Salah Series – Virtual Mosque

The End

Jinan Yousef — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:00:25 +0000

The Salah Series

If the Prophet ﷺ was saying the first tashahhud, he would get up for the third rak’ah with takbeer (saying Allahu Akbar) [Bukhari/Muslim[. If he was at the last tashahhud, he would then say:

اللهم صلي على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد اللهم بارك على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما باركت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد

“O Allah, send prayers on Muhammad ﷺ, and on the family of Muhammad ﷺ, as you sent prayers on [Ibrahim, and on] the family of Ibrahim; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad ﷺ, and on the family of Muhammad ﷺ, as you sent blessings on [Ibrahim, and on] the family of Ibrahim; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory.” (Bukhari/Muslim)

Now let’s take a closer look at the meanings:

Send prayers (salim) on Muhammad ﷺ: You are asking Allah to exalt him and raise his rank, as noted by Ibn Hajar.
Send blessings (baarik) on Muhammad ﷺ: You are asking Allah to increase blessings for the Prophet ﷺ, meaning to give the Prophet ﷺ the good which Allah granted to Ibrahim (as) as well as its multiplying and increase.

The Prophet ﷺ told us about the virtues of passing salaams on him. He ﷺ has said:

من صلى عليَّ صلاة واحدة، صلى اللَّه عليه عشر صلوات، وحُطت عنه عشر خطيئات، ورُفعت له عشر درجات

“If anyone of my community says one prayer on me, Allah blesses him ten times, ten good actions are written down for him and ten bad actions are effaced from him.” (Nisa’i, sahih)

After sending prayers on the Prophet ﷺ

When the Prophet ﷺ heard a man glorifying and praising Allah, and sending prayers on the Prophet ﷺ in prayer, he said to him: “Supplicate, and you will be answered; ask, and you will be given.” [Nasa’i]

Notice how the tashahhud follows the same sequence of the etiquette of getting our adeyah answered: praising Allah, passing peace and blessings on His Prophet ﷺ, and then we are given the opportunity to make du`a’, which the Prophet ﷺ has told us Allah will answer insha’Allah.

He then told us what to say: “When one of you has finished the [last] tashahhud, he should seek refuge with Allah from four things saying:

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من عذاب القبر وعذاب النار وفتنة المحيا والممات وشر (فتنة) المسيح الدجال

“‘O Allah! I truly seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, and from the punishment of Hellfire, and from the trials of living and dying, and from the evil [trials] of the Dajjal.’ Then he should supplicate for himself with what occurs to him.” [Muslim]

If we have just met with someone, and are departing, we ask “Do you want anything from me?” Allah’s Mercy is infinitely more bountiful. At the end of our brief meeting, it as though He is telling us “Is there anything else you want?” by granting us this final du`a’.

The Tasleem

Next, the Prophet ﷺ would salute to his right saying:

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله

“May Peace and Allah’s Mercy be on you and he would turn to his left and say the same.” [Tirmidhi]

Sometimes, he would add to the greeting on the right:

وبركاته

“…and His blessings (be on you).” [Abu Dawud]

After the prayer

The Prophet ﷺ would then seek forgiveness three times – we should do this to seek forgiveness for our shortcomings in prayers. There are many other du`a’ to say, and they can be found here.

But there is something we should be wary of, and this was something the Prophet ﷺ feared for us too. He said:

لو لم تكونوا تذنبون لخفت عليكم ما هو أكبر من ذلك العُجْب العُجْب

“If you did not sin, I would have feared for you what is greater; and that is self-admiration [‘ujb].” (Bayhaqi)

Meaning, now that we have improved our prayer insha’Allah and have a heightened khushoo’, we should not regard ourselves as better than others. Ibn Al-Qayyim has said that self-admiration even invalidates our acts! We should remember all of those past prayers that we prayed badly, and know that whatever good we are able to do, it is from Allah, as He has said in the Qur’an:

وما بكم من نعمة فمن الله

“And whatever you have of favor – it is from Allah…” [16:53]

And all this that we have said, is not even a drop in the ocean in relation to the secrets and pleasures of prayer.

May we put into practice all that we learned, and regard each prayer as a sacred, beautiful meeting with Allah. Ameen.

Salam from The Prophet ﷺ

Jinan Yousef — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:00:30 +0000

The Salah Series

If we are performing a prayer that has 2 rak’aat (units of prayer), such as fajr (the dawn prayer), then we are approaching the end of the prayer, the end of our brief meeting with Allah. After the second prostration in the second rak’ah, the Prophet ﷺ would sit, place his right palm on his right thigh (in one narration: his knee), and then place his left palm on his left thigh (in one narration: his knee, spreading it upon it). (Muslim).

