'Salah': Mistakes to Avoid

  

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I am continuing my Friday Sermon of last week on Salat (i.e. Prayer), and today I would like to talk to you about some of the major mistakes which Muslim believers do when establishing the Salat. Like I told you, Salat is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam. It comes just after the Shahada [attestation of the faith in Islam’, i.e. Laa-Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadur Rassullullah – There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.

 

In other words it is to believe in Allah and in His Messenger Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), and not associating anybody or anything else in the worship of Allah, to give Allah an exclusive and pure worship, and not worshipping even Muhammad (pbuh) who is only a Messenger of God and not a god or partner along with Allah. It is about believing firmly in the unicity of Allah and submitting oneself completely to His will.

It is only after one has established himself firmly in the Shahada that one establishes himself in prayer, as a sign of the very submission which he proclaimed, not only openly but inwardly, with all his intellectual faculties as well as his inner consciousness which we usually coined as the mind, as well as with his heart and soul. These three mind, heart and soul intertwined each other in nearly similar significance as these three concerns the spiritual side of the believer, which is beyond his body and carnal passions. If these three as well as his body are regulated in the correct way, then the submission to Allah comes naturally without any clash with external or even internal passions which may ruin his bond with Allah. To maintain his body and soul in harmony with Islam, Salat is thus very important. And the establishing of Salat in the correct way will assure the believer success in this world and the Hereafter.

'Salah' in Muslim Life

 

“Surely I, Ever I, am Allah; there is no god except I; so worship Me, and Aqimus-Salah (establish prayer) for My remembrance.” (Taha 20: 15) 

Salah (prayer) is of vital importance in the life of a Muslim. Allah (twt) did not just say to offer or perform prayer (Salah). He has commanded mankind, and especially His true servants to establish prayer, meaning that it goes beyond the mere performance of the prescribed movements and the servant of Allah is called to experience the feeling of perfect submission and humility before Allah the Almighty. It refers to the commitment one makes to Allah after His given command to obey Him and keep up regularly, and as ordained, the prescribed spiritual meetings between Allah and His servant. That spiritual meeting is manifested also through the physical demonstration of submission when the believer submits himself with all his heart, soul and body to the Grandeur and Majesty of Allah even though he does not see Him with his physical eyes.

 

Moreover, Allah (twt) commands the correct performance of Salah. Sometimes a believer’s Salah may seem empty of any pleasure or deep feeling of attachment with Allah, but with Sabr (patience) and perseverance, he will get the perfume of pleasure in his Salat (prayers). He may face deep difficulties and not see any issue, he may pray without putting any real trust in Allah. But what does Allah say?

 

Allah (twt) states in the Holy Quran: “O you who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. Surely Allah is with the steadfast.” (Al-Baqara 2: 154)

 

The Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is quoted to have said: “Prayer is a light, charity is proof, and patience is illumination.” (Muslim)

Our Covenant with God

 

In theory, a social contract binds the State and the citizen; defining nature of relations, prescribing rules of engagement, and allocating the rights and duties of the Parties involved. In our societies, the basic social unit of family and kingship is also rooted in marriage contracts between husbands and wives; like the Qur’an reminds: “they have taken from you a firm and solemn covenant (by marriage)” (4:22). Similarly, the Qur’an speaks of humanity’s covenant with God through history: an original covenant that prescribes duties that we owe to God and to fellow beings, in return for Divine approval and rewards in this world and the world to come. In the Divine scheme of things under the covenant, those who refuse to respect the terms of engagement by leading a Godless life in this world, and those who ignore His warnings and go on to persecute His believing servants are the real law-breakers, and they are condemned to severe punishment, as per the Will of Allah (swt).

 

Human servitude to the Lord Almighty

Islam teaches us that Allah (swt), the Creator and Sustainer of all the worlds, raised humans with a certain purpose of life, and through Revelations sent via prophets and messengers, He granted clear guidance on how best to spend our days in this world. The Creator, in His infinite kindness, imprinted all human souls with a deep yearning in quest of Him, and the human heart and mind are designed to be truly inclined to recognize the Lord; an intuitive capacity is ingrained in all persons to observe and reflect and recognize and understand the beauty and wisdom of His revelations sent through the prophets and the sages; to find peace and tranquillity by being mindful of His commandments. The Qur’an says: ‘And when your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their loins, their progeny and made them bear witness concerning themselves, “Am I not your Lord Who sustains you?” They said, “Yea, surely, we bear witness (to it and acknowledge it).” (7:173)

'Nafs': Body Rights in Islam

 

Fulfilling the Rights of Fellow Muslims (Part 5)

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I continue today the series of sermons on the rights of fellow Muslims, and today I will talk about the rights of one’s own self [Nafs].

 

Life on earth is a God-given temporary trust [i.e. Amanat] to the human race. We are all the property of Allah (twt) and all that we are belong exclusively to Allah. And while belonging to Allah, contrary to His other creatures, He has bestowed upon us freewill and rights that we have to both respect and implement.

 

So, it is therefore incumbent for us to use and guard this trust according to the Divine command. Among the rights incumbent on us in respect of our lives are:

 

1.     The protection of its health and strength.

    2.     The guarding of its peace.

 

This means to refrain from any such activity which unnecessarily imposes strain and frustration. Neglect in these rights results in interference with one’s Deen. Peace of mind and courage are destroyed and in consequence one will fail to render service to others. At times, due to the frustration and weakness, one’s condition aggravates to the degree where one’s very faith [i.e. Iman ] is in danger of elimination. This grievous state is manifested due to the impatience and ingratitude fostered by frustration and depression which overtakes man who has failed in fulfilling the rights of his own body and soul.

Balancing Rights and Duties

 

Man is a social being. Just living requires the recognition of the duties we owe to others, just as we seek to exercise our own individual and other social rights in the community. Islam provides a range of teachings that address the fine balance of rights and duties to be achieved in society as well as in family; in our relations with parents, spouse/s, children, other members of the clan. In this series of special discourses, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius comprehensively explains the vital considerations of justice, compassion and benevolence the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) took into account while giving shape to the interpretation of rights and duties in social contexts. Read the Part 4 of this series, Friday Sermon of 02 September 2022 ~04 Safar 1444 AH below:  

Fulfilling the Rights of Fellow Muslims 

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I continue today the subject of my sermon on the rights of our fellow Muslims, especially the rights of the parents, and to what limit should they be obeyed, and the rights of one’s own child and spouse in respect of obedience to parents.