Part 5

Dhi’l-Nin, may Allah hae mercy on him, would say when describing the servants (of ‘ldh), ‘If only you could sce one of them when they stood for pryer, standing in their place of prayer: it would cross his mind thatplace was the place in which Allah would raise man to stand befwe the Lord of the Worlds, he would be completely taken aback and his very sanity would be shaken, This was recorded by Abi \u‘aym, may Allah have mercy on him.

Amongst the actions is theservants’ facing forwards to Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, andhis not turning away to any other. This is of two types: the firs is his heart not turning away from the One he is discoursing wih, and its being totally devoted to the Lord, Mighty and Magnificent.

Muslim records on the authority of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (radi Allahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet (a) mentioned the excellence and reward of ablution and then said,“So if he then stands and prays, praising and eulogising Allah, magnifying Him as is befitting, and devoting his heart to Allah, he will finish the prayer

in a state like the day on which his mother gave birth to him.”*”

* Muslim #832 Aba Dawid #425 records that the Messenger of Allah (3) said, “Five prayers which Allah has made obligatory. Whoever performs the ablution well for them,

Aaetions of prayer conducive to Khushu‘

Tabarani records the hadith of ibn Sirin on the authority of Aba Hurayrah (radiyAllahbu ‘anhu) who said, ‘The Prophet (4) would look left and right in prayer and then Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, revealed,

CB ale ee the Fei ca gar atec OSAsk PIs W Osos “It is the believers who are successful: those who are humble in their prayer...””

So the Messenger of Allah (4%) humbled himself and would no

prays them on time, performs the bowing properly and has perfect bushi’, it is a promise from Allah that he will be forgiven, but whoever does not do this has no such promise: if Allah wishes, He will forgive him, and if He wishes, He will punish him.” It was ruled sahih by Albani, Sabih a/-Jami‘ #3242.

longer look left or right.’

Others have recorded this from ibn Sirin, may Allah have mercy on him, as a mursal report, and this is more authentic.”!

Ibn Majah records the hadith of Umm Salamah (radiyAllahu ‘anha), the mother of the believers, who said, ‘During the time of the Prophet (4), when the people stood for prayer, their gaze would not go beyond the place of his feet. Then the Messenger of Allah (4g) passed away, and Aba Bakr (became the leader). When the people stood for prayer, their gaze would not go beyond the place of their foreheads (on the ground). Then Aba Bakr (radiyAllahu ‘anhv) passed away and ‘Umar (radiy.A/lahu ‘anhi) (became the leader). When the people stood for prayer, their gaze would not go beyond the place of the Qib/ah. Then ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (radiyAllabu ‘anhu) became the leader and the tribulation happened and people began looking left and right.”

Bukhari records on the authority of ‘A’ishah (rudiy.Udahu ‘anhd) who said, ‘I asked the Prophet (3g) about looking (here and there) in prayer and he said, “It is a snatching away that Shaytan steals from the servants’ prayer.”

Imam Ahmad, Abi Dawid, and Nasa’i record the hadith of Aba Dharr (radiyAllahu ‘anbu) that the Prophet (jg) said, “Allah will remain turning to the servant in his prayer for as long as he

” Aba Dawid, a/-Marasil, pg. 8 * Tbn Majah #1634 and it was ruled da‘if by Albani, Da'if ibn Majah

Auctions of prayer conducive to Khushu‘

does not look away. If he looks away, He will turn away."”

There are many hadiths of this meaning.

‘Ata’ said, ‘I heard Aba Hurayrah saying, “When you pray, do not look (here and there) because he is privately talking to his Lord. His Lord is in front of him and he is privately talking to him, so do not turn (here and there).”” ‘Ata’, may Allah have mercy on him, went on to say, ‘It has reached us that the Lord, Mighty and Magnificent, says, “Son of Adam, to whom do you look away to? I am better for you than the one you look away to.”

* Ahmad #21508, Abi Dawid #909, Nasa’i #1196 It was ruled sahih by ibn Khuzaymah #481-482, Hakim #862 with Dhahabi agreeing, and hasan by Albani, Sapih a/-Targhib #554.

