ‫ﷺ‬

If we are performing a prayer that has 2 rak’aat (units of prayer), such as fajr (the dawn prayer),
then we are approaching the end of the prayer, the end of our brief meeting with Allah. After the
second prostration in the second rak’ah, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would sit, place his right palm on his
right thigh (in one narration: his knee), and then place his left palm on his left thigh (in one
narration: his knee, spreading it upon it). (Muslim).
There is some difference of opinion between scholars as to whether one should move their finger
while saying the tashahhud (the kneeling portion of the prayer after prostrations), so I
recommend following your madhhab (school of thought) or a trusted scholar.

Tashahhud

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would commence by saying:

‫التحيا ه‬
‫ والصلوات والطيبات‬، ‫ت ل‬

“All compliments [at-tahiyyaat], prayers [as-salawaat] and good things [at-tayyibaat] are due to
Allah…” (Bukhari)

When we say this, we have to apply the secret key that we spoke of before, i.e., that of
addressing Allah and talking to Him.

So let’s delve deeper into the meanings of the words we say:

at-tahiyyaat: we assert that all words which imply peace, sovereignty, and eternity are due to
Allah. Ibn ‘Uthaymeen has said that this is a term of glorification and respect.

as-salawaat: we assert that all supplications and prayers are due to God.

at-tayyibaat: we assert that all good deeds that any of creation does is for Allah.

A Different Place

After we say the above, our words are transported somewhere else, thousands and thousands of
kilometers away depending on where you are. Where is this place? Watch the following video:

It is the place where the most noble of creation lays, the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬, in the blessed
city of Madinah. The following words, which we say in every prayer, will be delivered to him:

‫السلم عليك أيها النبي ورحمة ا وبركاته‬

“… Peace be on you, O Prophet, and also the mercy of Allah and His blessings.”

How do we know this? The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬told us when he said, “No one sends me salam (salutation
of peace) except Allah has returned my soul to me so that I can return his salam.” (Abu Dawud)

Now I want you to look at the closest door to you, and imagine. Imagine that the beloved Prophet
‫ ﷺ‬walked through that door at this moment. Imagine him walking in with his `imamah (turban),
his long white thoub (ankle-length garment), his bright face and dark beard, and his beautiful
smile. You now have the opportunity to say salaam to him; so how would you say it?
Think of the companions radi Allahu `anhum (may Allah be pleased with them), as they waited
outside Madinah for the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬to arrive. They waited for several days, each day faithfully
coming to the same place, waiting. When they finally saw him, think about the joy that overtook
them, the way they sang the song we still teach our children today (“tala` al-badru `alayna…”),
each companion scrambling to say salaam to the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. How we wish we could have been
there!

What emotions would be running through you? We may not have been there, but at least, here
and now, we have been told that our salaams are taken to him and that he responds. Let’s not
make light of this opportunity; rather let us say these words with a present heart and overflowing
love as we would if he were standing in front of us.

Peace Be Upon Us and The Righteous

We then say:

‫السلم علينا وعلىِ عباد ا الصالحين‬

“Peace be on us, and on the righteous slaves of Allah.”

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said that when one says this, “it includes every righteous slave in the heaven and
the earth.” Finally, he would say:

‫ وأشهد ان محمدا عبده ورسوله‬، ‫أشهد أن ل إله إل ا‬

“I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that
Muhammad is His slave and messenger.”

If he was in the second rak’ah of maghrib (the sunset prayer) or `isha‘ (the evening prayer), he
would then stand up.

May Allah enable us to taste the significance of every single action of prayer. Ameen.

