Showing posts with label Hellfire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hellfire. Show all posts
Sunday, 1 November 2009
We Must Not Insist On Disobeying Allah.
.....................In The Name of Allah,The Most Merciful,The Most Kind.......................
..............Five ways to disobey Allah!..........
Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi mentions a conversation between a young lad and the great scholar Ibrahim Bin Adham in his book Kitab At-Tawwabeen, page 285.
The young boy: O Abu Ishaq, I am wronging my soul, advise me with something that’ll hold me back from disobeying Allah and breathe new life into my heart.
Ibrahim Bin Adham: Alright. If you take five things from me and fulfill them, you can disobey Allah the Almighty all you want and no harm will come to you.
Young boy: (Interested) Ok, tell me.
Ibrahim Bin Adham: One, if you want to do other than what Allah wants you to do, then do not eat the food that He provides you.
Young boy: Then where am I supposed to eat from when all the food on earth is from Allah?
Ibrahim Bin Adham: Dear lad, is it right that you eat the food Allah the Almighty has given you and then go off and disobey Him?
Young boy: No it is not right. What is the second?
Ibrahim Bin Adham: Two, if you want to live life to the fullest in disobedience of Allah, then don’t live on His land.
Young boy: That’s harder than the first. Where shall I live when all that is in the east and west the belongs to Him?
Ibrahim Bin Adham: Dear boy, is it right that you eat His food and live in His land, yet still insist on turning your back when He calls you?
Young boy: No it’s not right. What’s the third?
Ibrahim Bin Adham: If you want to disobey Allah, yet still eating the food He gave you and still living in His land, then find a place where He can’t see you.
Young boy: O Abu Ishaq, how can that be so when Allah is the All-Seeing and All-Knowing of all that happens, even what the heart whispers?
Ibrahim Bin Adham: Dear boy, is it right that you eat His food and live in His land and disobey Him while He watches you and what you are exposing?
Young boy: No it’s not right. What’s the fourth?
Ibrahim Bin Adham: When the angel of death comes to snatch your soul, tell him to grant you a day so that you can sincerely ask Allah for forgiveness and change your life.
Young boy: He won’t grant me that.
Ibrahim Bin Adham: Dear boy, if you find yourself helpless to put off death for just one day and you know that it cannot be delayed by your wishes, how do you expect to win?
Young boy: (With a sigh) What is the fifth?
Ibrahim Bin Adham: When the gatekeepers of Hell will come to drag you away on your face to Hellfire refuse to go with them.
Young boy: Nothing will stop them.
Ibrahim Bin Adham: How do you expect to be saved then?
Young boy: Enough, Abu Ishaq. (And he lowers his head crying). O Allah, forgive me for my transgression.
Epilogue: Young boy went on to become a student of Ibrahim Bin Adham. He repented to Allah sincerely and lived an upright life with his teacher until death parted the two.
Imam Ibrahim Bin Adham died over a thousand years ago in the year 778 CE..
...................Can We Disobey Allah Without His Bounties?...................
Allah the Highest created the Heavens and the Earth, and put Adam and His descendants on Earth, giving us all provisions we need.
Allah the Highest provided us with what we need in our bodies to live, work and multiply, and with the means of life on earth of food, water, air and material.
Also Allah the Highest sent us the guidance to live according to His Way, which we choose to obey or disobey.
Whether we obey or disobey Allay the Highest, we can not do without the bounties He bestowed upon us, in ourselves like health and senses and in our provisions, money, food etc.
One can not steal without health, eyesight, hearing and other thing. An Adulterer can not commit adultery without health and wealth and senses. So on is the case in all kinds of disobedience.
There is no way of knowing the extend of Allah’s bounties upon us, for the more we know, the more we know of Allah’s bounties. Allah the Highest said:
“AND IF YOU TRY TO COUNT ALLAH’S BOUNTIES, YOU WILL NEVER COUNT THEM, INDEED ALLAH IS MOST FORGIVING AND MOST COMPASSIONATE”. (S: 16 A: 18)
To us, Allah’s bounties can be one of two things:
- Bounties he uses to obey Allah and please Him.
- Bounties which will tempt him to do wrong and evil, disobeying Allah the Highest. Such person, the more of Allah’s bounties he will have, the more able he will be to disobey Allah and to do wrong. For this person, giving us more, is giving us leeway to do more wrong.
