Spiritual Aspects of Salaat

SPIRBTUAL ASPECT OF SALAAT

Salaat has two parts, one is physical and the other is spiritual. The physical part consists of establishing the rituals of Salaat according to the Fiqh one follows. The spiritual part consists of the inner state of devotion and humility that a person should feel during his prayers. This is the very essence of Salaat without which Salaat is like a body without a soul.

Salaat is a means of attaining nearness to Allah, a prerequisite for receiving guidance from the Quran, a source of strength and patience and also a means of self-purification. These objects of Salaat can be achieved not by mere rituals of bowing and prostration, but by observing these spiritual aspects of Salaat. It is this very state that the Quran refers to in the following verses.

 Successful indeed are the Believers, those who humble themselves in their Salaat. (A1 Muminun 23: 1-2)

And truly it (Salaat) is hard except to those who are humble minded. (A/ Baqarah 2:45)

The physical state of Khushu demands that each part of body and its action during Salaat should express extreme humility and reverence towards Allah. The body should be at ease, the head should be slightly bowed down, the voice should be low, the eyes should be cast down, the sight should stay towards the place of Sajdah and all the actions of Salaat should be performed with perfect ease, calm and reverence.

The Khushu or the internal state of mind and heart is the very essence of Salaat. A Salaat without Khushu is like a body without soul. One should try his best to achieve it in as high degree as possible. Following are some helpful recommendations

1. Preparation for Salaat

Before a person begins his Salaat he should pause for a few moments and realize that by saying AIIaho Akbar (Takbeer) he would enter into a personal dialogue with his Almighty Lord. He should think of the Grandeur, Majesty and the Supreme Power of his Lord. At the same time he should think also of his humble and low position before his Lord. This would, hopefully, inculcate the desired internal state of Khushu required in the Salaat.

2. Beginning of Salaat

The very act of saying Allaho Akbar should make a person realize that he is physically standing before the Lord of the whole universe. He should then assume a posture and attitude worthy of standing before such a Supreme Lord. The Quran states: 0 Prophet! Remember your Lord morning and evening deep in your heart with humility and fear and also in low voice with your tongue; and do not be of those who are heedless. (AI ~'araf7:205)

3. Realization of Allah's Supreme Power!

One should realize that the Lord before whom he is standing is not only the Mightiest of all, but also has the power of knowing what goes through one's mind and heart. He should therefore try to control his thoughts and feelings and develop an attitude of total submission and devotion to his Almighty Lord. The Quran states:

... And 0 Prophet! Give good news to those who adopt an attitude of humility and submissiveness; whose hearts tremble when they hear Allah being mentioned and show fortitude in affection and establish Salaat ..... (A1 Hajj 22:34-35)

4. Remembrance of Allah

Salaat is the most comprehensive means of remembering Allah. The Quran states:

And establish Salaat for My remembrance. (Ta Ha 2o:l4)

The Quran states: Woe unto worshipers who are heedless of their Salaat. (A1 Maun 107:4-5)

5. Bowing and Prostration

Ruku and Sajdah are the two acts of bowing before Allah. The Quran says:

Fall prostrate and seek nearness (to Allah). (A/ Alaq 96:19)

Prophet PBUH said: Man is nearest to Allah when he prostrates before him. (Muslim)

One should therefore try to develop the feeling of being near to Allah, especially during the act of Sajdah. This should make Sajdah the real act of showing physical and internal meekness and humility towards Allah.

6. Recitation of Chapter Al Fatiha

Chapter A Fatiha has to be recited in each Rak 'at of every Salaat. This is the supplication which Allah Himself has taught us. He has told us what we should ask him and has also told us how we should ask.

7. Recitation of the Quran

The subject matter of the Quran is very comprehensive. One should try to memorize those verses that inspire him spiritually and recite them in Salaat reflecting upon their meaning and tone.