There is some difference of opinion between scholars as to whether one should move their finger while saying the tashahhud (the kneeling portion of the prayer after prostrations), so I recommend following your madhhab (school of thought) or a trusted scholar.

Tashahhud

The Prophet ﷺ would commence by saying:

التحياتُ لله ، والصلوات والطيبات

“All compliments [at-tahiyyaat], prayers [as-salawaat] and good things [at-tayyibaat] are due to Allah…” (Bukhari)

When we say this, we have to apply the secret key that we spoke of before, i.e., that of addressing Allah and talking to Him.

So let’s delve deeper into the meanings of the words we say:

at-tahiyyaat: we assert that all words which imply peace, sovereignty, and eternity are due to Allah. Ibn ‘Uthaymeen has said that this is a term of glorification and respect.

as-salawaat: we assert that all supplications and prayers are due to God.

at-tayyibaat: we assert that all good deeds that any of creation does is for Allah.

A Different Place

After we say the above, our words are transported somewhere else, thousands and thousands of kilometers away depending on where you are. Where is this place? Watch the following video:

It is the place where the most noble of creation lays, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ , in the blessed city of Madinah. The following words, which we say in every prayer, will be delivered to him:

السلام عليك أيها النبي ورحمة الله وبركاته

“… Peace be on you, O Prophet, and also the mercy of Allah and His blessings.”

How do we know this? The Prophet ﷺ told us when he said, “No one sends me salam (salutation of peace) except Allah has returned my soul to me so that I can return his salam.” (Abu Dawud)

Now I want you to look at the closest door to you, and imagine. Imagine that the beloved Prophet ﷺ walked through that door at this moment. Imagine him walking in with his `imamah (turban), his long white thoub (ankle-length garment), his bright face and dark beard, and his beautiful smile. You now have the opportunity to say salaam to him; so how would you say it?

Think of the companions radi Allahu `anhum (may Allah be pleased with them), as they waited outside Madinah for the Prophet ﷺ to arrive. They waited for several days, each day faithfully coming to the same place, waiting. When they finally saw him, think about the joy that overtook them, the way they sang the song we still teach our children today (“tala` al-badru `alayna…”), each companion scrambling to say salaam to the Prophet ﷺ. How we wish we could have been there!

What emotions would be running through you? We may not have been there, but at least, here and now, we have been told that our salaams are taken to him and that he responds. Let’s not make light of this opportunity; rather let us say these words with a present heart and overflowing love as we would if he were standing in front of us.

Peace Be Upon Us and The Righteous

We then say:

السلام علينا وعلى عباد الله الصالحين

“Peace be on us, and on the righteous slaves of Allah.”

The Prophet ﷺ said that when one says this, “it includes every righteous slave in the heaven and the earth.” Finally, he would say:

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله ، وأشهد ان محمدا عبده ورسوله

“I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.”

If he was in the second rak’ah of maghrib (the sunset prayer) or `isha‘ (the evening prayer), he would then stand up.

May Allah enable us to taste the significance of every single action of prayer. Ameen.

Forgive Me

Jinan Yousef — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:06:35 +0000

The Salah Series

After the first prostration, the Prophet ﷺ would raise his head, lay his left foot along the ground and sit on it relaxed (Ahmad).

He ﷺ said “When you prostrate, prostrate firmly, then when you rise, sit on your left thigh” (Bukhari)

The Prophet ﷺ would lengthen his sitting until it was about almost as long as his sajdah (Bukhari and Muslim). He would say:

رب اغفر لي اغفر لي

“O my Lord! Forgive me, forgive me.” (Ibn Majah)

Forgiveness

When we say the above, most of us know the general meaning of ‘maghfira’ or forgiveness. But since we are learning the intricate meanings of our words and actions during the prayer, we also need to know what the deeper significance of these words is. Ibn Al-Qayyim said that maghfira is erasing the sin, removal of its traces and prevention of its evil. It is taken from the word mighfar, which means the metal helmet that a warrior wears to protect himself. And just as a mighfar protects the one wearing it from the consequences of the attacks, maghfira (forgiveness) protects a person from the consequences of the sin. And just as the mighfar covers the warrior’s head, maghfira veils the person’s faults. Thus when Allah bestows upon you maghfira, He protects you from the consequences of your sin and veils that sin from others. That is what we seek when we say “Rabbi ighfir-ly.”

Two Prostrations

In each cycle of prayer, we go into rukoo’ (bowing) once, and into sujood (prostration) twice. Have we ever wondered why? Ibn Al-Qayyim has stated that because the sujood is the most important pillar in the prayer, its significance is shown in its repetition. We desire to taste that sweetness of being the closest we can be to Allah, and thus fall into prostration again.

