{"id":139841,"date":"2020-05-02T09:16:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-02T09:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=139841"},"modified":"2020-05-02T09:16:06","modified_gmt":"2020-05-02T09:16:06","slug":"tips-for-experiencing-salat-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=139841","title":{"rendered":"Tips for experiencing Salat better"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Spahic Omer <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat or Salah (prayer) is the most\nimportant commandment in Islam which is performed five times a day,\nindividually and collectively. It is the second pillar of Islam. Yet, it is the\npillar of the pillars of Islam. The entire edifice of Islam rests on it.\nProphet Muhammad (pbuh) said that between a person and polytheism (shirk<\/em>)\nand non-belief (kufr<\/em>) stands abandoning salat (Sahih Muslim). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, no Islam without salat; no Muslims\nand Islamic identity, and no hope for a better future, without it; and, of\ncourse, no salvation on the Day of Reckoning without it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prophet (pbuh) said that the first deed\nfor which every person will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment will be\nhis salat. \u0153If it is good\nand in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded. But if it is bad or\nlacking, then he will be doomed and will have failed\u009d (Jami al-Tirmidhi).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Quran speaks in surah al-Muminun<\/em> about the true\nbelievers, it presents their underlying characteristics in such a way that they\nbegin with salat (\u0153those who humble themselves in their salat\u009d, al-Muminun, 2)\nand end with it (\u0153and those who strictly guard their salat\u009d, al-Muminun, 9).\nIt is only such people who will be successful and will inherit Jannah<\/em>\n(Paradise) (al-Muminun, 1, 10-11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same is done in surah al-Maarij<\/em>. The description of\nthose who will be the honoured ones in the Gardens of bliss (Jannah<\/em>) on\nthe Day of Judgment begins with \u0153those devoted to salat and who remain\nsteadfast in their salat\u009d (al-Maarij, 22-23) and ends with \u0153those who strictly\nguard their salat\u009d (al-Maarij, 34). All other features are sandwiched between\nthese two portrayals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message is clear. In the life of a believer, salat is\neverything. It is his lifes heart and soul. Everything starts with salat, everything\nrevolves around it, and everything in the end returns to it. When the criminals\nare asked on the Day of Judgment about what led them into Hell-fire, the first\nthing they will say will be: \u0153We were not of those who used to offer their\nsalat\u009d (al-Muddaththir, 43).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following are some elaborate conceptual, reflective and\npractical tips for a better experience of salat. They aim to help us enhance the\nquality of our physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional relationship with\nour salat. That in turn will enhance our affiliation with Islam as a whole. It\nwill make us better Muslims. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is salat, not prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the outset we commit a cardinal mistake. We translate salat as prayer,\nwhich is inadequate. We rob thereby salat of much of its substance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A prayer is generally defined as \u0153a solemn request for help or\nexpression of thanks addressed to God\u009d or \u0153a religious service at which people\ngather to pray together\u009d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several other interpretations of the concept, all of\nwhich, however, revolve around the same core. They accommodate the conceptions\nand practices of all religions, revealed and non-revealed, pertaining to\ndeliberate communication and interactions with God and any other deities. They\nare in the forms of various invocations, supplications, chants, thanksgivings,\npraises and meditations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The English word \u0153prayer\u009d is derived from Old French \u0153preier\u009d (in\nModern French it is \u0153prier\u009d), which was based on Vulgar Latin \u0153precari\u009d. In\nboth cases, the word means \u0153ask earnestly, beg, and pray earnestly to a god,\ndeity or saint\u009d (etymonline.com). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undoubtedly, the word originated in pagan religious milieus, and\nwas advanced as well as refined with the maturation and spread of Christian\ntheology. It therefore unmistakably oozed the latters rationale and fundamental\nnature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is expected because language is generally understood to be an\ninstrument of thought and a conduit for ideas. Language and thought exist as an\nintegrated whole. Language is thought, and thought is language. They operate in\na reciprocal relationship. Irrespective of which one exactly is the cause and\nwhich one the effect, language and thought are fated to rise and decline\ntogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incompatibility between salat and prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, to equate the Arabic (Quranic) concept of salat, which is an\nexclusive and inimitable heavenly gift to mankind as part of Gods final\nmonotheistic revelation to man, with the English concept of prayer, which\noriginated and evolved in the midst of pagan and Christian religious propensities\nand practices, is plain wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quintessence and souls of the two are incompatible and unable to get along. Salat personifies