The Quran states: Allah has purchased of the Believers their persons and their belongings; For them(in return) is the Garden (of Paradise). (A1 Tawbah 9:111)

If a person constantly transgresses the limits of Allah lives only for his worldly gains, then such a person cannot achieve much Khushu in Salaat. On the contrary if a person lives virtuous life and struggles for the propagation of Allah's Deen, then such a person will have the sweet taste of Khushu in his Salaat.

SALAAT OF THE RIGHTEOUS

An effective means to improve our Salaat is to have a few models of Salaat that we should follow in our lives. Needless to state the best model for us in every matter of life is the conduct of Prophet ( PBUH) should therefore have some knowledge of his Salaat

'Aishah Razi Allah Unha narrated : Once during Tahajjud salaat, Rasulullah Peace Be Upon Himrecited the following verse : If You punish them, they are Your servants; If You forgive them, You are the Exalted in Power, the Wise. (5: 1 18). He was so moved by this verse that he kept on repeating this verse in his Salaat all night. (Tirmidhi)

Mughirah ibn Sh'ubah narrated: Rasulullah Peace Be Upon Him would stand in Tahajjud Salaat so long that his feet would swell up. ( B u k i , Muslim)

It is reported that once when 'Umar Farooq, leading a Salaat, read the following verse in the Salaat: I complain of my distress and anguish only to Allah (12:86) he started crying so loudly that even those who were praying in the last row of the congregation could hear him crying.

On another occasion he recited the following verse: And when they are cast, bound together, into a constricted place therein (in Hell), they will plead for (their death and) destruction there once then(25: 13). This verse moved him so much that he went into a trance. He appeared so shook up and terrified that had the people not known the effect of such verses on.’Umar, they would have thought that he had died.

Imam Ghazali has reported in Ihya Al 'Ulum that when Ali ibn Abi Talib would get ready for his Salaat, his face would often turn pale. Someone questioned him about this. He referred to the following verse: We did indeed offer the trust to the Heavens and the earth and the mountain, but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof; but the men undertook it (33:72). He then said that Salaat reminded him the responsibility of undertaking this trust and that he was scared to meet this responsibility.  Anas was one of the Sahaba who spent all of his life in the service of RasulullahPeace Be Upon Him. Bukhari reported that he would often stand up from the position of Ruku and stay in this position so long and so motionless that others would think that he had forgotten to go down for Sajdah. He is known for his love of Salaat. Often he would stand so long in Salaat that his feet would swell and their skin would crack.

Abu Hurairah is also known for his love for Salaat . Imam Bukhari reported that he had divided the night into three portions. He, his wife, and his servant would perform Salaat by taking turn in such a way that someone in his home was engaged in Salaat during the whole night.

Abdullah ibn Zubair, another Sahabi, is also known for his love and devotion in Salaat. It is reported that when he stood up for Salaat, he was as motionless as the trunk of a tree. His Ruku was so prolonged that others during this time could recite the whole chapter of Al Baqara. Similarly his Sajdah was so prolonged and motionless that birds would often sit on his body.

Imam Tirmidhi reported the following incident.

Bahz ibn Hakirn namted that Zarrarah ibn Aufi was the Qadhi of Basrah. Once during the Fajr Salaat he recited the following verse: Finally when the trumpet is sounded; that will be the Day; A Day of distress, far from easy for those without Faith.(74:8-10). This verse scared him so much that he went into shock and died.

The Quran states: 0 You who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly and follow not the footsteps of the devil (2:208). Entering into the fold of Islam does not mean just following the commandments of Islam in our personal lives. It also calls for, striving and struggling for the cause of Islam. A Believer is supposed to practice Islam and also to propagate its message to others. The righteousness in life can be achieved only by doing justice to both these aspects of Islam. Almighty Allah has made a very special promise to those who struggle for the cause of Allah: And those who strive in our (cause). We will certainly guide them to our Path; for verily Allah is with those who do right (29:69). The more we shall struggle for His cause, the more Allah will make our Path easy. This would be a very effective means for achieving righteousness in our lives and thus improve the state of our Salaat

Challenges Facing the Changing World Order

(3:110) You are now the best people brought forth for (the guidance and reform of) mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. Had the People of the Book believed it were better for them. Some of them are believers but most of them are transgressors.