Let us look at ourselves to see if Allah’s bounties upon us increased our obedience or disobedience of Allah. If it increases our obedience, let us be thankful. If it increases or disobedience, let us try to put ourselves right before we become of those about whom Allah the Highest said:
- ALLAH MOCKS THEM, AND GIVES THEM LEEWAY IN THEIR WICKEDNESS TO KEEP WONDERING BLINDLY. (S:2 A:15)
-
“AND GIVE THEM LEEWAY; MY PLAN (FOR THEM) IS FIRM INDEED”. (S:7 A:183)
- “THOSE WHO DENY OUR AYAHS, WE WILL LEADING THEM FROM WHERE THEY DO NOT KNOW”. (S:7 A:182)
Those, Allah the Highest left them and let them disobey, not out of pleasure with them, but to the contrary out of Displeasure and Anger.
We all commit sins, but we have to start being more serious at minimizing them to the least. You are not asked to be perfect or sinless, but today we want to promise Allah and ourselves that we will never insist on a disobeying Him. Search within yourself for the sins you do and you know that they are wrong and be determined to stop them. It is understandable if you forget or get weak and do them again, but quickly repent and ask Allah for His forgiveness and renew the promise. We Must Not Insist On Disobeying Allah. Its a Divine Law "When people insist on disobedience, they are destroyed."
Look back in history. Why did Adam and Hawwa (Eve) leave Paradise? It was because of disobedience. Why was Shaytan (Satan) cursed and expelled from the mercy of Allah? It was because he insisted on a sin (arrogance). Look at the people of Lut, what happened to them? They were destroyed because of their sins. They refused to follow the guidance of Allah and insisted on committing their enormous sin (sodomy). Allah the Almighty says, "But the (mighty) Blast overtook them before morning, And We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones hard as baked clay. Behold! in this are Signs for those who by tokens do understand" (15:73-75). Muslims!! Do you see the danger of insisting on disobeying Allah? Try your best not to commit sins, and if you do, quickly repent and be determined not to do it again.
Anas ibn Malik asked A'isha (R.A.)) the wife of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Mother of the Believers: "O Mother, when does the Earth shake and quake (zalzala)?" She replied, "O Son, its when drinking intoxicants spreads, as well as adultery and other forms of disobedience. Then Allah tells the Earth to shake and quake." So Anas asked, "Is it as a punishment?" She replied, "No! But it is mercy for them (so they may wake up)." Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, "If disobedience spreads in my Ummah, Allah will overwhelm them with calamities."
Never think that tiny sins don't matter because they accumulate and cause grave consequences on the long run. Like a drop of water that might seem harmless, but when these drops of water get together, they make a flood that wipes out cities.
Let tonight be a night of sincere repentance. Ask Allah to forgive your sins and promise Him and promise yourself that you will resist committing sins with all the power you have.
Imam Ali (R.A)) said: "No calamity has descended except by disobedience, and no calamity is repelled except by repentance."
We ask Allah the Highest for His Protection from His Displeasure and Anger. Amen
Sunday, 25 October 2009
“Let us enjoy the comfort of the Salaat.”
One of the things necessary for the salik in all his worships, especially in the salat, which is at the head of all worships and has a position of comprehensiveness [jami'iyat] , is submissiveness [khushu]. It is, in fact, a complete submission [khudu'] mixed with love or fear. It is the result of comprehending the Greatness, Power and Majesty of Beauty and Glory. The detail of this generality is that the hearts of the people of suluk are different according to their disposition and nature:
Some of the hearts are amorous and of the manifestations of Beauty [jamal] and, driven by their nature, they are attracted to the Beauty of the Beloved. When, in the suluk, they comprehend the shadow of the Beautiful, or witness the origin of the Beauty, the Greatness hidden in the secret of the Beauty effaces them, and they go into rapture, for in every beauty there is a hidden glory, and in every glory there is a covered beauty. There is probably an allusion to this point in his saying when the guardian of the gnostics and of the saliks, Amirul Mu'minin (the commander of the faithful), may Allah bless him and all his offspring, says: "Glory to the One whose compassion is vast for His friends despite His severe revenge, and whose revenge is severe for His enemies despite His vast compassion," [27]
Thus, the Majesty, Greatness and Power of Beauty envelop them and they fall into a state of submission [khushu] before the Beauty of the Beloved. This state, at the beginning, causes agitation to the heart and engenders anxiety. Then, after submission [tamkin], it changes to a state of familiarity, and the agitation and anxiety, caused by the Greatness and Power, turn into familiarity and peace, and there happens a state of tranquillity, as was the state of the heart of khalilur-Rahman (Allah's Friend = Ibrahim) (AS).
