Part 6

You also need to reflect upon how the entire message of the Qur’an revolves around the meanings contained in this ayah, and not only that but also the purpose behind creation, the essence of religious commandments and prohibitions, of divine reward and retribution, and of this worldly life and the Hereafter. And reflect upon how these verses mention the greatest of all objectives (i.e. worship) and the most perfect of all means (secking His Help),

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and the compelling usage of the second-person narrative “You” instead of the third-person pronoun “Him”. Actually an entire volume could be dedicated to this particular topic as it were, but I do not wish to divert from the main theme of this chapter, otherwise I would have elaborated on it further. Nonetheless, the interested reader can refer to the book, Marabil al-Sa’irin bayna Manazil Lydka Na‘bud wa lyaka Nastain’ and the book ‘Al Risalah alMasriyab’ wherein I have expounded upon this topic in great detail.

1.23 The Need of the Ghd for “Guide us to the Straight Path”

The ‘abd (of Allah) should reflect deeply upon how the ayah,

“Guide us to the Straight Path”

Expresses his perpetual needs through the various meanings it comprises namely; 1) Knowing the truth 2) The way to it 3) Acting upon it 4) Holding fast to it, and 5) Calling for it and forbearing harm caused to you by those whom you call

Yet being in a state of perfect guidance cannot be realised unless the ‘abd (of Allah) is able to receive complete guidance. Thus, whenever he falls short in some aspects pertaining to his ability to assimilate guidance, the state of his enlightenment will be affected

1.23 The Need of the ‘abd for “Guide us to the Straight Path”

accotdingly. This is because the ‘abd (of Allah) is in need of this guidance, both inwardly and outwardly, and in all his affairs.

1. 24 Divisions of guidance that the ‘abd is in need

The (following ate) types of guidance that the ‘bd is in need of:

1) Guidance to repent from all his wrongdoings, from deviated knowledge and insincere intentions. Hence, as the slave is in constant need to repent, he is always in need of this type of guidance.

2) Guidance to be acquainted with the finer details of the beliefs and actions that he has, in a broad sense, already been guided to.

3) Guidance to matters he requites in order to further perfect and increase his guidance.

4) To have guidance in matters that he needs in the future, just as he needed in the past.

5) Guidance to have sound beliefs in matters in which he lacks any belief.

6) Guidance to have sound beliefs in matters he has based upon wrong and deviated beliefs. This form of guidance abrogates his deviated beliefs and replaces them with the right and sound ones.

7) Guidance to have the will and desire in matters that he possesses the capability to do and that he ought to do, but for which he does not yet have the desire to carry out.

8) Guidance to have the desire as well as the capability to do things that he ought to but that he neither desires nor is capable of.

9) Guidance to maintain and preserve the sound beliefs, knowl-

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edge and good deeds that he already possesses.

Indeed, asking for guidance is the greatest among all his needs and the most crucial of all his requests. For this reason, Allah enacted that His slaves beseech Him for His guidance several times ona daily basis when he is in his best state, during the five obligatory prayers (i.e. sa/dh) because all this manifests the dire need of the slave to attain this guidance and how significantly important it is to him.

Additionally, Allah clarifies that the path of those who are truly guided is different from the path of those who earned His anget (the Jews) and those who are astray (the Christians and others). From that perspective, mankind is divided into three types with respect to guidance:

1) Those whom Allah favored with His guidance and preserved it for them. However, the individual share of the ones in this category depends on how much guidance each one of them has received.

2) Those who are astray because they have neither received guidance nor were prepared for it.

3) Those with whom Allah is Angry because they recognised the truth but did not follow it.

The ones who are astray deviate from the truth because (in their quest for the truth) they become lost and bewildered and thus unable to find the right path, leading them to totally sever themselves from the truth and the knowledge leading to it. As for those who earned Allah’s Wrath, they are the ones who despite knowing the truth still deviated from it, and as a consequence never benefited from their knowledge because they refrained from acting upon the truth they knew. On the other hand, those whom

1. 24 Types of guidance that the ‘abd is in need of

Allah favoured with guidance stand apart by virtue of their guidance, knowledge, beliefs and deeds. And, Allah is the Facilitator of Success and Guide to the truth.