Prophet  Muhammad (peace be on him) and his followers are informed that they are being assigned the guidance and leadership of the world, a position the Israelites had been relieved of because they had shown themselves unsuitable. The Muslims were charged with this responsibility because of their competence. They were the best people in terms of character and morals and had developed in theory and in practice the qualities essential for truly righteous leadership, namely the spirit and practical commitment to promoting good and suppressing evil and the acknowledgement of the One True God as their Lord and Master. In view of the task entrusted to them, they had to become conscious of their responsibilities and avoid the mistakes committed by their predecessors.

I think it is very important responsibility of Ummah as a whole to develop talent so that it can lead the future, Islamic talent and personality with modern and best of technologies. We lead this world when our forefathers were muttaqi, they gave Medicine, science, chemistry and mathematics.

It has mentioned in many places in Book of Allah,  that you are witness on the mankind and Prophet(PBUH) is witness upon you.

(3:104) And from among you there must be a party who invite people to all that is good and enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong. It is they who will attain true success.

Allah (swt) – has ordered us to be witness over mankind: “Thus We have made you a just/middle ummah, in order to be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger a witness over you” [al-Baqara 143]

114. They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: They are in the ranks of the righteous.

We need a new generation who will lead Ummah in all dimensions and spheres, even though we can Islamic Parties getting to the helm because of Arab Spring, it is challenging and difficult task to keep it Islamic and take forward as Islamic.

My observation is because to two reason, at present Ummah as a whole do not have Islam in their life, and we do not have enough talent and muttaqi  to lead at this juncture of change to new frontiers of leadership.

It needs hard work to develop a generation who can take charge of change, the inner change, the outer change, the soul and life in Islamic Way.

It is responsibility of we all to contribute whatever we can this mission, to develop future of Ummah, Future Islamic Leadership of Ummah, who can take this broken Ark, repair it, make it a new and start a new Journey to all unconquered frontiers.

The Ummah which is made to lead this World, by examples of Taqawa ( Pious and Humble). This is greatest challenge in the time of change.

I wrote in my earlier post on the other dimension of Responsibility of Ummah.

Tax exemptions for rich costs govt Rs 4.6 lakh cr - The Economic Times

Tax exemptions for rich costs govt Rs 4.6 lakh cr - The Economic Times:

'via Blog this'

NEW DELHI: The subsidy for the poor is dwindling, but this has not deterred the government from lining up corporate houses' pockets.

Last year, the Centre gave away potential revenue of Rs 4.6 lakh crore on account of various tax exemptions and incentives to industrialists, compared to the Rs 1.54 lakh crore on subsidy to poor and farmers.

If you are thinking government is very generous in giving different subsidies to poor, it is a big farce. Government is giving much more to the rich. This is not only in terms of tax exemptions but there are many more things.

This is biggest dilemma of Indian System, even though it looks and government make it look like pro poor but reality is very different.
The real benefit is going to rich middle class, the middle man or business class or Baniya ( in Indian Language). If we look at bank bank balance sheet, NPA is increasing and SBI which has lost almost 40% from pick price from lost year has highest NPA. These NPA are loans to rich which is killing the banks. Poors are not even entertained in these banks, almost 45% of rural population do not have even bank accounts. They are not part of inclusive development.

The whole story about development is for 30% middle and upper class. What ever remains will percolate down to poor. There are no efforts for grow and develop the villages.

Unfortunately poor are getting poor when India is growing, I will be more happy to see India growing at 6%-7% which is inclusive, I don't want 9% for rich excluding poor. Without inclusive growth, there can not be growth. Villages must be developed and there connectivity must be improved.

