Why do Muslims offer Prayer?

“And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humble in spirit, 

Who know for certain that they shall meet their Lord and that they shall return to Him.” (Al-Baqara, 2: 46-47).

Prayer (Salat) is a spiritual purification through which Muslims are required to undergo five times a day. Prayer is an integral part of Islam and is thus incumbent upon every sincere Muslim believer. Prayer enables Muslims to affirm five times per day the Unity and attributes of Allah, and their belief in Muhammad (pbuh), His Messenger. Prayer is therefore a part of the everyday affairs of the Muslim – he has been commanded by God Almighty to pray in the morning before sunrise, prayer is also ordained for him just after midday, a third in the afternoon, a fourth just after sunset, and a fifth in the evening before going to bed. Prayer is thus the first daily preoccupation of a Muslim and also his last. Prayer enables man, even when at his busiest, to disengage himself from worldly affairs in order to remember his Maker. Whilst Islam emphasises the accountability of each and every individual to Allah, it allows for the weaknesses and imperfection of man.

Although one is supposed to pray five times a day, allowances are made for those whose work schedules are such that they cannot break off at the required times of day. Thus, certain prayers can be combined and said together. Furthermore, if one is ill or on a journey, concessions are made so that the number of prayers are reduced, or in the case of illness, the actual form of prayer may be changed. For example, Instead of standing for prayer, the sick person may sit down to pray and if he is unable to do even that, he can lie down on the bed to pray.

Finding God: Five Steps for the Seeker

Make God Almighty your Ultimate Goal:

People who are rather short-sighted and lack discernment define different reasons for their lives and are limited to worldly objectives and ambitions. But the purpose decided for man by God Almighty is according to His own holy words:

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (51: 57)

The real aim of God is to make the man understand the main purpose of his existence on earth, that is to say, to be completely devoted to Him. It is obvious that man cannot set a goal to his own life because he neither comes into this world on his own nor does he leave this world on his own, according to his will. He is a creature and the One who has created him and invested in him better faculties which are superior to animals has also identified a goal for his life. We understand it or not, the fact remain that the purpose of the creation of man is undoubtedly worship and understanding of God and a complete devotion to Him. Elsewhere in the Holy Quran, God Almighty has said:

“Surely the true religion in the sight of Allah is Islam...” (3: 20)

“So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth (as one devoted to God). It is the nature made by Allah, the nature according to which He has created men. There can be no change in Allah’s creation. This is the true religion. But most people do not know.” (30: 31).

The religion that gives us a real appreciation of God and prescribes His true worship is Islam. Islam is inherent in human nature and man was created in accord with ISLAM - submission to the One God - and such is the eternal and true faith. This is to say that God wanted man to be fully devoted to His worship, that he loves and obeys Him with all his faculties. So He (Allah) has blessed man with all appropriate faculties to achieve ISLAM (to submit to Him, that being the real target for the creation of mankind).

Despite the fact that man is taken up by the various projects of his life, he can find true happiness only in God Almighty (Allah). After having accumulated enormous wealth, after having held high office, after having become a great trader, and ruled over a vast kingdom, and after having been recognized as a great philosopher, at the end he leaves all these commitments with great regret. His heart constantly reproaches himself for his total concern for worldly affairs and his conscience never accepts his illicit activities full of trickery and artifice.

An intelligent person can better understand that problem. We cannot assign a higher purpose to something beyond its/ his capacity, beyond which it/ he can no longer function. For example, the highest work of a bull is the ploughing of fields or irrigation or transportation. Its faculties are not adapted to anything else. Thus the aim of the life of a bull comes down to these three functions. It has no ability to do anything else. 

But by examining the faculties of man and trying to find their limits, we find him in search of God the Exalted. He wishes to become so devote to God that he devotes everything he owns/possesses to God. He shares with other animals his natural survival instinct. However, in the field of manufacturing certain animals surpass him. Indeed the bees extract the essence of different varieties of flowers to produce a honey so excellent that it surpasses the understanding of man up till now. It is therefore obvious that the summits of human faculties are to meet God the Exalted. So the real purpose of his life is that the window of his heart should open to God.