Some other hearts are fearing and they are of the manifestations of Glory [jalal]. They are in continual understanding of the Greatness, Grandeur and Glory. Their submission is of fright, and the Subjugative and Majestic Names are manifested to their hearts, as was the state of the prophet Yahya (may Allah's peace be upon him and our Prophet and his progeny). So, submission is sometimes mixed with love, and sometimes with fear and fright, though in every love there is fear, and in every fear there is love.
The degrees of submission are according to the degrees of understanding the Greatness, Majesty and Beauty. Now as we, in our case, are deprived of the light of visions, we have but to indulge in acquiring submission by means of knowledge and faith [iman]. Allah, the Exalted, says: "Successful, indeed, are the believers who are submissive in their salats," [28] Submission in the salat is regarded as a sign of faith [iman]. So, whoever is not submissive in his salat, will, according to Allah's saying, be excluded from the faithful [ahl-i iman]. Our salats which are not accompanied with submission are caused by a deficiency of faith or by lacking it. A belief [i'tiqad] and knowledge are other than faith, our knowledge of Allah, His Names and Attributes and of other divine Knowledge [ma'arij], is other than faith. Satan, according to the testimony of Allah, has information about the Beginning and the Resurrection, yet, he is a disbeliever. He said: "You have created me of fire, while You created him of dust," [29] So, he believes in Allah and in His being the Creator; and he says: "Respite me until the day they are resurrected", [30] So, he believes in the Day of Resurrection, too. He knows about the Books, the Messengers and the angels. Nevertheless, Allah addresses him as a disbeliever, excluding him from the group of the believers [mu'minin].
Thus, the people of knowledge are distinct from those of faith. Not every man of knowledge is a man of faith. Therefore, after acquiring knowledge, one has to join the believers, and to convey the Greatness, Majesty, Brightness and Beauty of Allah, the Most Exalted and High, to his heart, so that it may become submissive, since mere knowledge does not result in submission. You can realize it in yourself: although you do believe in the Beginning and the Resurrection and in Allah's Majesty and Glory, your heart is not submissive. As to Allah's saying: "Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be submissive when remembering Allah and what has come down of the truth," [31] it may be that it is the formal faith the very belief in what the Prophet (SA) has brought - which is intended here, for the true faith is accompanied by a degree of submission; or the submission in the noble ayah may refer to a submission at its complete degree, as sometimes they apply the word, 'alim (erudite) to the one whose knowledge has reached the limit of faith. In the noble ayah: " ...verily only the erudite among Allah's servants fear Him, " [32] the reference may be to them. In the terms of the Book and the Sunnah, knowledge, faith and Islam refer to different degrees, the explanation of which is out of the scope of these papers.
Generally speaking, the salik on the way to the Hereafter -specially if with the mi'raj (ascending) step of the salat -will have to make his heart submissive by the light of knowledge and faith, so as to strengthen, as much as he can, this divine gift and the beneficent gleam, in his heart, trying to keep this state during the whole length of the salat. This state of consolidation and stability, though a bit difficult at the beginning for people like us, it becomes quite possible by practice and by exercising the heart.
My dear: Acquiring perfection and the provision for the Hereafter requires demand and seriousness, and the greater the demand, the more it deserves being serious about it. Certainly, with such a state of weakness, laxity and carelessness, one cannot ascend to the divine proximity and to be in a place neighbouring the Lord of Might. one has to manly set forth in order to reach what one wants. Since you do believe in the Hereafter, and find no way of comparability between that world and this -whether regarding their happiness and perfection, or their sufferings and calamities, as that world is eternal, with no death and perishing, where the happy live in comfort and dignity and in everlasting bliss, a comfort which has no like in this world, a divine glory and sovereignty, the like of which cannot be found in this life, and a bliss which never occurs in anybody's imagination, and similarly regarding the sufferings of that world, its pains, torments and evils can have no match in this world -you should know that the way to happiness runs through obeying Allah, the Lord of Might. None of the acts of worship and obedience can be on the same footing as that of the salat, which is a comprehensive [jami] divine mixture [ma'jun] undertaking the happiness of humanity. If it is accepted, all other acts (of worship) will be accepted. So, you are to exert utmost seriousness in obtaining it, never to feel tired in the quest, and to bear whatever hardship there may be, though there will be none. Actually if you continued it for a while and got cordially familiar with it, you would get, in this very world, so much pleasure out of your talk with Allah -a pleasure which cannot be compared with anyone of this world's pleasures. this will be quite obvious if we study the states of the people supplicating to Allah.
