Part 6

Being Attentive in Prayer

the dust for His face."

Being Attentive in Prayer

al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “When you stand in prayer, stand in due obedience as Allah has ordered you, beware of negligence and looking (here and there), beware that Allah be looking at you while you are looking at something else, asking Allah for Paradise and taking refuge with Him from the Fire, yet your heart is heedless, not knowing what the tongue is saying,’ It was recorded by Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi, may Allah have mercy on him."

He also records with his isnad to ‘Uthman ibn Abi Dahrash who said, ‘It has reached me that the Messenger of Allah (32) prayed a prayer in which he recited loudly. When he had finished he asked, “Did 1 forget anything of this chapter?” They replied, “We do not know.” Ubayy ibn Ka'b said, “Yes you did, this and this verse.” The Messenger of Allah (3g) said, “What is the matter with people! The Book of Allah is recited to them yet they do not know what was recited and what was not! This is how the greatness of Allah left the hearts of the Children of Israel: their bodies were present but their hearts were absent. Allah does not

accept the action of a servant until his heart is present with his body."

6 Marwazi #157 with a da‘if isnad.

There are many narrations of this meaning.

‘Isim ibn Yasuf, may Allah have mercy on him, passed by Hatim al-Asamm who was talking in his gathering. He asked, ‘Hatim, have you made your prayer good?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ He asked, “How do you pray?’ He replied, ‘I stand at the command, I walk in fear, I commence with the intention, I perform the saklir bearing in mind His greatness, I recite at a measured pace, carefully and with contemplation, I bow with £/ushi‘, I prostrate in meekness, I sit and read the whole tashahhud, and then | perform the salam in accordance to the Sunnah. I pray with sincerity to Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, and yet I fear that it will not be accepted of me; however I will preserve it as much as I can until I die.’ He said, ‘Keep talking for you have indeed excelled in your prayer.”

Refer to Appendix Three for a discussion on the ruling of having Ahasha‘in the prayer.

Amongst the actions of worship that are conducive to subservience and khushi‘ to Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, is

the supplication (dv‘a).""" Allah, Most High, says, Sera Ces arent

“Call on your Lord humbly and secretly.”

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“They outdid each other in good actions, calling out to Us in yearning and awe, and humbling

One of the deeds that displays subservience in supplication is raising the hands. It is authentically reported that the Prophet (Bz) raised his hands when supplicating on many occasions, the most significant of which was the supplication for rain in which he raised them till the whiteness of his armpits was visible.'" Similarly he would raise his hands high on the eve of ‘Arafah, when at ‘Arafah.

Tabarani, may Allah have mercy on him, records the hadith of ibn ‘Abbas who said, ‘I saw the Prophet (38) supplicating at ‘Arafah and his hands were at the level of his chest, like a pauper begging for food.”

One of the fearful would sit at night (in supplication), still, head bowed, and extending his hands forward like a beggar. This is one of the most emphatic displays of subservience and need.

The need of the heart, and its breaking before Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, is also manifested in supplication coupled with its awareness of its dire want and destitution. It is in proportion to this yearning and need that the supplication is answered.

Ahmad and Tirmidhi record that the Prophet (3) said, “Allah does not answer a supplication arising from a heedless and negligent

"2 'Tabarani, a/-Awsat #2892 and Haythami, vol. 10, pg. 168 said that the isnad contained a da‘if narrator.

Subservience is also displayed through the tongue in its actual request and supplication, and in its persistence therein. Awza'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘It was said: The best supplication is the one in which one is persistent and humbly entreats Him.’

Tabarani records on the authority of ibn ‘Abbas (radiy Malu ‘anhuma) that the Prophet (:g) supplicated on the Day of ‘Arafah, “O Allah, You can see where I am and hear my words; nothing of my affair is hidden from You. | am wretched and poor, seeking succour and refuge, fearful and apprehensive, and one acknowledging his sin. I ask You as the indigent asks, and I humbly petition You as a lowly sinner. I invoke You as one who is fearful and blind, with the supplication of one whose neck has submitted to You and whose body has humbled to You, whose nose has been rubbed in the dust, and whose tears are flowing copiously. O Allah, do not make me one who is disappointed when calling on You and be good, kind, and merciful to me. O the best of those who are asked, the best of those who give!”!'*

One of them would say in his supplication, “By Your might and my subservience, by Your self-sufficiency and my need.’