We begin the prayer with reciting, and we end with prostrating, just like the first surah to be revealed to the Prophet ﷺ. It begins with:

“Recite in the name of your Lord who created.” (Qur’an, 96:1)

and ends with:

“No! Do not obey him [the disbeliever]. But prostrate and draw near [to Allah].” (Qur’an, 96:19)

Another Du`a’

While the most common du`a’ when we are sitting is the one mentioned above, there is another one that we can say which is more comprehensive:

رب اغفر لي وارحمني {واجبرني} {وارفعني} واهدني {وعافني} وارزقني

“O my Lord! Forgive me; have mercy on me; strengthen me; raise my rank; guide me; pardon me; sustain me.” (Tirmidhi)

May Allah enable us to taste the significance of every single action of prayer. Ameen.

Ruku’: The Internal Component

Jinan Yousef — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:36:15 +0000

The Salah Series

When we recite Qur’an, we know we should have khushoo’ (devotion) because we are reciting the words of Allah. When we go into sujood (prostration), we know that God answers our du`a’ (supplication), so we try hard to concentrate. Yet what do we feel when we go into ruku’ (bowing)?

Fulfilling the Needs of the Soul

We all have certain daily needs. A parent cannot wait to get home from work to embrace their children, and even if the children are asleep, the parent will give them a kiss just to fill that space. When we feel hunger, we sometimes become tired and cranky until we eat. Just like we have emotional and physical needs, we also have spiritual needs. The soul thirsts for the worship of God. Many people feel an emptiness, and try to fill it with other things. But just like a hungry person cannot satisfy his hunger by running—we would find that absurd—this spiritual thirst cannot be fulfilled except through the true worship of God.

Humility through Ruku’

True worship comes through humility of the soul, and ruku’ represents a part of that. One of the Arabs, Hakim bin Hizam, when accepting Islam, told the Prophet ﷺ that he would fulfill all of the commandments except Ruku’ during prayer because of the humility it involved. Thus when we go into ruku’, we should make a conscious effort to make the straightening of our backs, the lowering of our heads, and the uttering of “subhaan rabbiy al-`adheem” (Perfect is my Lord, the Supreme) a reflection of our internal state.

When we say “subhaan rabbiy al-`adheem,” we explained in the last article that we are disassociating Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) from anything. “Rabb,” as with many other words, does not just have one meaning—rabb means the Lord, the Sustainer, and the Cherisher. When we think of what we have—the clothes we wear, our wealth, our health, our loved ones—who has provided them? So, how can we not humble ourselves to our rabb? And how can we not feel a special closeness to Him—that He is rabbiy, my Lord?

Glorifying Allah, the Supreme

The Prophet ﷺ said:

أما الركوع فعظموا فيه الرب

“In the Ruku’, therefore, glorify the Supremity of the Lord, Mighty and Sublime.” (Muslim)

When you recognize the supremity of Allah (swt), and the words are reflected in your heart, you should then have reverence for everything associated with Him. Allah (swt) has said in the Qur’an:

“And whoever honors the symbols of Allah—indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.” (22:32)

Thus, reverence during ruku’ is from piety of the heart and we should all strive to perfect it insha’ Allah (God willing). Ibn Al-Qayyim stated that the ruku’ is almost an introduction to sujood, when we take one form of humility before Allah (swt) to a deeper level. This effort that goes into feeling humility in ruku’ can only increase our love for Him, and is one way of manifesting the meanings in the famous hadith qudsi:

“If my servant comes closer to Me a hand span, I come closer to him or her an arms-length; and if he or she comes to Me walking, I come to him or her at speed.” (Muslim)

As we increase in good deeds to grow closer to Allah (swt), Allah loves us, and what more could we want than Allah’s love? This is why the Prophet ﷺ would lengthen his ruku’, such that his ruku’, his standing after ruku’, his sujood, and his sitting in between the two sajdahs (prostrations), were nearly equal in length (Bukhari & Muslim). Bear in mind that his ruku’` was also almost as long as his standing before ruku’, where he would sometimes recite five sections (ajza’). (Muslim)

Muslim bin Makki once described Abdullah bin Al-Zubair radi allahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him) as he was praying. He said that he saw him go into Ruku’, and in that time, Muslim read chapters al-Baqara, ali-‘Imran, an-Nisaa’ and al-Maida (Qur’an 2, 3, 4, and 5), and Abdullah bin Al-Zubair (ra) was still in ruku’. SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah).

Some of us may be inspired by this, but others of us may think, “I can never reach this level,” and not even try. However, let us remember the hadith above about servants who try to move closer to Allah (swt) by as little as a hand span—as long as we are trying to change the state of our prayers, we have fulfilled this part of the hadith.

May Allah allow us to taste the sweetness of ruku’.