Meanings of 'Laa Ilaaha Illallah'

Laa Ilaaha Illallah - There is no god but Allah. This statement (of faith) has two pillars.

Ø  The first: “There is no god” is to deny that the true divinity (the right of worship) belongs to other than Allah.

Ø  The second: To affirm that Allah alone is worthy of 

being worshipped.

Allah (swt) said: 

 

“And when Abraham said to his father and his people: ‘I totally disown what you worship’.” (43: 27).

It is not enough to only worship Allah, but this worship must be reserved exclusively to Him. The Unicity (Tawheed) is only valid when we proclaim that Allah is unique while disavowing polytheism and its followers.

It is reported that “The key to paradise” is: “There is no god but Allah.” However, do all people who pronounce it deserve that all the gates of Paradise are opened for them? Is the statement “There is no god but Allah” not the key to paradise? This is definitely the case, but each key has teeth. So if you bring a key that has teeth (with the correct teeth), that door shall be opened to you, otherwise it will not be opened for you.

'Shade of God, For the Truly Humble'

“This (Quran) is enlightenment for mankind and guidance and mercy for a people who have Faith with certainty. What! Do those who commit evils think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous deeds - that equal will be their life and their death? Ill is the judgment that they make. And Allah created the heavens and earth with truth and so that every soul may be rewarded for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged.” (45: 21-23)

By the grace of Allah, Allah (swt) gives me once again the opportunity to continue the explanation on the subject of the three Friday sermons that I had made in the month of Dhul-Qaddah (that is to say, on 28 August as well as on 04 & 11 September 2015).

It is a subject which is so vast and important and I hope that by the grace of Allah, every Muslim around the world and all my dear disciples who are in the different countries of the world understand what I’m trying to make them understand, in their own interest, for their own good vis-à-vis their Creator and I recommend you to try to make an analysis of what I said in those Friday sermons, and today it’s the fourth sermon which I am doing on the same subject. It is for your own benefit if everyone gets to reform himself; for he will then have no fear on the day when he will have to appear before his Creator. So if everyone understands what I say, then everyone will have to clear all their discussions/disputes, their passions and hatred and grudges they have towards their brothers of the same religion, and the disputes and wars that exists between them.

The majority of people who are engaged in wars (between themselves) and who do nothing to calm their anger and passions are people who cannot become the friends of Allah. So I make an appeal to you all without distinction that it is high time now to give up, to abandon all peccadilloes (vain differences and arguments), all unimportant things because it is now time to engage in the great and extraordinary work (of religion). So I never tire of telling you every time that you need to adopt this path, because without it we cannot come under the shadow of Allah, in the refuge of Allah in peace.

Eid-Ul-Adha: Sacrificing Our Best Assets

And for all religion We have appointed a rite (of sacrifice) that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has provided for them of (sacrificial) animals. For your god is one God, so to Him submit. And, give good tidings to the humble (before their Lord), 

Who, when (the name of) Allah is mentioned, their hearts are fearful, and (to) the patient over what has afflicted them, and the establishers of prayer and those who spend from what We have provided them. 

And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah; for you therein is good. So mention the name of Allah upon them when lined up (for sacrifice); and when they are (lifeless) on their sides, then eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may be grateful. 

Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that (to) which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good. (22: 35-38)

The great advices mentioned in these verses apply to every aspect of human life. First they teach us the meaning of sacrifice. And they teach us that we are dependent on these animals (cattle) because we get all kinds of supplies from them. And there are other benefits that are related to these quadrupeds to facilitate your life. Certainly, it is on these types of animals also that you travel.