1.25 Servitude in raising the hands

‘As the slave is about to bow down, it has been prescribed upon him to raise his hands as a show of his deference to the Command of Allah and to manifest the servitude of his hands to Allah, in adherence to the way of the Prophet (), and as a gesture that beautifies the salah. It is indeed the adornment of salah and the expression of one’s glorification to its parts.

Allah has then instructed that he pronounce the keyword of salah; that is to say ‘akbir, which he must do every time he intends to move from one pillar (of sa/dh) to another, as He has instructed the slogan of haji, that is to say the /albiyah'* when the pilgrim moves from one act of /ajj to another. All this so His ‘abd knows that the secret of sa/ah lies in extolling and glorifying Allah through worshipping Him alone.

‘The next act of bowing down is prescribed wherein the ‘abd

visibly demonstrates his submission before the Greatness of his Lord and shows humility before the Pride and Glory of his Lord.

4" LabhaykaAllabnmmaLabbayk - (O Allah! We ate obedient to your orders, we respond to your call)”

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1.26 Servitude in a+ Ruka‘

The praise of Allah in this pillar is to bow his back down, lowering his head while his tongue utters the words:

‘peal Bint “Glory be to my Lord, the Greatest."

‘Through this act, his heart, body and tongue submit to Allah in a most sublime manner that brings together the feeling of humility, humbleness, Allah’s glorification, and His remembrance - thus uniquely distinguishing his submission to Allah from the submission of the slaves (i.e, people) to one anothet. This is because submission is the attribute of slaves and Glory is the attribute of the Lord.

The perfect state of servitude that manifests while bowing down is when the slave dismisses his ego, accepts his status as a slave of Allah, and empties his heart from any glorification he might have had about anyone besides Allah and replaces all that with his glotification of Allah as the only //ab worthy of worship.

When the heart is overwhelmed by his glorification of His Lord, his glorification of himself or of any other created being will be dismissed from his heart.

Not withstanding the outward physical movement of the body when bowing down, this pillar is in reality an act of worship that is foremost prescribed to be performed by the heart; the physical movement of the body is a mere accessory to complete the pillar.

'5 Subbana Rabbiya’l Adbim, Reported by Aba Dawid, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi

1.27 Servitude in al-Qiyam

1.27 Setvitude in a/Qiyam

As the ‘abd rises from the bowing position to stand upright once mote, returning his body to its most fitting posture, it is prescribed that the ‘bd exalt Allah to thank Him and praise Him for His bounties and for facilitating him and guiding him to experience this humility and submission that He prevented others from experiencing.

Just as the Qur'an is prescribed for the ‘abd to recite while he was in the standing posture before bowing, Allah prescribed for His slave to praise Him and glorify Him when he is standing erect after having risen from bowing, In fact, the effect of this pillar on the heart is unique; an effect that cannot be produced by anything except the act of the bowing that preceded it. It is an essential pillar similar to the other pillars of salah such as bowing down and ptostration. And for this reason the Messenger of Allah (jg) used to prolong this standing (after the bowing down) just as he prolonged the pillars of bowing and prostration, and he used to praise, glorify and extol Allah much therein, and exalt Him as I have mentioned before when I explained the description of his sa/ab. He used to say in his night prayers (giyan al-layl):

“To my Lord be all praise, to my Lord be all praise.”

repeating it until his standing was as along as his ruka‘

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1.28 Servitude in a/-Sujad

‘The ‘abdis subsequently prescribed to say “Allah is the Most Great” and then to fall down in prostration to the floor to let all his limbs individually demonstrate their servitude to Allah; his forehead placed on the floor before his Lord, his face - the most honorable part of his body - comes together with the dust on the floor, and all the while his heart humbles itself to Allah. The arrangement of this posture is such that his lower body ends up in a higher level than his upper limbs (j.c. the face), emphasizing his submission. His heart and body are thus rendered humble and submissive before the Greatness and Glory of the Lord. Moreover, when the state of the heart conforms to the state of the body in this position (i.e. both are humble, submissive and down to earth), it is as if the heart too prostrates to Allah along with the forehead, nose, face, hands, knees and feet. An ‘abd with such humility and submissiveness shall be among Allah’s favoured servants. This is because the closest an ‘abd comes to his Lord is when he is in the state of prostration.