The only visible thing in development is Roads, roads are getting better and because of private investment phones  has increased but basic necessities remained stagnated. Developing infrastructure is core to the development.

Government must invest more in improving and increasing capacity of railway. Some of gauge conversion projects are going on for last 10 to 15 years. This must end, there must be time bound execution of projects in infrastructure, when minister changes, priorities become different this should go. There should be independent project to project budget and time line for execution. This is only way in successful project management. The quality of services are deteriorating day by day. This is ridiculous. Can not Railway has better management. Project execution and  management should be an independent part of Railways.

The second priority is Airport, India needs 300 airports, everybody is talking. Is there any real movement in the direction of implementing this project. Who will do it? How much years it will take to execute? These are key questions for this project.

There are many more questions, but no answers. One can not expect any answers.

Let us pray for the poor.

Why Do We Pray

Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do.

Quran 29:45

(29:45) (O Prophet), recite the Book that has been revealed to you and establish Prayer.  Surely Prayer forbids indecency and evil. And Allah’s remembrance is of even greater merit. Allah knows all that you do.

Why does man need to pray?

After a long and hectic day at work, how difficult it is for a tired person to stand on the prayer-mat and concentrate on his prayers to Allah Almighty. Snuggled in a warm and cosy bed, how difficult it is to get up at the call of Mu'adhdhin:

Allah Almighty says: "On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between it and its evil. But Allah cautions you (to remember) Himself. And Allah is full of kindness to those that serve Him."

(3:30) The Day is approaching when every soul shall find itself confronted with whatever good it has done and whatever evil it has wrought. It will then wish there is a wide space between it and the Day! Allah warns you to beware of Him; He is most tender towards His servants. *27

 (3:31) (O Messenger!) Tell people: 'If you indeed love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you and will forgive you your sins. Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.'

Prayer: A cry of the inner soul

The Qur'an tells us the reality of man's nature.

It is Allah Who created you in a state of (helpless) weakness, then gave (you) strength after weakness, then, after strength, gave (you) weakness and a hoary head: He creates as He wills, and it is He Who has all knowledge and power.  (30:54)

Weakness in the beginning and weakness in the end, this is the essence of man. He is so weak and helpless at birth that his entire existence depends on his parents and family. If he were to be abandoned in these crucial first years, he could not survive on his own. He needs a gentle and loving hand, not only in his infancy but in his childhood and even in the teenage years. As this child enters the years of youth and independence, he begins to take control of his own life. He looks with pride at his strong physique, his handsome features and his many talents. He begins to despise those of lesser abilities, even scorning those parents who exhausted their own health to nurture him. He becomes unjust and cruel, using his strength and vigor to dominate others. He thinks he is a master, free to act as he wills. But does this youth, these good looks and this strength last forever? Only in a few decades he begins to lose his strength. His health begins to deteriorate, grey hair covers his head and slowly, his youth is replaced by old age. This transformation from young to old is slow, but it is there. The seconds of time are ticking away mercilessly, taking every young person towards their old age. The young dictator will one day be as feeble and weak as the day he was born. But this time there will be no parents to nurture him; if, as is often the case, he is rejected by his own family, his future will be a desolate one in some old persons home.

"Weakness in the beginning and weakness in the end is the reality of Human Being." The message is clear: the real Master is Allah. He Alone is Mighty, He Alone is Great. He Alone is never tired, never needs rest, never dependent upon anyone. Allahu Akbar - Allah is the Greatest. With this message clear in his mind, man realizes that he should show his humility to the Almighty Lord, the One Who created him. And what can be a better way to show ones humility than to stand like a slave before Him; to bow and prostrate to Him; to raise hands in supplication to Him.