truth and its actualisation, whereas prayer personifies truths desertion, distortion, or just a desperate quest for it. Moreover, salat is an act (process) of internalising and enjoying what was attained, whereas prayer is an act of endless seeking and probing, and of miscalculated results. Salat enriches and boosts faith, while prayer often quizzes, obscures and even unsettles what people regard as their personal and institutional faiths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It follows that the concept of salat has no linguistic counterparts\nnot only in English, but also in any other language. Hence, the best thing\nwould be to adopt the Arabic (Quranic) term and assimilate it as such in other\nlanguages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was on account of this that some visionary Muslim scholars called for what could be dubbed an \u0153Islamisation of English\u009d. The reason is that a great many key concepts and ideas of Islam, when arbitrarily and inaccurately translated into English, are rendered imprecise. That contributes to the misrepresentation of the image of Islam and Muslims in the eyes of the world. It also makes the prospect of teaching the pure and authentic Islam, both to Muslims and non-Muslims, all the more difficult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of those visionary scholars was Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, who\nwrote a book titled \u0153Toward Islamic English\u009d. The book represents a segment of\nthe authors profound philosophy of \u0153Islamization of knowledge\u009d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat as an institution and a way of life  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat is one of those key ideas than can easily be misunderstood.\nTranslating it as prayer is unfair. It alters its compass and diminishes the\nscale and intensity of its meanings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, salat is generally translated as prayer, and so is dua<\/em>.\nHowever, in the Quranic (Islamic) vocabulary, the two concepts are\nfundamentally different. Thus, translating them in the same way makes neither\nof them clear. Both of them get garbled. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat is much more than prayer. It is an act of exemplary piety, of\nthe affirmation of absolute truth, of holistic worship, of direct communication\nwith, and of total submission to the authority and will of Almighty God alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat is not a single, or isolated, act. It is not a mere ritual,\nrite, or a religious ceremony either. Rather, salat is a complex and enduring process.\nIt is an inclusive institution (establishment). Its cumulative meanings and\neffects connote a way of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five periods of a day, when the five prescribed prayers (salats)\nare performed, are five points in time when the energies and elan vital<\/em> of\nthe physical and metaphysical realms come closest to each other. They almost\nconverge in the consciousness and spiritual state of a believer who performs salat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prophet (pbuh) said that a person is closest to his Lord when\nhe is prostrating in his salat. And since salat is a form of communication and\nconversation with God, the Prophet (pbuh) advised: \u0153So say a great deal of dua<\/em>\n(prayers and supplications) (while in the state of prostration)\u009d (Sahih\nMuslim). That may result in making the prostration lengthy, which is every so\noften advisable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five major aspects of every life circle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Fakhruddin al-Razi, every aspect of existence \u201c\nincluding the lives of people \u201c features a full circle that consists of five\nmajor stages, or points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First is the stage of birth and joining the phenomenon of existence\n(after which growth inevitably follows). Second is the stage of attainment of\nperfection, which remains so for a while. The third stage is one of elderliness\nand maturity, when serious defects start emerging. Fourth is the stage of\ndeath, and fifth is the post-death stage when some faint signs and traces of a\nformerly living thing are still perceptible. However, very soon they too\ndisappear, leaving nothing conspicuous whatsoever about that thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cycle thus becomes complete. It starts with death (nothingness),\nexhibits successive phases of life, and ends with death (nothingness) again. Everything\nreturns to its original primordial state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This cycle applies to the day as a unit of measurement of time as\nwell, with the sun as Gods major sign in creation and its rising and setting\nas the main events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, dawn as the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise\nindicates the birth of the sun and its imminent \u0153joining\u009d of the rest of\ncreation. Secondly, the sun rises until it reaches the highest position in the\nsky at noon. Soon after that \u201c thirdly – it starts declining until its power\nand intensity noticeably wane in the afternoon. Fourthly, the declining process\nthen dramatically intensifies until the sun sets or disappears completely (it \u0153dies\u009d).\nFifthly, after the suns \u0153death\u009d, some of its traces and residues remain on the\nhorizon for a short time (twilight), following which they too completely disappear\nas if the sun and its awesome powers were never present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the morning, a new cycle again begins, making life nothing but a\nseries of identical cycles with identical existential stages that feature in\nevery aspect and component of creation. These cycles are as evident in the\nsmallest and least consequential, as in the grandest and most consequential\nelements of creation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this, the Quran, to some extent, debunks the mystery of time.