In general, to sum up our discussions in this chapter, we may say that, having comprehended the Greatness, the Beauty, and the Majesty of Allah, either by means of reasoning and proofs, or through the explanations of the prophets (AS), one must remind his heart of it, and then, by gradual remindings, cordial attention and continual remembering Allah's Greatness and Majesty, he has to bring about the state of submission in his heart, so as to attain to the required result. At any rate, the salik should not suffice himself with his present station, as any station which we may obtain does not worth a farthing in the market of the people of knowledge, nor it worths a grain of mustard in the bazar of "the people of heart". The salik must, in all situations, remember his own faults and deficiencies, so that he may find, through this, a way to his happiness. And praise be to All.
There are some of statements in Al Qur'an and Hadiths about Khushuu' or calmness in salah.
In Al Qur'an
"And stand before Allah in a devout frame of mind." [2:238]
"Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their sholats with all solemnity and full submission." [23:1-2]
"And man is ever hasty" [17:11]
...............................What is Khushuu’?.....................By Dr. Mamdouh N. Mohamed.
Khushuu’ during Salaat is misunderstood by some people as crying and weeping. Rather, it is the presence of the heart during an act of ‘ibadah. When a person’s heart is fully occupied of what he says or hears, he is in a true state of khushuu’. The concept of Khushuu’ in Salaat is very essential.
1. It is a vital factor in making a person successful in this life and in later life.
“Indeed, the believers, who have khushuu’ in their Salaat, are the winners.”
قد أفلح المؤمنون الذين هم في صلاتهم خاشعون
2. It is a contributing factor for the acceptance of Salaat.
3. It is a way to gain more rewards from the Almighty Allah; the more the khushuu’ a person has, the more rewards he gets.
4. Without Khushuu’ the heart cannot easily be purified.
Ways to Gain Khushuu’
* Pre-Salaat
1. A Muslim should know his Lord very well. Knowing whom one worships makes a person a better worshipper. Having clear and authentic knowledge about Allah increases His love in our hearts. Consequently, faith also increases.
2. Avoiding major and minor sins is very helpful in gaining Khushuu’, as the heart becomes more receptive to the words of Allah during and after Salaat.
3. Reciting the Qur’an frequently and consistently softens the hearts and prepares it for Khushuu’. Hard hearts do not gain Khushuu’.
4. Minimize attachment to worldly matters. Gearing one’s intentions towards the Afterlife helps against the temptations of life.
5. Avoid excessive laughter and useless arguments as they harden the heart and lead to heedlessness.
6. Stop working as soon as you hear the Adhaan. When you listen attentively to the call of Salaat repeat after the muˆadh-dhin then offer the relevant supplication. This prepares you for a smooth transition from the business with worldly matters to the business with Salaat.
7. Performing wuduuˆ immediately after hearing the Azaan prepares you for the pending Salsat. Wuduuˆ also works as a buffer zone before engaging in Salaat.
8. Going to the mosque early for praying and continuing mention of Allah drives Satan away and help gain concentration.
9. The waiting time for the congregational Salaat helps create a buffer zone between the state of mind before Salaat and the state of during Salaat.
* During Salaat
1. The Iqaamah itself is a final signal to the mind to be well prepared for performing the actual Salaat. Remember what the messenger of Allah said to Bilal (ra) “Let us enjoy the comfort of the Salaat.”
2. When you stand facing the Qiblah remember the following:
1. It might be the last Salaat in your life. There is no guarantee to live longer to catch the next Salaat.
2. You are standing between the hands of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. How can you be busy with something else?
3. The angel of death is chasing you.
3. Do not forget to make isti’azah. It wards off Satan’s whispers.
4. Keep your eyes focused on the place of sujuud. This helps you gain more concentration.
5. When reciting the Fatiha, try to recall the response of Allah to you after every ayah you say. (When you say: ”al-hamdu lillahi rab-bil ‘alamin) Allah responds: “My servant praised me.” etc. This feeling of speaking to Allah puts you in the right mood of khushuu’.