Prayer is not a burden forced upon man but is the inner cry of every soul. Prayer is  a cry of each heart to recognize its Creator. It is but a small token of gratitude for all the innumerable bounties bestowed upon mankind by the Creator. In our everyday lives, we smile and say a warm thank-you to the small acts of kindness which others do for us. Just observe the beauty and perfection of the earth around you, and fall down in gratitude to your Lord.

Prayer: The ascension for a believer

This recitation is not a dull monologue by the believer, but Allah promises that it is a conversation between Him and the worshipper. The Messenger reported that Allah Almighty says:

"When My slave says (in his prayer): 'All praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds', I say: 'My slave has praised Me.' When he says: 'The Merciful, the Compassionate, Master of the Day of Judgment', I say: 'My slave has praised and glorified Me'. When he says: 'You Alone we worship, and Your Aid we seek,' I say: 'This is between My slave and Myself.' When he says: 'Show us the Straight Path, the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not of those who earned Your anger nor of those who went astray.' I say: 'This is for My slave, and I give My slave what he wants,"'(Hadith Qudsi)

The number of prayers in a day has been set at five by Allah Almighty. The believer has no choice in the matter but to obey. To reduce the number of prayers world not only be disobedience, it would also lose the benefits of prayer.

Prayer: A pillar of Islam

Allah's Messenger PBUH once said:

"Prayer is the pillar of the religion." (AI-Baihaqi)

The Prophet  PBUH also said: "Islam is erected on five pillars: to testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger; to establish prayer; to pay Zakat; to perform Hajj to the Sacred House, and to fast in the month of Ramadan."(Bukhari, Muslim)

This Hadith makes the image very clear. Islam is like a building, supported by five columns. Remove just one column, and the entire building weakens. If strong winds batter the town, the building which will certainly collapse is the one with a pillar missing. In the same way, when a person stops praying, his Faith becomes weak and the mildest of blows can cause it to crumble.

 “What drove you to Hell?” They will answer: “We were not among those who observed Prayer, and we did not feed the poor, and we indulged in vain talk with those who indulged in vain talk, and we gave the lie to the Day of Judgment until the inevitable event overtook us.”

Which prayer is acceptable?

"Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness." (23:2)

The emphasis, in this verse, is on humility and concentration in the prayer (Khushu '). There is no doubt that as Shaitdn (Satan) is the bitterest enemy of man; he always tries to disturb the believer's prayer. As soon as a person begins his prayer, he finds his mind suddenly engulfed with memories, problems, worries, work and his family. He may become so engrossed in his thoughts that he has no idea where he is and what he is doing. His prayer becomes a series of automatic actions, and he will often find himself wondering whether he has prayed three Rak'a or four. This is how Shaitdn steals the prayer. It is reported that a Successor saw a man playing with his beard while praying. He commented that: "If there had been Khushu' (concentration) in his heart, the other organs of his body would have concentrated as well

Prayer as a weapon

Allah Almighty says in the Quran' an: "0 you who believe! Seek help in patience and Saldt -(prayer). Truly! Allah is with the patient." (2: 153)

Man is, by nature, weak. He needs help at times of misery and hardship. And the best aid we can have is that of patience in adversity and prayer. Any difficulties, unhappiness and loss should be faced with calm and wisdom.

Prayer as a reminder

A non-Muslim once asked the following question during a discussion: "I can understand why Muslims were required to pray five times a day during the early days of Islam. They did not have many things to do in those days so the Prophet kept them busy with prayer. But our sophisticated and modern life leaves man with little spare time. He is much too busy to be expected to pray five times a day."

The answer given was what the primary objective of prayer is. The Qur'an says: "... and establish prayer for My Remembrance." (20:14).

