Voices of Islam (74 page)

The recitation of the Opening Chapter,
al-Fatiha,
is an indication of the existence of His Perfection in man because man is the opening of creation,

34
Voices of the Spirit

for God initiated creation by him when He brought from nothingness the first creation.

What Jili is referring to here is the Light of Muhammad, known also as the First Mind, the Universal Man, and the Microcosm of the Macrocosm.
45
He continues:

Then there is bowing, which is an indication of acknowledging the nonexistence of all creation under the existence of divine emanations and power. Then standing in the prayer is an indication of the station of subsistence (
al-baqa
). Therefore, one says in his prayer, ‘‘God hears the one who praises Him,’’
...
an indication of subsistence in that he is the Vicegerent of the Divine Reality. In this way, God relates about Himself by Himself by relating on hearing its truth through the praising of His creation. The prostration is an expression of pulverization of the traits of humanness and their extermination before the unending manifestation of the sanctifying essence. The sitting between the two prostrations is an indication of obtaining the realities of the Divine Names and Attributes. This is because the sitting is firmly positioned in a place as indicated by the verse where God says: ‘‘The Merciful was established on the Throne’’ (Qur’an 20:5).

The second prostration is the indication of the station of servanthood and it is the returning from the Divine Reality to creation. The salutations [upon the Prophet] are an indication of the attainability of human perfection, for they are an expression of praising God, His Messenger and His righteous servants. This is the station of perfection, for the saint is not complete except by his attainment of the Divine realities, by his accord with the Messenger and accord with all of the servants of God.

The two sections of the testimony of faith are
La ilaha illa’llah,
‘‘there is no diety except the one God,’’ and
Muhammadun rasulullah,
‘‘and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’’ Scholars say that
La ilaha illa’llah
represents the Creator and
Muhammadun rasulullah
symbolizes the entirety of creation. The prayer is considered a dual communication: one is between the worshipper and God, the second is between the worshipper and God’s perfect servant, the Prophet Muhammad, the archetype of all the Prophets and Messengers. Thus, one part of the prayer is a communication with the Divine, by means of God’s Holy Words revealed in the Qur’an and through bowing and prostration, reciting God’s glorifi magnification, and praise. The other part is the salutation on the Prophet, in which the worshipper addresses the Prophet personally and directly, as leader of the worshippers and the believers, followed by invoking the Lord’s blessings on him and on his family.

These realities in fact reflect the doctrine of the Prophet’s having attained the zenith of servanthood (
‘ubudiyya
) to God, and thus the entirety of prayer in itself is built around his person. For the Words of God recited are the words revealed to the Prophet and the remainder of the prayer acknowledges

The Importance and Meaning of Prayer in Islam
35

his leadership and spiritual primacy in both this life and the next. Thus, schol- ars assert that even the positions of the prayer are an indication of the Muhammadan Station, for the physical positions refl the shapes of the letters of the Prophet’s heavenly name, Ahmad, where the first letter
Alif
is represented by the standing position,
Ha
by the bowing stance,
Mim
in the prostration, and
Dal
in sitting for salutation.

Prayer in Daily Life

One may pray individually or communally, in the home, outside, at the mosque, or in virtually any clean place. However, observing the prayers at the mosque and in congregation is strongly encouraged. In addition to the regular daily prayers, there is a special Friday noon prayer, called
Jumu‘a.
It, too, is obligatory, and must be performed in a mosque, in congregation. It is accompanied by a sermon (
khutba
) and replaces the normal noon prayer. Since ritual prayers are performed throughout the waking cycle of the day,

they infl the rhythm of the entire day in many Muslim nations. Although it is preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, and universities. Visitors to the Muslim world, where the call to prayer, the
adhan,
is made publicly from every mosque at the onset of each prayer time, are often struck by the centrality of prayer in daily life.