\nIt also proves the transience of everything except the Creator and Master of\nlife. The Quran declares: \u0153All that is on earth will perish. Only the Supreme\nEssence of your Glorious and Gracious Lord will remain forever\u009d (al-Rahman,\n26-27).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these happenings on earth signify the undeniable evidences of Almighty Gods greatness and care for his creation. A single day is packed with the portents of the spectacles of life and death, of resurrection and renewal, of matter and spirit, of rise and fall, and of tranquillity and buzz. A single day is a microcosm of existence in its totality. It also exemplifies the lifecycle of man with his recurring cultural and civilisation quests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It stands to reason that the five daily salats were prescribed at their meticulously fixed times in order to commemorate the five most critical points in the circles of life, along with the five most significant phases in the biological, spiritual, cultural and civilisation growth of man. Man is likewise bidden to contemplate through his five salats and reflect on the divine patterns and laws that govern the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

God reveals: \u0153Verily, salat is enjoined on the believers at fixed\ntimes (hours)\u009d (al-Nisa, 103).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five daily salats are: al-Fajr<\/em> (dawn, before sunrise), al-Zuhr<\/em>\n(midday or noon, just after the sun passes its highest point), al-\u02dcAsr<\/em>\n(the late afternoon), al-Maghrib<\/em> (immediately after sunset), al-\u02dcIsha<\/em>\n(night-time before midnight).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat as a heavenly thing <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat is the only injunction that was given to the Prophet (pbuh)\nduring his ascension into Heaven, on the night of the miraj<\/em>\n(ascension). It was not prescribed like the rest of Islamic injunctions, which\nwere brought down to earth from God by an angel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prophet (pbuh) was honoured by being taken up to Heaven and by being addressed directly by God concerning the matter of salat. It could be that all prophets received the obligation of salat directly from God, for if salat was most important for Muhammad (pbuh) as the Seal of prophets and his followers, the same might have been the case for the rest of the prophets and their own followers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such is the value of salat. No righteous life on earth, and no\nsuccess either in this world or in the Hereafter, are conceivable without it.\nSalat transcends the bounds of time and history. It is a heavenly thing. It\naims but to elevate mans status and to facilitate his constant remembrance of\nGod and his celebration of Gods name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prophet Musa (Moses), for example, was instructed to establish\nsalat when he was directly conversing with God. The Quran says: \u0153And when he\ncame to it, he was called: \u0153O Musa, indeed, I am your Lord, so remove your\nsandals. Indeed, you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa. And I have chosen you,\nso listen to what is revealed (to you). Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity\nexcept Me, so worship Me and establish salat for My remembrance\u009d (Ta Ha,\n11-14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prophet Musas appointment as a prophet, during which he received\nthe obligation of salat, was perhaps the most dramatic event on earth prior to\nthe arrival of the final prophet: Muhammad (pbuh). During the prophet-hood of\nMuhammad (pbuh), the exuberance and otherworldliness associated with the\nconcept and institution of salat were completed. That was done in the most spectacular\nfashion and under the most extraordinary circumstances: right in Heaven and in\ndirect proximity to the greatest metaphysical realities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, it was only appropriate that Musa and Muhammad (pbuh) met\nduring the latters miraj<\/em> (ascension into Heaven) journey, and that\ntheir conversation revolved mainly around salat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat as the believers miraj<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is therefore rightly said that salat is the believers miraj<\/em>\n(ascension towards and into Heaven). Some even attribute this statement to the\nProphet (pbuh), which nevertheless is incorrect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat is a form of miraj<\/em> because through it, in spiritual\nterms, we most directly face Almighty God and talk to Him. We are closest to\nHim when we perform our salat. Our spiritual faculties are sharpest and most\ndisposed to truth in our salat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Synchronisation of the body, mind and soul is most effective in salat. In his salat, a person is most human, most sensible and most otherworldly. He operates at full capacity and lives \u0153to the fullest\u009d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In every physical condition of his, when he duly performs his salat,\na person is able to free his soul \u201c his spiritual being – from the fetters of\nmatter, human ego and animal desires, and rise indefinitely through the\nvastness of spiritual spheres. There is no challenge that is unbeatable, and\nobstacle that is insurmountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While rising towards the spiritual fulfilment (and Heaven), a\npersons vantage points improve, and so do his judgmental capacities. He can\nsee and understand more and more, and can judge more appropriately how\ninconsequential matter and this world in general are when juxtaposed with the merit\nof spirit and Heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every salat is expected to be a step higher in the right direction,\nguiding a person through the hierarchy of spiritual degrees and stations. The\nlower his station is, the closer this world and the farther Heaven appear; and\nthe higher his station is, the farther this world and the closer Heaven appear.