Salaah- A Spiritual Journey

When you begin your Salaah…

From the moment you say “Allahu Akbar” it is as if you have knocked at the door of your Creator. You leave behind the world, and you are now facing your Lord. Clouds of Allah’s mercy form, good deeds fall on you like rain, and angels gather around you crying out,

“O worshipper if you could see who is in front of you and who you are talking to then I swear by Allah you would not finish your Salaah until the day of Judgement. You would stay in Salaah until you die.” (Hadith)

Salaah, derived from the word “Silatun”, means to bring or join together. Salaah joins the slave to his Lord and creates a bond that cannot be obtained through any other form of worship. When you engage in Salaah and you are facing your Lord, you have all of His Attention. It is unfathomable, the Lord of the worlds, our Creator, Allah – looking at me? I share the world with 7 billion other people, but at this moment, His attention is on me? Allahu Akbar.

When you direct your attention elsewhere during your prayers, Allah Ta’ala says, “O my servant, I am in front of you and you are not looking at Me. Have you found something even better than Me? That you have left me and become attracted to it?” Knowing this, we have to perfect our Salaah so that when we offer it to our Lord, He will be pleased with us Insha’Allah.

While you’re travelling, you’re cashing in…

We know Salaah to be a worship to Allah but it is so much more than that. “Salaah ensures;

• daily bread,
• promotes health,
• drives out diseases,
• strengthens the heart,
• brings light and beauty to the face,
• pleases the soul,
• refreshes the body,
• cures laziness,
• relieves the mind,
• feeds the soul,
• illuminates the heart
• guarantees Allah’s favour,
• keeps shaytaan away
• And brings us closer to Allah.

Salaah is a guarantee for all that is desirable and a protection against all that is undesirable for both body and soul, in this world and in the hereafter.” (hadith)

We pray to thank Allah for the innumerable bounties He has given us. Man has five senses; sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch. For these five senses Allah (SWT) has prescribed five daily Salaah’s. It is mentioned in the glorious Qur’an,

“And if you count the favours of Allah, never will you be able to number them.” (Surah Ibrahim: 34)

When you end your journey…

When you make “Salaam” at the end of Salaah it indicates that you have gone somewhere else and are now returning from your spiritual journey. You are able to feel the peace and embrace your new-found strength to continue with your day until the next time for Salaah sets in. The time alone with Allah (SWT) gives us courage to go on with our day no matter how tough it becomes. I think of the stories of the pious and now I understand why many spent their nights engaged in Salaah for the pleasure of Allah …why they sacrificed their sleep and body for hours and hours…it’s because we need Allah… to quench our soul. How fortunate are we, that the gift of Salaah helps us achieve this?

Sources: My Salaat by Moulana Muhammad Idris Ansari 

 

For the pleasure of Allah…

It’s that nagging feeling you’ve tried to push to the back of your mind. It’s the same old question that leaves you feeling uneasy every time. You’ve tried to feed it with simple answers but no matter how hard you try, it resurfaces hungry for more. We’ve all reached that moment at least once in our lives, the dead-end that forces you to ask, “What is my purpose?”

As Muslims we have the answer embedded into our system, one thing, and one fulfilling way of life; to worship Allah. We know this, from the first time we learnt about the five pillars of Islam. We watched our parents pray their salaah on time and with devotion. We observed the peace that enveloped our homes when the beautiful Qur’an was recited, mesmerized by the words we didn’t even understand.  We hoped that one day we’d be able to reach such a spiritual level and when the time came for us to perform all our duties to the Almighty, we stepped up and till today are doing just that but like every wish or goal there comes a moment when you yearn to do more. Then comes the inevitable mind-boggling question, “Why was I created?” to worship Allah of course.

This got me thinking, if I were meant to only worship Allah by performing my prayers and engaging in remembrance of Him then surely I could have been any creation known to man. From insects to plants to the animals, they all worship Allah. But I was created as a human being, with intellect, conscience and emotions. Just listing those has me feeling grateful to my Creator. Alhamdulilah.

How can I go on living a mediocre life when I’ve been blessed with all these bounties? I owe it to my Creator to live a life using my gifts and talents because He gave them to me for a reason. I am the way I am because with my unique abilities I’m meant to make a difference and play my part in the world instead of fading into the background. And from the millions of different creations, Allah has blessed me as I am and still gave me Islam. There’s a reason for that, there’s a reason for everything and when you put your trust in Allah, you can conquer pretty much anything with His help.

With the right intentions and for His pleasure only, I believe we can do what we’ve been created for. After all, the only status and recognition that truly matters is from Allah. He made us human to give us that chance and when I think of it like that I know He loves me, He loves us all. And I pray He is pleased with me for taking the first step to an extraordinary Islamic life.