Traditionally, the call to prayer is the first thing a newborn baby hears after birth, as the father or a person of piety recites the prayer call in the infant’s right ear and the call to start the prayer (
iqama
) in the left.

Mosques

God says in the Holy Qur’an:

Say: My Lord hath commanded justice; and that ye set your whole selves (to Him) at every time and mosque, and call upon Him, making your devotion sincere as in His sight: such as He created you in the beginning, so shall ye return.

(Qur’an 7:29)

When performed in congregation, prayer provides a strong sense of com- munity, equality, and brotherhood. All Muslims are welcome in every mosque, regardless of their race, class, or nationality. There is no minimum number of congregants required to hold communal prayers. Traditionally, mosques were the centers of their communities, where believers gathered five times daily or, at a minimum, once a week. There, the poor found food and

36
Voices of the Spirit

assistance; the homeless, shelter; the student of religion, learning. Because of the centrality of prayer in Muslim religious life, mosques are often the domi- nant structures in Muslim villages, towns, and cities. Traditionally, great attention was paid to making these houses of worship more than just halls for prayer. Governments, individuals, and communities invested huge sums to make their mosque the visual focus of its neighborhood. In particular, the great mosques, in which the Friday obligatory congregational prayer was held, often became magnificent examples of architecture and art.

The faithful take off their shoes before entering the house of worship out of respect for its sanctity and in keeping with the commandment to the Prophet Moses, when he entered the hallowed ground around the burning bush:

When he came to the Fire, a voice uttered: O Moses! I am thy Lord, therefore put off thy shoes, for thou art in the sacred valley of Tuwa.

(Qur’an 20:11–12)

THE SINCERE PRAYER

Ibn ‘Ata Allah, a renowned Egyptian Sufi scholar of the fourteenth century

CE
, wrote:
46

The ritual prayer is the focal point of heavenly discourse, the source of purity by which the avenues of secrets expand and the gleams of lights radiate. So, if you want to know yourself, it is all by the prayer how you would weigh it. If it causes you to desist from worldly influence, then you know you are one who is given happiness. Other than that, you should be aware of what your feet have dragged along to your prayer, and then you will know that you have not obtained the secrets of prayer. Have you ever seen a lover that does not desire whom he loves?

This is what you take from the prayer of discourse with God: when you say, ‘‘You alone do we worship, and from You alone do we seek assistance’’ (Qur’an 1:4)—and from the discourse with the Messenger, when you say in your prayers, ‘‘Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the Mercy of God and His Blessing.’’ You say this in every prayer, whereupon you are cleansed of your sins, only to return to them yet again after receiving the blessings with which the Lord has favored you, which is meeting with your Lord, the highest of blessings.

If one wishes to know his reality and to see his state with his Lord, let him look at his prayer. Either it will produce humility and tranquility or heedlessness and hastiness. So, if your prayer is not of the first type, then seek to throw dirt on your head out of neglect and sorrow.
47
The one who sits with a perfume maker is given the fragrance of his perfume. The prayer, therefore, is the association with God, so when you attend it and you do not obtain from it anything, it indicates a sickness that resides in you, which is either pride or the absence of proper manners. God says:

The Importance and Meaning of Prayer in Islam
37

‘‘I shall turn away from My revelations those who magnify themselves wrong- fully in the earth’’ (Qur’an 7:146).

It is not desired that one rushes from the mosque after his prayer. Rather, he should remember God after it and seek His forgiveness from his shortcomings in doing so. For perhaps his prayer is not in a state for it to be accepted. But if you were to seek God’s forgiveness, thereafter it will be accepted.
48

Ibn ‘Ata Allah’s warning not leave the mosque too quickly after perform- ing the ritual prayer also has an esoteric meaning. The mosque, in the sym- bolism of Sufi signifi the heart, while prayers signify the connection between the worshipper and the Divine Presence. Thus, Ibn ‘Ata Allah here calls on the faithful to maintain the connection with the Divine Source in the heart and not be too quick to push it aside to return to worldly concerns. This means one should strive to keep the connection with the Divine Presence that has been built up through remembrance and prayer, and not fall into heedlessness.