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he comes to the verge of his spiritual fulfilment, and\napproaches the completion of his personal existential miraj<\/em>, a person sees,\nand craves for, nothing but Heaven. The physical world with all its temptations\nand false splendour simply disappears over the horizon. The ultimate objective\nof salat \u201c and life in general \u201c will then be accomplished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person needs to \u0153die\u009d in the material world if he wanted to be\n\u0153born\u009d in the world of spirit. There is a vast amount of attractive and\nrepulsive forces at play. Salat is that which can control and coordinate them\nall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a bit of symbolism here as well. The Prophets qiblah<\/em>\nat the time of his miraj<\/em> was al-Masjid al-Aqsa<\/em> in Jerusalem.\nBefore the miraj<\/em>, he was firstly taken to Jerusalem, to the very place\nof his qiblah<\/em>. That part of the occasion is called isra<\/em> (night\njourney). Thence, the Prophet (pbuh) ascended the heavens for the miraj<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, during our salat<\/em> and personal miraj<\/em> experiences,\nwe also have to face our qiblah<\/em>: the Kabah and its al-Masjid\nal-Haram<\/em>. That way, additionally, we face the exact location – that is, al-Masjid\nal-Haram<\/em> – where Archangel Jibril (Gabriel) came to the Prophet (pbuh) and\ntook him on his historic earthly and heavenly journeys (isra<\/em> and miraj<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like so, in every salat of theirs the believers establish an axis\nthat connects them to the most critical pivots of the spiritual presence both\non earth and in the heavens. They tap into their inexhaustible resources and\ncapacities, generating enough spiritual energy needed for the journeys ahead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of those journeys is the personal miraj<\/em> (spiritual\nascent) journey. Salat is synonymous with it. The qiblah<\/em> is its launch\npad, the Prophet (pbuh) the exemplar, and Gods pleasure, symptomatic of Heaven,\nthe goal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The believers constant facing of the qiblah<\/em> inspires,\nmotivates and directs them. It harnesses and channels their vigour. It keeps\nthem determined and focused, and gives them a sense of purpose and direction in\ntheir spiritual journey(s). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The example of Prophet Yunus (Jonah)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, God is everywhere with his knowledge, power, compassion and\nwill. He is as close to us as we are willing and able to concede. God can be\n\u0153near\u009d, but also \u0153far\u009d, just as His omnipresent signs can be \u0153visible and\nlegible\u009d but also \u0153invisible and illegible\u009d, subject to peoples abilities and\nzeal. Salat is a window into the incalculable treasures of the spiritual\nKingdom. Possibilities and boons are infinite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, Prophet Yunus (Jonah) was swallowed by the whale.\nDespite that, he supplicated and prayed to God as though there was nothing unusually\nstanding between them. His connectivity and communication with God remained\nuninterrupted, yet might have been intensified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yunus took the belly of the whale as his \u0153mosque\u009d (a place of\nworship), setting in the process some of the highest standards of piety and\nworship. His iconic supplication in the darkness of the whales belly became the\nmost treasured legacy he bequeathed to posterity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: \u0153The supplication of Dhu al-Nun (Prophet\nYunus) which he said when he was in the belly of the whale: \u0153None has the right\nto be worshipped but You (O Allah)], glorified (and exalted) be You (above all\nthat (evil) they associate with You)! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers.\u009d No\nMuslim recites this supplication concerning any matter but Allah will answer\nhim\u009d (Jami al-Tirmidhi).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In essence, Yunus was as near to God in the whales belly as the\nProphet (pbuh) was during the miraj<\/em> journey. The difference was in\naccidents and contexts only. Merely the body of Yunus was trapped. His soul\nroamed freely in the immediate proximity of the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The believers strive for a similar condition primarily through\ntheir salat and as much as possible. The prophets are their role models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quran proclaims: \u0153And to Allah belongs the east and the west.\nSo wherever you (might) turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is\nall-Encompassing and Knowing\u009d (al-Baqarah, 115). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0153And when My servants ask you, (O Muhammad), concerning Me – indeed\nI am near\u009d (al-Baqarah, 186). