January 2013: Page 1, 2, 3, 4

Submitters Perspective

Page 2

Triumph

Cont’d from page 1

3. We should follow God’s commands as precisely as we possibly can and without compromising on any of the core principles as decreed by Him:

[49:1] O you who believe, do not place your opinion above that of GOD and His messenger. You shall reverence GOD. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.

Working hard to remedy our own shortcomings, seeking to have God forgive our sins, and leading a righteous life, as defined by God, are the truly worthy objectives we should follow. By working hard on ourselves, in‐shaa-Allah God will let us impact those around us and set a good example for the future generations:

[26:83] "My Lord, grant me wisdom, and include me with the righteous.

[26:84] "Let the example I set for the future generations be a good one.

[26:85] "Make me one of the inheritors of the blissful Paradise.

It is noteworthy that the above verses are prayers of Abraham, one whom GOD has chosen as a beloved friend, as we read in [4:125]. These are prayers from the one whom God says, was never an idol worshiper. Abraham does not presume that he deserves Paradise, rather he is praying that God grant him the gift of such. We ought to ponder how much work we have ahead of ourselves and quit worrying about anything else.

The last verse of sura 110 has great advice for us: [110:3] You shall glorify and praise your Lord, and implore Him for forgiveness. He is the Redeemer.

By internalizing the view that God Is Running Everything (GIRE) and demonstrating it through our words and our deeds, in-shaa-Allah we will be redeemed and make it to the highest possible rank in the Hereafter.

BK

Reverence during Contact Prayers

[23:1-2] Successful indeed are the believers; who are reverent during their Contact Prayers (Salat).

Submitters often express concern over not being reverent and occasionally making mistakes during their Contact Prayers. Some tips may help us do better, God willing.

1. Remember God: Always keep in mind that that the remembrance of God through Salat is the most important objective of the prayer. God controls everything so there is no reason for us to be worrying or thinking about anything else other than Him. Thinking of something else exposes what is more important to us, defeating the original objective of the prayer (29:45).

2. Appreciate: Salat is the prime source of nourishment for our souls combining all elements of worship—praise, supplication, humble posture etc. It is the most effective two minute power pack of worship invoking soul development, help, protection from harm, evil and vice, all in one. Let us make the most of it (5:12, 29:45, 74:43).

3. Correctness: Errors can be made without realization, so take care that you are doing the mathematically coded format of the prayer exactly as specified by God. For example, we avoid: (a) Reciting too softly (almost whispering) instead of using a moderate tone (17:110) (b) Skipping or mismatching words or steps. The lips should touch 19 times in the Al-Fãtehah. This means we should separate our lips after the second “arrahmaanir raheem” (1:3) before saying “maaliki yawmiddeen” (1:4). In a hurry, believers sometimes say “arrahmanirraheemmaliki-yawmiddeen” without a break, resulting in the lips touching 18 times, not 19. To reconfirm the steps, pronunciations, etc. please see the video from: Salat video

4. Awareness of “Contact”: When you

open the prayer, be aware that you are now in direct contact with your Creator, Most Great. Just like you may take special care to see that all worldly meetings go off well, prepare yourself mentally and physically for this extraordinary audience with God, from ablution to planning your time for prayer, and so on.

5. Reverence: Instead of mechanical recitation, concentrate on every word so you mean them and are not heedless of what you are saying (107:4-5).

God has made the Contact Prayers short and easy for us to accomplish. It is our duty to show our appreciation to God for this tremendous gift and remain reverent during it (23:1-2).

Kais

* * * * *

The Contact Prayers are a gift from God, a blessing for us. How we think about them can affect our reverence. You can remind yourself, “I have to do my noon prayer.” That’s a correct statement. Or you can say, “I get to do my noon prayer.” A subtle difference in choice of words, but a big difference in attitude. Now we’re acknowledging that the Prayer is for our benefit and truly a blessing, a gift. Praise God.

* * * * *

[23:1-2] Successful indeed are the believers; who are reverent during their Contact Prayers (Salat).

[2:153] O you who believe, seek help through steadfastness and the Contact Prayers (Salat). GOD is with those who steadfastly persevere.

[6:162] Say, "My Contact Prayers (Salat), my worship practices, my life and my death, are all devoted absolutely to GOD alone, the Lord of the universe.

[87:14-5] Successful indeed is the one who redeems his soul. By remembering the name of his Lord, and observing the contact prayers (Salat).