It was ruled sahih by ibn Khuzaymah #1895, ibn Hibban #6233, Hakim #1534 with Dhahabi agreeing, and Albani, Sahih a/-Targhib #552

Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 2, pg. 40 records that ibn Mas‘id said, ‘Allah renianis facing the servant for as long as he is in the prayer provided he does not speak 1 look away.’

Bazzar and others recoil this as a hadith of the Prophet (3g) but it is more authentic assaying of ‘Ata’.

Aba ‘Imran al-Jawni, nay Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘Allah, Mighty and Magnicent,revealed to Miisa (‘a/ayhis-salam), “Misa, when you stand before Me, then stand as a servant who is lowly and subservient, censure your self for it is most deserving of censure, and talk to Me with a trembling heart and a truthful tongue.”

Amongst these actions is the bowing (rwka’') for this deed, outwardly, shows subsevience. It is for this reason that the Arabs would scorn this deed iad not perform it to the point that some of them tried to pledgt allegiance to the Prophet (gg) that they would fall to the grovtd directly from the standing posture, ie. they would directly goto prostration without bowing, this is how Imam Ahmad, may Allh have mercy on him, and the researching scholars explained the phrase they employed.

Allah, Most High, sis, BOSAL Ja515 “When they aittold to bow, they do not bow.”” Submissiveness is completed in the bowing through the hearts’ submitting to Allah ad its being subservient to Him. As such the servant fulfils intetnal and external submissiveness to Allah,

Mighty and Magnificet. This is why the Prophet (4) would say in his bowing, “My heating, sight, bones, marrow, and whatever

”” al-Mursalat (77): 48

Auctions of prayer conducive to Khushi‘

my foot carries are humbled to You.””* Here he stated that his khushu‘ in the state of bowing had encompassed all his limbs, from the heart down. The heart is the greatest of these organs, indeed it is the king of the organs and limbs, so when it has kbusha’, the limbs will also have khushi‘,

Amongst these actions is the prostration (sa/dah), this action comprises the greatest outward manifestation of the servants subservience to his Lord, Mighty and Magnificent. The servant places his highest and most noble limb in the lowest position it can be in; he places it in the mud, rubbing it therein. This conduces the breaking of the heart, its meekness, and humility to Allah, Mighty and Magnificent.

It is for this reason that the recompense of the believer when he does it is that Allah will draw him closer for “The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating,” as is authentically reported from the Prophet (3).”

Allah, Most High, says,

“Prostrate and draw close.”

The polytheists, those who were too arrogant to worship Allah, would scorn the prostration (as they did the bowing). Some of

them wo say, ‘I find it abhorrent to prostrate because for my posterionould end up being higher than me!’ and others would take a hajful of pebbles and raise it to their foreheads, sufficing with thatgstead of prostrating,

Allah @& Iblis down because he was too arrogant to prostrate to One vipm Allah ordered him to prostrate to. This is why he cries why che believing servant prostrates, saying, ‘He ordered the son {Adam to prostrate and he did for which he is granted Paradise| was ordered to prostrate but I disobeyed (Him) for which I yl] have the Fire.”

Wheniy the posture of bowing or prostration, the servant complet; his state of Asushi‘, meekness, and subservience to his Lord); describing Him with the Attributes of might, grandeur, greatnesand highness. It is as if he is saying, ‘Subservience and meceknes gre descriptions of me whereas highness, grandeur, and gretyess are descriptions of You.’ It is for this reason that it is legisla for the servant to say in his bowing, “Glory be to my Lord, thGreat,” and in his prostration, “Glory be to my Lord, the Mos High.” Sometimes, in prostration, the Prophet (3) would %, “Glory be to the One who has all kingdom, power, greatnes and grandeur."

It is ryorted that one night, he (4g) said in his prostration, “I say as nybrother Dawid (‘a/ayhis-salam) said: 1 rub my face in the dust to ty Master, my Master deserves that faces be rubbed in

Ahm #23980, Aba Dawid #873, and Nasa’i #1050 on the authority of ‘Awf ibn \glik and it is sahih.