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0153\u00a6And He is with you wherever you are\u00a6\u009d (al-Hadid, 4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Performing salat versus<\/em> establishing salat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As per the Quranic terminology, salat is to be both performed (salla<\/em>,\nyusalli<\/em>) and established (aqam al-salah<\/em>, yuqim al-salah<\/em>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Performing implies a mere act and execution of something, while establishing denotes setting-up, instituting, creating, organising and building something in such a way that it eventually becomes a permanent feature, institutionalised, and a second nature. It becomes proven, authenticated and accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It follows that salat can hardly be performed properly if it signifies\nno more than a series of isolated acts partly or fully in disagreement with the\nrest of a persons behavioural models. Salat can be said to be performed only\nwhen it is part of a bigger picture, which is the establishment of salat as a\nstandard of living. Performing salat ought to have a fitting context and\nbackground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why sometimes it is said that a person should not just\nperform salat, but should have salat as a value, ethos and character instead;\nthat a person should not just perform salat, but should worship God (through\nit) instead; and that a person should not just perform salat, but instead\nshould have salat as a convention and a contract with God, as well as with his\nself, people and the rest of creation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a regular basis the Quran speaks of salat as being established\nand enhanced as lifes permanent and mindful routine, procedure, system and\ninstitution. Its five determined times throughout the day and night, and its modi\noperandi,<\/em> connote a framework within and around which all other life\nactivities are conceived, planned and executed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat is the prime mover in a believers life schedules, dynamism\nand success. Under no circumstances can its role and authority be bartered. It\nis primary, everything else is secondary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In passing, herein lies a clue about a persons commitment to salat\nand his punctuality in relation to it – and otherwise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person imagines his life as a canvas with a regular outline of\nfive daily prayers, within and around which he needs to plan and slot all his\npersonal, professional, family and social activities, he will never have any\nproblems with his salat. This is so because to such a person nothing is more\nimportant, and more deserving to be attended to, than salat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if a person imagines his life as a canvas jammed with all\nsorts of undertakings and activities, within and around which he has to plan\nand slot his five daily salats, he will regularly face all sorts of problems\nwith his salat, both with regard to its quality and quantity. This is so\nbecause to such a person everything seems to be more important, and more\ndeserving to be attended to, than salat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without doubt, establishing salat promotes and teaches discipline, management, effective planning, time optimisation and accountability. It does so at all possible levels. Mismanagement and mishandling of salat lead to the antitheses of all those first-rate attributes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quran mentions 9 times only that salat is and should be \u0153performed\u009d,\nemploying different forms of the type II verb salla<\/em> (meaning \u0153to perform\nsalat\u009d). That is always done in the frame of some larger contexts and\nbackgrounds, where salat alone is not the main focus; it is merely one of a few\npursuits intended to be highlighted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, however, the Quran mentions 46 times that salat\nis and should be \u0153established\u009d, employing different forms of the type III verb aqama,\n<\/em>which is then followed by the word\u0153salat<\/em>\u009d (meaning \u0153to\nestablish salat\u009d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message of the Quran is unambiguous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The compass and depth of the notion of \u0153establishing salat\u009d could\nbe further elucidated if the literal meanings of the verb aqama<\/em>, which precedes\nsalat<\/em>, are enumerated. The verb aqama<\/em> generally means: to\nestablish, erect, reside, institute, found, build, install, administer,\ninhabit, implement, demonstrate, provide a proof for, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, for instance, the Quran addresses the Jews and Christians as\nfollows: \u0153Say: \u0153O People of the Scripture, you are (standing) on nothing until\nyou uphold the law of the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you\nfrom your Lord\u009d (al-Maidah, 68). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The verb tuqimu<\/em> is used in the context of upholding\n(observing, standing fast by, keeping up, following, acting according to, or\nperforming) the law of the Torah, the Gospel, and whatever has been revealed\nfrom God. The verb is thus used in connection with the ascertaining of truth\nand the integrity \u201c or the lack of it – of the Jews and Christians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, the verb aqama<\/em> is used in the story of Musa and Khidr,\nwhen the latter restored a wall in a town they visited. The Quran says: \u0153And\nthey found therein a wall about to collapse, so he restored it (aqamahu<\/em>)\u009d\n(al-Kahf, 77).