Praise Be To ALLAH
After a long and hectic day at work, how difficult it is for a tired person to go out to the mosque and concentrate on his prayers to Allah, the Almighty. Snuggled up in a warm and cozy bed, how difficult it is to get up at the call of the Mu`ezzin: “Come to prayer! Come to success!”
The love of Allah demands total and unconditional obedience. Allah, the Almighty says:
Say (O Muhammad, peace be upon, to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an, 3:31)
Arrogance and pride have often led man to behave as an oppressor and a tyrant. Some men have been carried away by their own self-importance that they have even claimed divinity.
But is man really as strong and great as his ego tells him? The Qur’an tells us the reality of man’s nature: “Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills. And it is He Who is the AllKnowing, the AllPowerful.” (Qur’an, 30:54)
Weakness in the beginning and weakness in the end: This is the essence of man. He is so weak and helpless at birth that his entire existence dependent. He needs a gentle and loving hand, not only in his infancy, but also in his childhood and his teenage years. As this child enters the years of youth and independence, he begins to take control of his own life.
He looks with pride at his strong physique, his handsome features and his many talents. He begins to despise those of lesser abilities. He becomes unjust and cruel, using his strength and vigour to dominate others. He thinks he is master, free to act as he wills. But does this youth, these good looks last forever? In only a few decades, he begins to lose his strength. His youth is replaced by old age.
Weakness in the beginning, weakness in the end. The message is clear: The real Master is Allah. He Alone is Mighty, He Alone is Great. He Alone never gets tired, never needs rest, is never dependent upon anyone. Allahu Akbar!
In our everyday lives, we say a warm ‘thank you’ for the small acts of kindness which others do for us. So what about thanking Allah, Who, in His infinite Mercy, has provided for every single one of our needs. Just observe the beauty and perfection of the earth around you and fall down in gratitude to your Lord.
The prayer is a gift given to every believer to experience a spiritual ascension five times a day.It gives every Muslim the chance to communicate with his Lord. Allah has emphasized the need for humility and concentration in prayers.
For instance, when we recite Surah Al-Fatihah, we should remember that it is a conversation with Allah. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) reported that Allah, the Almighty, said: “When my slave says in his prayer: ‘Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-Aalameen (All praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds),’ I say: ‘My slave has praised Me’. When he says: ‘Ar-Rahmanir- Raheem, Maaliki Yawmid-Deen (The Merciful, the Compassionate, Master of the Day of Judgement),’ I say: ‘My slave has glorified Me.’ When he says: ‘Iyyaka Na’budu wa Iyyaka Nasta’een (You Alone we worship and your Aid we seek),’ I say: ‘This is between Me and My slave.’ When he says: ‘Ihdinas-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem’ (Show us the Straight Path),’ I say: “This is for My slave, and I give My slave what he wants.”
The prayer is so very important that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Verily, between man and polytheism and disbelief is abandoning prayer.” (Sahih Muslim)
Allah says, concerning the plight of the disbelievers on the Day of Judgement, that they will be asked by the believers:
“What has caused you to enter Hell?” They will say: “We were not of those who prayed.” (Qur’an, 74:42-43).
- Abridged from ‘Why Do We Pray?’ by Dr. Suhaib Hasan
And Allah Knows Best
The Prophet (PBUH) said "Pass on knowledge from me even if it is only one verse"
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