The night of 27 Rajab: Isra and Miraj

The night of 27 Rajab: Isra and Miraj

And also, like you know, tonight is the 27 Rajab and thus before closing my sermon I will say a few words on it. On the night of 27 Rajab, occurred what is known as the Isra and Miraj (the spiritual journey and ascension to the heavens) which the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) experienced. And according to the Hadith and other anecdotes of Islam it is a 27 Rajab that our beloved prophet (pbuh) made a night journey to Mecca and Jerusalem and later on to the heavens. It is baffling that many Muslims still think that the journey was a physical one, when verily it was a spiritual one. This is one of the reasons why they still believe that Jesus, Hazrat Isa (as) is still physically alive in the heavens and can come down with his body of clay back on earth. This provides them a consolation that this is possible as they believe that the journey of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a physical one.

Prophets of Allah usually speak in parables. Parables are but ways of the chosen ones of Allah to illustrate situations so that they may better understand them, but rather than understanding them, and implement them as and when they apply, people misunderstand those parables and take them literally rather than metaphorically.

Someone who really experienced the state of Kashaf (vision) may better understand the state that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was when Allah granted him the vision. Despite the fact that the degree of this prophetic Kashaf was a much of a higher level than any other Kashafs which other people may witness, including those of the past prophets, but only what is clear in this case is that Allah only takes the soul of His servants who are alive only by both the state of sleep and consciousness which we call vision (Kashaf).

Muhammad- the Universal Prophet

The Holy prophet (pbuh) was born on 12^th Rabi’ul Awwal. His father was Abdullah son of Abdul-Muttalib and his mother was Amina daughter of Wahab. It was in the year of Elephant, the year when Abraha an Abyssinian at the head of an army marched towards Mecca mounted on elephants in order to attack Mecca and demolish the Ka’aba. The march of elephants frightened the Arabs but Allah sent down a swarm of flying creatures which threw stones on the Abyssinian army. This event marked history for Allah after nominating the Muhammad (pbuh) as prophet, later revealed to him about what occurred to Abraha and his army in the year of his birth. This Surah is none other than Surah Al-Fil (The Elephant: Chapter 105). Allah relates therein how He crushed them and their evil plans.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) came to change the course of human history. His birth was like a spring of light which illuminated the Arabian Peninsula and the whole world.

According to various Qur’anic verses and prophetic traditions, we see the magnificence of the Prophet, whether in his physical features, and in his character. His physical beauty is comparable to the beauty of the fourteenth moon; and much more! Several of his companions have given details of his physical traits and his character. The Prophet (pbuh) had a beautiful constitution. He had a white complexion; a splendid white. His forehead was wide, and the place between his eyebrows was bright like pure silver and his eyes were beautiful, and the pupils of his eyes were black. His cilia were abundant. As for his nose, it was thin, and he had a sweet face. His beard was thick, and his neck was beautiful, being neither long nor short, to the point that if the sun hit him, it seemed like a cup of silver mixed with gold. In addition, the space between the shoulders of the Prophet (pbuh) was wide and his hair, which was neither thin nor curly, almost touched his shoulders. Aisha, his beloved wife reported that “the blessed hair of the Messenger of God (pbuh) were longer than those reaching the earlobes and shorter than those that reach the shoulders.” He was neither tall nor short. (Inset:  Hazratbal Mosque in Srinagar, Kashmir. It houses a hair of the prophet Muhammad. The "Moi-e-Muqqadas", arrived in Kashmir in 1699 during the time of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, is displayed on various occasions related with the life of the Holy Prophet ).

Do not fight with God and His Messenger

Allah (swt) has several beautiful names. These are the attributes that He possesses. I shall mention briefly two of these attributes: Al-Khafidh, which means the One who humiliates and, Ar-Rafi, the One who elevates. Almighty Allah has the capacity to degrade/humiliate someone or to elevate him, raising him in position. It is Almighty Allah who has the power to degrade someone by dishonouring him and to elevate him and making him honourable.