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the wall was repaired (restored, set up straight, or put into\na right state), it became sound, functional and useful again. It secured a\ncommanding presence and sound physical appearance. Most importantly, it\nregained its individuality. It got an important role to play in relation to its\nown purpose and the purposes of the rest of the towns morphology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, establishing salat in the long run means ascertaining\ntruth, practicing integrity, securing a commanding presence and identity, building\na future, and providing a proof for righteousness and virtue. Salat extends\ninto the domains of all provinces of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparations for salat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For salat to become the centre of gravity in a persons life, he\nmust meticulously attend to it. His dealing with his salat must cover every\naspect of it, before, during and after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things that deserve special attention are as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparations for salat should be methodical, thorough, and even\ncreative. They are to be physical, mental and spiritual, and should be taken\nvery seriously. Performing ablution or wudu<\/em> (a prescribed washing of\ncertain body parts) is meant, among other things, to facilitate the process.\nMinding the cleanliness and overall state of clothing, the whole body and the\nplace of salat, should be seen in the same light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ablution cleanses our body, awakens and realigns our mind, and\nre-orientates plus calibrates our soul. It is no surprise that the Prophet\n(pbuh) said a great deal of goodness concerning it and its function. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said for example: \u0153There is no one among you who does wudu<\/em>;\nand does it well, then says: \u0153I bear witness that there is no god except Allah alone,\nwith no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and\nMessenger\u009d, but the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him and he will\nenter through whichever one he wants\u009d (Sahih Muslim). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to another narrations, the following is to be added to\nthe supplication: \u0153O Allah, make me one of those who repent (spiritual\ncleanliness) and make me one of those who purify themselves (physical\ncleanliness)\u009d (Jami al-Tirmidhi).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person should gradually disengage from the worldly concerns and\nworries, and start focusing on spiritual matters well before salat. This by no\nmeans implies that a person should stop doing what he is doing long before his\nsalat, but at least should start preoccupying his thoughts and feelings as\nearly and as much as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beginning of salat signifies the climax of that process. A\nperson should not approach his salat while he is still fully engrossed in\nworldly matters. If in salat our minds and hearts are already preoccupied and\nfull, how can there be any place in them for what salat is supposed to serve?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of ablution (wudu<\/em>), we should approach salat\n\u0153washed\u009d and \u0153clean\u009d, both physically and spiritually. Salat is always ready\nfor us, so we too should be ready for it. Salat is always ready to give us its\nmaximum, so we too should be prepared to do the same for it. The relationship\nis mutual and causal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is widely held that our problem in salat is absent-mindedness.\nThat is a clich\u00c3\u00a9. Rather, our problem is what could be dubbed whole-mindedness.\nThis is so because we live in the ages of information and internet, and being\nunable to be selective and discreet we are overstuffed with junk knowledge and\ninformation. Instead of being in control, we are being controlled. Our limited\ncapacities are exhausted, or are stretched to breaking pint. We must learn\nwhere and when to stop and when to say that it is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can such a mind and soul be ready for the riches and effects of\nsalat? We must remember that salat and a heedless heart and a thoughtless mind\nare unsuited to each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is high time that we start taking stock of our lives and start\nsetting our priorities right. We must stop fooling ourselves and must start\nasking and answering correctly the biggest life questions before it becomes too\nlate to make amends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Punctuality in salat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, salat is to be performed on time, as part of\nmeticulous preparations for it. Punctuality in salat is a great virtue;\nunwarranted procrastination is a demerit, especially if it involves joining or\nmissing out on congregational prayers. As soon as a time for a salat is due, a\npersons worldly interests should come \u201c or should start coming – to a halt. The\ntimes of salat are the Creators calls and invitations, so people as creation\nand servants need to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on personal conditions and external circumstances, when a\ntime for a salat arrives, there must be in every true Muslim a genuine feeling\naroused and a sincere reaction caused, regardless of their exact natures and intensities.\nIf absolutely nothing happens and nothing is felt, and salat is attended to at\nwill belatedly and hurriedly, such amounts to a cause for real concern and a\nreason to feel real anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accordingly, a companion of the Prophet (pbuh), Abdullah b. Masud,\nreported that he asked the Prophet (pbuh): \u0153O Messenger of Allah, which deed is\nbest?\u009d The Prophet (pbuh) replied: \u0153Salat in its proper time<\/strong>\u009d\n(Sahih al-Bukhari).