6. Beautifying the recitation of the Qur’an has a positive impact on the heart.
7. Recite the Qur’an slowly and reflect upon its meaning deeply.
8. It is recommended to change the suras that your recite from time to time to avoid the mechanic-like state of repetition.
9. Alternate between the various authentic sunan such as proclaiming a different opening supplication in every Salaat.
10. Undoubtedly, understanding Arabic helps you focus on the intended meaning.
11. Interact with the recited aayahs;
1. if you hear an ayah about Allah, glorify Him by saying “Subhaana Allah”;
2. If you hear an ayah about Hellfire, say “a’uuthu billaahi mina-n-naar”.
3. If you hear a command to make istighfaar, do it.
4. If you hear an ayah that requests tasbiih, make tasbiih.
12. These forms of interactions are very helpful in keeping you focused.
13. When you prostrate, remember that this position brings you closer to Allah. Seize the opportunity to make sincere du’aaˆ. Invest these moments in making sincere supplications.
* Post-Salaat
1. When you make tasliim, make istighfaar to Allah as you might have made during Salaat.
2. When you praise Allah, thank Him from the bottom of your heart that you have experienced the beauty of Salaat in your heart. Getting used to this habit prepares your for the next Salaat, as you will always be eager to focus in your prayer.
3. One perfection leads to another perfection. If some one perfects his Salaat once, he would be self-motivated to continue on the same level.
A salik is a person who engaged in Islamic spiritual path or sufism. The word derived from Arabic word sulook, which means to walk a (spiritual) path (to God). To become a salik, one must follow both the outer path (exoterism, shariah) and the inner path (esoterism, haqiqa) of Islam virtuously.
A salik is also called murid when one becomes a disciple to one particular spiritual teacher (murshid) or a Sufi master
May Allah fill our hearts with khushuu’ - Aamiin.
Some of the hearts are amorous and of the manifestations of Beauty [jamal] and, driven by their nature, they are attracted to the Beauty of the Beloved. When, in the suluk, they comprehend the shadow of the Beautiful, or witness the origin of the Beauty, the Greatness hidden in the secret of the Beauty effaces them, and they go into rapture, for in every beauty there is a hidden glory, and in every glory there is a covered beauty. There is probably an allusion to this point in his saying when the guardian of the gnostics and of the saliks, Amirul Mu'minin (the commander of the faithful), may Allah bless him and all his offspring, says: "Glory to the One whose compassion is vast for His friends despite His severe revenge, and whose revenge is severe for His enemies despite His vast compassion," [27]
Thus, the Majesty, Greatness and Power of Beauty envelop them and they fall into a state of submission [khushu] before the Beauty of the Beloved. This state, at the beginning, causes agitation to the heart and engenders anxiety. Then, after submission [tamkin], it changes to a state of familiarity, and the agitation and anxiety, caused by the Greatness and Power, turn into familiarity and peace, and there happens a state of tranquillity, as was the state of the heart of khalilur-Rahman (Allah's Friend = Ibrahim) (AS).
Some other hearts are fearing and they are of the manifestations of Glory [jalal]. They are in continual understanding of the Greatness, Grandeur and Glory. Their submission is of fright, and the Subjugative and Majestic Names are manifested to their hearts, as was the state of the prophet Yahya (may Allah's peace be upon him and our Prophet and his progeny). So, submission is sometimes mixed with love, and sometimes with fear and fright, though in every love there is fear, and in every fear there is love.
The degrees of submission are according to the degrees of understanding the Greatness, Majesty and Beauty. Now as we, in our case, are deprived of the light of visions, we have but to indulge in acquiring submission by means of knowledge and faith [iman]. Allah, the Exalted, says: "Successful, indeed, are the believers who are submissive in their salats," [28] Submission in the salat is regarded as a sign of faith [iman]. So, whoever is not submissive in his salat, will, according to Allah's saying, be excluded from the faithful [ahl-i iman]. Our salats which are not accompanied with submission are caused by a deficiency of faith or by lacking it. A belief [i'tiqad] and knowledge are other than faith, our knowledge of Allah, His Names and Attributes and of other divine Knowledge [ma'arij], is other than faith. Satan, according to the testimony of Allah, has information about the Beginning and the Resurrection, yet, he is a disbeliever. He said: "You have created me of fire, while You created him of dust," [29] So, he believes in Allah and in His being the Creator; and he says: "Respite me until the day they are resurrected", [30] So, he believes in the Day of Resurrection, too. He knows about the Books, the Messengers and the angels. Nevertheless, Allah addresses him as a disbeliever, excluding him from the group of the believers [mu'minin].