Man is ever changing. He does not stay the same. There is a time when he is young, courageous and solid, and after the passage of time, he becomes unrecognizable. You may see that his courage has disappeared and he has lost his charm. In the past people used to need him and rush to him, and now nobody knows that he exists. Dreams become reality and reality becomes a thing of the past. Therefore, there is the high and low in life, and all this is found in the hand of Allah the Almighty.

Do you know who you are? All the noises/publicity/boasting that you are making… you can be a Minister, Prime Minister or a King. You can be whatever you want to be, but do you know that you are a slave? All the bossing around that you do, but verily you shall always remain a slave. You shall live like a slave and die as a slave. You shall never succeed in liberating yourself from that slavery. What remains to be known is what kind of slave are you! If you are not a slave for ALLAH, then you must be in a way or another, a slave of another thing/person. You can become slave of your passions, desires and vices. Then, if you have to be a slave, why do you become a slave for another slave? Why do you become a slave who makes you become the worst of slaves? 

'Allah raises His Elect, Not men'

In reply to a question pertaining to the Mujaddid claims of Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius, Dr. Rashid Jahangiri of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement stated the following in their official  Blog:

“No one among Qadianis, who has spent years in Qadiani jamaat listening and believing what Qadiani Khalifas has been saying, can all of a sudden become a Mujaddid.

Here is my reason: Intelligent Muslims who may even not be Mamur-min-Allah themselves have sight to “see”, “smell” and “feel” with in moments of meeting someone who claims to be a “mamur-min-Allah” (e.g. Qadiani Khalifas) and can figure out genuineness of his claim.

Example: Maulana Noor Ud Din when first time went to Qadian to look/ meet HMGA, while his carriage (tonga) hardly stopped and he stepped off of it and asked to see HMGA. Someone pointed out to a person sitting on a cot, who was “Mirza sahib”. Maulana Noor ud Din took a look and decided to return the very moment. At that moment someone again realized that he wants to meet Mirza Ghulam Ahmad the ‘massitar’ (nick name for HMGA as he use to spend most of his time in Mosque).  So Maulana was directed to HMGA house. There Maulana saw HMGA coming down his house stairs. Maulana before talking to HMGA asked his carriage driver to leave, and he (Maulana) decided to stay in Qadian.

So, a person who has spent his life looking for a one chance in his life to shake hand with “hazoor” (Qadiani Khalifa) can NOT become Mamur-min-Allah one morning.

Bottom line: No one among Qadianis can become Mujaddid one morning when they get out of their bed. I think Mujjaddid will be some one among general Muslims. I personally would give more credit to Javed Ahmad Ghamidi if he makes any such claim over Qadiani claimants.” (http://ahmadiyya.org/WordPress/2011/06/13/  ~ 17 June 2011)

Blessings of Prayer: A Testimonial

SYED ABDUL QADIR JILANI (1077- 1166) was a great saint of Islam. Born to two well known saints of their time, he was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (sa) from both his parents. His spirituality was of such high order that Allah raised him as the Mujaddid of the Era with a title “Muhyi-ud-Din” (Reviver of Faith). He strived in the path of spirituality so completely that Allah ordered him to make the well known, unique declaration: “My foot is on the neck of every saint”, an indication of the exalted spiritual status that he enjoyed in his time. 

In his book Futuhul Ghaib, the Muhyi-ud-Din Sheikh (ra) spoke in detail about the sacrifices needed for the acceptance of prayers and the blessings that will be bestowed on those who chose the spiritual path: 

"If you desire to become an accepted one of God, then, believe with utmost certainty. Understand that your hands, your feet, your tongue, your eyes, and your whole being and all its organs, are like idols in your way. And all other creation is similarly an idol barring your path. Your children, your wife, the worldly objectives you wish to achieve, worldly riches, worldly honor and prestige, every worldly hope and fear, your reliance or trust on anyone or anything, your fear of being harmed by anyone- all these are idols in your way. So do not become subservient to any of these idols. Do not lose your way in pursuit of them. In other words, have recourse to them within the bounds of the Shariah and the way of the righteous.