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While performing salat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While performing salat, we should be humbly submissive (khashiun<\/em>)\n(al-Muminun, 2). Salat is to be experienced as a meeting and conversation with\nour Creator. We are to acknowledge in the process His transcendent greatness,\nomnipotence and omniscience, and our smallness and all the other human limitations\nof ours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are to display our utmost awe, respect and love for God. Our\nfear to displease Him by way of committing inappropriate actions should also be\nevident. Thus, salat is a combination of worship, remembrance, recitation of\nthe Quran as Gods holy Speech, salutations upon the Prophet (pbuh),\nsupplications, exaltations, praises, thanks-giving, confessions, repentance and\nseeking forgiveness. These are the best things a person can ever do, and the\nbest things are reserved for the best, i.e., for salat. That way, salat becomes\na restorer of truth and values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A persons experience of salat and his solemnity and full submissiveness in it are significantly aided by comprehending and internalising what is being recited. There should exist a close relationship between the functions of the tongue, mind and heart. They in unison should lead to a common goal, which is the ultimate goal of salat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is impossible to utterly experience and appreciate salat if\nthere are veils of unfamiliarity standing between it and those who perform it. It\nis then that human minds and souls become most vulnerable and most susceptible\nto inattentiveness, wandering and distractions. Needless to say, therefore,\nthat salat, with all its conceptual, jurisprudential, spiritual and behavioural\naspects and dimensions, should feature most conspicuously in Muslim formal and\ninformal educational systems. Muslims should learn about authentic salat most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is always easier to focus when one knows what is being said and\nrecited. Just to follow and contemplate the meanings and messages could\ngenerate a whole lot of gratification and excitement, which in turn can go a\nlong way in making salat what it was meant to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But to know nothing or very little can easily make a person feel as\nthough a stranger in the orb of salat, or can make salat seem as though an oddity\nand outsider in peoples personal universes. It then becomes very hard to\ndevelop a meaningful and productive relationship between people and their\nlives, and salat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an illustration of how God speaks to man in salat through surah\nal-Fatihah<\/em>, which is the pillar of salat, the Prophet (pbuh) declared that\nAlmighty God had said: \u0153I have divided salat into two halves between Me and My\nservant, and My servant will receive what he asks. When the servant says:\nPraise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe, Allah the Most High says: My\nservant has praised Me. And when he (the servant) says: The Most Compassionate,\nthe Merciful, Allah the Most High says: My servant has lauded Me. And when he\n(the servant) says: Master of the Day of judgment, He remarks: My servant has\nglorified Me;  and sometimes He would\nsay: My servant entrusted (his affairs) to Me. And when he (the worshipper)\nsays: Thee do we worship and of Thee do we ask help, He (Allah) says: This is\nbetween Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for. Then,\nwhen he (the worshipper) says: Guide us to the straight path, the path of those\nto whom Thou hast been Gracious not of those who have incurred Thy displeasure,\nnor of those who have gone astray, He (Allah) says: This is for My servant, and\nMy servant will receive what he asks for\u009d (Sahih Muslim).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It goes without saying that salats main thrusts are humble\nsubmissiveness, devotion and perseverance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quran repeatedly reveals that everything in the universe ceaselessly\nworships, glorifies and praises God. Everything offers to the Creator and\nMaster its decreed form of salat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mans salat is a microcosm of all those salat forms, and his places\nof worship and salat (masajid<\/em> or mosques) are the microcosms of the\nuniverse as a macro-abode of the veneration and extolment of Almighty God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is thus suggested that different postures in our salat indicate\ndifferent forms of worship and salat undertaken by different existential realities.\nBy way of example, standing upright characterises all beings that worship God\nand pray to him in like manner, bowing down represents those with four feet or\nanything like that, prostrating calls to mind all the crawling and creeping\nbeings, and so on. The content of human salat may likewise contain the essence\nof all other salat (worship) forms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact of salat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat is expected to impact greatly on our lives. After each salat, a person is expected to be a step closer to his self-actualisation. He is to keep intensifying and monitoring his spiritual ascent thereby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surely, a believers life is anything but a static and lethargic\naffair. It is rightly said that he whose two days are equal is a loser, he\nwhose today is worse than his yesterday is accursed, he who is not on the\nincrease (in terms of knowledge and good deeds) is on the decrease, and death\nis better for him who is on the decrease. This proverb is often erroneously\nascribed to the Prophet (pbuh).