The End
If the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was saying the first tashahhud, he would get up for the third rak’ah with
takbeer (saying Allahu Akbar) [Bukhari/Muslim[. If he was at the last tashahhud, he would then
say:

ِ‫اللهم صلي علىِ محمد وعلىِ آَل محمد كما صليت علىِ إبراهيم وعلىِ آَل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد اللهم بارك علىِ محمد وعلى‬
‫آَل محمد كما باركت علىِ إبراهيم وعلىِ آَل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد‬

“O Allah, send prayers on Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, and on the family of Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, as you sent
prayers on [Ibrahim, and on] the family of Ibrahim; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of
Glory. O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, and on the family of Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, as you
sent blessings on [Ibrahim, and on] the family of Ibrahim; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full
of Glory.” (Bukhari/Muslim)

Now let’s take a closer look at the meanings:

 Send prayers (salim) on Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬: You are asking Allah to exalt him and raise his
rank, as noted by Ibn Hajar.

 Send blessings (baarik) on Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬: You are asking Allah to increase blessings for
the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, meaning to give the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬the good which Allah granted to Ibrahim
(as) as well as its multiplying and increase.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬told us about the virtues of passing salaams on him. He ‫ ﷺ‬has said:

‫ صلىِ ل‬،‫من صلىِ عللي صلةا واحدةا‬

‫ وهرفعت له عشر درجات‬،‫ وهحطت عنه عشر خطيئات‬،‫ا عليه عشر صلوات‬

“If anyone of my community says one prayer on me, Allah blesses him ten times, ten good
actions are written down for him and ten bad actions are effaced from him.” (Nisa’i, sahih)

After sending prayers on the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬

When the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬heard a man glorifying and praising Allah, and sending prayers on the
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬in prayer, he said to him: “Supplicate, and you will be answered; ask, and you will be
given.” [Nasa’i]

Notice how the tashahhud follows the same sequence of the etiquette of getting our adeyah
answered: praising Allah, passing peace and blessings on His Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, and then we are given
the opportunity to make du`a’, which the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬has told us Allah will answer insha’Allah.

He then told us what to say: “When one of you has finished the [last] tashahhud, he should seek
refuge with Allah from four things saying:
‫اللهم إني أعوذ بك من عذاب القبر وعذاب النار وفتنة المحيا والممات وشر )فتنة( المسيح الدجال‬

“‘O Allah! I truly seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, and from the
punishment of Hellfire, and from the trials of living and dying, and from the evil [trials] of the
Dajjal.’ Then he should supplicate for himself with what occurs to him.” [Muslim]

If we have just met with someone, and are departing, we ask “Do you want anything from me?”
Allah’s Mercy is infinitely more bountiful. At the end of our brief meeting, it as though He is
telling us “Is there anything else you want?” by granting us this final du`a’.

The Tasleem

Next, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would salute to his right saying:

‫السلم عليكم ورحمة ا‬

“May Peace and Allah’s Mercy be on you and he would turn to his left and say the same.”
[Tirmidhi]

Sometimes, he would add to the greeting on the right:

‫وبركاته‬

“…and His blessings (be on you).” [Abu Dawud]

After the prayer

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would then seek forgiveness three times – we should do this to seek forgiveness
for our shortcomings in prayers. There are many other du`a’ to say, and they can be found here.

But there is something we should be wary of, and this was something the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬feared for us
too. He said:

‫لو لم تكونوا تذنبون لخفت عليكم ما هو أكبر من ذلك الهعمجب الهعمجب‬

“If you did not sin, I would have feared for you what is greater; and that is self-admiration
[‘ujb].” (Bayhaqi)

Meaning, now that we have improved our prayer insha’Allah and have a heightened khushoo’,
we should not regard ourselves as better than others. Ibn Al-Qayyim has said that self-admiration
even invalidates our acts! We should remember all of those past prayers that we prayed badly,
and know that whatever good we are able to do, it is from Allah, as He has said in the Qur’an:

‫وما بكم من نعمة فمن ا‬

“And whatever you have of favor – it is from Allah…” [16:53]

And all this that we have said, is not even a drop in the ocean in relation to the secrets and
pleasures of prayer.

May we put into practice all that we learned, and regard each prayer as a sacred, beautiful
meeting with Allah. Ameen.