Thus, the people of knowledge are distinct from those of faith. Not every man of knowledge is a man of faith. Therefore, after acquiring knowledge, one has to join the believers, and to convey the Greatness, Majesty, Brightness and Beauty of Allah, the Most Exalted and High, to his heart, so that it may become submissive, since mere knowledge does not result in submission. You can realize it in yourself: although you do believe in the Beginning and the Resurrection and in Allah's Majesty and Glory, your heart is not submissive. As to Allah's saying: "Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be submissive when remembering Allah and what has come down of the truth," [31] it may be that it is the formal faith the very belief in what the Prophet (SA) has brought - which is intended here, for the true faith is accompanied by a degree of submission; or the submission in the noble ayah may refer to a submission at its complete degree, as sometimes they apply the word, 'alim (erudite) to the one whose knowledge has reached the limit of faith. In the noble ayah: " ...verily only the erudite among Allah's servants fear Him, " [32] the reference may be to them. In the terms of the Book and the Sunnah, knowledge, faith and Islam refer to different degrees, the explanation of which is out of the scope of these papers.
Generally speaking, the salik on the way to the Hereafter -specially if with the mi'raj (ascending) step of the salat -will have to make his heart submissive by the light of knowledge and faith, so as to strengthen, as much as he can, this divine gift and the beneficent gleam, in his heart, trying to keep this state during the whole length of the salat. This state of consolidation and stability, though a bit difficult at the beginning for people like us, it becomes quite possible by practice and by exercising the heart.
My dear: Acquiring perfection and the provision for the Hereafter requires demand and seriousness, and the greater the demand, the more it deserves being serious about it. Certainly, with such a state of weakness, laxity and carelessness, one cannot ascend to the divine proximity and to be in a place neighbouring the Lord of Might. one has to manly set forth in order to reach what one wants. Since you do believe in the Hereafter, and find no way of comparability between that world and this -whether regarding their happiness and perfection, or their sufferings and calamities, as that world is eternal, with no death and perishing, where the happy live in comfort and dignity and in everlasting bliss, a comfort which has no like in this world, a divine glory and sovereignty, the like of which cannot be found in this life, and a bliss which never occurs in anybody's imagination, and similarly regarding the sufferings of that world, its pains, torments and evils can have no match in this world -you should know that the way to happiness runs through obeying Allah, the Lord of Might. None of the acts of worship and obedience can be on the same footing as that of the salat, which is a comprehensive [jami] divine mixture [ma'jun] undertaking the happiness of humanity. If it is accepted, all other acts (of worship) will be accepted. So, you are to exert utmost seriousness in obtaining it, never to feel tired in the quest, and to bear whatever hardship there may be, though there will be none. Actually if you continued it for a while and got cordially familiar with it, you would get, in this very world, so much pleasure out of your talk with Allah -a pleasure which cannot be compared with anyone of this world's pleasures. this will be quite obvious if we study the states of the people supplicating to Allah.
In general, to sum up our discussions in this chapter, we may say that, having comprehended the Greatness, the Beauty, and the Majesty of Allah, either by means of reasoning and proofs, or through the explanations of the prophets (AS), one must remind his heart of it, and then, by gradual remindings, cordial attention and continual remembering Allah's Greatness and Majesty, he has to bring about the state of submission in his heart, so as to attain to the required result. At any rate, the salik should not suffice himself with his present station, as any station which we may obtain does not worth a farthing in the market of the people of knowledge, nor it worths a grain of mustard in the bazar of "the people of heart". The salik must, in all situations, remember his own faults and deficiencies, so that he may find, through this, a way to his happiness. And praise be to All.
There are some of statements in Al Qur'an and Hadiths about Khushuu' or calmness in salah.
In Al Qur'an
"And stand before Allah in a devout frame of mind." [2:238]
"Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their sholats with all solemnity and full submission." [23:1-2]
"And man is ever hasty" [17:11]
...............................What is Khushuu’?.....................By Dr. Mamdouh N. Mohamed.
Khushuu’ during Salaat is misunderstood by some people as crying and weeping. Rather, it is the presence of the heart during an act of ‘ibadah. When a person’s heart is fully occupied of what he says or hears, he is in a true state of khushuu’. The concept of Khushuu’ in Salaat is very essential.
1. It is a vital factor in making a person successful in this life and in later life.
“Indeed, the believers, who have khushuu’ in their Salaat, are the winners.”