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is said in the Quran about salat as a restrainer of lewdness\nand iniquity, and as a catalyst for goodness and virtue: \u0153\u00a6Salat restrains from\nand prohibits immorality and wrongdoing\u009d (al-\u02dcAnkabut, 45).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this verse, the chief criterion for salats validity and\nacceptance is presented. Salat is all about quality and excellence, rather than\nquantity and patchiness. Salat dominates, yet determines, a persons moral\ndisposition and performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no morality without salats uprightness and vitality, and\nthere cannot be high ethical standards and values without salats as high\nfortitude and as clear direction and guidance. Salat is the cause, all goodness\nis the effect. This applies as much to the level of individuals as to the\nsocial level, and as much to the ambit of the spiritual progression of\nindividuals as to that of societies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to this, when the Quran refers in surah Maryam<\/em> to some\npeople (some generations) who will face perdition, it confirms that they,\nfirstly, \u0153neglected salat\u009d and, secondly, \u0153followed lusts\u009d (Maryam, 59).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is impossible that someone \u0153meets and talks to God most\nprivately five times a day, making all sorts of spiritual acknowledgments,\npledges, praises, exaltations, etc. in the process, only to betray himself and\nGod as soon as his salats are over and go about committing evil deeds without\nany pangs of conscience whatsoever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something like that can find refuge only in the abyss of the\nwaywardness and double standards of hypocrites. The Prophet (pbuh) said that\nthere are three signs of a hypocrite, even if he claimed to be a Muslim: \u0153When\nhe speaks he lies, when he gives a promise he breaks it, and when he is trusted\nhe betrays the trust\u009d (Sahih al-Bukhari).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the context of salat, hypocrites speak to God but lie; they give\npromises to Him and themselves, but they break them; and they are entrusted\nwith faith and salat, but they betray all their trusts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is owing to this when the Quran speaks about hypocrites and\nsalat, it speaks about two separate and totally dissimilar entities: they and\nsalat. One is in one \u0153valley\u009d, and the other in another \u0153valley\u009d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they were to hypocritically perform salat, hypocrites stand up\n(move from one position and attitude) to perform salat (to another position and\nattitude). They and salat will never be one. They will never be on the same\nwave length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hypocrites neither perform nor establish salat. More accurately,\nthey \u0153stand up to prayer\u009d (qamu ila al-salah<\/em>). Even when they do so,\nthey do it \u0153lazily, just to show that they pray, but, in truth they remember\nGod very little\u009d (al-Nisa, 142).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the following two authentic hadiths<\/em> (traditions) of the Prophet (pbuh) summarise the meaning and virtues of salat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prophet (pbuh) asked his companions: \u0153What do you think if\nthere was a river by the door of any one of you and he bathed in it five times\na day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?\u009d They said: \u0153No trace of\ndirt would be left on him.\u009d He said: \u0153That is like the five daily salats, by\nmeans of which Allah erases sin\u009d (Sahih al-Bukhari).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a man asked the Prophet (pbuh) about the most virtuous deed.\nThe Prophet (pbuh) stated that the most virtuous deed was salat. The man asked\nagain and again. The first three times, the Prophet (pbuh) again answered:\n\u0153salat\u009d, then on the fourth occasion he stated: \u0153Jihad in the way of Allah\u009d\n(Musnad Ahmad).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salat is at once the soul and the face of Islam. To do it regularly\nand properly is not easy. As the Quran verifies: \u0153And seek help through\npatience and salat, and indeed, it is a hard thing except for the humbly\nsubmissive (to Allah)\u009d (al-Baqarah, 45).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, we should never stop learning about and improving our salat. It may yet be our ticket to Jannah<\/em> (Paradise), inshaAllah.***<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Spahic Omer Salat or Salah (prayer) is the most important commandment in Islam which is performed five times a day, individually and collectively. It… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":139854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,21],"tags":[],"nelio_content":{"isAutoShareEnabled":true,"autoShareEndMode":"never","automationSources":{"useCustomSentences":false,"customSentences":[]},"followers":[111,12,134,5],"suggestedReferences":[],"efiUrl":"","efiAlt":"","highlights":[],"permalinkQueryArgs":[]},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/051276500_1526605664-ramadan-3384043_1280.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139841"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=139841"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":139851,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139841\/revisions\/139851"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/139854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=139841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=139841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=139841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}