Tawis, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘One night, ‘Ali ibn

"3 Ahmad #6655 on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr and Tirmidhi #3479 on the authority of Aba: Hurayrah and Tirmidhi said it was gharib; both isnads are da‘if.

It was declared hasan by Albani, a/-Suhihah #594, Sahih al-Targhib #1653

"4 Tabarani, a/-Kabir and al-Saghir #696 with a da‘if isnad.

al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, entered his private room and prayed. I heard him say in prostration, “Your servant is at Your courtyard, one in abject need of You is at Your courtyard, one needy of You is at Your courtyard petitioning You at Your courtyard.” So I memorised these words and I have never supplicated with them at the time of distress except that I was relieved of it.’ It was recorded by ibn Abi al-Dunya.

Ibn Bakwayh, the Safi, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated with his isnad that one of the servants performed eighty pilgrimages on foot. While he was performing the /awaf saying, ‘My beloved, my beloved,’ a caller cried out, ‘Are you not content that you should be one who is humble and poor such that you too be beloved?’ He fainted on hearing this and afterwards would say, ‘One needy of You, one needy of You! I have repented from saying, “My beloved!”

Loving the humble and poor

Loving the humble and poor

Ibn Majah records the hadith of Abt Sa‘id al-Khudri (radiy. Wahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet (3g) said, “O Allah, make me live as once lowly and humble (miskin), make me die as one lowly and humble, and resurrect me amongst the ranks of the lowly and

Tirmidhi records a similar hadith on the authority of Anas (radiyAllahu ‘anbu) and adds, “A’ishah (radiyAllahu ‘anha) asked, “Messenger of Allah, why do you say this?” He replied, “Because they will enter Paradise forty years before the rich. ‘A’ishah, never turn away one who is poor, even if you only find half a date to give him. ‘A’ishah love the poor and keep them close for Allah will bring you close on the Day of Rising.”

Abt Dharr said, “The Messenger of Allah (gg) advised me to love the poor and to keep close to them.’ This was recorded by Imam Ahmad and others.!"¢

In the story about the dream, narrated by Mu‘adh (radiyAdlahn ‘anhu), the Prophet (4%) said, “I ask You for the performance of

"5 Tirmidhi #2352 on the authority of Anas and he said it was gharib, ibn Majah #4126 on the authority of Abi Sa‘id, and Tabarani, a/-Dy‘d on the authority of ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit, all with da‘if isnads, however the hadith is sahih.

It was also recorded on the authority of Abu Sa‘id by Hakim #7911 who said it was sahih with Dhahabi agreeing; it was also ruled sahih by Suyiiti, a/-/ami' u/ Saghir #1454, and Albani, Sahih al-Jami‘ #1261, al-Sabibah #308, al-Inva’ #861. ct. Sakhawi, Magasid al-Hasanah #166

"6 Ahmad #21415-21517 and Nasa’i, a/-Kubra, vol. 6, pg. 96 It was declared sahih by ibn Hibban #449 and Arna‘tt.

good, the abandonment of evil, and the love of the poor.”!””

The word miskin in these hadiths and those like them refers to one whose heart is needy of Allah, submissive and humble to Him, and his after shows this. This state is frequently found amongst those who are poor in terms of monetary wealth, for wealth often causes a person to transgress. The hadith of Anas

(radiyAllabu ‘anhv) supports this explanation, except that its isnad is da‘if.

Nasa’i records the hadith of Aba Dharr (radiyAlahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet (4) said, “True poverty is the poverty of the self and true richness is the richness of the heart.”!"*

The Sahih records that the Prophet (4%) said, ““True richness only lies in the richness of the self.”"!”

This is why Imam Ahmad, ibn ‘Uyaynah, ibn Wahb, and a group of the Imams stated that the poverty that the Prophet (3g) sought refuge from was the poverty of the self. Hence the one whose heart is in dire need of Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, and is

"7 Ahmad #22109 and Tirmidhi #3235 and he said it was hasan sahih

The author has a treatise in explanation of this hadith entitled /khtiyar al-Awla Sharh Ikbtisam al-Mala’ al-A ‘la {a forthcoming publication of Daar al-Sunnah under the title, “The Heavenly Dispute”).

"'8 Nasa’, a/-Kubrd on the authority of Aba Dharr.

Ibn Hibban #685 also records it on the authority of Aba Dharr with the words, “True richness is the richness of the heart and true poverty is the poverty of the heart.” Arna‘tt said that the isnad was sahih meeting the criteria of Muslim. cf. ‘Ijlini, Kashf al-Khafa’ #1809