As I hurriedly lifted my arms; I was caught
by a sudden gush of realization.
I had already completed the first part and
was about to hit the second part with full force when my conscience screamed -“you
my friend are a Muslim only by name”.
The words were loud and clear and my eyes
remained dry- as if bearing witness to the truth in those lines-while I
apprehended the situation. I recalled as I had entered my room and was worried
about getting things done before my baby would start crying and in that haste I
realized how I had still not prayed. So I quickly grabbed a prayer mat, wrapped
a stole around my head as quickly as I could and began the race. Only to recognize a few moments later the
grave mistake I had been making.
“Oh Allah I am ashamed that I think of salat as a burden; as a “task” to
do on my to-do list.”
I suddenly started remembering its
importance, its beauty, its grandeur. While all other commandments had been
revealed in this world, this had been presented in the skies. While all
commandments had been sent down as such, this had been sent as a beautiful gift.
Yet look at the way we treat it. My Lord Who is the Caretaker of all the
affairs of the universe invites us-small people with small lives and small
problems-yet we take it for granted. With each Allah-o-Akbar of the azaan we are reminded that our problems,
our tasks, and our matters are all small and that Allah is greater than all our
preoccupations and yet we pay no heed.
Our Lord invites us in the most beautiful manner
and He asks us to empty our hearts and minds when we step forward to converse
with Him.
So when you have finished [your
duties], then stand up [for worship]. (7) And to your Lord direct [your]
longing. (8)
Our prayers were supposed to be our mairaj but look at what we have done to
it. If we ever have to present or talk in front of a few people then we make
sure that we are well prepared for it. And yet we hardly ever prepare for our salahs. When was the last time any of us
sat down wondering which surah we would recite in our next salah? When was the last time we shook in fear as to whether we
will be able to pray and give the prayer its due right?
When the time for prayer came, Hazrat ‘Ali
ibn Abi Talib (RA) would be visibly shaken, and the color of his face would
change. It was said to him, “What is the matter with you?” He said, “By Allah,
there has come the time of the [Trust]:
…إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الاٌّمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الإِنْسَـنُ
Truly, We
did offer the Amanah to the heavens
and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid
of it. But man bore it…” Al Qur’an 33:72
Hatim
(RA) said; “I carry out what I am commanded; I walk with the fear of Allah in
my heart; I start with the (correct) intention; I magnify and glorify Allah; I
recite at a slow and measured pace, thinking about the meaning; I bow with Khushoo’; I prostrate with humility; I
sit and recite the complete tashahhud;
I say Salam with the (correct) intention; I finish with sincerity towards
Allah; and I come back fearing that (my prayer) has not been accepted from me,
so I continue to strive until I die.”
Hazrat Hudhayfah (RA) said, "The first thing you
will lose of your religion will be Khushoo'
and the last thing you will lose of your religion will be the prayer, and it is
well possible that there is no good in a person who prays, and soon will come a
time when you shall enter a large Masjid and not see a single person with Khushoo'."
A wonderful advice one of our teachers gave
us was that try to never start a salah
directly but instead take a few minutes-as many as you think you can easily
give-to come into the mode of salah.
Sit down, relax, wonder about the after-life, ponder upon the blessings of
Allah Ta’ala or His aayaat or whatever you feel will enable
you to have more khushoo. Leave
behind all your worries and thoughts knowing that you are about to bow down to
the Being Who will take care of all your affairs and then whole-heartedly enter
your salah.
May Allah Ta’ala
guide us all to pray in the manner which is most pleasing to Him and may He
forgive us for all of our shortcomings. Ameen.