As man is by nature forgetful, prayer reminds him of the allegiance due to his Creator and Lord. If prayer was needed fourteen hundred years ago when man did not lead such a busy life style, then it is even more necessary in today's hectic world. Man becomes so engrossed in this life that he has no thought for Allah and the Hereafter. The need to remind man of the realities of his existence has thus intensified, and not declined in modem times. Prayer is still of utmost importance and benefit in our high-tech lives. Prayer acts as a shield against evil. Allah Almighty says in the Qur'an:

The quality of the prayer is of utmost importance as well. Consider a house with solid foundations, concrete walls and a strong roof. This house will be able to withstand all forms of bad weather, be it winds, hail or storms. After all, the purpose of a house is to provide shelter and protection against these elements. If, on the other hand, the house is loosely constructed with leaves and grass, it will blow away at the slightest hint of bad weather.

This image applies very clearly to prayer. If a prayer is offered regularly, at the correct time, with sincerity of intention and concentration on what is being recited, it will strengthen the person's Faith and provide comfort and strength in times of trouble. Irregular and insincere prayers will be of little use to a person in times of distress. A healthy body can combat viruses with more ease than can a weak body.

Prayer: The first question on the Day of Judgment

Man was sent to this world for only one purpose: "And I (Allah) created not the jinns and men except them should worship Me (Alone)." (51:56)

Man is to live in this world as a worshipper of his Creator, and the best form of worship is prayer. On the Day of Judgment, man will have to answer for each and every deed committed on this earth. He will be asked about the bounties bestowed upon him in this life:

"Then, on that Day, you shall be asked about the delight (you indulged in, in this world)!" (102:8) But the first question to be asked on that Great Day will be about prayer.

Prayer cannot be an isolated act:

The Qur'an mentions the act of prayer about thirty-five times, but never alone. It always couples prayer with giving Zakat or spending on the poor and needy. The two are inseparable.  Man is surrounded by external and internal problems. To deal with these; he has been given the two weapons of prayer and patience. Patience helps him withstand external hostilities and opposition. Prayer strengthens his internal relationship with Allah; another requirement alongside prayer is that of sacrifice. Prayer is an act of life, and sacrifice symbolizes death. 'Whether our actions are concerned with life or death, our sole purpose must be the Pleasure of Allah. No sacrifice may be offered to any being other than Allah, just as no prayer is valid except if directed to Allah.

The changing face of Financial Order

Hong Kong named world's top financial hub - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English:

'via Blog this'

It is not surprising for me to see Hong Kong as worlds top financial hub. This indicates two things. The first thing is world order is changing. The old power house are now old horses impaired with many diseases, they can not win a race. Betting on such horses are use less.
USA has its own financial mess to manage. It has lived on others money for long time. China, Japan along with other countries invested in USA debt and finance the luxuries of life. This luxury financing has created two problems. The first is USA asset bubble, USA spent money on which they can not afford, this luxurious spending is hounding USA and others. I do not see any solution to this problem in foreseeable future. The solution is cleaning the toxic from the system, which no one wants. There is no alternative, cleaning the system from crooks, which is impossible. When there is no will to implement solution, the only alternative left is slow and painful death of US economy.

The second problem is the financing of surplus economy to USA has deprived the needy, underdeveloped and least developed and developing economies of this money. Which may have used to grow these economies. This financing has increased poverty in world. When it will be stopped then definitely a new economic order will emerge.

These least developed, under developed and developing economies will get surplus money to grow and reduce poverty. The change in direction of money flow will change everything. More employment is created and will get better healthcare.

The Asia with its population, China and India along with their neighbors and east Asian economies will see a major shift in near future.

Indonesia, Malaysia along with Saudi Arabia will play a major role in global financial markets.Singapore which is already a major financial hub for east asia, Mumbai, Dubai, Qatar are other financial hubs which are in contest to change the landscape of world order.

It may take some time but the process has started and soon it will pick up. With China coming with its own Sovereign Wealth Fund of USD 300 billion, along with SWF of Malaysia, UAE, Qatar, Singapore, Kuwait and other OPEC countries will see a major change.

Let us make this change a positive, to reduce poverty, and improve justice and equality in this world.