After the Messenger of God used to pray, he would seek God’s forgiveness three times. This was related by Thawban, who said:

When he finished from prayer, he would seek God’s forgiveness three times and say, ‘‘O God, you are the peace and from you is peace. Blessed are you, O Owner of Greatness and Honor.’’

Ibn ‘Ata Allah also wrote:

The simile of one who had performed his prayer without tranquility and humility of heart or presence of contemplation is like the one who presents to the king one hundred empty boxes. Thereafter, he deserves the admonishment of the king because of his lack of intelligence and thought, which the king will utter about him whenever he is mentioned. But the one who prays with tranquility and presence of heart is like the one who presented the king with boxes of precious jewels, for surely the king will delight in that and will return the favor on him and he will always mention to others about the gifts he had received from him. This is because the one who gives has purity of heart, perfection of thought and high aspiration.
49

I say to you, O servant of God, when you enter prayer you are conversing with your Lord and speaking with the Messenger of God in the Witnessing, because you are saying, ‘‘Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and God’s mercy and blessings.’’ It is not said, ‘‘O you,’’ or, ‘‘O so and so,’’ in the language of the Arabs, except to someone who is present in the assembly. So, in your prayers, you should summon his greatness in your mind.
50

If you wish to know how you will traverse the Bridge on the Day of Judgment, then look at your state in proceeding to prayer in going to the mosque
...
for in this world, the prayer is the bridge of uprightness that is not seen by the eyes, but by the enlightened hearts and clear vision. God says: ‘‘This is my straight way, therefore follow it’’ (Qur’an 6:153).

38
Voices of the Spirit

So, the one for whom the path is enlightened follows thereon, but the one for whom his path is darkened does not see where he is stepping and is not able to travel the way; therefore, he will remain in his place standing and bewildered. Abu Hurayra related that the Messenger of God said: ‘‘The poor of the Muslims will enter Paradise before the rich by half a day, and each day is five hundred years.’’
51

This is because they were foremost in the world in worship and constant in the Friday prayer and the congregation.

VOLUNTARY WORSHIP

In addition to the fixed, obligatory ritual prayers (
fara’id al-Salat
), Muslims consider supererogatory prayers of great importance. Great empha- sis is placed on observing the prayers that the Prophet, upon whom be peace and blessings, used to observe in addition to the five prescribed prayers.

In addition to the obligatory prayers, the Prophet observed certain sets of supererogatory ritual prayers just before and after them. These confirmed
sunan
are well documented.
52
In addition to these, the Prophet would add additional prayer cycles known as
nawafi .
Each of the schools of Islamic jurisprudence classifi these cycles slightly differently, but all agree on the merit of performing these supplemental acts of devotion. Finally, the Prophet would pray additional ritual prayers independently of the obligatory ones. These include

• Prayer just after sunrise (
  ishraq
  )
  

• From 4 to 12 cycles in the forenoon (
  duha
  )
  

• Six cycles after the evening prayer (
  awabin
  )
  

• The night vigil (
  tahajjud
  or
  qiyam al-layl
  ).
  

When asked why he used to pray so much, to the point that his feet were swollen, the Prophet replied, ‘‘Should I not be a thankful servant of God?’’
53
In saying this, the Prophet expressed the essence of supererogatory worship, to show gratitude to the Lord and thus to draw nearer to the Divine Presence. The Prophet related regarding the words
54
recited in every prayer from the Opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an, ‘‘Praise is to Allah, the Lord of the universe,’’ that God responds by saying, ‘‘My servant has praised Me.’’
55

The Night Vigil

One of the most important supererogatory prayers is the Night Vigil (
Qiyam al-Layl
). The ideal time for voluntary prayer, and indeed for spiritual endeavors in general, is at night—preferably after midnight. This is the time