قد أفلح المؤمنون الذين هم في صلاتهم خاشعون
2. It is a contributing factor for the acceptance of Salaat.
3. It is a way to gain more rewards from the Almighty Allah; the more the khushuu’ a person has, the more rewards he gets.
4. Without Khushuu’ the heart cannot easily be purified.
Ways to Gain Khushuu’
* Pre-Salaat
1. A Muslim should know his Lord very well. Knowing whom one worships makes a person a better worshipper. Having clear and authentic knowledge about Allah increases His love in our hearts. Consequently, faith also increases.
2. Avoiding major and minor sins is very helpful in gaining Khushuu’, as the heart becomes more receptive to the words of Allah during and after Salaat.
3. Reciting the Qur’an frequently and consistently softens the hearts and prepares it for Khushuu’. Hard hearts do not gain Khushuu’.
4. Minimize attachment to worldly matters. Gearing one’s intentions towards the Afterlife helps against the temptations of life.
5. Avoid excessive laughter and useless arguments as they harden the heart and lead to heedlessness.
6. Stop working as soon as you hear the Adhaan. When you listen attentively to the call of Salaat repeat after the muˆadh-dhin then offer the relevant supplication. This prepares you for a smooth transition from the business with worldly matters to the business with Salaat.
7. Performing wuduuˆ immediately after hearing the Azaan prepares you for the pending Salsat. Wuduuˆ also works as a buffer zone before engaging in Salaat.
8. Going to the mosque early for praying and continuing mention of Allah drives Satan away and help gain concentration.
9. The waiting time for the congregational Salaat helps create a buffer zone between the state of mind before Salaat and the state of during Salaat.
* During Salaat
1. The Iqaamah itself is a final signal to the mind to be well prepared for performing the actual Salaat. Remember what the messenger of Allah said to Bilal (ra) “Let us enjoy the comfort of the Salaat.”
2. When you stand facing the Qiblah remember the following:
1. It might be the last Salaat in your life. There is no guarantee to live longer to catch the next Salaat.
2. You are standing between the hands of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. How can you be busy with something else?
3. The angel of death is chasing you.
3. Do not forget to make isti’azah. It wards off Satan’s whispers.
4. Keep your eyes focused on the place of sujuud. This helps you gain more concentration.
5. When reciting the Fatiha, try to recall the response of Allah to you after every ayah you say. (When you say: ”al-hamdu lillahi rab-bil ‘alamin) Allah responds: “My servant praised me.” etc. This feeling of speaking to Allah puts you in the right mood of khushuu’.
6. Beautifying the recitation of the Qur’an has a positive impact on the heart.
7. Recite the Qur’an slowly and reflect upon its meaning deeply.
8. It is recommended to change the suras that your recite from time to time to avoid the mechanic-like state of repetition.
9. Alternate between the various authentic sunan such as proclaiming a different opening supplication in every Salaat.
10. Undoubtedly, understanding Arabic helps you focus on the intended meaning.
11. Interact with the recited aayahs;
1. if you hear an ayah about Allah, glorify Him by saying “Subhaana Allah”;
2. If you hear an ayah about Hellfire, say “a’uuthu billaahi mina-n-naar”.
3. If you hear a command to make istighfaar, do it.
4. If you hear an ayah that requests tasbiih, make tasbiih.
12. These forms of interactions are very helpful in keeping you focused.
13. When you prostrate, remember that this position brings you closer to Allah. Seize the opportunity to make sincere du’aaˆ. Invest these moments in making sincere supplications.
* Post-Salaat
1. When you make tasliim, make istighfaar to Allah as you might have made during Salaat.
2. When you praise Allah, thank Him from the bottom of your heart that you have experienced the beauty of Salaat in your heart. Getting used to this habit prepares your for the next Salaat, as you will always be eager to focus in your prayer.
3. One perfection leads to another perfection. If some one perfects his Salaat once, he would be self-motivated to continue on the same level.
A salik is a person who engaged in Islamic spiritual path or sufism. The word derived from Arabic word sulook, which means to walk a (spiritual) path (to God). To become a salik, one must follow both the outer path (exoterism, shariah) and the inner path (esoterism, haqiqa) of Islam virtuously.
A salik is also called murid when one becomes a disciple to one particular spiritual teacher (murshid) or a Sufi master
May Allah fill our hearts with khushuu’ - Aamiin.
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